I drove an XJS for several years. Never left me stranded by the side of the road. Great car, especially on long road trips. Contrary to popular belief these cars CAN be very reliable...but you gotta learn the quirks of servicing/maintaining one and stay one step ahead. They're not a 'drive it and forget about it' car.
The three speed was the only transmission that could hold up to the engines power and torque at the time.four speed autos were only good for weaker engines at that time.
such a weird time for cars. no car checked all boxes; you got a mixture of cutting edge, near-modern technologies and archaic, obsolete stuff or just a lemon. Definitely am not jealous of these car buying times. No internet to read reviews or do research, just go buy a car and hope for the best!
@@klasseact6663 You are correct , starting in 1979 it was the TH 400 in 1996 it started using the GM 4L80E. At least Jaguar styling set their cars apart from everyone, Enzo Ferrari said in 1961 that the E Type was the Best looking Sports Car in the World and he was right !
The 5.3L V12 had several problems involving dropped valve seats (which immediately wreck the engine and require a rebuild) if they're run the least bit hot. Another endearing feature was the 90-92 cars' tendency to have catalytic converter fires because the Italian ignition system would temporarily fail on one bank, then start back up after the cat was full of gas. Earlier cars can have engine fires due to the fuel injector hoses getting brittle and leaking due to the heat in the Vee of the engine. ALL of them can have distributor explosions due to how they're arranged.
+Evan Finch The dropped valve seats require the owner to neglect the cooling system to the point of it causing overheating and then continuing to ignore the issue, driving around with the needle pegged until it overheats enough to cause a separation in the seat and head. Does that sound like a design issue or a shitty owner? The marelli ignition issues only run the years you noted, and they dropped it. Does this sound like an engineering problem on Jaguars end....or the italian company Marelli? The fuel injector hoses get brittle and cause fires if you completely neglect them. Any car that is 30 years old should have its hoses replaced. Once again, if this problem crops up, it is owner neglect, not poor engineering. Any old car can have fuel hoses rot out and cause a fire. While you highlighted some of the most common issues, overheating, the marelli ignition issues, and a few fires from old hoses, any research would tell you that they are completely avoidable problems that are, firstly, not Jaguar design problems, and secondly, don't even fit in the cliche or stereotypical problems people assume they have. They are most specific issues just like any car has. You can assume Jettas are reliable and then google a year and find they "all have water pump failures" or something along those lines. What I mean is, every car has issues, and hopefully you can see by the specifics of them that the generic stereotypes are hardly met and the XJS is like any other car. These cars were made for 21 years, there wasn't some catastrophic problem that caused half of them to catch on fire, because that would have caused recalls, but the way you mentioned the injector hoses or ignition makes it sound like you think it is common for them to spontaneously combust. Really, not to cover up and claim any issues don't exist, it's just the main issues aren't what people make them to be, and when you find out what they actually are, well they are kind of bs. Like I said, 30 year old injector hoses can't be trusted on any car, overheating isn't good for any car, and an outlier of a different company making a troublesome ignition system for a few years is unrelated to the overall design, not to mention nearly noone is aware of marelli. They just spit out the generic "uhh lucas electrics" even though most of the car is bosch. Really the biggest thing to do if you are looking at a v12 jag is to make sure the cooling system works, that is the only "issue" I would bother mentioning. Not even because it causes dropped valves, that really isn't a common problem, it's just that overheating is obviously very bad on any engine. Most of the time the problem lays with old thermostats, which close off the bypass and spell trouble when they fail. Once again, thermostats don't last 30 years, hardly Jaguars fault. Any car I have ever had is like this, British, German, American, Japanese. They have all always had a "well you gotta look out for the trans XYZ switch on those" or "Yep those always have sending unit problems." Great example, my brother-in-law came over today and needs his Tahoe instrument cluster fixed. They all have a issue where the solder separates. They all have issues where the sending units go out. He has one, his sister has one, and his dad have one (tahoe, suburban and suburban) and they all have this issue. Cars are cars, I always find it amazing that so many people build reputations through a massive game of phone call when they are all so similar. All cars have issues, all cars have some BS thing that is harder to work on or get to than it should, all cars have that one part that is more expensive than it should be and all cars have some odd designs that are great and some that are idiotic. It is so incredibly stupid to assume you can ignore your camry for 200k miles because it is a toyota, it is also incredibly stupid to regurgitate that one model or brand has "electrical issues" spanning 4 decades because some guy said so one time.
My father bought a brand new, XJS H.E in 1983 off the showroom floor, I believe it was $34,000. He also owned two 60's XKE's and an 82' sedan, which was totaled from someone blowing a stop sign, while I was in the back seat as a baby. My mother would drive me around in the XJS constantly as a kid, until one day, around 42,000 miles, it would shut off without warning. Wait 5 minutes, it would start up and go about 20 minutes and then shut off again. Rinse, wash repeat. My dad brought it to the dealer to have it fixed, and the bill came back $7500. On the drive home, it did the same thing, shut off. The dealer wouldn't honor more repairs or their work, and my dad was beyond pissed. The car sat for more than two decades, in our yard, in different spots for several years at a time. Once in awhile, I would go out, start the car and drive it around the yard as a teen, until my mom flipped out one day and took the keys, hid them and lost them. (Hey, nobody else was driving it) They called a locksmith who couldnt make a key, stating ''This is a first for me''. So we had an XJS just sitting in our yard with no key...and harsh New England winters. It started to rot, the floors started to rot, the paint peeled off the roof. I would sit in the car every now and then and just dream. A couple years before my dad passed away, he decided to just get rid of it, and called a scrapper. It was time to let go of whatever once was. Before they came out, I found that key, wedged between the driver seat and center console. That was a true ''Son of a bitch...'' moment. We all loved that car, it just didn't love us in return.
Crap like that is why we got 'lemon laws'... If the factory/dealer couldn't fix it, then they ate it and gave you another one... Dealer couldn't fix a friend's Jeep Cherokee, Temp gauge kept showing overheating, don't know if it was or not, but he couldn't sell it to anyone like that, Chrysler wouldn't authorize/pay for more repairs, so I went with him and made the dealer eat it and give him a new one.. Service Mgr gave him an 800 number to call BS, I insisted we call from the phone on his desk, never reached anybody, kept his office tied up, so he finally gave in and said "go out and pick one out, I'll take care of the paperwork"... And that was that...
my mother bought one of these used at 7 years old when I was in high school. She had it for a little over a year, and surprisingly, no issues other than that she got to replace both catalytic converters (which wasn't cheap). The thing that actually got her to unload the car was the mileage. Out in a rural area, it still returned only about 15 miles per gallon. Heavy little car, smooth, and for whatever reason, open the hood and there was more heat trapped under it than I can remember under any other car. The transmission sucked up too much of the engine power and turned it into something other than forward motion. So, lots of technically antiquated things about it and the fuel economy wasn't as good as expected, but the smoothness of the ride without being squishy was great. The seats and interior was also nice - everything was reasonably tightly put together inside (vs. the billowy crap in cadillacs), but it wasn't at all harsh. Just tasteful.
