Buying a X350 XJ6/8
Discussion
Hello , Im seriously considering selling my present car - 2008 BMW 530D manual estate - and buying a 2003 - 2005 XJ6/8.
Ive always wanted to try a Jaguar, Dad had a MK2 and a 70s XJ6, Im also not doing long enough journeys for the BMW.
I have a few questions first if anyone can help thanks.
I see cars advertised as just XJ6 and others as SE or Sport. Is there a base model or advertisers not bothered to put the exact model in the ad?
What are real world mpg figures. Ive read owners mentioning that there is hardly any difference between the XJ6 and XJ8 ( I mean the smaller V8 ).
Cars i would be looking at would be between £3 - 4000, basically whatever i would get from the sale of my car.
Would also prefer to get one with the larger sat nav screen and a sunroof, is this likely for that budget ?
Thank you
Ive always wanted to try a Jaguar, Dad had a MK2 and a 70s XJ6, Im also not doing long enough journeys for the BMW.
I have a few questions first if anyone can help thanks.
I see cars advertised as just XJ6 and others as SE or Sport. Is there a base model or advertisers not bothered to put the exact model in the ad?
What are real world mpg figures. Ive read owners mentioning that there is hardly any difference between the XJ6 and XJ8 ( I mean the smaller V8 ).
Cars i would be looking at would be between £3 - 4000, basically whatever i would get from the sale of my car.
Would also prefer to get one with the larger sat nav screen and a sunroof, is this likely for that budget ?
Thank you
Can't help you with much other than my fuel stats on a (54) X350 se.
http://www.fuelly.com/car/jaguar/xj6/2004/tvrjas/4...
My OBC has always displayed pretty much 2 mpg more than I actually get from doing my fuelly calculations.
Had mine 3 years and still enjoy driving it,can't really be described as exciting to drive but that's not why I bought it. I wanted a quiet,comfortable relaxed auto to potter around in and that's exactly what it gives.
Got a full blog of absolutely everything I've had done or spent in my 3 years if you look at my garage profile.
I keep an eye on the Jag prices and they do vary quite a bit,the auto trader free guide valuation says today for mine private £3750 px £2380. But then I've seen many dealers with very similar spec/mileage 80k asking what I paid 3 years ago ( 5,800)
I got a wbac quote out of interest about 4 months ago and it was 2,800 then after I didn't respond about a week later they offered 2,995 saying they didn't realize it has FSH.
http://www.fuelly.com/car/jaguar/xj6/2004/tvrjas/4...
My OBC has always displayed pretty much 2 mpg more than I actually get from doing my fuelly calculations.
Had mine 3 years and still enjoy driving it,can't really be described as exciting to drive but that's not why I bought it. I wanted a quiet,comfortable relaxed auto to potter around in and that's exactly what it gives.
Got a full blog of absolutely everything I've had done or spent in my 3 years if you look at my garage profile.
I keep an eye on the Jag prices and they do vary quite a bit,the auto trader free guide valuation says today for mine private £3750 px £2380. But then I've seen many dealers with very similar spec/mileage 80k asking what I paid 3 years ago ( 5,800)
I got a wbac quote out of interest about 4 months ago and it was 2,800 then after I didn't respond about a week later they offered 2,995 saying they didn't realize it has FSH.
Thank you TVRJas, thats a lovely XJ6 you have. Nice colour inside and out and i like the wood trim, not seen it in that wood before.
Had a look at your fuel stats, i did think they'd be a little better. Something to consider, Id have to get used to the drop in mpg. Done a return trip Milton Keynes to Bournemouth on Saturday at a decent (!) pace on £40 diesel. Obviously don't expect any where that on whatever i change to.
Thanks again.
Had a look at your fuel stats, i did think they'd be a little better. Something to consider, Id have to get used to the drop in mpg. Done a return trip Milton Keynes to Bournemouth on Saturday at a decent (!) pace on £40 diesel. Obviously don't expect any where that on whatever i change to.
Thanks again.
Edited by Spanglepants on Tuesday 7th May 17:17
Thanks for the compliment on my Jag..... I think they call that wood look "Olive" that's what I've read somewhere a few times so that's what I go with.
You will get better mpg on a run,my av speed in 3 years is 27 mph and it spends 95% of it's time in a 10 mile radius so if your av speed is greater than mine then it will only improve.
I was showing 38 mpg on a steady 65-70 200 + trip once,it only dropped to my best ever of 32.5 because the other half tank was back to my local normal usage.
You will get better mpg on a run,my av speed in 3 years is 27 mph and it spends 95% of it's time in a 10 mile radius so if your av speed is greater than mine then it will only improve.
I was showing 38 mpg on a steady 65-70 200 + trip once,it only dropped to my best ever of 32.5 because the other half tank was back to my local normal usage.
Sat Nav screen looks better to my eyes but even the newest available update is now 8/9 years old.
I have a 2007 4.2 lwb and get up to 34 mpg on a run.
Sovereign spec came in circa 2004 (I think)which has all the toys.
I’ve had mine 7 months, the only thing that continues to disappoint is the ride quality which certainly on 20’s is very un-Jag like.
Lovely things though, you virtually want to stroke it rather than drive it.
You’ll find www.jaguarforum.com a mine of information.
Full story of mine here ..
https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-news/jagu...
I have a 2007 4.2 lwb and get up to 34 mpg on a run.
Sovereign spec came in circa 2004 (I think)which has all the toys.
I’ve had mine 7 months, the only thing that continues to disappoint is the ride quality which certainly on 20’s is very un-Jag like.
Lovely things though, you virtually want to stroke it rather than drive it.
You’ll find www.jaguarforum.com a mine of information.
Full story of mine here ..
https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-news/jagu...
I'd prefer the larger screen as I like the look of the dash with it, wouldn't use the built in nav.
It's a bit odd but read it before, the larger engines seem to get similar mpg to the 3.0. I'd struggle if it was low 20s all the time. I live in Milton Keynes which seems to be hard on tyres and fuel, all the accelerating and braking between roundabouts.
I get what you mean about virtually stroking it lol. I can't fault my 5 series but do feel I would actually really like owning the Jaguar, I can imagine having more of a live for the car.
It's a bit odd but read it before, the larger engines seem to get similar mpg to the 3.0. I'd struggle if it was low 20s all the time. I live in Milton Keynes which seems to be hard on tyres and fuel, all the accelerating and braking between roundabouts.
I get what you mean about virtually stroking it lol. I can't fault my 5 series but do feel I would actually really like owning the Jaguar, I can imagine having more of a live for the car.
sjc said:
Sat Nav screen looks better to my eyes but even the newest available update is now 8/9 years old.
I have a 2007 4.2 lwb and get up to 34 mpg on a run.
Sovereign spec came in circa 2004 (I think)which has all the toys.
I’ve had mine 7 months, the only thing that continues to disappoint is the ride quality which certainly on 20’s is very un-Jag like.
Lovely things though, you virtually want to stroke it rather than drive it.
You’ll find www.jaguarforum.com a mine of information.
Full story of mine here ..
https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-news/jagu...
I have a 2007 4.2 lwb and get up to 34 mpg on a run.
Sovereign spec came in circa 2004 (I think)which has all the toys.
I’ve had mine 7 months, the only thing that continues to disappoint is the ride quality which certainly on 20’s is very un-Jag like.
Lovely things though, you virtually want to stroke it rather than drive it.
You’ll find www.jaguarforum.com a mine of information.
Full story of mine here ..
https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-news/jagu...
Thanks for the offer but I still have my BMW . It would need to be sold first
fbwinston said:
I currently have a 2004 XJ8 4.2 - shorter journeys I get about 23mpg, sensible motorway miles sees 30mpg. Mine is currently for sale within your budget so PM me if you would like any more info!
Spanglepants said:
Hello , Im seriously considering selling my present car - 2008 BMW 530D manual estate - and buying a 2003 - 2005 XJ6/8.
Ive always wanted to try a Jaguar, Dad had a MK2 and a 70s XJ6, Im also not doing long enough journeys for the BMW.
I have a few questions first if anyone can help thanks.
I see cars advertised as just XJ6 and others as SE or Sport. Is there a base model or advertisers not bothered to put the exact model in the ad?
