Jaguar XJ-S - Opinions?

[JetBlast]

Hi guys,
I've been looking at cars now that I am also ready to get my drivers permit, and I've been looking at the Jaguar XJ-S, either the convertible or the coupe. I'm more interested in the older versions of this car, I doubt I can afford the new one, not to mention I would like to find an older one, repaint it, etc.
Does anyone have experience with the older XJ-S, such as late 1980s through about 1995, and does anyone know how much one of these beautiful machines would cost?

Thanks!
Brian

This is the body style of XJ-S I am looking for, whether convertible or not. I'll settle for an older one as well-

 

[RJman]

Reliability bad, bad, bad, bad...

 

[VMan]

Definitely not a practical or reliable first car, but it would probably be fun. I wanted to get one as my first car when I was 15, but didn't.

You can find a good-condition XJS with 50k-100k miles for about $15,000 to $20,000.

I believe Huntsman owns one.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by RJman

Reliability bad, bad, bad, bad...

Bad is being kind, the reliability is nonexistent, and the price for spare parts / service is atrocious. You might as well buy a used Ferrari...at least this way you're getting, well, a Ferrari.

Jon.

 

[Aaron]

If you really like working on the electrical and mechanical systems of a car and love to sink thousands of dollars and hours of time trying to find parts this is the perfect car for you. I know Huntsman will disagree with me on this but Jag after 1970 had serious problems with quality control that continued well into the 90's (and from what I've heard recently are still prevalant). Plus their resale value is terrible.

If you want a fairly classic, unique coupe I would have a look at MB 560SEL or an 80's BMW 6 series. My family has a '87 635CSi we use in the summer and they are a fantastic car. However, you need to find one in the best condition possible. I've always loved early 70's Porsche 911's and they're great cars, just really expensive. Alternatively you might want an 80's BMW 3 series. I have an '89 BMW 325i coupe. It's fast, compact, holds a lot of stuff, and has great resale value. 80's VW Foxes, 2 door Jettas, and GTi's are also awesome cars, just hard to find in good condition.

If you do decide to buy an older car is buy the best condition one you can afford. And if choosing between 2 cars always go for the one in the better cosmetic condition. As a rule taking care of rusty body work or a crappy interior is always way more expensive than mechanical issues (unless you're into that sort of thing).

Happy first car hunting, oh and another thing if you're buying an older car to use as a daily driver, don't buy a convertible. The added complexity and parts it's just one more thing to go wrong and I've never seen a cost-effective way of repairing a convertible top that doesn't involve a good jacket and a tarp.

A

 

[Pink22m]

Folks, this is JetBlast's first car! He is just getting his drivers permit, which probably makes him 15 or 16 years old. Get something practical and less conspicuous for christs sake.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Pink22m

Folks, this is JetBlast's first car! He is just getting his drivers permit, which probably makes him 15 or 16 years old. Get something practical and less conspicuous for christs sake.

Lamborghini Murcielago?

Jon.

 

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Pink22m

Folks, this is JetBlast's first car! He is just getting his drivers permit, which probably makes him 15 or 16 years old. Get something practical and less conspicuous for christs sake.
Why do you think I suggested an old 3 series, GTi, Fox, and Jetta?

A Murcie would work in Dubai though....

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Aaron

A Murcie would work in Dubai though....

Or Boca (I saw a yellow one on Saturday night)...

Jon.

 

[JetBlast]

No I don't know if a Murcielago would be too good, remember I will probably have to pay for the car

As for the other responses-

If you really like working on the electrical and mechanical systems of a car and love to sink thousands of dollars and hours of time trying to find parts this is the perfect car for you.

Hmm, I'm not sure I want to do that. I wasn't aware of the XJ-S quality issues, thank you guys for letting me know! I haven't really done any serious research yet, I'm just asking for opinions or people who have had experience with this car.

MB 560SEL or an 80's BMW 6 series

The 560SEL coupe looks like a nice car. Any quality issues with this? I wouldn't assume so, it's an MB after all. I've heard good things about them. The Beamer looks nice as well, I want an 840 or 850CSi at some point in life. My friend had one and I loved it!

Folks, this is JetBlast's first car! He is just getting his drivers permit, which probably makes him 15 or 16 years old. Get something practical and less conspicuous for christs sake.

I know, I'll probably end up driving my dad's old Ford Explorer for a while. I'm just looking for ideas when it's time to buy my own car.

Brian

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by JetBlast

No I don't know if a Murcielago would be too good, remember I will probably have to pay for the car

It was a joke...never mind...

Jon.

 

[LabelKing]

What about something like this? I've always thought the '70s Mercedes convertibles were nice.

Or get one of the legendary Pagodas:

Or a nice BMW 3.0CS

 

[JetBlast]

Image- I know it was a joke. Hence the smiley face.

LabelKing- I love the 70s MB convertibles as well, I didn't think of those. Thank you for the suggestion

As for the old Pagodas and Beamers, if I can find one in good condition, I would consider it!

Brian

 

[Huntsman]

Vman's right, I do own one, that one, and come to think of it, it was my first car. It is absolutely my favorite posessesion, and I literally have a better day everytime I get in it, but then again I have wanted one since I was six. It is not inconspicuous in any way; though I did not expect it and am still surprised by it, I get thumbs-ups, see heads turn, and get compliments (from some men, but mainly from women). It was also fun to take to college... The XJ-S's were made from the late 70's to '96, and there were five major body styles and twelve or so engine variants. Some are better than others -- pretty much anything other than the big V-12s are the most reliable, though the later 6.0L V-12s are considered the best of them. Unfortunately, going for something other than a twelve takes away from the majesty somewhat. Twelves are special engines. The main issues with the XJ-S's (and there are quite a few, I don't know why Aaron thinks I would argue the point), are design issues that required careful maintenance (rather than the typical def of quality issues) that was often ignored, even by the factory. Anyone who wants one must first understand the things that you need to pay attention to, then find a car without those conditions, and then take a few steps to correct them. Then you're ok. If things have gotten out of hand (typical), it's an absolute mess. Other than a low-mileage nineties car, its not the best bet for someone who is not comfortable with doing the maintenance, because Jag service is a hundred bucks an hour. Have Jag do the brakes -- I don't think so! Parts are not hard to find -- I've gotten anything I needed, the only problem is the price, Jag can really tear out hide, but there are generally options. So basically, if you're a car person, really like the car, can commit to the research, then to finding the right one, and you are reasonably comfortable with doing the usual maintenance, you'll be ok. If not, it's a really, really bad idea. Send me a PM if you're sufficiently interested. Jag-lovers.org is the best place to ask this question, btw, then they'll tell you to Google 'Kirby Palm' and DL his book on the car. There are one or two college students and one HS student there with XJ-S's. Oh, yeah, it's fun when people see the V-12 badge and ask if it really has one -- it requires telling them several times (though only 265-330hp depending on variant). It does drink premium like a fish! Floor it and at 5k you'll be getting 0mpg. But when you are upshifting from passing gear at...well, I won't say, and realizing that the Porsche that was bugging you will not be passing you as he had planned (which would be the likely occurrence), you just don't care. You just don't. Regards, Huntsman Edit: It's an 86.

 

[VMan]

H,

Everything about that photo is so badass.