+snappy452 What is poor about the electrics or mechanics? Most cars are know for a handful of flaws. The main issue with the XJS is the cooling system. Fix it and you are pretty much golden. The forged internals of the v12 are not to be knocked. The XJS is not in the least bit known for engine woes.
To be honest it was so damn ugly that it even looks great again. It put a bright smile in my face in those silly days of "political correct down sizing" were +100.000 € uro BMW"s come along with a laughable 4 cylinder diesel engine with 2 fat turbos which makes it even more laughable 😂😂😂😃😄
I have had an XJS as a daily driver for 6 years. A lot of the electronics are actually bosch. I can't think of any switches that don't work or have failed while I have had it.
I used to love these when I saw them as a young boy. Then I had the pleasure of working in these turds when I got a little older! Looks great, fixing them paid my bills for years
So you have disdain for your customers and their car choices. Do you berate them as you charge them, and if you feel that strongly about it, why don't you be honest and tell them?
The days when a Jaguar truly was a magnificent vehicle…deplorable where Jaguar went here in the States but that’s to be said with many luxury brand vehicles
The new Jags are nice, but I really miss the classic, elegant styling. There was no mistaking a Jag for something else on the road. That can't be said now. This is still a gorgeous car and I'm sure would still turn heads.
Real quotes from XJS owners: "'I want to keep it in tip-top shape' --> conflicts with < -- 'I would prefer not to spend $$$ on repairs that I can easily avoid'" "The fact it had 6k spent on it last month doesn't mean it won't need another 6k spending on it next month." "Even some veteran DIY mechanics find the XJS V12 a bit challenging to work on. These are not easy-to-repair cars." "the possibility of you being able to DD [daily drive] any XJS that you buy is slim to none." "I won't drive my XJS further than 100 miles from my house because thats as far as AAA will tow it" "I've never seen or heard of an XJS that didn't need anything doing to it. I've walked around concourse cars at shows and had to drag the owners over to show them things that they really need to fix ASAP"
+Daniel McLean The very same is said about older Land Rovers! Had one customer who actually had a separate bank account holding repair money just for it, always $10K there for when it broke,and boy did it break!
I used to own one of these. Never any trouble with the engine or electrics. The biggest problems were coolant, brake and power steering leaks. It was a wonderful driver though.
I had one of these for a few years back in the mid-late 90's. It was an 86 HE mode; HE was the revised 'high efficiency' version w/ higher compression and better gas mileage, meaning in the teens rather than single digits. After the car was parked, there were puddles representing every fluid type to be found on the garage floor. Spark plug change would require removing air conditioner compressor. It was also amazing that a car this big, heavy, and thirsty would have such a small and relatively unusable interior (back seat accessibility for example). Rust was also an issue, and at the most unlikely places. For a few moments it would redeem itself.. was extremely smooth and an effortless high speed tourer. The other somewhat redeeming factor was how cheap they could be purchased used, although that could all turn out badly with one service visit. Understand used prices are starting to go up now, but would stay away.
I've got an '88 with just under 35K miles on it and it's awesome. I get thumbs up all the time on the road, even little kids who seem to get that it's not just another generic box. My neighbor has a driver with 150K and it's still going strong. The biggest problems with these cars are caused by owners treating them like any old Ford or Chevy and "mechanics" who don't know squat about them mucking them up. Yes, they were from a period in British auto mfg that was rife with poor build quality but they have amazing bones and in the right hands are spectacular.
No, these cars constantly falling apart (your anecdotal evidence is meaningless) is NOT the fault of the mechanics that kept them running. British auto mfg and build quality for pretty much everything at the time these were made was absolute trash.
I own an '88 as well, I've had mine for 11 years, I got it with 38K on the clock and it now has 51K, it has been a pleasure to own and drive. I agree with you, these cars are very well built, and in the right hands can go for a very long time. I get thumbs up and "nice car" whenever I drive it. I love my XJ-S.
Eks calybur clearly it was the fault of the mechanics who didn’t know how to keep it going!! If it was a Ferrari would you take it to any old garage down the road? Of course you wouldn’t, you’d take it to a garage that knows what they are dealing with yet you think that this V12 can be worked on by any backstreet garage. You are as dumb as your comment!
As a former owner of a British automotive repair shop, this car is a nightmarish money pit. If you feel you absolutely need to have one, your best recourse is to go buy a metal model and put it on a shelf in your home.
I used to love these. Still love the shape. But back in college I did some work as a valet. Hands down, Jags were the only cars to break down between the drop off and the garage. 7 times in one year.
I'm in England and I had a 1990 model in the year 2000. It was red with cream leather. Mint condition, but I only kept it for 5 months and sold it for a brand new Suzuki 1200 Bandit. Lovely drive the Jaguar, but I preferred the Bandit to thrash about on. 👍
Beautiful unstressed quite car to drive. The Jaguar V12 engine is the most reliable V12 ever designed, and that is highly unlikely ever to be suppassed now. A true gentlemans contentinal cruiser.
This model won LEMANS and The CANONBALL RUN. People rip on it today. In 1984 the XJS was the fastest auto trans car in the world. I own one and have driven dozens of Jags. They got a bad rap due to poor electrical systems and bad American mechanics. I have seen dozens of these on the road in almost mint condition. This car followed the XKE and suffered greatly due to the comparison. Still, I get more compliments on this model than any Jag I have ever owned. It may in fact end up being a collector.Cheers!
My mom had a new 1988. The computer stopped working about year 3. The dealership fixed it several times and it still crapped out constantly. The car drove remarkably though
To everyone here keeps saying it would be reliability nightmare: Where are you getting your info? Are you just recycling gossip or have you ever actually owned a Jag? I've owned several and they've all been VERY reliable. I have a friend with a V12 XJS and he's never had any significant problems either. They're MUCH more reliable and better built than most American cars from the 80's.
It was well known here in America that the most reliable part of this car was the GM transmission. Maybe you were lucky with your Jags but many many others did not fair so well. I've personally witnessed the anguish of quite a few Jag and Rover owners firsthand in my lifetime.
Sawashi32I beleive Jag only used GM transmissions on the XJ and XJS from 93 to 97. On everything else since they use(d) Mercedes or ZF or transmissions, which are definitely better than the GM unit. Admittedly the XJ6 from the 80's wasan unreliable car but that was 35 frickin years ago but for some reason only Americans still dont let that go. It might be as you say "well known" in the US that Jags are unreliable but that is only "well known" by clueless Americans that have never actually owned a post-80's Jag. Its a fantasy that any car brand exists that never made a bad car. and especially for some reason in the 80's, all brands made 1 or 2 shit models. The American brands have long been known to be by far the worst for build quality especially back in the 70's/80's, but funny how no American ever criticizes Chevvy/Dodge/Pontiac for that, but they still beat up on Jaguar for it.
neilcoo Typical Euro. Blame it all on the Americans. Haha. If you think only us "Americans" talk about the bad reliability and rapid depreciation value of Jag cars from this time period then you are kidding yourself. A little research on the internet can confirm that. I also expressed my personal firsthand experiences with people who've owned these cars and that expression was not based on any other "Americans" beliefs. Now, having said that, modern Jags are wonderful great looking cars with average to slightly above average dependability in their respective classes. That statement coming from an "American". Finally, I don't know where you get your info from about us Americans, but the vast majority of us, me included, will tell you in an instant how poor the quality, fit and finish was in most American cars from the 70's, 80's and 90's. But wow! That was 30+ years ago. That's were you Euros get your insults about our cars from as many of you probably have never even witnessed the issues first hand. P.S. Don't be a "clueless" Euro and lump all Americans together in one category as if we all have the same beliefs, opinions, backgrounds, and mentality. After all, there are many many of us and we take up two whole separate continents.
+neilcoo Been driving one for 6 years as a daily. I agree, most people just repeat what they hear from someone who repeated it from someone and on and on. None of them have a clue what they are talking about or any experience. Last guy I talked to that said he had one said it was in and out of the shop for AC repairs because the AC was so complex....literally an A6 GM compressor with a TX valve, about has simple as an AC can be.
+Sawashi32 You already said, 'It was well known here in America that the most reliable part of this car was the GM transmission' and yet you claim that neilcoo is remiss because of 'lumping all Americans together in one category' ... be honest , you just did the same thing!
Looking back now it's ridiculous to think that 0 to 60 in 8.4 seconds and power rating under 300hp was considered acceptable for a V12 boy have times changed...
When he said it was a time machine, he was speaking of speed. I think of it is a time machine as it looks like you are transported back to about 1976. I thought the BMW 635csi which came out around the same time aged better.
This car is starting to grow on me, I might sell my BMW 735il E38 and buy one in either British racing green or red. How reliable are these ? will it be as reliable as my P38 Range Rover or BMW E38 ? with that in mind I expect to set around 2000$ a year on maintenance!
Im knew a mechanic that switched the jaguar components to one from a 1990 Chevy Caprice. He rewired the whole car now it has a Chevy made 5.7L V-8 9C1 police interceptor and the Chevy wiring and Chevy transmission. He still drives it every day and the best part is that its a jaguar with the dependabity of a Caprice Classic
Damn...a 87 review of a car conceived in 74. That's like reviewing a car from 2002 today. Even more mind blowing is this. The XJS went out of production in 1995. That's like a car from 1994 going out of production today.
rangerover06sc Good point! I feel that the G is a little different though. A few companies have kept their chunky off roaders in production for decades. The LR Defender only just went out of production. Having Grand Touring cars from 21 years ago still being made today would be super weird. Times have changed. Carmakers need to constantly update their cars to stay fresh and relevant. Consider the XJS' 21 year run. Its predecessor the XK8 lasted only 10 years. The XK8's predecessor the XK only lasted 7 years. Even 7 years is a long time! I mean a lot of Japanese automakers do a refresh every 4 years. I just think it's interesting.
I love the looks of this car, the V12 engine, the Jaguar mystique. But when I drove one, it felt three time bigger than it was, and was very sluggish off the line. All the controls seemed to be numbed with Novocaine. Now to be honest, it was only in town and not on the open road where these cars are supposed to shine. Nonetheless, I was a bit disappointed.
I remember driving by a mechanic's shop several years ago and saw a gorgeous early XJ6 up on a lift. So not only did I see a pretty old cat, I saw it in its natural environment. Made me break into a bit of a David Attenborough dialogue. Those now old Jags were pretty things, but their reliability was always suspect. Pity.
The xj-s in this review isn't an '87. It's an '85. You can tell by the burled elm wood trim, silver ignition & headlight switch panels, black A&B pillar trim, radio, and amber "growler" badge on the horn pad. All these small details were revised for the '86 MY.
In fairness, much though I love these cats only the Americans would describe them as "clawing around the bends"- it's basically like helming the QE2. Undoubtedly very comfortable and excellent for the Pontefract to Plymouth cruise but really not at all interested in such base, common qualities as 'reliability' or 'economy'. Cruise control with frequent tea stops, there's the way!
Couldn't care less. Argh. Jag- ooh- ar. Not Jag Whar. Uuugh. Love these. Owned one for years, sold it to a fanatic, bought another one. And every time I have driven a Jag coupe (dad still has his E type) while wearing a suit, I feel like Jimmy Bond from Across the Pond for just a few seconds. Don't believe the horror stories. These were well made, especially after Ford took over. (American cars of this era were just as bad). They DO require maintenance, but they are dearly loved and it's not hard to find one that has been properly maintained by an enthusiast. The 4 pot lamps examples like on this one are generally considered more collectible than the later ones with the Euro lamps, but then, the last models have more safety features, if that matters. Jag made LOTS of these over a very long run, so parts are available and there are a number of excellent reference books and shop manuals if you want to turn your own spanners, err, wrenches. Cheers.
+Steven Manning If by mechanically you mean an all-forged engine that is basically bullet proof, then sure. You probably actually mean to say something cliche about the electrics, because of any worry an owner could have about the XJS, the engine is not one of them.
+Ian Mcdowell You haven't perchance seen the "Cheap Coupe Challenge" in top gear, have you? The one where the Jag is leaking oil from the beginning, gets 9 mpg, and is slower than a Starion and a BMW?
+Daniel McLean oh you mean the one where its the fastest overall and wins in the end? what negative was there to that video? The only one was asking a 30 year old used car you know nothing about to suddenly do 150 mph, which is when it had a issue, but even so it still succeded.
Ian Mcdowell Oh yes I mean the one where the piece of junk is falling apart at the seems, can't drive 10 feet without overheating and losing oil, and is the slowest around any track with corners. It's such a piece of crap James May was unwilling to recommend it to anyone, and would rather let Clarkson gloat than dare lend his name to the piece of communist garbage.
+Daniel McLean what do you mean? the xjs kept going, the starion was the one thar fell apart and kept overheating. may drove slow but did so many laps that he won because he didnt have to stop.
+Andrew Dion (TravellAll901) fuel economy is all in the gearing, the v12 can do close to 30mpg with a 5 or 6 speed. The V12 is fully forged and if there is anything you can feel comfortable with on an XJS, its the engine. Some surrounding bit may fail, but the v12 is rock solid.
I see everyone complaining, but has one person dropped in a piece of advice on making the car reliable? Save for swapping the V12 for a V8. Call me a rookie, but would it not be possible to just swap out the bad electronics for some more reliable components and the mechanics for reliability?
They are just as reliable as any other big luxury car from this era. By the late 80's it wasn't the original Lucas electronics, it was Bosch, and it all worked fine. I swear Americans in RUclips comments just can't help but be really biased against all British cars for some reason. It's like they all heard some meme about them being unreliable and they just have to relentlessly go with it forever. I think they're just trying to get payback for all the English people ripping into them about America making slow, ugly and low quality cars. So it's more of a propaganda battle than anything based on real hard numbers. These XJS's will do many hundreds of thousands of miles if looked after, and I'm sure there are lots of good American cars too. Basically just don't believe anything you read in RUclips comments.
If you owned a new XJS back in 87-88 you were the man
I was a teen then and wanted one
@@drumsticknuggets5123 Beautiful this Jaguar XJS 87
I drove an XJS for several years. Never left me stranded by the side of the road. Great car, especially on long road trips. Contrary to popular belief these cars CAN be very reliable...but you gotta learn the quirks of servicing/maintaining one and stay one step ahead. They're not a 'drive it and forget about it' car.
I'll go along with that...
They're a drivers car.
Jaguar puts in a 5.3L V12 for performance
Also Jaguar: 3-speed automatic
The three speed was the only transmission that could hold up to the engines power and torque at the time.four speed autos were only good for weaker engines at that time.
such a weird time for cars. no car checked all boxes; you got a mixture of cutting edge, near-modern technologies and archaic, obsolete stuff or just a lemon. Definitely am not jealous of these car buying times. No internet to read reviews or do research, just go buy a car and hope for the best!
Jaguar used the GM TH350 Transmission for a good reason, Durability and it will outlast every part of the drivetrain no question!
@@lilibethdoherty295 are you sure it wasn't a TH400🤔
@@klasseact6663 You are correct , starting in 1979 it was the TH 400 in 1996 it started using the GM 4L80E. At least Jaguar styling set their cars apart from everyone, Enzo Ferrari said in 1961 that the E Type was the Best looking Sports Car in the World and he was right !
My favorite part of this review is when he mentions the gas mileage and adds on "but who cares..."
The 5.3L V12 had several problems involving dropped valve seats (which immediately wreck the engine and require a rebuild) if they're run the least bit hot. Another endearing feature was the 90-92 cars' tendency to have catalytic converter fires because the Italian ignition system would temporarily fail on one bank, then start back up after the cat was full of gas. Earlier cars can have engine fires due to the fuel injector hoses getting brittle and leaking due to the heat in the Vee of the engine. ALL of them can have distributor explosions due to how they're arranged.
+Evan Finch The dropped valve seats require the owner to neglect the cooling system to the point of it causing overheating and then continuing to ignore the issue, driving around with the needle pegged until it overheats enough to cause a separation in the seat and head. Does that sound like a design issue or a shitty owner?
The marelli ignition issues only run the years you noted, and they dropped it. Does this sound like an engineering problem on Jaguars end....or the italian company Marelli?
The fuel injector hoses get brittle and cause fires if you completely neglect them. Any car that is 30 years old should have its hoses replaced. Once again, if this problem crops up, it is owner neglect, not poor engineering. Any old car can have fuel hoses rot out and cause a fire.
While you highlighted some of the most common issues, overheating, the marelli ignition issues, and a few fires from old hoses, any research would tell you that they are completely avoidable problems that are, firstly, not Jaguar design problems, and secondly, don't even fit in the cliche or stereotypical problems people assume they have. They are most specific issues just like any car has. You can assume Jettas are reliable and then google a year and find they "all have water pump failures" or something along those lines. What I mean is, every car has issues, and hopefully you can see by the specifics of them that the generic stereotypes are hardly met and the XJS is like any other car. These cars were made for 21 years, there wasn't some catastrophic problem that caused half of them to catch on fire, because that would have caused recalls, but the way you mentioned the injector hoses or ignition makes it sound like you think it is common for them to spontaneously combust.
Really, not to cover up and claim any issues don't exist, it's just the main issues aren't what people make them to be, and when you find out what they actually are, well they are kind of bs. Like I said, 30 year old injector hoses can't be trusted on any car, overheating isn't good for any car, and an outlier of a different company making a troublesome ignition system for a few years is unrelated to the overall design, not to mention nearly noone is aware of marelli. They just spit out the generic "uhh lucas electrics" even though most of the car is bosch.
Really the biggest thing to do if you are looking at a v12 jag is to make sure the cooling system works, that is the only "issue" I would bother mentioning. Not even because it causes dropped valves, that really isn't a common problem, it's just that overheating is obviously very bad on any engine. Most of the time the problem lays with old thermostats, which close off the bypass and spell trouble when they fail. Once again, thermostats don't last 30 years, hardly Jaguars fault. Any car I have ever had is like this, British, German, American, Japanese. They have all always had a "well you gotta look out for the trans XYZ switch on those" or "Yep those always have sending unit problems." Great example, my brother-in-law came over today and needs his Tahoe instrument cluster fixed. They all have a issue where the solder separates. They all have issues where the sending units go out. He has one, his sister has one, and his dad have one (tahoe, suburban and suburban) and they all have this issue.
