Jaguar XJ6 - A Surprising 18 Months
Discussion
18 Months ago I didn't have a daily driver as I was working from home and generally getting the train in to London if I had any office-based work to do. The overheads of owning a car, let alone anything interesting just didn't stack up when we had my wife's Up and a camper van already - hiring cars as and when needed was far cheaper than owning even a modest car.
Then I started doing more racing and as a result a lot more testing, which meant long drives all round the country to circuits - suddenly the options were to spend a lot more on rentals or look for something to own which would make the journeys as easy as possible.
I'll be honest, although the obvious choice was a bargain barge I'd been bitten by an unreliable E39 540i a few years ago and the thought of paying large amounts for relatively minor repairs again did not appeal. Barging is definitely something you do as a gamble, you could end up with a money pit (having the agonizing decision of whether to shell out another £500-£1000 or bite the bullet and get shot) or a peach. But a barge for covering long, mainly motorway journeys was an obvious choice, so it was with trepidation I began the search.
I knew I was in no rush to buy, so set myself a checklist - just the usual common sense items, history, overall condition, owners etc. but I vowed not to be swayed by my heart, and to buy with my head (for a change). To that end I enlisted the help of my wife, who doesn't share the affliction for 'interesting' cars but is very tolerant of mine and would try and stop me buying another money pit.
We looked at an LS430 locally which seemed like it had been looked after right up until the current owner who clearly had tried to run it on a shoestring.
We looked at a 740i, but the lack of history surrounding the common faults suggested the big bills may be just around the corner.
Then my wife saw an XJ at a small dealer in Sunderland (about an hour away) which was advertised as having full dealer history, under 100k miles and only 2 owners, last one for 10 years.
I always liked Jags, but as someone in my 40s with a young family, I was at least 20 years away from Jag ownership, wasn't I? And anyway, this was the slightly naff, retro-styled, last-of-the-line old style XJ - all the unreliability of 'old' Jags, none of the styling of the modern era.
However, we went to see it anyway - I'd vowed not to let heart rule head.
Saw it, bought it. I didn't even haggle much, the folder of receipts with it was enough to sell the car to me; It was such a well cared for car, first owner had it for 3 years, then it was bought by an older chap with an MBE for services to the Scotch Whisky industry who had it back to a main dealer for anything and everything, including a new gearbox at 70k miles which cost him more than the dealer was asking for the car at 95k miles. It had the wrong engine (I thought), the 3.0 Ford V6 but the condition of the car was such that for once, head ruled heart.
So what's it like to drive - first surprise is it's not really underpowered. What I wasn't aware of is that it has an aluminium chassis (bare chassis is actually lighter than a MINI's) so weight is kept fairly low and the 240bhp is what I'd describe as 'sufficient' to make the car sit up and accelerate well, especially on the motorway when the lane ahead clears. It's not an XJR, but you never feel short of power to overtake.
Also, handling - I don't like air suspension, it doesn't react quickly enough to potholes and other short, sharp shocks meaning quite a harsh ride on poor quality roads but for quicker cornering it keeps the everything very flat and gives confidence to lean on the car's cornering abilities. If you want your barge to be just a little bit sporty, air suspension makes sense. But to me, for British roads other than dual carriageways and motorways, it's not really suited.
Having said that - get it on a motorway and set cruise, it's as wafty, comfortable and quiet place as you'd wish for - it excels on long journeys.
As you might expect, the interior is the car's other strong point - a little dated but so, so comfortable and well appointed. You're sitting in a leather armchair, with wood everywhere and enough adjustments in the seat to suit even my wife, who's never usually happy. There's a half-decent stereo too, though the inability to connect a modern music player or phone is a bit of a pain, I've listened to a lot of old CDs I'd forgotten about in the time I've owned the car though. Leather - everywhere.
It's clear that 'real' leather ages so much better than the usual stuff they use in modern cars, with very little effort I got it looking like it had been in the car a year, not 12 years and it's stayed that way since. The interior is such a nice place to be on long journeys - quiet, comfortable (on the motorway, as I noted before) - you can do a 5 hour drive and hardly notice. These kinds of cars do the long journey so well.
