I bought my 1999 Jaguar XJR in 2003 from Swain & Jones in Farnham. At the time I had owned a number of 'hot hatchbacks' and was looking for a car that was not a hot hatchback, but was not without a bit of pace. I tried an XJ 3.2 Sport, but felt that the 240bhp was not enough for a car of ... Read review
I bought my 1999 Jaguar XJR in 2003 from Swain & Jones in Farnham. At the time I had owned a number of 'hot hatchbacks' and was looking for a car that was not a hot hatchback, but was not without a bit of pace. I tried an XJ 3.2 Sport, but felt that the 240bhp was not enough for a car of the size. The dealer suggested an XJR, and I agreed to a test drive.
What can I say ... the only way to describe the acceleration is to compare it ... ...most satisfying thing about the Jaguar is the way that other road users treat you ... I have always been treated with the utmost of respect. If I'm waiting to pull out of a side turning, cars will stop and let me out. If I'm pulling into another lane on the motorway, a space appears. How many BMW drivers can say the same?
OK, so there are some downsides to the Jaguar XJR :
1. Beware of cars built between 1998 and 2000 ... more
I bought my 1999 Jaguar XJR in 2003 from Swain & Jones in Farnham. At the time I had owned a number of 'hot hatchbacks' and was looking for a car that was not a hot hatchback, but was not without a bit of pace. I tried an XJ 3.2 Sport, but felt that the 240bhp was not enough for a car of the size. The dealer suggested an XJR, and I agreed to a test drive.
What can I say ... the only way to describe the acceleration is to compare it to the feeling of sitting on an aircraft as it accelerates down the runway to take off. The power delivery is continuous and only stops when you lift off the throttle (usually because you've run out of road or nerve). Being an automatic, the kick-down facility is enormously useful, and the most fun I've had is to draw alongside a boy racer (at any speed), floor the throttle and then watch them drop back into the distance. This is the ultimate Q car.
But the most satisfying thing about the Jaguar is the way that other road users treat you ... I have always been treated with the utmost of respect. If I'm waiting to pull out of a side turning, cars will stop and let me out. If I'm pulling into another lane on the motorway, a space appears. How many BMW drivers can say the same?
OK, so there are some downsides to the Jaguar XJR :
1. Beware of cars built between 1998 and 2000 - during this time, Jaguar had problems with Nikasil engines. Essentially, the low sulphur fuels would cause undue wear on the engine cylinder linings, causing problems. Jaguar (like BMW and Mercedes) had to replace many engines under warranty. If you buy any Jaguar of this age, make sure the engine has been replaced - I don't know whether Jaguar would be so generous now!
2. Fuel Consumption - this is a 4.0 litre V8 engine. It does about 20mpg around town, although I did achieve 27mpg on a long run at about 70mph. If you have a heavy right foot, you'll only get about 17mpg (and probably points on your licence!)
3. Tyres - the Pirelli 255/40 ZR 18s are about £165 each minimum, and heavy right foots will be rewarded with annual bills for a replacement rear pair of tyres.
4. Depreciation - if you bought one of these new, then you'll have lost about £40k in the first 4 years - ouch! However, if you bought one that is 4 years old, the depreciation is about the same as a new Mondeo.
But that is all I can think of, having owned one of these cars for 5 years now. On the upsides :
1. Performance - It does 0-60 in a shade over 5 seconds and has a limited top speed of 155mph. Perhaps you could do with removing the limiter if you lived in Germany, and it should then hit over 170mph.
2. Space - it's a 4 door saloon with a boot and the performance to match a Porsche Boxster 3.2S. Once you have kids, the Porsche is useless, but the Jag still suits.
3. Servicing - Jaguar main dealers charge huge amounts for servicing, so I have found an excellent independent garage (XJ Engineering in Bentley, Surrey) and the costs are in line with servicing a Ford Mondeo.
4. Insurance - My premium is only about 10% more than the insurance for a 1996 Ford Escort RS2000 16v.
5. Road Tax - Pre-2000 cars are standard road tax - no massive bills like the newer 'gas guzzlers'.
6. Tireless driving - I can drive this car for 300 miles and get out feeling as refreshed as when I started the journey.
7. Engine - I normally reckon that 4-cylinder engines are only good for about 100,000 miles. A V8 will go on for far more than this...
