Used Jaguar

[LuckyRobin]

A friend of mine has the opportunity to buy a used 2002 Jaguar X-Type 2.5L w/sport package for just under $9000. She does have the cash for it. It's been babied all its life and only has 82,000 miles on it. I know Jaguar is a big luxury car maker and all, but when it comes down to it, are they any good? Is buying a ten-year-old Jaguar for that price a good value? Does this type of vehicle hold up over time? The exterior and interior still look brand new, but I'd worry more about the mechanics. She admits to having stars in her eyes over finding a big name car that will give her a bit of status and impress her clients (she works in real estate). At the same time, she wants to be able to drive it for a few years and not worry much over the mechanics.

She asked me for advice, but I haven't got a clue. I know a lot of you are big advocates of buying used cars, so what about fancy schmancy cars like this? Worth it or not? She's found a few used BMW's (2005, 2007) as well if she decides not to get the Jaguar.

[photo]

Consumer Reports is one of many companies that give reliability factors for specific years and models. It would be worth consideration.

Does your friend have a garage for the car?

Has she checked into car insurance rates and registration costs?

[kork13]

Jaguars are excellent cars, and as you already said, very "fancy schmancy." They honestly don't hold their value very well (this model has dropped from $36k in 10 years), though if your friend gets it for the right price, that really won't matter much. A well-cared for and maintained Jaguar's value bottoms out around a few thousand dollars and will stay there for years. All of that said, your friend is being asked too much for the car. I plugged in the numbers you gave into KBB.com (results here). She should be paying between $5k-$6k.

Your friend should get it checked out by a good mechanic. He'll be able to identify any significant issues with the car. If it's truly in as good of shape as it seems, and your friend can get it for a more fair price, I would definitely recommend it. Jag's are good cars, and generally hold up well. The only caution is that, like most luxury cars, when something does break, it can be expensive.

[LuckyRobin]

@ Photo--Yes, she has a garage. We have a flat registration fee for all cars in our state of $33, so that is negligible. Insurance won't change much.

@ Kork13--Good to know it's being overpriced. I'll pass that along and recommend she take it to her mechanic.

[MonkeyMama]

Nothing really to add.

I was going to suggest check kbb too (for fair value), and if she has a mechanic she can trust is always best when buying a used car. (They often have insight to certain makes/models reliability too - or can warn if repairs are more expensive than average, etc., as kork13 warned).

[gattaca]

I've always been told if you want to buy a Jaguar buy two - one for you and one for the mechanic.

[greenskeeper]

an 02 would have been built when ford owned jaguar, still she had better have a heathly repair fund set aside for the car. Routine maintenance can cost quite a bit.

[bjl584]

Jaguars have been known for electrical issues. Something to consider. Especially for one that is 10 years old. Repairs can be expensive, as Jaguar is considered a luxury car.

[photo]

Something else to consider that has nothing to do with the price of the car or repairs: where will the person primarily be driving it? Like it or not, some people do judge others on their cars and some may expect "more" (charity, wages, etc) from someone driving a Jaguar. Also, driving it to a typical Wal-mart is not something I'd do. However, if the friend lives in a moderately affluent area, there may be no concern or problems. Also, luxury cars attract attention, which may be good or bad.

Lots of considerations.

[red92s]

The X-Type was cobbled together using a lot of parts from the European Ford vehicles. It's the lowest-end car Jaguar has ever sold. As such, it lacks quite a bit of refinement in the interior finishes and components that one would expect in the luxury segment. It's more of a very nice Ford than an inexpensive Jaguar.

Reliability seems to be acceptable: 2002 Jaguar X-TYPE Reliability - MSN Autos

Personally, for me there would be quite a few cars on my list before the X-type if that is the market I was shopping in, starting with something in the BMW 3-series line, and the Infiniti G35.

[bjl584]

Something else to consider that has nothing to do with the price of the car or repairs: where will the person primarily be driving it? Like it or not, some people do judge others on their cars and some may expect "more" (charity, wages, etc) from someone driving a Jaguar. Also, driving it to a typical Wal-mart is not something I'd do. However, if the friend lives in a moderately affluent area, there may be no concern or problems. Also, luxury cars attract attention, which may be good or bad.

Lots of considerations.

I have heard stories of people getting a lesser raise at jobs when they drive nice cars. The mindset is that those people are doing well enough and don't need a large raise.

[johna]

Check edmunds.com

Check edmunds.com. You can read owner reviews of the vehicles. This helped us tremendously when my husband bought his used Chevy Silverado. We knew what to expect as far as reliability.

[Shewillbemine]

My #1 concern for a Jaguar or any European car are the maintenance costs. She may not be ready to pay what a normal oil change, brake change, or tire change would cost. Even for a 9 year old Jaguar, those things will cost more than a Honda Civic repair would. European cars also have "inspections" that can cost a few thousand dollars to be done. Typically these inspections have to occur 3-4 times over a car's lifetime.