Reliability - this is the real surprise. Aside from a pair of tyres and servicing, all the the car has needed was a couple of refurbed calipers thanks to siezing of the old ones due to under-use over winter - a local specialist did the job for £220 including parts.
The air suspension pump makes a bit of noise, my specialist blames the seals, but suggests rather than a rebuild (you can buy new seals for about £30) which often fails quite quickly, it's better to wait until the 'Air Suspension Fault' error occurs regularly and replace the unit (about £200 plus fitting, which is pretty straightforward). So far I've seen the fault half a dozen times, always in the cold weather and usually when the car has been sitting unused for a while so the bags are fully deflated - the ECU allows 2 minutes from startup for all the bags to be up to pressure, if they're not then it throws the fault but continues to inflate the bags. The fault also clears after a restart, so can be ignored until it happens regularly.
The only things that don't work are 6CD changer in the boot (which is intermittent), the folding mirrors (which don't) and the rear blind (which seems stuck), none of which bother me enough to attempt a fix.
It's also big - wife backed it into a post in a multi-story (the reversing sensors 'stopped working' at that point in time only, not before or since - strange.....) and it's had a knock recently in a car park on the front bumper, clearly someone backing into it - only minor damage but it's annoying and I'll have to get it fixed professionally. Parking is OK but tight and it's not really suited to modern town-centre parking.
In short, the car has been a total surprise - even fuel economy is 30mpg at the moment as it's doing mostly motorway miles. If you're looking for a barge and can get over the slightly 'old man' image, a well cared for Jag makes a lot of sense - it even looks like a Jag!
I'm about to take delivery of a new Golf R estate as I miss the load space (I have a lot of garden projects coming up and a Jag boot is not the best place for garden waste, wood, plants etc.) and want something more sporty - and I do miss the ability to stream music. However, the Jag has been a very surprising companion over the last 18 months - the BMW and Mecedes barges are the default choice but don't discount the Jag if you find a well looked after one - I'll be sorry to see it go (in fact I'm trying to justify keeping it for a while, but I know it won't get used enough).
Then I started doing more racing and as a result a lot more testing, which meant long drives all round the country to circuits - suddenly the options were to spend a lot more on rentals or look for something to own which would make the journeys as easy as possible.
I'll be honest, although the obvious choice was a bargain barge I'd been bitten by an unreliable E39 540i a few years ago and the thought of paying large amounts for relatively minor repairs again did not appeal. Barging is definitely something you do as a gamble, you could end up with a money pit (having the agonizing decision of whether to shell out another £500-£1000 or bite the bullet and get shot) or a peach. But a barge for covering long, mainly motorway journeys was an obvious choice, so it was with trepidation I began the search.
I knew I was in no rush to buy, so set myself a checklist - just the usual common sense items, history, overall condition, owners etc. but I vowed not to be swayed by my heart, and to buy with my head (for a change). To that end I enlisted the help of my wife, who doesn't share the affliction for 'interesting' cars but is very tolerant of mine and would try and stop me buying another money pit.
We looked at an LS430 locally which seemed like it had been looked after right up until the current owner who clearly had tried to run it on a shoestring.
We looked at a 740i, but the lack of history surrounding the common faults suggested the big bills may be just around the corner.
Then my wife saw an XJ at a small dealer in Sunderland (about an hour away) which was advertised as having full dealer history, under 100k miles and only 2 owners, last one for 10 years.
I always liked Jags, but as someone in my 40s with a young family, I was at least 20 years away from Jag ownership, wasn't I? And anyway, this was the slightly naff, retro-styled, last-of-the-line old style XJ - all the unreliability of 'old' Jags, none of the styling of the modern era.
However, we went to see it anyway - I'd vowed not to let heart rule head.
Saw it, bought it. I didn't even haggle much, the folder of receipts with it was enough to sell the car to me; It was such a well cared for car, first owner had it for 3 years, then it was bought by an older chap with an MBE for services to the Scotch Whisky industry who had it back to a main dealer for anything and everything, including a new gearbox at 70k miles which cost him more than the dealer was asking for the car at 95k miles. It had the wrong engine (I thought), the 3.0 Ford V6 but the condition of the car was such that for once, head ruled heart.
