2001 Jaguar Vanden Plas XJ8 4.0
Summary:
Timeless beauty, was a pleasure to own, overall
Faults:
The thermostat housing cracked and blew the upper coolant hose off while the car was warming up in my drive way. Not a big deal, really.
Power adjustable steering wheel mechanism broke - apparently it's a relatively easy fix, but I didn't bother.
Driver's interior door handle cable broke. The door handle still worked okay, but I would have fixed it if I were keeping the car.
Power antenna sometimes got stuck halfway down.
Other than that, there was some wear on various suspension/brake parts that needed replacing earlier than in most cars, but this is a heavy car, and suspension parts just don't last that long.
Prior to my ownership, the transmission was rebuilt, the valve cover gaskets were replaced, the secondary timing chain tensioner was replaced. Other significant work was performed, but I cannot remember off-hand what it was.
General Comments:
For the longest time, one of my dream cars had been the X308 Jaguar. Absolutely beautiful and elegant. I loved the way it looked, the way it drove, and the way I felt while behind the wood/leather steering wheel, overlooking that long, sculpted bonnet at the leaper way out in front, guiding the way.
I decided to sell the car to make room for another dream car, but I am considering selling my daily driver BMW and replacing it with another X308, because they're just that good.
The only thing that's not enjoyable about the ownership of these automobiles is the cost of servicing and frequency of maintenance (ball-joints are very expensive!). But, if you get a well sorted one, it shouldn't be too bad. It's also a very interesting alternative to a much later model luxury car for a fraction of the price.
And of course, it seems as though the later the model, the more reliable. I will not consider a 1998-2000. I want my next one to be a 2002-2003.
Complaints:
- Service costs and frequency.
- Didn't smell like the older Jags from the '80s and prior.
- I was always a little nervous (perhaps paranoid) that something was going to go wrong.
- Certain interior touches could have been better (indicator stalks, cup holder contraption, dashboard could have been leather).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th August, 2012
1st Jul 2014, 19:47
What's not to love about the XJ8 VDP? I got one of the 788 '01 XJR VDP cars. At 69 years old I finally found THE ONE! Crazy fast. I've owned Chargers, Vettes, a Sunbeam Tiger, Healeys, Cudas, Challengers; liked most all of them, but none compare to the XJR VDP. Don't mess with Grandpa's Jag - it's bad!
flsteve