Jaguar Problems

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011 Jaguar X-Type as a used buy.

Modestly priced for what it is, the Jaguar XK is a sleek and powerful grand tourer. Two body types are offered, a closed coupe and a convertible, the latter using a soft-top in the traditional manner, which suits us as folding hardtops don’t have the same pure feeling as a rag-top.The XK series was reintroduced to Australia in October 1996 after an absence of many years. It sold well immediately and these older cars are available for pretty reasonable prices on the used market.Having said that, our preference is for the new model launched in May 2007 as it’s considerably lighter than the older car due to its all-aluminium body. The shape of the Jaguar XK, from the nose with its big, oval opening, to the raised, rounded tail is borrowed from the famous Jaguar E-Type and works exceptionally well.The dashboard uses a traditionally styled, timber-faced design that's flatter than is normal these days. Yet with its smallish, round instruments and low-set face it looks just right in these big British sports machines.Naturally these Jaguars come with the usual leather-and-wood trimmed interiors, and a choice of standard and sports variants. Power comes from a V8 engine, interestingly, the first engine of this configuration ever used in a Jaguar as the company had made its name building gorgeous straight sixes.Initially the V8 had a 4.0-litre capacity. That was raised to 4.2 litres when the engine was heavily revised in 2002. Further changes with the new model of 2007 improved the 4.2 again.The powerplant to go for if your budget will stand the strain is the 5.0-litre V8 first imported to Australia in January 2010. Continuing the modern tradition the 5.0 powerplant is offered in natural or supercharged aspiration.Jaguar V8s have that certain sound and feel that appeals to car enthusiasts the world over. At the top of the performance tree sits the ‘Jaguar XKR with R features’. With semi-race suspension, Brembo brakes and a big emphasis on very serious motoring it’s a car to dream about from a Jaguar enthusiast’s point of view.Considerably more expensive than even the standard XKR they weren't a huge sales success in Australia, probably because of our too-low speed limits. Handling is good, without being outstanding in its road grip. Generally these cars are fine on Australian roads, but aren't always happy on the really rough stuff.Try it for yourself if you live in an outlying region. Jaguar XK8s used a five-speed automatic transmission until the 2002 revamp and a six-speed auto from then onwards. The older automatics use Jaguar's clever J-gate mechanism to allow a fair degree of 'manual' control over it.Good as that system was in its day it feels a bit old fashioned when compared to the latest generation of tiptronic-type automatics. Some bemoan the lack of a manual option in a sportscar, but Jaguar’s market research had shown fewer than five percent of buyers would have opted for it.Insurance isn't as expensive as you might expect given the performance nature of the car. Provided, that is, you have a good driving record and live in an area where theft is seldom a problem. Ask about any extra charges for the supercharged variants.The dealer network in Australia is long established and operates efficiently. Spare parts aren't cheap, but are in line with the purchase price of the car. Better built and more reliable than older Jaguars, the latest Jaguar XK models are complex cars and servicing and repairs should be left to the professionals.WHAT TO LOOK FORA professional inspection should be regarded as essential. You may wish to do some initial checks to save racking up too many inspection bills. Be sure the engine starts promptly, idles smoothly and does not blow smoke from the exhaust when the big Jag is accelerated hard.Be sure the automatic transmission goes into gear within about a second of the selector being moved into Drive or Reverse. Check the ‘manual-gearbox’ functions work correctly.Look for rust in the lower areas of the body. It is not normal but can be expensive to repair. At the same time look for signs of previous crash repairs, such as mismatched paint or ripples in the finish.Look at the condition of the trim, carpets, dash-top and other interior fittings, particularly in a convertible. If you notice any water stains on the convertible’s seats ask the seller to remove the carpets so you can check under them.A genuine Jaguar battery should be fitted as other units may not provide enough power and the electrical relays may not work.CAR BUYING TIPFew sportscars are driven in the manner their designers intended, but are actually used as look-at-me cruisers - no marks for guessing which is likely to be the better buy.DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:Length: 4968 mmWheelbase: 2760 mmWidth: 1786 mmHeight: 1402 mmTurning Circle: 11.0 metresKerb Mass: 1695 kgFuel Tank Capacity: 66/8 litresSUSPENSION AND BRAKES:Front Suspension: Three link, coil springs, gas shocksRear Suspension: Multi link independent, coil springs, gas shocksFront Brakes: DiscRear Brakes: DiscPERFORMANCE:0-100 km/h Acceleration: 7.8 secondsFUEL CONSUMPTION:Type: 95RONCombined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 8.3 L/100kmGREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:Greenhouse Rating: 7/10Air Pollution Rating: 7.5 /10STANDARD WARRANTY:Three years/ unlimited km