So what's it like to drive - first surprise is it's not really underpowered. What I wasn't aware of is that it has an aluminium chassis (bare chassis is actually lighter than a MINI's) so weight is kept fairly low and the 240bhp is what I'd describe as 'sufficient' to make the car sit up and accelerate well, especially on the motorway when the lane ahead clears. It's not an XJR, but you never feel short of power to overtake.
Also, handling - I don't like air suspension, it doesn't react quickly enough to potholes and other short, sharp shocks meaning quite a harsh ride on poor quality roads but for quicker cornering it keeps the everything very flat and gives confidence to lean on the car's cornering abilities. If you want your barge to be just a little bit sporty, air suspension makes sense. But to me, for British roads other than dual carriageways and motorways, it's not really suited.
Having said that - get it on a motorway and set cruise, it's as wafty, comfortable and quiet place as you'd wish for - it excels on long journeys.
As you might expect, the interior is the car's other strong point - a little dated but so, so comfortable and well appointed. You're sitting in a leather armchair, with wood everywhere and enough adjustments in the seat to suit even my wife, who's never usually happy. There's a half-decent stereo too, though the inability to connect a modern music player or phone is a bit of a pain, I've listened to a lot of old CDs I'd forgotten about in the time I've owned the car though. Leather - everywhere.
It's clear that 'real' leather ages so much better than the usual stuff they use in modern cars, with very little effort I got it looking like it had been in the car a year, not 12 years and it's stayed that way since. The interior is such a nice place to be on long journeys - quiet, comfortable (on the motorway, as I noted before) - you can do a 5 hour drive and hardly notice. These kinds of cars do the long journey so well.
Reliability - this is the real surprise. Aside from a pair of tyres and servicing, all the the car has needed was a couple of refurbed calipers thanks to siezing of the old ones due to under-use over winter - a local specialist did the job for £220 including parts.
The air suspension pump makes a bit of noise, my specialist blames the seals, but suggests rather than a rebuild (you can buy new seals for about £30) which often fails quite quickly, it's better to wait until the 'Air Suspension Fault' error occurs regularly and replace the unit (about £200 plus fitting, which is pretty straightforward). So far I've seen the fault half a dozen times, always in the cold weather and usually when the car has been sitting unused for a while so the bags are fully deflated - the ECU allows 2 minutes from startup for all the bags to be up to pressure, if they're not then it throws the fault but continues to inflate the bags. The fault also clears after a restart, so can be ignored until it happens regularly.
The only things that don't work are 6CD changer in the boot (which is intermittent), the folding mirrors (which don't) and the rear blind (which seems stuck), none of which bother me enough to attempt a fix.
It's also big - wife backed it into a post in a multi-story (the reversing sensors 'stopped working' at that point in time only, not before or since - strange.....) and it's had a knock recently in a car park on the front bumper, clearly someone backing into it - only minor damage but it's annoying and I'll have to get it fixed professionally. Parking is OK but tight and it's not really suited to modern town-centre parking.
In short, the car has been a total surprise - even fuel economy is 30mpg at the moment as it's doing mostly motorway miles. If you're looking for a barge and can get over the slightly 'old man' image, a well cared for Jag makes a lot of sense - it even looks like a Jag!
I'm about to take delivery of a new Golf R estate as I miss the load space (I have a lot of garden projects coming up and a Jag boot is not the best place for garden waste, wood, plants etc.) and want something more sporty - and I do miss the ability to stream music. However, the Jag has been a very surprising companion over the last 18 months - the BMW and Mecedes barges are the default choice but don't discount the Jag if you find a well looked after one - I'll be sorry to see it go (in fact I'm trying to justify keeping it for a while, but I know it won't get used enough).
I really rate this engine in the XJ. It's got as much power as the old AJ16 4.0 had in the X300, but goes 50% further from a gallon of fuel and is usefully quicker due to the weight and gearbox advantage. It even makes a nice noise. I'd have one all day long over the complicated and underpowered 2.7d.
Out of curiosity, what do you think it'll sell for? These really are heading quickly for "traditional" old Jag bargain basement territory.
Out of curiosity, what do you think it'll sell for? These really are heading quickly for "traditional" old Jag bargain basement territory.
