XJS V12 or 6 ?

Gotta chime in here. My 89 XJS is my daily driver, and it has the V12. Other than having to replace old hoses and little stuff, it has been an extremely reliable car. There is a special feeling of owning and driving a V12 car. Yes, milage isn't great (I average about 15.6 city/freeway), but the fun factor makes up for it.

Yes, the 6 is easier to work on, but from your background, the 12 shouldn't be a problem. My only experience was with an Oldsmobile 455 engine, and the transition to the 12 was smoother than expected for maintenece. Don't shy away from a 12 because it's a 12.

Plus, mine is the hardtop coupe. As to it being "less fun" than a convertable, well, that's all a matter of opinion and personal taste. I prefer the styling of the pre-facelift cars too, but once again, that's personal taste.

Lastly, "The Book" has some good info, but is more doom and gloom than reality. Take it with a grain of salt. I wonder why the author has two v12 XJS's considering how poorly he speaks of them.

My two bits.

Tom Kipp
89 XJ-S Coupe

Good luck, if you need advice on a specific car, by all means send me an email directly, especially if its something I can look at online or a car I might be familiar with via the club. I took a quick look at our club classifieds and there isn't much in the way of XJS convertibles for sale at the moment within your price range but if something comes up Ill be sure to post it.

A word of advice, when I went to buy my XJ I had a list of about 6 cars I was going to see, 5 of them 6 cylinders and one XJ12. I saw the XJ12 first, and never made it to the others. Its an addictive car. In fact, I think Ill go out and drive it right NOW. Its a gorgeous, crisp, post rain, sunny fall day out there right now!

Daniel Arsenault
Lakewood, CA
1994 XJ12 Morocco Red
1995 XJS 4.0 Rose Bronze

Thanx for all your advice and posts - I think I'll look for the right 6 cylinder car - although I'd love a V12, practicality does indeed take presidence - and maintainance, running costs etc etc must be taken into carefull consideration - however with that being said if I find, drive and prefer a '12' then I might just go with that - I think the final decision will be based on a combination of all the factors and obviously buying the best value car for the money will weigh in at the end - Never having driven either the test drive will also help me make up my mind - Thanx again and I'll keep you posted as to my progress - and yes I will of course join my local Los Angeles Jag club ! Cheers !

1974 Jensen Interceptor Convert. #9989
1974 Jensen Healey #18149

Greetings,

I own a 95 XJS 6 cylinder and a 94 XJ12 sedan which has the V12 engine that is also fitted to XJS cars.

The V12 is a beautiful engine, fast, smooth, powerful. Ive had my XJ12 for more than 5 years and it never fails to put a smile on my face or impress. The downside of this is a high cost of maintenance and extremely poor gas mileage. I run around 13.5 MPG every year combined city and highway. Its not a car for someone on a budget. The engine is bulletproof as much as any quality powerplant can be , but it is very expensive to maintain unless you source your parts and do all your work yourself.

You can find an XJS 6 cylinder for under your budget and have money to spare. Plus the later 6 cylinder models from 93 to 96 are just better cars than the earlier V12 only XJS , they are more refined, have a nicer all wood interior and are arguably better looking with their post facelift styling after 92. Gas mileage over 20 MPG and a lower cost of maintenance while you get 100% of the pleasure of driving this perfectly designed drop top in the best place to do it, LA!

If I had to make a suggestion it would be stick with the 6 cyl, its a surprisingly quick performer for its 240 odd horses despite its 4000 plus lbs. I would also like to extend an offer to you to join the Jaguar Owners Club of Los Angeles, we have a number of XJS both 6 and 12 cylinder in the club and there are plenty of annual events, shows, rallies, and performance driving events to take part in. Keep us posted on what you end up doing!

Daniel Arsenault
Lakewood, CA
1994 XJ12 Morocco Red
1995 XJS 4.0 Rose Bronze

The previous advice makes perfectly good sense....no doubt about it.

That being said, I think everyone should have a 12 cylinder car at least once :-)

With your background I'm sure you're up to the challenge. In fact, with careful shopping for the right car....there may not be any "challenge" at all. I was very nervous about buying a V12 XJS due, specifically, to the V12 engine. As it turns out the ENGINE has not given me one iota of trouble or worry.

Now, the rest of the car...well.....that's another story :-)

Cheers
Doug Dwyer
JDRC/NWA
1987 XJ6 III
1988 XJS V12 Coupe

I agree with William. Having owned a V-12 XJS and a V-12 XKE, I'd go with the 6 cylinder XJS if you can get one. The 6 is a workhorse, solid engine, with few problems. The V-12 is very powerful and is a dream to drive on the highway, but it gets lousy gas mileage and is a PITA to work on. The 6 is plenty powerful and drives well, is very dependable and gets decent mileage. In the US, most of the 6's are newer cars (post face-lift). If possible, get a convertible. Much more fun.

Whatever car you end up considering (but especially in the case of a V-12), have a qualified, experienced Jaguar mechanic look it over. Out in CA, rust is not as big a problem as it is out East, but the engines and other mechanicals on the older XJS's can be a major problem that you might not recognize. Read the parts of Kirby's book which you downloaded on buying and maintaining an XJS. It will tip you off to many of the most common problems.

I also agree -- buy the best car you can. A fixer-upper will end up costing you a small fortune in parts and aggrevation. Don't be afraid to pass up cars that need work and look for one that has been well maintained and has a complete service history to look at.

Best of luck,

Steve Weinstein, JTC-NJ
'70 XKE FHC
'69 XKE OTS
Former '89 XJS and '72 E-type owner.

The short answer is the six cylinder. I love the twelve but finding one that has not been overheated is rare and they are just to complex although you sound capable. Get someone to check out whatever you buy by contacting the Jag club in LA There are a lot of bad cars out there. Bonnet to boot in the San fernando valley know the cars very well if you need help.

Jaguar affectionado and etc.