1995 Jaguar XJR from Hong Kong

Summary:

A great classic

Faults:

Tires blow out.

Headlight needed replacement.

Wiring loom needed replacement (expensive!)

General Comments:

Just love the comfort and performance. It is an occasion every time I drive it. The in line 6 is very smooth. It also draws a lot of interest from people. Interior design not all that good, but the leather is wonderful.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 23rd March, 2010

27th Sep 2020, 12:28

This review doen't tell me anything about the qualities of this car, handling, performance etc.

27th Sep 2020, 18:41

There are good well written reviews on here, but you have to look for them. Check the word count before clicking on a review. Anyways, I've never had a Jag but I have been in a friends one of these; they are very nice refined cars with plenty of power.

1995 Jaguar XJR 4.0 supercharged from North America

Summary:

The best hi-performance sedan/saloon that you can buy for under $10,000!

Faults:

Oil pressure sending unit fail; Reading 0 to low on the gauge. This is a common problem and can be fixed by installing a new (updated) oil pressure sending unit.

Transmission mount fail; Another common problem with Jags in general, resulting in a loud under car "thumping" sound when going over bumps (in worse case scenarios may result in damage to the transmission wiring harness/loom.

Spark plug coil (6); Failure/cracking resulting in mis-firing and poor gas-mileage. Expensive to replace new, though these can be easily repaired.

Supercharger belt tensioner failure; Resulted in loss of supercharger drive belt. A quick and relatively inexpensive fix.

General Comments:

Having owned several "Performance" BMW's and a couple of Mercedes, I'm knowledgeable of European sedans (Saloons).

The XJR is stunningly beautiful and gets compliments on a regular basis (Typical Jaguar mystique).

Once the above mentioned problems were sorted out, this car is a joy to own and drive. Handling is quick and responsive, and the supercharged 6-cylinder provides more than enough "punch".

What I enjoy most about this car is its refined and "gentlemanly" appearance, hiding muscle car performance.

This big cat can hunt down most highway predators and eat them alive!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 6th May, 2008

14th Feb 2010, 19:56

That's funny. My previous car was a 1998 740il. Talk about problems. The whole cooling system had to be replaced. Anyways, just bought a 1995 XJR, black on black. It is just a beautiful car. Let's say it looks good from every angle. Only problem is it will not pass emissions. It does run great, but it is running rich. Anyways, it is an incredible car and way undervalued! Good for me, as I bought it at a really low price.

1995 Jaguar XJR 4.0 Supercharged 24v Straight 6 from Isle of Man

Summary:

A bargain 2nd hand with massive comfort and feel good factor, but is an expensive everyday car

Faults:

Rear diff vibration from 45,000 miles. It still drove OK, but got very gradually louder until a reconditioned unit fitted at 60,000.

Water Pump leaked and drained coolant from engine 50,000 miles.

Seat motor made noise, but failed to move seat.

Exhaust twisted due to engine/transmission movement needing welding 50,000 miles.

LCD in clock faded.

Boot button sometimes failed (but remote and dash buttons worked!).

Counterweight in ashtray cover broke - ashtray bangs open rapidly when opened!

General Comments:

The car was indeed quick in straight lines, but heavy and terrible at corners. The 'traction control' cuts the power for 2-3 seconds leaving you dead in the road if you pull out of a junction with slight gravel present - I am not sure if this is the same for all x300 1994-1996 XJRs.

As others have said the interior even on the older x300 1995 straight 6 was a pleasure to get into. The car made me smile when I walked up to and sank into the seat!

The problems I had all came with the car, it just took me a while to discover them! I was always able to drive the car, but I did opt to pull over for a while when the temp gage rose above 50% and straight into the red for the first time in over a year of everyday use. The water pump had a leak which required a fill up of water and coolant until it was replaced at £240 plus labour.

Unless you buy with the optional uprated Harmon Kardon sound system then the basic stereo is OK, but no better than Mondeos or Cavaliers of the same year.

A good independent performance garage is essential for out of warranty XJR's - the type of garage where they can take a differential apart or weld your exhaust manifold. Jag dealers seem bound to repair cars by swapping units. I was quickly quoted £1500 for a diff and nearly the same to fit it. A new exhaust was recommended at over £1000 for the parts alone. The independent garage welded the exhaust no problem and fitted a £900 reconditioned warranted differential for £600 labour.

I fell in love with the shape, power, prestige and comfort of the car as did many passengers, and this makes 90% of other cars in the same price bracket feel plasticky and cheap.

Petrol (14-18mpg round town) insurance and servicing considered, an XJR will cause a serious rise in your monthly spend.

Do your research on the Nikasil and timing belt tensioner problems affecting the V8 cars from 1997 up to 2000 and even early 2001 if you are looking to buy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th October, 2007

24th Jan 2010, 06:31

I've never had problem with the diff or transmission, I'm on my 3rd XJ and have an XJR at the moment. I've had to replace a battery, new tyres all round is painful, but mechanically not a blip. I turn the traction control off, if it wheel-spins I know what to expect, and the TC just snatches rather than being smooth.

As to cost; I traded my old XJ Sport for 900.00 and bought this XJR for 2250.00, so 1450 overall, which when I compare my brother's Escort (?) at 13,000 that's an awful lot of petrol, tyres and batteries before I catch up on price. So yes expensive day-to-day, but a 60,000 car for a couple of grand?...

23rd Sep 2011, 22:56

Just bought a 1997 XJR at 67000 miles. It has similar problems as the ones discussed above.

The transmission mount made a clicking noise when turning right.

Water pump leaked a little, and coolant needed to be replenished with a gallon each week.

The clock LCD lost some of dashes, so 6 o'clock looks like 5 - deceiving..

There is a gremlin in the electric system of the sunroof; it decides when to work.

Of course the cup holders are junk, but who does not know that.

The interior does not like hot dry climates - wood gets cracked, leather too.

But the acceleration and the growling sound coming out of the tailpipes, make up for all problems.

Like the wide tires and the signature wheels.