Edited by dme123 on Saturday 20th May 20:59
Good write up and pretty much sums up my views as I bought one last year a 54 plate
I really can't fault it,I love driving it as it's just so relaxing but as you say it moves pretty well for such a large car.
My CD changer also doesn't work and had the folding mirror issue on the near side. Mine was making all the noises but just not moving,I took off the plastic cap and sprayed a load of WD40 in it and a huge amount of gunk came out and It's worked every time since.
I wasn't so keen on all the wood look so I got one with what they call the "Olive" wood,all down to our different taste I guess.
I really can't fault it,I love driving it as it's just so relaxing but as you say it moves pretty well for such a large car.
My CD changer also doesn't work and had the folding mirror issue on the near side. Mine was making all the noises but just not moving,I took off the plastic cap and sprayed a load of WD40 in it and a huge amount of gunk came out and It's worked every time since.
I wasn't so keen on all the wood look so I got one with what they call the "Olive" wood,all down to our different taste I guess.
dme123 said:
I really rate this engine in the XJ. It's got as much power as the old AJ16 4.0 had in the X300, but goes 50% further from a gallon of fuel and is usefully quicker due to the weight and gearbox advantage. It even makes a nice noise. I'd have one all day long over the complicated and underpowered 2.7d.
Out of curiosity, what do you think it'll sell for? These really are heading quickly for "traditional" old Jag bargain basement territory.
It's hard to reconcile a Jag with 'only' 3 litres in this day and age but it's enough for the type of car it is and it's been fault-free it's whole life according to the receipts I have.Out of curiosity, what do you think it'll sell for? These really are heading quickly for "traditional" old Jag bargain basement territory.
It won't sell for much, I paid £4300 I think from a dealer who was having trouble shifting it, I'm not expecting to get much for it TBH, £3k, maybe £3.5k.
As my wife reminded me only this weekend, I have a habit of selling cars just before they rise in value (Integrale for £4.5k in the mid-90s, now in the high 20s for a tatty one, S1 Elise Sport 190 in the early '00s for £14k, now £25k and up) so assume this is the bottom of the curve for 'old fashioned' Jags and they'll only go up in value from the day I sell mine.
Mark Benson said:
It's hard to reconcile a Jag with 'only' 3 litres in this day and age but it's enough for the type of car it is and it's been fault-free it's whole life according to the receipts I have.
It won't sell for much, I paid £4300 I think from a dealer who was having trouble shifting it, I'm not expecting to get much for it TBH, £3k, maybe £3.5k.
As my wife reminded me only this weekend, I have a habit of selling cars just before they rise in value (Integrale for £4.5k in the mid-90s, now in the high 20s for a tatty one, S1 Elise Sport 190 in the early '00s for £14k, now £25k and up) so assume this is the bottom of the curve for 'old fashioned' Jags and they'll only go up in value from the day I sell mine.
Compared to the vile 2.2d and Ingenium 2.0d they've put in the most recent Jaguars that 3.0 V6 is a paragon of refinement and driveability. Yes I know the market demands it, but the market also demands XL Triple Whoppers from Burger King and that doesn't mean they aren't disgusting.It won't sell for much, I paid £4300 I think from a dealer who was having trouble shifting it, I'm not expecting to get much for it TBH, £3k, maybe £3.5k.
As my wife reminded me only this weekend, I have a habit of selling cars just before they rise in value (Integrale for £4.5k in the mid-90s, now in the high 20s for a tatty one, S1 Elise Sport 190 in the early '00s for £14k, now £25k and up) so assume this is the bottom of the curve for 'old fashioned' Jags and they'll only go up in value from the day I sell mine.
Sadly I think your pattern is unlikely to repeat her. Big Jags always end up as £500 cars and I cannot see the X350 being much different. £3-£3.5k sounds about right, but you may need to be a patient seller.
Edited by dme123 on Monday 22 May 11:32
dme123 said:
Mark Benson said:
It's hard to reconcile a Jag with 'only' 3 litres in this day and age but it's enough for the type of car it is and it's been fault-free it's whole life according to the receipts I have.
