Used 2007 Jaguar XJ-Series XJR 4dr Sedan (4.2L 8cyl S/C 6A) Consumer Reviews

Road Warrior...

Love my 2007 dark green XJR! Just finished another 6,200 mile cross country trip - my fourth in three years of ownership - and can honestly say that this Jag is perhaps the best car I've ever owned. Please know that I've been a life long fan of high end German sedans - particularly 7 series BMW and 8 series Audi, along with various Mercedes models and many Porsches. I bought the Jag on a whim, just because it was so damn good looking (disclaimer: this is generally an ill advised approach with cars, women, and many other things). At first, it seemed that all the old Jag scare stories were true. The rear air suspension collapsed on the return leg of my first cross country trip; steering and handling were loose and rattled over bumps. I could smell coolant when the car was parked. And, etc, etc... What the car needed - at 85K miles and 10 years - was refitting. This is actually no different than German sedans. My advice if you're in the XJ market is to buy the best example you can find (with big preference to late '06 and '07 US X356 models), then plan to spend another $6K - $10K in refurb parts. Double this if you're not a DIY'er. When you're done, you'll have a taut, comfortable, and classy vintage Jag. My strong preference, aesthetically, is the short wheelbase models, with a nod to the supercharged, 400HP XJR (or softer riding SWB Super v8 model). Early (X350; '04 and '05) models have too many problems, though cheap and plentiful (the most expensive Jag you can buy is a cheap one). The last production years ('08 and '09) lost their good looks in an ill advised face lift. The X356 XJR is a bonafide sports sedan, with unmatched kick down punch on the highway (my last sedan was an M5 BMW; with an S8 Audi before that). Ride is taut but comfortable; handling is not in Audi and BMW leagues, but pretty close. Gas mileage on my latest trip was ~ 23 MPG overall And, people love this car. So do I. It is both beautiful and fairly unique; a real head turner, and a joy to drive... (Feb 2021: Edmunds asked me to provide an update): At this point, I've had my '07 XJR for about five years and 50K miles - a near record for me. It is now - at 14 years - clearly an "old car", perhaps more fitting for the hobbyist than mainstream buyers. Still, the old girl is such a wonderful traveling companion, and - within the realm of hobbyist cars - pretty modern and practical. Understand, though, that old is OLD, and having an elderly Jag - no matter how lovely - is not for the faint of heart. To wit: I decided, last summer, to basically replace all of the engine cooling system hoses and wear items (pumps, etc), based upon age and mileage. This as preparation for a fishing/hiking trip to Montana. Well, Jag OEM parts alone totaled about a grand, and were so delayed (thanks, USPS) that I ended up driving my truck. And, doing this work required removing the supercharger, etc; figure another two grand or so in shop labor. While awaiting parts, I refinished the wheels, changed trans fluid, replaced trans cooling lines, renewed the brakes, etc, etc - figure another couple grand or more in materials and labor. About $5K, say, just on routine maintenance. And now, the sunroof cover headliner material has come unglued, which will require a complete headliner R&R to put right. I can (and may) fix this myself for maybe a couple hundred in materials, but it would cost the average car owner far, far more. All this is exactly why you can buy one of these beautiful, marvelous cars for a song. If you're so inclined, do so very carefully, and you may end up with a real gem...