Jaguar XK is a large, powerful sports machine. More GT (grand tourer) than sports car it returned to Australia in October 1996 after an absence of many years.Our preference is for the all-new model XK launched in May 2007 as it's considerably lighter than the older one thanks to its all-aluminium body. It's till not exactly nimble but holds the road well and provides plenty of driving pleasure.Generally these cars are fine on Australian roads, but aren't always happy on the really rough stuff. Try it for yourself if you live in an outlying region.Older Jaguar XKs are showing signs of becoming a cult car but are still very reasonably priced. This could change over the next few years so now might be a good time to buy. No promises, though...The shape of the Jaguar XK is unashamedly based on that of the famous Jaguar E-Type. From the nose, with its big oval opening, to the rounded tail this design works exceptionally well.The convertible has a soft-top in the traditional manner. We love thatThe dashboard uses a traditionally styled, timber-faced design with smallish, round instruments it looks just right in these big British sports machines.Jaguar XK is sold as a closed coupe or a convertible, the convertible has a soft-top in the traditional manner. We love that - folding hardtops don't have the same pure feeling as a rag-top.Power comes from a V8 engine, interestingly, the first engine of this configuration ever used in a Jaguar as the company had made its name building beautiful looking straight sixes. Initially the V8 had a 4.0-litre capacity. That was raised to 4.2 litres when the engine was heavily revised in 2002. Further changes with the new model of 2007 improved it again.Even better is the 5.0-litre V8 first imported to Australia in January 2010. It is offered in natural or supercharged aspiration.At the top of the performance tree sits the 'Jaguar XKR with R features'. With semi-race suspension, Brembo brakes and an emphasis on serious motoring it's a car to dream about from a Jaguar enthusiast's point of view.The older automatic transmissions use Jaguar's clever J-gate mechanism to allow a fair degree of 'manual' control over it. Good as that system was in its day it feels a bit old fashioned when compared to the latest generation of paddle-shifting automatics.Some bemoan the lack of a manual option in a sports car, but Jaguar's market research had shown fewer than five percent of buyers would have opted for it.Jaguar's dealer network in Australia is long established and operates efficiently. Spare parts aren't cheap, but we've seen worse.Better built and more reliable than older Jaguars, the latest Jaguar XK models are complex cars and servicing and repairs should be left to the professionals.A professional inspection should be regarded as essentialInsurance isn't overly expensive - provided you have a good driving record and live in an area where theft is seldom a problem. There are likely to be higher charges for the supercharged engines.A professional inspection should be regarded as essential. You may wish to do some initial checks to save racking up too many inspection bills, but don't fall into the trap of making your own decision to save a few dollars.Be sure the engine starts promptly, idles smoothly and does not blow smoke from the exhaust when the big Jag is accelerated hard.Be sure the automatic transmission goes into gear within about a second of the selector being moved into Drive or Reverse. Check the 'manual-gearbox' functions work correctly.Look for rust in the lower areas of the body. It is not normal but can be expensive to repair. At the same time look for signs of previous crash repairs, such as mismatched paint or ripples in the finish.Check the condition of the interior trim, carpets and dash-top for excessive wear and/or rough treatment.Also look at the condition of the boot. Hard driving can slide luggage around and cause tears and scratches.If are water stains on the convertible's seats ask the seller to remove the carpets so you can check underneath.A genuine Jaguar battery should be fitted as other units may not provide enough power and the electrical relays may not work.

Remarkably the Jaguar name has maintained its traditional position as a leading prestige brand in the automotive business despite the ownership changes that have taken place in recent years.Indian interests now own the grand old British brand, but for a time it was part of the Ford empire, and it was during this period that it produced the compact X-Type.The X-Type was conceived to compete with the prestige models from other makers that ruled the luxury mid-sized market segment, cars like the 'Benz C-Class, BMW's 3-Series and the Audi A4.Traditionalists moaned that the X-Type wasn't a real Jaguar, that it was simply a dressed-up Ford Mondeo and owed little to the proud heritage of the brand.While that was true, Ford's stylists did quite a good job in making it look like a Jaguar with styling cues that clearly recalled the big cats that ruled the road in the 1960s and '70s.It had a low and heavily sculpted look that was reminiscent of the old XJ sedans, and plastic woodgrain highlights and leather trim in the cabin passed for the real thing. The cabin itself, however, was a little on the cramped side and the boot was rather small.The X-Type lobbed in local showrooms late in 2001 with 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre all-wheel drive V6 versions, to which a 2.1-litre model, this one a front-wheel driver, was added in 2002, followed by a turbo-diesel in 2008.There was a five-speed manual gearbox available, but most of the petrol models left the showrooms with the five-speed auto that was also offered. The turbo-diesel was equipped with a six-speed manual.When let loose on the road the small-engined cat was a comfy cruiser; it wasn't over-endowed with performance and you needed to work it hard to extract what zip it did have. The larger engine models offered more of the get up and go you'd expect of a Jaguar.For anyone lacking the funds to buy a new prestige model the lure of buying a second-hand one can be irresistible, but buying a used model can be a road to financial ruin. Just because a car costs more when it's sitting in a glitzy showroom doesn't mean it's any more reliable than the cheap-and-cheerful model at the budget car dealer down the road. Prestige models, like the Jaguar X-Type, can be a joy to drive, but they can also become a nightmare.For starters servicing can be expensive if you take it to the factory dealer to have the oil changed, and if it breaks down expect to pay plenty for the replacement parts needed to get it going again. Do your homework on whom you might get to service your car; an independent service mechanic with knowledge of Jaguars is highly recommended.As we've reported in this column before the prices charged by the factory dealers for prestige car parts can be outrageous, but savvy buyers and smart machines can source them for a lot less from overseas on the internet.The X-Type is a generally sound car, but it's still vitally important that you have your chosen cars checked by an expert before handing over your cash. As with any second-hand car check the service record to make sure your chosen car hasn't been neglected. Missed servicing will likely cause you considerable pain later on.There was one recall that affected the X-Type here in Australia. It was in 2012 and related to the cruise control in the diesel version. The problem could occur of there was an error in the electronics controlling the cruise, in which case the cruise would be disabled and a fault indicated on the dash, but if it happened while the cruise was engaged it is not possible to disengage the cruise using the cruise cancel button, the brakes or changing gear. Check the owner's manual for a record of the recall rework having been carried out.It's a cat, and that counts, but there are better used prestige buys.

No, it doesn't mean a luxury version for the models they are based on are more than luxurious already. The L means long, or more correctly long-wheelbase.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 2002-2010 Jaguar X-Type.