It won't sell for much, I paid £4300 I think from a dealer who was having trouble shifting it, I'm not expecting to get much for it TBH, £3k, maybe £3.5k.
As my wife reminded me only this weekend, I have a habit of selling cars just before they rise in value (Integrale for £4.5k in the mid-90s, now in the high 20s for a tatty one, S1 Elise Sport 190 in the early '00s for £14k, now £25k and up) so assume this is the bottom of the curve for 'old fashioned' Jags and they'll only go up in value from the day I sell mine.
Compared to the vile 2.2d and Ingenium 2.0d they've put in the most recent ones that 3.0 V6 is a paragon of refinement and driveability. Yes I know the market demands it, but the market also demands XL Triple Whoppers from Burger King and that doesn't mean they aren't disgusting.It won't sell for much, I paid £4300 I think from a dealer who was having trouble shifting it, I'm not expecting to get much for it TBH, £3k, maybe £3.5k.
As my wife reminded me only this weekend, I have a habit of selling cars just before they rise in value (Integrale for £4.5k in the mid-90s, now in the high 20s for a tatty one, S1 Elise Sport 190 in the early '00s for £14k, now £25k and up) so assume this is the bottom of the curve for 'old fashioned' Jags and they'll only go up in value from the day I sell mine.
Sadly I think your pattern is unlikely to repeat her. Big Jags always end up as £500 cars and I cannot see the X350 being much different.
When I bought it I was planning on a year of motoring and then selling for roughly a grand less than I paid for it. Come September last year and I couldn't bring myself to sell but it'll probably have to go soon. So say I lose £1500 for 18 months of hassle free, stressless motoring - I'm calling that a win.
Taxation rules demand dull diesels. The reason I stopped taking a company car back in the days when I did a lot of mileage was because all I could realistically get was a diesel Passat or similar (I once had an S2000 as a company car, they never twigged the number of rear tyres it seemed to need....).
I suspect all other things being equal a 3.0 petrol in the current range might sell quite well, but the great CO2 God has skewed the market in favour of small turbodiesels; thankfully that's changing but the car companies will only make what the market dictates.
It's an interesting car, I like interesting cars (makes me wonder why I'm about to lease a Golf actually, even an R), but as you say it's unlikely to be a classic in the near future.
Mark Benson said:
As my wife reminded me only this weekend, I have a habit of selling cars just before they rise in value (Integrale for £4.5k in the mid-90s, now in the high 20s for a tatty one, S1 Elise Sport 190 in the early '00s for £14k, now £25k and up) so assume this is the bottom of the curve for 'old fashioned' Jags and they'll only go up in value from the day I sell mine.
Mark, I think you know what needs to be done. 
Keep the Jag for high days and holidays, and sell when it's worth upwards of £7k. As a "last of the line" classically styled Jaguar, I think it'll be worth something one day (in the same way as "last of the line" air cooled 993 Porsche 911s are now).ETA: Liking your barge a lot. Nice colour, lovely interior, good wheels. Proper bit of ministerial transport.
Edited by MorganP104 on Monday 22 May 11:50
Great write up! I had a 2004 XKR which has a very similar (though more cramped) interior and loved being in there. Regarding the stereo, does it have a tape player? (mine did) if so, you can get these little tapes that have a lead coming out of them which you can plug into a headphone jack on your iphone/mp3/whatever. I bought mine with the car so don't know where he got it but it can be done!
Tubes63 said:
Great write up! I had a 2004 XKR which has a very similar (though more cramped) interior and loved being in there. Regarding the stereo, does it have a tape player? (mine did) if so, you can get these little tapes that have a lead coming out of them which you can plug into a headphone jack on your iphone/mp3/whatever. I bought mine with the car so don't know where he got it but it can be done!
No, a single CD slot in the dash and one of those 6 CD cartridge things in the boot. My wife bought me a little radio transmitter thing that plugs into my phone and you tune the car radio to it, but it's too prone to interference to be much good.Good read, thanks for posting this.
I'm seriously considering one of these to waft around in. They seem like great value and the last of the classic style jags.
Not much you can buy for the money that can rival these.
I was going to ask when you were thinking of selling, but see it's gone now! Good work!
