Looking to buy first Jaguar, need advise :)

Nice to meet you, I guess I'll go check out the Saphire one then.

Definately a step up from the Lincoln lol. I think I had the notion that I wouldn't fit in the Jaguar when I bought the Lincoln (6'4"). But I sat in both and was amazed at the head room. Thank you both for your help and advice.

I will get in contact with you about the club.

Ed

Hi Ed,
Pascal was doing such a great job of answering your question that I was going to sit by and let him go but now that I see you are in St. Louis, I should probably jump in.

I live here too and I know both of the cars you're looking at. I haven't driven them but they look OK to me. As Pascal said, the engine is a beauty and the later Jags really don't have much of a maintenance problem. Jaguar has been scoring pretty high on the customer satisfaction scale over the past several years. The old yarn about Jags being maintenance queens is outdated by now. They are as good as any Merc or BMW and I would say a bit of a trade up from your Lincoln (no offense, I'm a former Lincoln driver myself).

Feel free to contact me off of the forum. My phone number is (314) 997-5504 and I live in Creve Coeur. Email me at Jtestrakeaol.com I'm the VP of the local Jaguar Assoc. of Greater St. Louis. Pick up a newsletter the next time you're at the dealership. Our club is one of the largest clubs in JCNA with over 300 members. There are lots of guys with 96 and later XJs that I could introduce you to. We're a pretty friendly bunch.

John Testrake
Jaguar Association of Greater St. Louis

Thanks Pascal,

I'm in St. Louis MO. Other than the Jaguar dealership up the street, I dont know of any reliable Jaguar mechanics (and I dont even know if they are "reliable" :) I'm also unaware of any clubs in my area, however I do know a Jaguar enthusiast who offered to help if I ever took the plunge into ownership.

At the above mentioned dealership, I found a light green (not sure what shade of green, not hunter though) Jag XJ12 with same color interior. The paint looks like it's in the beginning stages of oxidation (small spider webs in paint). In addition, the volume knob and the trim around the shifter are broken. The motor was almost inaudible when the key was turned and the drive was VERY NICE. The price was $12,840 and the dealer was unwilling to budge (even for cash). This fact alone would cause me not to buy the car even if it was a steal.

At another smaller used care lot I found the same year/model with Saphire paint job and tan interior. From what I could tell the car was in great shape. However, the engine "sound" was slightly audible compared with the other Jaguar.

I own my Towncar, so assuming I get a good trade in, I could pick up the Jaguar for about 5-6k cash. My only real concern is reliability. I know lemons get through even the best car lines but some models due tend to be more problematic. If this model has known issues it would be nice to know what they are and approximately how much it might cost, as well as, if said problems tend to reoccur.

BTW Pascal, I sat in a '00 XKR at the dealership and wow is that a nice vehicle.

-Ed-

last of the V12... very desirable. they are pretty reliable but are a little more complicated than a town car... much less space under the bonnet/hood and 4 more cylinders...

get it inspected by a JAguar specialist and maintained by an independent JAguar specialist too. Dealers are very expensive on these cars... check with your local club to find one or tell us where you're from.

Pascal Gademer
South Florida Jaguar Club
72 E-type 2+2
00 XKR Coupe
99 XJR