Cars are cars, I always find it amazing that so many people build reputations through a massive game of phone call when they are all so similar. All cars have issues, all cars have some BS thing that is harder to work on or get to than it should, all cars have that one part that is more expensive than it should be and all cars have some odd designs that are great and some that are idiotic. It is so incredibly stupid to assume you can ignore your camry for 200k miles because it is a toyota, it is also incredibly stupid to regurgitate that one model or brand has "electrical issues" spanning 4 decades because some guy said so one time.
+Ian Mcdowell what got you into the XJS? For me it was Pierce Brosnan getting away in one at the end of the HBO original movie The heist
+malevolenceXXXensues He walked into a campground bathroom and saw all the poops floating around and was inspired to buy the Jag
nutsackmania and you know this because you were there burgling turds ;)
Parents owned one of these during my childhood. We were elegant AF!!!
:🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍
My father bought a brand new, XJS H.E in 1983 off the showroom floor, I believe it was $34,000. He also owned two 60's XKE's and an 82' sedan, which was totaled from someone blowing a stop sign, while I was in the back seat as a baby. My mother would drive me around in the XJS constantly as a kid, until one day, around 42,000 miles, it would shut off without warning. Wait 5 minutes, it would start up and go about 20 minutes and then shut off again. Rinse, wash repeat. My dad brought it to the dealer to have it fixed, and the bill came back $7500. On the drive home, it did the same thing, shut off. The dealer wouldn't honor more repairs or their work, and my dad was beyond pissed.
The car sat for more than two decades, in our yard, in different spots for several years at a time. Once in awhile, I would go out, start the car and drive it around the yard as a teen, until my mom flipped out one day and took the keys, hid them and lost them. (Hey, nobody else was driving it) They called a locksmith who couldnt make a key, stating ''This is a first for me''. So we had an XJS just sitting in our yard with no key...and harsh New England winters. It started to rot, the floors started to rot, the paint peeled off the roof. I would sit in the car every now and then and just dream.
A couple years before my dad passed away, he decided to just get rid of it, and called a scrapper. It was time to let go of whatever once was. Before they came out, I found that key, wedged between the driver seat and center console. That was a true ''Son of a bitch...'' moment. We all loved that car, it just didn't love us in return.
I hate to say this, but rust the the gas tank will do that.
So, did you save it from the scrapper? Sounds like an easy fix for most of us, but the dealership mechanics were incompetent...
Sweet story my man..That "son of a bitch" moment, I felt that....Respect👍🏾
Great story. We had an old pickup like that. It was supposed to be mine then one day it was gone.
Crap like that is why we got 'lemon laws'... If the factory/dealer couldn't fix it, then they ate it and gave you another one... Dealer couldn't fix a friend's Jeep Cherokee, Temp gauge kept showing overheating, don't know if it was or not, but he couldn't sell it to anyone like that, Chrysler wouldn't authorize/pay for more repairs, so I went with him and made the dealer eat it and give him a new one.. Service Mgr gave him an 800 number to call BS, I insisted we call from the phone on his desk, never reached anybody, kept his office tied up, so he finally gave in and said "go out and pick one out, I'll take care of the paperwork"... And that was that...
my mother bought one of these used at 7 years old when I was in high school. She had it for a little over a year, and surprisingly, no issues other than that she got to replace both catalytic converters (which wasn't cheap). The thing that actually got her to unload the car was the mileage. Out in a rural area, it still returned only about 15 miles per gallon.
Heavy little car, smooth, and for whatever reason, open the hood and there was more heat trapped under it than I can remember under any other car. The transmission sucked up too much of the engine power and turned it into something other than forward motion.
So, lots of technically antiquated things about it and the fuel economy wasn't as good as expected, but the smoothness of the ride without being squishy was great. The seats and interior was also nice - everything was reasonably tightly put together inside (vs. the billowy crap in cadillacs), but it wasn't at all harsh. Just tasteful.
"corners are taken flat"
wow i have always loved this car so much class and sophistication
V12 such luxury and power. Must have been awesome with a rare manual.
& one more mpg
No, the manuals where not good, they where left overs from the E type.
The XJS might be the best bad car ever. Atrocious electrics and poor mechanics. Stunningly beautiful inside and out.
+snappy452 What is poor about the electrics or mechanics? Most cars are know for a handful of flaws. The main issue with the XJS is the cooling system. Fix it and you are pretty much golden. The forged internals of the v12 are not to be knocked. The XJS is not in the least bit known for engine woes.
Ian Mcdowell LOL, drive one for a few months. Ive encountered 3 and between then maybe 5 switches worked properly?
+snappy452 The last ones were not that bad at all.
To be honest it was so damn ugly that it even looks great again. It put a bright smile in my face in those silly days of "political correct down sizing" were +100.000 € uro BMW"s come along with a laughable 4 cylinder diesel engine with 2 fat turbos which makes it even more laughable 😂😂😂😃😄
I have had an XJS as a daily driver for 6 years.
A lot of the electronics are actually bosch. I can't think of any switches that don't work or have failed while I have had it.
I used to love these when I saw them as a young boy. Then I had the pleasure of working in these turds when I got a little older! Looks great, fixing them paid my bills for years
So you have disdain for your customers and their car choices. Do you berate them as you charge them, and if you feel that strongly about it, why don't you be honest and tell them?
hahahaha, great comment
Gorgeous Jaguar, thank you motor week for another awesome video!!
The days when a Jaguar truly was a magnificent vehicle…deplorable where Jaguar went here in the States but that’s to be said with many luxury brand vehicles
The new Jags are nice, but I really miss the classic, elegant styling. There was no mistaking a Jag for something else on the road. That can't be said now. This is still a gorgeous car and I'm sure would still turn heads.
Jaguar went down when they started having V6 engines . Their V8s are elegant
my buddy owned a Jag sedan for several years, and at least once a week, it was in the shop. He finally sold it to his mechanic.
Be careful what you wish for because those round headlights looked infinitely better than the squared euro style ones that came after it!
8.4 to 60 but 95 mph indicates that it starts slow but builds up speed pretty quick after 60.
first gear takes you over 60mph so it's very over geared. Euro spec makes a hundred sub 17secs
Real quotes from XJS owners:
"'I want to keep it in tip-top shape' --> conflicts with < -- 'I would prefer not to spend $$$ on repairs that I can easily avoid'"
"The fact it had 6k spent on it last month doesn't mean it won't need another 6k spending on it next month."