I'm seriously considering one of these to waft around in. They seem like great value and the last of the classic style jags.
Not much you can buy for the money that can rival these.
I was going to ask when you were thinking of selling, but see it's gone now! Good work!
Sold to a friend after my wife put my (£60 - I went for the full 6 week ad) Autotrader advert on Facebook.
I put it up for £3300 which was around what similar age and mileage cars were going for, as it was a friend he got it for £3k.
Bought for £4200 in August 2015.
2 front tyres £300
2 Calipers plus fitting £220
2 services £240
Sold £3000 May 2017.
A big Jag has cost me £1960 to run for almost 2 years excluding fuel, tax and test. Result!
I put it up for £3300 which was around what similar age and mileage cars were going for, as it was a friend he got it for £3k.
Bought for £4200 in August 2015.
2 front tyres £300
2 Calipers plus fitting £220
2 services £240
Sold £3000 May 2017.
A big Jag has cost me £1960 to run for almost 2 years excluding fuel, tax and test. Result!
It's just over 109000 miles, and yes it's an SE. I bought solely on condition and history - bargain barges have the potential to get expensive quickly so spec, colour etc. was of no concern, just how well looked after the car was.
I looked up the previous owner on my phone before I bought the car, his life is well documented being an OBE (not MBE as I posted above) - gave me a lot of confidence along with the main dealer receipts totaling thousands.
Rare to find one quite so well looked after though, which is why we discounted a lot based on incomplete ads (ie. 'Service History' rather than 'Full Service History' etc.).
Another consideration was that there is an independent Jaguar specialist only 8 miles away, which kept costs down.
Edit:
A few of the photos from my advert:
The receipts for servicing and maintenance:
A 109000 mile, 14 year old driver's seat - amazing condition:
I looked up the previous owner on my phone before I bought the car, his life is well documented being an OBE (not MBE as I posted above) - gave me a lot of confidence along with the main dealer receipts totaling thousands.
Rare to find one quite so well looked after though, which is why we discounted a lot based on incomplete ads (ie. 'Service History' rather than 'Full Service History' etc.).
Another consideration was that there is an independent Jaguar specialist only 8 miles away, which kept costs down.
Edit:
A few of the photos from my advert:
The receipts for servicing and maintenance:
A 109000 mile, 14 year old driver's seat - amazing condition:
Edited by Mark Benson on Friday 26th May 16:41
Mark Benson said:
It's just over 109000 miles, and yes it's an SE. I bought solely on condition and history - bargain barges have the potential to get expensive quickly so spec, colour etc. was of no concern, just how well looked after the car was.
I looked up the previous owner on my phone before I bought the car, his life is well documented being an OBE (not MBE as I posted above) - gave me a lot of confidence along with the main dealer receipts totaling thousands.
Rare to find one quite so well looked after though, which is why we discounted a lot based on incomplete ads (ie. 'Service History' rather than 'Full Service History' etc.).
Another consideration was that there is an independent Jaguar specialist only 8 miles away, which kept costs down.
Edit:
A few of the photos from my advert:
The receipts for servicing and maintenance:
A 109000 mile, 14 year old driver's seat - amazing condition:
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I'm in a similar position, in that its time to move mine on after 2.5 years.I looked up the previous owner on my phone before I bought the car, his life is well documented being an OBE (not MBE as I posted above) - gave me a lot of confidence along with the main dealer receipts totaling thousands.
Rare to find one quite so well looked after though, which is why we discounted a lot based on incomplete ads (ie. 'Service History' rather than 'Full Service History' etc.).
Another consideration was that there is an independent Jaguar specialist only 8 miles away, which kept costs down.
Edit:
A few of the photos from my advert:
The receipts for servicing and maintenance:
A 109000 mile, 14 year old driver's seat - amazing condition:
Edited by Mark Benson on Friday 26th May 16:41
I looked at three when I got mine, and again I bought purely on condition. Oddly, that meant I bought a top-spec sovereign with 108000 on the clock, but it was far superior to the others I saw. I wasn't intending to buy one with all the bells and whistles, but it was just the cleanest one
They are lovely cars, and has so far been really reliable. Unfortunately for me, the need to economize has has caught up!
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff