To Buy or not to Buy
Discussion
Hello,
I currently drive a 2003 Seat Leon Cupra. It has given me no trouble and is an extremely capable all rounder with minimal running costs. However, since having a look at autotrader I haven't been able to get the idea out of my head that I could sell the Seat and replace it with a £8000- £9000 XJR, which might stretch to a v or w plate. I would like to know what you all think of this proposed swap, I'm not too fussed about the petrol costs as I only do 10,00 a year, but are the maintanence and reapair costs as bad as I have read elsewhere? Basically I would just like to get a few opinions. I'm thinking that it's got to be done!
I currently drive a 2003 Seat Leon Cupra. It has given me no trouble and is an extremely capable all rounder with minimal running costs. However, since having a look at autotrader I haven't been able to get the idea out of my head that I could sell the Seat and replace it with a £8000- £9000 XJR, which might stretch to a v or w plate. I would like to know what you all think of this proposed swap, I'm not too fussed about the petrol costs as I only do 10,00 a year, but are the maintanence and reapair costs as bad as I have read elsewhere? Basically I would just like to get a few opinions. I'm thinking that it's got to be done!
1999 V Reg JAGUAR XJR 4.0 V8 SUPERCHARGED AUTO
Metallic Carnival red. full cream leather e/m/seats, Harmon kardon sound system, cruise, air con/climate, 18" alloys, cd player, stunning superquick car, HPi clear, s/history 105000 miles, excellent condition, 6 mths warranty inc. £7,995.
1999 JAGUAR V8 4.0 V8 XJR
SUPERCHARGED, Sapphire Blue, Oatmeal leather, Penta alloys, 2 owners, FSH, 12 months MOT, all usual refinements, immaculate inside,otside and underneath. A lovely car.. £8,000
They're on autotrader now, don't know how to copy the images though
Metallic Carnival red. full cream leather e/m/seats, Harmon kardon sound system, cruise, air con/climate, 18" alloys, cd player, stunning superquick car, HPi clear, s/history 105000 miles, excellent condition, 6 mths warranty inc. £7,995.
1999 JAGUAR V8 4.0 V8 XJR
SUPERCHARGED, Sapphire Blue, Oatmeal leather, Penta alloys, 2 owners, FSH, 12 months MOT, all usual refinements, immaculate inside,otside and underneath. A lovely car.. £8,000
They're on autotrader now, don't know how to copy the images though
I think you should drive some cars.
The XJR is a very competent car - indecently fast yet very easy to drive. They are also very good on fuel.
The issues the older cars have are well documented, but if you get a good car and look after it (just as Pwig has) it should last a long time.
Buy one, then have the dealer do a full service with all oils changed if you want to maximise the life of the major components.
The XJR is a very competent car - indecently fast yet very easy to drive. They are also very good on fuel.
The issues the older cars have are well documented, but if you get a good car and look after it (just as Pwig has) it should last a long time.
Buy one, then have the dealer do a full service with all oils changed if you want to maximise the life of the major components.
I've been absolutely over the moon with mine and am still astounded by the sheer performance and sense of occassion when driving it.
Unfortunately I am having to sell mine in oreder to fund my trackday/'ring project otherwise I could see myself keeping it forever as it does pretty much everything that I could ask of it.
Unfortunately I am having to sell mine in oreder to fund my trackday/'ring project otherwise I could see myself keeping it forever as it does pretty much everything that I could ask of it.
Thanks for your replies. I will try and get to drive one when a garage near me has one in. If
I get one i'm going to drive down to the south of France, seems like the perfect car for it.
It's probably come up too soon for me but item number 300001032852 on ebay looks like it could be a bargain, new gearbox and engine still under warranty. In your experience what would be average annual servicing costs? Cheers, Bill
I get one i'm going to drive down to the south of France, seems like the perfect car for it.
It's probably come up too soon for me but item number 300001032852 on ebay looks like it could be a bargain, new gearbox and engine still under warranty. In your experience what would be average annual servicing costs? Cheers, Bill
jamesk said:
As far as I know the raw performance is very similar. The 6 cylinder is also less prone to failure (nikasil & tensioners). I think it has an inferior gearbox though and a much more dated interior.
Perfectly summed up.
The only thing to add is that there are a very few manual 6 cylinders around which are becoming quite sought after. Although not a brilliant 'box, it narrows the gap in terms of performance between the two models considerably.
Stubby Pete said:
Sorry to slightly go off the subject originally posted but does anybody know what the performance/reliability difference between the older 6 cylinder (supercharged) and the v8? Looking a bit older and about £4k-£5k.
I've just sold my XJR (straight six) in favour of a Cerbera.
Loved the Jag to bits and can't see any way that I could have gotten a better car for £5k.
Running costs were no more than the Audi it replaced, other than petrol....
Perhaps I can be of some help on the issue of 6 cylinder verses V8 Jaguars. Price aside for a minute, the well documented issues not only concern the engine, but also the gearbox. Firstly, maintenance. The 6 cylinder XJ's (X300 models inc XJR's)are far simpler to service at home than a V8 which demands the use of specialist diagnostic kit far more frequently. The engine for all models is the AJ16 lump, a development of the AJ6 used in earlier XJ's and most XJS's. They are known to be bulletproof, the only achilles heel is the occasional head gasket failure ( easy to put right) and rarer burning of the piston crown. The use of good quality super-unleaded fuel helps here. A good, well maintained AJ16 is a reliable, quiet, smooth piece of machinary which alwys responds to a good prod of the go pedal, irrespective of model. The XJR version, with the addition of a belt driven supercharger is still a very fast - and sought after - car. The V8 (X308) surpasses it for smoothness and power but the downside is the reliability issues coupled with more complicated maintenance. Firstly the Nikasil issue. My advice is to search for a 2001> model car which will have steel liners and no nikasil, or find an earlier car with a replacement engine. These will also have the steel liners. Replacement of a V8 engine is very costly so please be warned. The second issue is that of the water pumps. These have plastic impellors that have a tendancy to slowly break up. Water circulation becomes affected and the result if left is a cooked engine! Not good especially with these - open wallet surgery time again. There is a more reliable replacement that should as a matter of course be fitted to any cared for V8 - if only as a precaution. The third issue is that of upper timing chain tensioners of which there have been differing designs with limited success. The latest versions are far better, designed for the 4.2l v8's and can be retrofitted to any V8. Worth doing for piece of mind at least!
The auto gearboxes in earlier 6 cylinder X300 cars are 4 speed ZF units, with an electronically controlled, manually switched "Sport" mode on 4l & XJR's. These are all strong boxes, most issues are with the elecrical connectors to the electronics. Again, usually simply sorted. They have a removable sump pan, internal oil filter etc. which needs changing according to the schedules. The V8 X308 cars use a sealed for life 5 speed unit. Unfortunatley, it is not unknown for these units to suddenly fail and sometimes with little warning. Replacement is the only way forward, a reconditioned unit being of the order of £1500 fitted.
I'll shut up, but if reliability and maintenance is the key, a good, well maintained X300 XJR (94 - 97) is the one I would go for everytime!
The auto gearboxes in earlier 6 cylinder X300 cars are 4 speed ZF units, with an electronically controlled, manually switched "Sport" mode on 4l & XJR's. These are all strong boxes, most issues are with the elecrical connectors to the electronics. Again, usually simply sorted. They have a removable sump pan, internal oil filter etc. which needs changing according to the schedules. The V8 X308 cars use a sealed for life 5 speed unit. Unfortunatley, it is not unknown for these units to suddenly fail and sometimes with little warning. Replacement is the only way forward, a reconditioned unit being of the order of £1500 fitted.
I'll shut up, but if reliability and maintenance is the key, a good, well maintained X300 XJR (94 - 97) is the one I would go for everytime!
[quote=groomi
Perfectly summed up.
The only thing to add is that there are a very few manual 6 cylinders around which are becoming quite sought after. Although not a brilliant 'box, it narrows the gap in terms of performance between the two models considerably.
[/quote]
I have had a manual XJR 6 pot for the last 5 years and I love it! I am sure that the smooth gear changes that one gets in an auto are preferable for some but the raw power and controllability of the manual makes up for it, (IMO). Also, according to the cognoscenti, the 6 cylinder XJ6 engines are "pretty much unbreakable". The 6 is also less quiet than the 8 and gives the driver some supercharger winding up noise to listen to, if the fancy takes!
You'll enjoy either the 6 or 8 I am sure, so BUY ONE!
Perfectly summed up.
The only thing to add is that there are a very few manual 6 cylinders around which are becoming quite sought after. Although not a brilliant 'box, it narrows the gap in terms of performance between the two models considerably.
[/quote]
I have had a manual XJR 6 pot for the last 5 years and I love it! I am sure that the smooth gear changes that one gets in an auto are preferable for some but the raw power and controllability of the manual makes up for it, (IMO). Also, according to the cognoscenti, the 6 cylinder XJ6 engines are "pretty much unbreakable". The 6 is also less quiet than the 8 and gives the driver some supercharger winding up noise to listen to, if the fancy takes!
You'll enjoy either the 6 or 8 I am sure, so BUY ONE!
Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff