1995 Jaguar XJ6 4.0
Summary:
Classy, un-American/German/Japanese and simple mechanically
Faults:
Not much yet, but I anticipate a few gotchas in my future.
Clock - dead. R.I.P.
Fog (?) lights iffy…
Key fob (fixed the lil' devil!!).
Noisy (but new) tires.
Electric antennae - to be replaced.
Having owned these before, I "get it". With the correct maintenance they are a great car. You just have to love them and excuse their "issues".
Preventative maintenance is everything.
General Comments:
Smooth, quiet-ish and deceptively quick.
I bought this from a guy that had looked at 6+ XJ6s before parting with cash.
I have had a few Jaguars being English and now living in Florida since 1993.
This car is quick but you do not know it. In "sport mode" it makes some noise, but delivers the goods and that 8+ 0-60 is sufficient.
My clock is useless, but that is all. It has 95,000 but it does not bother me. An XJ8 with 95,000 however would. I looked at many Jaguars and I kept gravitating back to the XJ6. I am not on a race track, not a rally course, so 8-ish seconds 0-60 ain't that bad!
It stands out in a parking lot as being low and sleek. *Really Low* - It has an aftermarket Sony radio the last owner installed costing $600. Dark Side Of The Moon sounds incredible as does Guns & Roses and Led Zeppelin. Being 62 years old going on 27, I enjoy the subtle acceleration. It also cruises smoothly at 80mph with no drama. 80-100+ is effortless.
The Good Year Eagle (?) tires are noisy on all but the smoothest surfaces and would not have been my first choice, but they are new, so I'll live with them.
The electric antennae struggles so it will get replaced. I dismantled the key fob and cleaned the contacts and put a spacer inside so it now works. $336 for a new one from Jaguar? Get real!
It has style and presence and holds its own amongst the many new cars in Boca Raton, Florida where Botox and desperate gold diggers abound. It blends in wherever it is parked and still looks good and it cost me $3500.00. I intend to spend another $1500 - $2000 getting everything up to snuff, and I will have a Jaguar anybody would be proud of.
On the highway is is faultless. Another 100 HP would be nice, but my hooligan days are behind me, and besides, I ride a Buell motorcycle when the mood kicks in (I was pulled over last year for speeding and the cop said; "I thought you'd be younger". He let me off and talked endlessly about Buells. I was quite lucky I met a fan of Buells!)
Look long and hard when buying one and choose wisely. Mechanically they can be fixed easier and cheaper than doing bodywork and interior. They are simple and reliable. Just treat them with the respect they deserve.
Learn the car, pay attention and an XJ6 will sell itself to you. You will not buy "it". They really have character.
Every success.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 31st August, 2016
15th Aug 2017, 03:43
Update:
The Goodyear tyres became annoying and so I replaced all 4 with Bridgestone Potenzas. This was well worth doing. I also had some issues with the ABS module and bought a used one from an X300 (95-97) "breaker" online. Now all is well.
I did have the annoying 5 beeps, 5 times whenever starting that the internet says is a low battery. That is utter nonsense. It is the air bag system warning buzzer requesting you to up your credit card limit so some idiot with a laptop and no residual diagnostic skills can change parts until the problem goes away, then stiff you with a hefty bill. There is an excellent testing procedure on the Internet "Air Bag Diagnostics for dummies" covering the X300 XJ6 model. For the short term I just disabled it as it is; "monsoon season in Florida" and I have no garage. Soaking wet in 90+ is no picnic. Working under the dash was tight and you will need 7mm and 8 mm spanners/wrenches and patience. Disconnect the battery and wait 15 minutes though!!!... as those airbags take no prisoners. It is also a good opportunity to remove and wash out the plastic A/C ducting and tidy up any wiring that has moved around. The car can be driven fine without the airbag ECU (fuses for the ECU and warning light are under the RHS rear kick panel, but removal does nothing to stop the beeping or the SRS light. Bear in mind the SRS warning light fuse supply all the other dash lights too.). I simply removed the light blue coloured ECU to return and test/fight another day armed with several 2.5 ohm resistors. I know I now have no airbags and this is the first Jaguar I have ever had that had airbags and every car I have owned that had airbags (including a brand new Range Rover) has found a reason to bring the light on, even though the airbags tested fine when the dealer charged me $130 for a 90 second plug in test! Airbags appear to be a fragile design at best and at $2000 for some new airbags, a guaranteed money maker.
I also fitted a Curt Towbar to tow a small cargo trailer (about 2000lb). Fitting the electrical lighting is a breeze as the battery is in the boot/trunk. The tow bar takes less than 1 hour to install. The electrical took about an hour with the simple 4 pin connector. CARID.com sell both at a reasonable price.
Every success with your Jaguars.