"Even some veteran DIY mechanics find the XJS V12 a bit challenging to work on. These are not easy-to-repair cars."
"the possibility of you being able to DD [daily drive] any XJS that you buy is slim to none."
"I won't drive my XJS further than 100 miles from my house because thats as far as AAA will tow it"
"I've never seen or heard of an XJS that didn't need anything doing to it. I've walked around concourse cars at shows and had to drag the owners over to show them things that they really need to fix ASAP"
+Daniel McLean The very same is said about older Land Rovers! Had one customer who actually had a separate bank account holding repair money just for it, always $10K there for when it broke,and boy did it break!
My uncle has owned the same 1977 Jaguar XJ12 for over a decade, and he has easily poured three times the value of the car into it.
I used to own one of these. Never any trouble with the engine or electrics. The biggest problems were coolant, brake and power steering leaks. It was a wonderful driver though.
Beautiful in and out indeed.
I had one of these for a few years back in the mid-late 90's. It was an 86 HE mode; HE was the revised 'high efficiency' version w/ higher compression and better gas mileage, meaning in the teens rather than single digits. After the car was parked, there were puddles representing every fluid type to be found on the garage floor. Spark plug change would require removing air conditioner compressor. It was also amazing that a car this big, heavy, and thirsty would have such a small and relatively unusable interior (back seat accessibility for example). Rust was also an issue, and at the most unlikely places. For a few moments it would redeem itself.. was extremely smooth and an effortless high speed tourer. The other somewhat redeeming factor was how cheap they could be purchased used, although that could all turn out badly with one service visit. Understand used prices are starting to go up now, but would stay away.
4:12 I swear that's Rutherford, the Princeton admissions counselor, from Risky Business.
You've done some solid work here Joel, but it just isn't Princeton material now is it?
Looks like University of Illinois!
I've got an '88 with just under 35K miles on it and it's awesome. I get thumbs up all the time on the road, even little kids who seem to get that it's not just another generic box. My neighbor has a driver with 150K and it's still going strong. The biggest problems with these cars are caused by owners treating them like any old Ford or Chevy and "mechanics" who don't know squat about them mucking them up. Yes, they were from a period in British auto mfg that was rife with poor build quality but they have amazing bones and in the right hands are spectacular.
No, these cars constantly falling apart (your anecdotal evidence is meaningless) is NOT the fault of the mechanics that kept them running. British auto mfg and build quality for pretty much everything at the time these were made was absolute trash.
I own an '88 as well, I've had mine for 11 years, I got it with 38K on the clock and it now has 51K, it has been a pleasure to own and drive. I agree with you, these cars are very well built, and in the right hands can go for a very long time. I get thumbs up and "nice car" whenever I drive it. I love my XJ-S.
Eks calybur clearly it was the fault of the mechanics who didn’t know how to keep it going!! If it was a Ferrari would you take it to any old garage down the road? Of course you wouldn’t, you’d take it to a garage that knows what they are dealing with yet you think that this V12 can be worked on by any backstreet garage. You are as dumb as your comment!
Beautiful car. Very unique. Back when Jag was actually luxurious.
As a former owner of a British automotive repair shop, this car is a nightmarish money pit. If you feel you absolutely need to have one, your best recourse is to go buy a metal model and put it on a shelf in your home.
I used to love these. Still love the shape. But back in college I did some work as a valet. Hands down, Jags were the only cars to break down between the drop off and the garage. 7 times in one year.
Powered by harrumphs.
Comes with a Harris Tweed jacket with elbow patches and a curved tobacco pipe.
Beautiful as you drove it straight from the dealership to the mechanic…
Beautiful luxury car and still decent fast on the quarter mile 16 .4!!! I would be very happy with it especially back then!!!!
Time was a couple seconds slow but apparently the MPH wrapped up to 95 in 1/4...
One of these was at the local car show with a Dodge Viper engine
The temperature gauges are the same as in 1960s British and Polish locomotives. LOL.
Because it's TGV12 lol
I own a 1988 XJ-S. 3.6, and it has not yet once failed to start, nor has it ever had any electrical problems whatsoever in my 3 years of ownership!
you're the one!!! Mine went back after 2 days. Drove it back and left it with the dealership.
I'm in England and I had a 1990 model in the year 2000. It was red with cream leather. Mint condition, but I only kept it for 5 months and sold it for a brand new Suzuki 1200 Bandit. Lovely drive the Jaguar, but I preferred the Bandit to thrash about on. 👍
Beautiful unstressed quite car to drive. The Jaguar V12 engine is the most reliable V12 ever designed, and that is highly unlikely ever to be suppassed now. A true gentlemans contentinal cruiser.
This model won LEMANS and The CANONBALL RUN. People rip on it today. In 1984 the XJS was the fastest auto trans car in the world. I own one and have driven dozens of Jags. They got a bad rap due to poor electrical systems and bad American mechanics. I have seen dozens of these on the road in almost mint condition. This car followed the XKE and suffered greatly due to the comparison. Still, I get more compliments on this model than any Jag I have ever owned. It may in fact end up being a collector.Cheers!
Yeah and has been beat by a Ferrari and now an old AMG Mercedes.
They went from elm to walnut...I'm not sure if that's a step or or down. I'm such a rube.
V12??? holy sh!t and it still goes to 60 at over 8 seconds.... wow these were different times indeed. Still a beauty
My mom had a new 1988. The computer stopped working about year 3. The dealership fixed it several times and it still crapped out constantly. The car drove remarkably though
The front reminds me Plymouth Fury - Christine. That angry lights and long hood
Back then to be a true Jag owner, you need to have 2 Jags, one one the road, and one in the shop. LOL
To everyone here keeps saying it would be reliability nightmare: Where are you getting your info? Are you just recycling gossip or have you ever actually owned a Jag? I've owned several and they've all been VERY reliable. I have a friend with a V12 XJS and he's never had any significant problems either. They're MUCH more reliable and better built than most American cars from the 80's.
It was well known here in America that the most reliable part of this car was the GM transmission. Maybe you were lucky with your Jags but many many others did not fair so well. I've personally witnessed the anguish of quite a few Jag and Rover owners firsthand in my lifetime.
Sawashi32I beleive Jag only used GM transmissions on the XJ and XJS from 93 to 97. On everything else since they use(d) Mercedes or ZF or transmissions, which are definitely better than the GM unit. Admittedly the XJ6 from the 80's wasan unreliable car but that was 35 frickin years ago but for some reason only Americans still dont let that go. It might be as you say "well known" in the US that Jags are unreliable but that is only "well known" by clueless Americans that have never actually owned a post-80's Jag.
Its a fantasy that any car brand exists that never made a bad car. and especially for some reason in the 80's, all brands made 1 or 2 shit models. The American brands have long been known to be by far the worst for build quality especially back in the 70's/80's, but funny how no American ever criticizes Chevvy/Dodge/Pontiac for that, but they still beat up on Jaguar for it.
neilcoo Typical Euro. Blame it all on the Americans. Haha. If you think only us "Americans" talk about the bad reliability and rapid depreciation value of Jag cars from this time period then you are kidding yourself. A little research on the internet can confirm that. I also expressed my personal firsthand experiences with people who've owned these cars and that expression was not based on any other "Americans" beliefs. Now, having said that, modern Jags are wonderful great looking cars with average to slightly above average dependability in their respective classes. That statement coming from an "American". Finally, I don't know where you get your info from about us Americans, but the vast majority of us, me included, will tell you in an instant how poor the quality, fit and finish was in most American cars from the 70's, 80's and 90's. But wow! That was 30+ years ago. That's were you Euros get your insults about our cars from as many of you probably have never even witnessed the issues first hand.
P.S.
Don't be a "clueless" Euro and lump all Americans together in one category as if we all have the same beliefs, opinions, backgrounds, and mentality. After all, there are many many of us and we take up two whole separate continents.
+neilcoo Been driving one for 6 years as a daily. I agree, most people just repeat what they hear from someone who repeated it from someone and on and on. None of them have a clue what they are talking about or any experience. Last guy I talked to that said he had one said it was in and out of the shop for AC repairs because the AC was so complex....literally an A6 GM compressor with a TX valve, about has simple as an AC can be.
+Sawashi32 You already said, 'It was well known here in America that the most reliable part of this car was the GM transmission' and yet you claim that neilcoo is remiss because of 'lumping all Americans together in one category' ... be honest , you just did the same thing!
On a side note... I have never seen a person age and change so much in 3 years like Mr. Davis. Now fast forward to year 89-90 videos.
Thats a really high trap speed for such a slow quarter mile time. Seems like that should be around 15 flat.
Steven D Probably quite long-legged
Dominic Gilbert I'm sure your right. Love how in the beginning of the test they throw a bunch on dirt on the ground to get it to spin its tires.
Steven D Hahaha just noticed that
Fantastic motor car, minor cooling system woes and all..
I like how it’s called breathtakingly fast
Looking back now it's ridiculous to think that 0 to 60 in 8.4 seconds and power rating under 300hp was considered acceptable for a V12 boy have times changed...
I've loved these cars since I was a kid. Guy down the street had one. Now I realize that my 4-cyl Camry will outrun it. Welp, time for an LS swap.
When he said it was a time machine, he was speaking of speed. I think of it is a time machine as it looks like you are transported back to about 1976. I thought the BMW 635csi which came out around the same time aged better.
This car is starting to grow on me, I might sell my BMW 735il E38 and buy one in either British racing green or red. How reliable are these ? will it be as reliable as my P38 Range Rover or BMW E38 ? with that in mind I expect to set around 2000$ a year on maintenance!
+gh3860 I've driven an '88 daily for 6 years. I've been on the side of the road once with a bad fuel pump. That's it.
+Ian Mcdowell How often it breaks down leaving you stranded doesn't really tell the story.
"IT'S A GRANDFATHER CLOCK!!"
mutter mutter ''Torrey Canyon''
Someone watches Top Gear! lol!
Im knew a mechanic that switched the jaguar components to one from a 1990 Chevy Caprice. He rewired the whole car now it has a Chevy made 5.7L V-8 9C1 police interceptor and the Chevy wiring and Chevy transmission. He still drives it every day and the best part is that its a jaguar with the dependabity of a Caprice Classic
Back when a 0-60 in 8.4 seconds was good. Good ole days
The main reason for these lousy acceleration figures is the long-geared 3-speed automatic. It really robs the car of too much performance.
I'd love to see both the test of the red Colt Vista 4WD at 2:24 & the first silver 2WD CV you tested in 1984
Damn...a 87 review of a car conceived in 74. That's like reviewing a car from 2002 today. Even more mind blowing is this. The XJS went out of production in 1995. That's like a car from 1994 going out of production today.
I suppose you have never heard of the mercedes g class?
Mbaze Pashtufu If I insulted your intelligence, then I have sucseeded at my intended goal. Have a terrific day.
rangerover06sc Good point! I feel that the G is a little different though. A few companies have kept their chunky off roaders in production for decades. The LR Defender only just went out of production. Having Grand Touring cars from 21 years ago still being made today would be super weird. Times have changed. Carmakers need to constantly update their cars to stay fresh and relevant. Consider the XJS' 21 year run. Its predecessor the XK8 lasted only 10 years. The XK8's predecessor the XK only lasted 7 years. Even 7 years is a long time! I mean a lot of Japanese automakers do a refresh every 4 years. I just think it's interesting.
The jaguar Xjs started production in 1975 and ended in 1996. The car only changed in design just slightly
You're right. My bad.
You cant use Jaguar V12 HE engines they have heads and valves Made in India and drop valve seats...the pre HE V12 dont have this problem
Mootorweek please post your review of the xj12 I have a 96 and I would love to see your review of that style car.
I love the looks of this car, the V12 engine, the Jaguar mystique. But when I drove one, it felt three time bigger than it was, and was very sluggish off the line. All the controls seemed to be numbed with Novocaine. Now to be honest, it was only in town and not on the open road where these cars are supposed to shine. Nonetheless, I was a bit disappointed.
The XJS was whisper quiet and smooth as silk and if you could bottle the smell of that Connally leather interior you would be very rich !
I found one for 850 dollars with no engine should I buy it
Yes. Put a small block Chevy in it and you will have a bad ass car.
I remember driving by a mechanic's shop several years ago and saw a gorgeous early XJ6 up on a lift. So not only did I see a pretty old cat, I saw it in its natural environment. Made me break into a bit of a David Attenborough dialogue. Those now old Jags were pretty things, but their reliability was always suspect. Pity.
“There are TWO KEYS🔑 🔑 , simplified down to two types “
Oh the 80’s
What was using 50 series tires in '87?
