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I love the way the myth that all Jaguars are unreliable is continually regurgitated, please keep it up as it lowers the price of used cars! I'd agree if we were talking about a pre ford (i.e. pre-89) XJ, they deserved their reputation. IMHO Ford was the best thing to happen to Jaguar in recent years.
The ad referred to in the OP has been taken down so I can't comment. It's probably a thrashed and crashed, high mileage V6 so it could just be a legitimate ad. I wouldn't touch it, the pre 2003 face-lifts are nowhere near as good as the post 2003 facelifted models (which got the 6 speed gearbox, heavily revised interior and the 4.2L V8). The main problems with the early ones are the gearbox 'sealed for life', timing tensioners (esp. on pre-2000 models), ball joints and the more usual maladies that would affect a 10 year old car.
As a reference, I've owned 6 Jaguars from MY 1996 to 2005 (XJ6, 2 S-types, X-Type, XK8 and an XJ8), I never had a single serious problem with any of the cars, no bills over $312 and not one of them ever failed to start or left me by the side of the road.
As with any car, it all comes down to buying a good one. Most of the cars listed above were either CPO or one owner, low mileage privately bought cars. You might pay a bit more up-front, but in the end a well cared-for use car is a better long-term bet....
It was their entry level car. Similar to the Lincoln LS and 02 Thunderbird. The underpinnings are the same. The Jag has a 4.0 V8.
I am guessing it might have mechanical issues or a ton of miles.
The entry-level Jag of that era was the X-type, and the entry-level S-type had a V6.
Why so cheap? Same reason you can pick up, say, a BMW 5-series or Mercedes E-class of the same vintage for not much more money than being asked here: the maintenance costs are huge compared to the price of entry. There comes a point where it makes more sense to just run a car like this into the ground than to keep maintaining it. And that's exactly what a lot of people who think to themselves "gee, I can buy a BMW/Mercedes/Audi/etc. in nice shape for just a few grand???" do after the first couple repair bills.
My guess is this specimen is a V6 with fairly high miles and probably a few electrical and/or mechanical bits that need some attention that seem minor on the surface until you get an estimate back. Owning a Jaguar is a labor of love...
I love the way the myth that all Jaguars are unreliable is continually regurgitated, please keep it up as it lowers the price of used cars! I'd agree if we were talking about a pre ford (i.e. pre-89) XJ, they deserved their reputation. IMHO Ford was the best thing to happen to Jaguar in recent years . . .
Even post-Ford, Jaguar as a marque has not had a particularly stellar reliability record, and this is reflected in their resale value. Money is more apt to listen to reality than to myths.
I learned a great deal here. No Jaguars for me. Thanks.
If you want a reliable luxury car, take a look at the old Lexus LS400's. You'd probably still have to spend closer to 8-10K to find one that has good paint etc.
Lexus ES300's might also work for you at a cheaper price point assuming you like FWD cars.
I already left a message with the seller. If this car checks out, I am going to buy it. But why so cheap?
Dude, if you are looking for a cheap ride, buying a low-priced old luxury car like this is not the way to get there, *unless* you have very advanced wrench spinning skills. Merc on here has a good time with older 7-series BMW cars, but, he's an advanced mechanic, and DIY kind of guy.
If you are not in rust country, consider an 80's Rabbit/Golf GTI, if you want something cheap to buy, cheap to run, DIY friendly.
With damn few exceptions, if you buy a cheap car, it's going to have needs, and you will be spending some $ for parts anyway, and labor too if you can't/won't DIY.
My old Scirocco is still in the rat-rod black primer that it came to me in, but over the past few years I have sorted the fairly long list of mechanical issues that it came to me with, and replaced/upgraded some wear parts (brake pads, tires, etc.). I would not be eager to sell it. You only get to buy a car like this if the owner dies, or maybe if they move overseas for an extended assignment.
But, if I wanted to sell it, and you gave me $3K for it, which to bean-counting types would be way too much, although I would not want to sell it for so little - but, theoretically if you bought such a car, that is about as cheap as you are going to be getting a reasonably reliable ride.
Another point against the Jag IIRC the MPG is not so great.
Even post-Ford, Jaguar as a marque has not had a particularly stellar reliability record, and this is reflected in their resale value. Money is more apt to listen to reality than to myths.
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However, aren't used car prices very low in general in the UK?