My 3.5 is down on the log book as a SE, but everything about it suggests Sport Premium. I'm not sure when R-Seats started being made available on non-XJRs, but mine has them, and the touch screen, and 19" wheels.Ive always wanted to try a Jaguar, Dad had a MK2 and a 70s XJ6, Im also not doing long enough journeys for the BMW.
I have a few questions first if anyone can help thanks.
I see cars advertised as just XJ6 and others as SE or Sport. Is there a base model or advertisers not bothered to put the exact model in the ad?
Spanglepants said:
What are real world mpg figures. Ive read owners mentioning that there is hardly any difference between the XJ6 and XJ8 ( I mean the smaller V8 ).
Mixed A-road and motorways, I average 27-28mpg. On a good motorway run, it will average 34-35mpg. If I am spending a lot of time trundling about town, 23-24mpg. By comparison, this is the same as my Mk1 MX5 1.8.Spanglepants said:
Cars i would be looking at would be between £3 - 4000, basically whatever i would get from the sale of my car.
I lucked out, last year, with £4200 on what has turned out to be a good car.
Spanglepants said:
Would also prefer to get one with the larger sat nav screen and a sunroof, is this likely for that budget ?
Thank you
I have the larger screen; as pointed out, the sat nav is now dated, though I still use it, as 95% of it seems correct.Thank you
Everything I read suggests the sunroof cars are more likely to suffer from a collapsed headlining. And a sunroof is just something on the Jag thats going to fail, in the open position.
The Alpine CD multichanger is junk; I believe it has the same issues on the Range Rovers, Mercedes and BMWs that its fitted to. I've given up on it, opting for a nice little £15 FM transmitter.
"Base models" seem to be the ones that come with a single CD player, which is of more use than the cassette player most of them have.
My mechanical bills:
Front/rear parking sensors: I brought the car knowing there was a fault here. £500 to fix, because I went with a local Jaguar specialist, who was charging me £20 to paint each sensor with a rattle can (some examples of their work shown). Rear sensors are essential on these long cars.
Suspension Air Pump; I had a flicker of a warning light on a cold damp morning, due to I guess the pump failing a BIT rather than actual failure. Car was under warranty. Supplying dealer wanted to fit a used pump, but we came to an accommodation meaning he paid most of the bill to fit a new Jaguar supplied pump. I know these pumps, in some cases, can be rebuilt.
Rear door lock. First DIY job. Managed to extricate the old lock, Used actuator fitted for under £30. Proved to be an easy job.
Rear door window; I have an issue where it often will not raise properly. Same local Jag specialist wanted to sting me £500 to supply and fit a new regulator, but during the lock fitment, I can see there is nothing wrong with the regulator, but instead there is a short in the loom, that I will need to attend to at some point.
Car was brought with fairly new Chinese tyres fitted. After 7k miles, the rears were done, and one had been clobbered on kerbs as I got used to the width of the car.
Looming costs:
The tank straps look a bit twig like. No issues in the MOT. Anything steel on these cars seems to rust quickly. My rear subframe looks ok. Likely by the time the next MOT comes around, I will have to replace the rear droplinks. Bi-Xenons flicker a bit.
As for jag forums, I don't think any of them are all that great, as places to be. Jaguarforums.com seems the friendliest, but more US centric. Jaguarforum.com seems to be full of old men, and very cliquey. The facebook group is decent enough. Online workshop manuals aren't a lot of cop.
Potential worry is that already, some parts are no longer available new, and there isn't that much available aftermarket. I suppose not enough were sold in the first place.
The ride isn't bad, but it depends I suppose on the yardstick used, and what your expectations are. I find it a car with a split personality. I can waft very gently around a town. It will eat up the miles on the motorway. On B-roads, it is surprisingly chuckable.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 8th May 08:06
Book figures for MPG are
3.0 V6:
18.5 mpg urban
36.7 mpg extra urban
27.0 mpg combined
3.5 V8:
17.8 mpg urban
36.7 mpg extra urban
26.5 mpg combined
4.2 V8:
17.7 mpg urban
34.9 mpg extra urban
26.0 mpg combined
4.2 SC V8
3.5 V8:
15.2 mpg urban
31.4 mpg extra urban
23.0 mpg combined
Those are probalby about right. As you can see there is little to chose between the NASP petrol engines, but I would suggest that if you're used to the shove of a 530d then the 3.0 and possibly 3.5 might feel a bit weak.
Do bear in mind that any 10-15 year old car is going to have niggles, although these are mechanically very robust cars you will have issues like the bonnet cable, or ABS reluctor rings, heater pumps, heater matrixes blocking etc. They are *miles* less troublesome than equivalent age BMW, Mercedes or VAG barges though. You'll be getting to the age where you'll start having annoying faults with your BMW now I imagine.
I'd agree that the sunroof is more trouble than it's worth, as it is on all old cars, and I would focus on condition more than anything. My last Jaguar had the sat-nav but my X350 doesn't and I can't say I miss it even slightly.
I echo the comments on forums, jaguarforum.com is full of pompous old red faced w
kers. You can, however, usually find help with any issue you can have with a google search.
The 4.2 wasn't available in Sport or Sport Premium spec in '03 or '04 MYs so you may be looking at an SE. 2004 brochure here:
http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/2004_xj8_price...
3.0 V6:
18.5 mpg urban
36.7 mpg extra urban
27.0 mpg combined
3.5 V8:
17.8 mpg urban
36.7 mpg extra urban
26.5 mpg combined
4.2 V8:
17.7 mpg urban
34.9 mpg extra urban
26.0 mpg combined
4.2 SC V8
3.5 V8:
15.2 mpg urban
31.4 mpg extra urban
23.0 mpg combined
Those are probalby about right. As you can see there is little to chose between the NASP petrol engines, but I would suggest that if you're used to the shove of a 530d then the 3.0 and possibly 3.5 might feel a bit weak.
Do bear in mind that any 10-15 year old car is going to have niggles, although these are mechanically very robust cars you will have issues like the bonnet cable, or ABS reluctor rings, heater pumps, heater matrixes blocking etc. They are *miles* less troublesome than equivalent age BMW, Mercedes or VAG barges though. You'll be getting to the age where you'll start having annoying faults with your BMW now I imagine.
I'd agree that the sunroof is more trouble than it's worth, as it is on all old cars, and I would focus on condition more than anything. My last Jaguar had the sat-nav but my X350 doesn't and I can't say I miss it even slightly.
I echo the comments on forums, jaguarforum.com is full of pompous old red faced w
kers. You can, however, usually find help with any issue you can have with a google search.The 4.2 wasn't available in Sport or Sport Premium spec in '03 or '04 MYs so you may be looking at an SE. 2004 brochure here:
http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/2004_xj8_price...
Edited by dme123 on Thursday 9th May 12:05
dme123 said:
The 4.2 wasn't available in Sport or Sport Premium spec in '03 or '04 MYs so you may be looking at an SE. 2004 brochure here:
http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/2004_xj8_price...
Yeah, my 2004 3.5 is a Sport Premium. Never noticed before, but Sport was a 3.5 only, and a 3.5 was a Sport only. 2003 Sport models had a different seat from the later model; a cheap version of the R-seat.http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/2004_xj8_price...
Edited by dme123 on Thursday 9th May 12:05
Interesting to note that a V6 Sovereign was more money than the 3.5 Sport Premium in 2004.
dme123 said:
..... I would suggest that if you're used to the shove of a 530d then the 3.0 and possibly 3.5 might feel a bit weak.
My brother has the 3.5 V8 (another car that is registered as an SE but has all the hallmarks of a Sport Premium) and a Jaguar specialist he has used reckons that in the real world the 3.5 is a lot closer to the 4.2 than the 3.0 is to the 3.5.Can't say I've ever found the 3.5 wanting for pace and the brakes are superb. Ride comfort is disappointing on 19s and not up the expectations of a Jaguar, though it improves as it leaves the roads of Cambridgeshire......
Dad has a 3.0 X-Type and it doesn't seem an engine that would suit the character of the XJ, but I've not driven the XJ6.
Overall my brother's XJ8 is quite an impressive old thing and even at 14 years old and 130,000 miles still looks well. It has needed suspension bushes, a rad and other bits over the last few years but still doesn't seem expensive to own for what the car offers.
I'm impressed by the performance of my 4.2, the light weight shows and it feels quicker than 300bhp would suggest. Sounds superb too, all induction noise rather than farting exhaust.
I tried the 3.0 V6 years ago and it's quicker than you'd expect and certainly "adequate". Also sounds good, but does need quite a lot of revs to give it's best. Sadly I've not tried the 3.5 but I hear it is far more torquey than the 3.0.
I'm not overly impressed by the ride on 19" wheels, it's nowhere near as good as my old X300 cars although I am not sure how well they would have done with 40 profile tyres on 19" rims rather than 55 or 60 profile on 16". The ride really settles down nicely at high speeds, and it's much more planted on a twisty road than an X300 or X308.
I tried the 3.0 V6 years ago and it's quicker than you'd expect and certainly "adequate". Also sounds good, but does need quite a lot of revs to give it's best. Sadly I've not tried the 3.5 but I hear it is far more torquey than the 3.0.
I'm not overly impressed by the ride on 19" wheels, it's nowhere near as good as my old X300 cars although I am not sure how well they would have done with 40 profile tyres on 19" rims rather than 55 or 60 profile on 16". The ride really settles down nicely at high speeds, and it's much more planted on a twisty road than an X300 or X308.
The 3.5 is the only X350 I have any experience of. It moves from a standstill very quickly, and my brother has never complained of it lacking any power (his other car is a Monaro).
I'm not impressed with the 3.0 in the X-Type; the car is rapid, but I don't think the indecisive gearbox does it any favours and it feels less refined than I would like in the XJ.
As I have indicated, Cambridgeshire roads don't help the ride - they are awful, and it is no exaggeration to say that the ride of the car has been much more acceptable elsewhere in the country! Although I am sure the 19" wheels are a contributory factor, I do have doubts about whether the fancy air suspension can cope with really poor roads.
We've considered the Arnott conversion kit to see if that would improve matters.
I'm not impressed with the 3.0 in the X-Type; the car is rapid, but I don't think the indecisive gearbox does it any favours and it feels less refined than I would like in the XJ.
As I have indicated, Cambridgeshire roads don't help the ride - they are awful, and it is no exaggeration to say that the ride of the car has been much more acceptable elsewhere in the country! Although I am sure the 19" wheels are a contributory factor, I do have doubts about whether the fancy air suspension can cope with really poor roads.
We've considered the Arnott conversion kit to see if that would improve matters.
If you want an example of how tragic Jaguar forums often are this is part of a post about a chap who needs to move his car cross country:
" I am now considering driving the car cross country 1700 miles. Just curious what would be the optimal cruising speed for less wear and tear on engine? I’m not concerned about best mpg but rather best / least wear and tear on vehicle."
What a total old fart. 1700 miles and he wants to do it at the lowest speed for wear and tear. It's *full* of crap like that.
The answer, obviously, is to cover as much as possible at night and hold it on the 155MPH limiter as much as you can.
" I am now considering driving the car cross country 1700 miles. Just curious what would be the optimal cruising speed for less wear and tear on engine? I’m not concerned about best mpg but rather best / least wear and tear on vehicle."
What a total old fart. 1700 miles and he wants to do it at the lowest speed for wear and tear. It's *full* of crap like that.
The answer, obviously, is to cover as much as possible at night and hold it on the 155MPH limiter as much as you can.
Thanks everyone. Appreciate the replies was waiting till i finished my night shifts to get a decent time to reply.
First of all after what I've now read here i probably wouldn't go for the 3 litre. After the torque of my car, yes i reckon i would definitely feel the lack of shove. Im now checking out V8s. The reason i wanted the large sat nav screen was purely for how it looked, just preferred it.
Im in the process of making up an ad for my car so fingers crossed all goes well with it selling.
First of all after what I've now read here i probably wouldn't go for the 3 litre. After the torque of my car, yes i reckon i would definitely feel the lack of shove. Im now checking out V8s. The reason i wanted the large sat nav screen was purely for how it looked, just preferred it.
Im in the process of making up an ad for my car so fingers crossed all goes well with it selling.
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