8. Reliability - My Jag has had bulletproof reliability (touch wood...!) so far. In fact, I'm struggling to think of anything that has gone wrong (apart from a brake light bulb blowing...)
The best part about the Jaguar is that it has so much for a car that is 9 years old. They are about £5k now and offer supercar performance, full leather interior and all the electrical toys you can think of.
It's a fantastic car and leaves me perpetually wondering what I would ever replace it with...
1995 Jaguar XJR S/C.
I bought this car when it was two years old from a dealer, the interior had the optional doe skin leather, plus an enhanced Harmen Karden sound system. The interior, while not as classy as the later V8 cars, was still a nice place to be. The sound system was amazing.
My previous Jaguar XJ40 had proved surprisingly reliable, was very comfortable if a little boring. This Cat has attitude!
The straight 6 supercharged engine puts ... ...twit in a Metro, luckily Jaguar footed the bill! I had this car for two and a half years - I drove it like I stole it and I can honestly say I've never enjoyed owning a car as much as this before or since.
The dealers were superb - professional and courteous - I've never knowingly been over-charged for work or fobbed off by a Jaguar dealer. Unlike Citroën dealers who are a disaster. I've driven M5s - they do nothing for me, the Jaguar XJR is a gentleman's ...
SteveLeeLondon 31.12.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Jaguar XJR 4.2 V8
Advantages: makes you feel richer than you really are Disadvantages: Old navigation system
...one of the best XJ's Jaguar have ever made. First taking a look at under the bonnet...I can see a lot of plastic, but that's the same in a lot of modern vehicles, because they don't need a lot of major servicing until about 100,000 miles. Now in this car it obviously has the supercharged engine..I could feel it, I could hear it...and I definitely experienced it when I put my foot right down on the floor. 400 hp and 413 lbs-ft (560 Nm) of torque going ... ...clever way Jaguar use aluminium in the vehicle..it has aluminium skin, aluminium chassis, aluminium suspension components. What does that all mean, well the car I think is very light for its size, the car handles very well, because of its low unsprung weight ( under 4,000 lbs / 2 tons for a car of this size its almost amazing). I think it really boils down to this. Its a luxury car with the heart of a lion. Taking a look at the outside of the car ...
joeyhey2007 25.10.2008
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Jaguar XJR 4.2 V8
Advantages: styling, performance, handling Disadvantages: perfection doesn't come cheap
Anyone whos driven an xjr will tell you exactly the same - its fan - bleedin - tastic. Anyone who says the British Car Industries goin down the pan should try this.
What is best about this car is that it cna do so much - from blitzing merc's and beemers on the autobahn at 150mph, to purring silently around town, the superchanrged 4.0 v8 is fantastic.
It feels incredibly sporty with tight suspension, but drive down a familiar road, and you'll wonder ...
andrew_lewis_982 07.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Jaguar XJR 4.2 V8
Ah well, I suppose if you can afford to buy one, you can afford to run one!
The XJR is the ultimate in refined motoring.
Quite simply, it is the smoothest and fastest car in its class.
Acceleration is good from around 20mph, but it does seem to take a while to get started. Once rolling though, it accelerates like an aircraft on take off.
Still has the prestige that comes with the big cat, and is a pleasure to drive.
It is the ONLY car I've owned ...
andyandjan 29.05.2004
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Jaguar XJR 4.2 V8
Advantages: the best car in the world Disadvantages: none
The Jaguar XJR is absolutely, without a doubt, the finest automobile with a back seat in the world for under $100,000. I have owned or driven all of the finest Mercedes, BMW's, Lexus, (I'll even include Corvettes), and this Jaguar blows them all away in every respect. It's the only car that I don't get tired of and want to make a change. I am purchasing a 2001 after owning a 1998 for about a year and a half, after owning 12 cars over the previous ...
woozley12 15.09.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Jaguar XJR 4.2 V8