The xj-s in this review isn't an '87. It's an '85. You can tell by the burled elm wood trim, silver ignition & headlight switch panels, black A&B pillar trim, radio, and amber "growler" badge on the horn pad. All these small details were revised for the '86 MY.
Didn't they put Chevy 350s in these for a few years? I swear I've seen a big coupe jag with a 5.7L badge.
In fairness, much though I love these cats only the Americans would describe them as "clawing around the bends"- it's basically like helming the QE2. Undoubtedly very comfortable and excellent for the Pontefract to Plymouth cruise but really not at all interested in such base, common qualities as 'reliability' or 'economy'. Cruise control with frequent tea stops, there's the way!
This generation of XJ-S lasted a long time running with a V-12 1975-1995 and a I-6 from 1983-1996
Red Maserati Bi-Turbo behind it followed by I think a Chevelle or Nova yellow and looking like it's about to leave the roadway...
Damn it provides the time of day
Did they put down oil absorbent at 2:07? *Insert oil leak joke here.
what are the ridiculously luxurious cars he is referring to?
GM built 3 speed auto in a V12 jaguar???
Thanks John!
40 Watt stereo. Nowadays luxury cars easily come with 400 Watt stereos. That's a much bigger change than the engine efficiency improvements.
I want to get one and take off the bumpers.
Couldn't care less. Argh.
Jag- ooh- ar. Not Jag Whar. Uuugh.
Love these. Owned one for years, sold it to a fanatic, bought another one. And every time I have driven a Jag coupe (dad still has his E type) while wearing a suit, I feel like Jimmy Bond from Across the Pond for just a few seconds.
Don't believe the horror stories. These were well made, especially after Ford took over. (American cars of this era were just as bad). They DO require maintenance, but they are dearly loved and it's not hard to find one that has been properly maintained by an enthusiast. The 4 pot lamps examples like on this one are generally considered more collectible than the later ones with the Euro lamps, but then, the last models have more safety features, if that matters. Jag made LOTS of these over a very long run, so parts are available and there are a number of excellent reference books and shop manuals if you want to turn your own spanners, err, wrenches. Cheers.
I think they tested a '92 on MW, and they did 0 to 60 and 9.3 seconds.
The only thing that grinds my gears is how they used to manhandle cars when checking the interior features. Geez... that guy hitting the gear lever...
It's their job. This was still a time when bits of trim would fall off even in expensive cars.
ELEGANT SOPHISTICATION!
Sweet lord they averaged 14 mpg in that?
Nice car and you can find them reasonably priced these days, but the complexity and potential repair bills of the V12 scare me.
+Daniel Reigada Complexity? It is just a few more cylinders, what is hard to wrap your head around?
I don't know how to count that high.
+Ian Mcdowell It is lack of space that makes repair time consuming.
A very nice car, but stereotypically British mechanically.
+Steven Manning If by mechanically you mean an all-forged engine that is basically bullet proof, then sure.
You probably actually mean to say something cliche about the electrics, because of any worry an owner could have about the XJS, the engine is not one of them.
+Ian Mcdowell You haven't perchance seen the "Cheap Coupe Challenge" in top gear, have you? The one where the Jag is leaking oil from the beginning, gets 9 mpg, and is slower than a Starion and a BMW?
+Daniel McLean oh you mean the one where its the fastest overall and wins in the end? what negative was there to that video? The only one was asking a 30 year old used car you know nothing about to suddenly do 150 mph, which is when it had a issue, but even so it still succeded.
Ian Mcdowell Oh yes I mean the one where the piece of junk is falling apart at the seems, can't drive 10 feet without overheating and losing oil, and is the slowest around any track with corners. It's such a piece of crap James May was unwilling to recommend it to anyone, and would rather let Clarkson gloat than dare lend his name to the piece of communist garbage.
+Daniel McLean what do you mean? the xjs kept going, the starion was the one thar fell apart and kept overheating. may drove slow but did so many laps that he won because he didnt have to stop.
How the f do you get 16s with a 95 mph trap? Did he have a 3 second 60 foot? Wtf
It's gorgeous.
Question in a new camry v6 faster
Its 6 seconds 0-60
Is the quater mile faster to
Thomas Cruz this car has a v12
Only a 3A?? in 1987 4As were common.
that was a miss print 16 second at 95 quarter mile, it was probly 85 in the quarter
Beautiful car !
What is this Jagwah he speaks of? Maybe it is similar to the UK model....the Jag-you-ahh? ;-)
That intro made me laugh cause there are so many under $5k and almost all are under $20k
"a 40 watt alpine stereo is standard"
That was considered "top of the line" in 1986 when it would be laughed at in a nissan micra today.
It's as much as I'd want in any car...
...and of course plenty of room for that small block Chevy...😅
Oh, it's a grandfather clock!
8.4s to 60 from a 12-cylinder engine was considered fast. You would be hard pressed to find a slower new car today even among the cheapest cars.
That V12 gives me nightmares
In terms of reliability and poor fuel economy
Andrew Dion And because its just horrifying to look at. Electronics sucked too.
+Andrew Dion (TravellAll901) fuel economy is all in the gearing, the v12 can do close to 30mpg with a 5 or 6 speed. The V12 is fully forged and if there is anything you can feel comfortable with on an XJS, its the engine. Some surrounding bit may fail, but the v12 is rock solid.
The V12 is . 1 1/2 . Buick/Rover V8... same bore and stroke...
$37,800 in 1987 is about $87k today according to some random inflation calculator I found on the internet
hahahaha " jaguar future is bright" yup sure got that right
40 watt speaker British cars nice and good drivers to enjoy
I see everyone complaining, but has one person dropped in a piece of advice on making the car reliable? Save for swapping the V12 for a V8. Call me a rookie, but would it not be possible to just swap out the bad electronics for some more reliable components and the mechanics for reliability?
They are just as reliable as any other big luxury car from this era. By the late 80's it wasn't the original Lucas electronics, it was Bosch, and it all worked fine. I swear Americans in RUclips comments just can't help but be really biased against all British cars for some reason. It's like they all heard some meme about them being unreliable and they just have to relentlessly go with it forever. I think they're just trying to get payback for all the English people ripping into them about America making slow, ugly and low quality cars. So it's more of a propaganda battle than anything based on real hard numbers. These XJS's will do many hundreds of thousands of miles if looked after, and I'm sure there are lots of good American cars too. Basically just don't believe anything you read in RUclips comments.
would like to luxuriate in one of those, or drive...maybe own, but... not daily drive ha.
It's a grandfather clock!!