 | Home > Off Topic > Jag Xf - Honest oppinions |
 
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3346   
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Hi Guys,
Another testing the water post (I know I'm terrible  ) But I was given a Jag Xf R sport for a few days a while back and all being told I actually quite enjoyed it.
Now, my 110 isn't going anywhere but does need extensive rebuild/work done which I currently cant do. Plus with the amount of Defenders going missing I am terrified of taking her anywhere or leaving her anywhere for ay length of time. So, thinking of getting a Cheep Jaguar Xf to run as my everyday car and then putting my 110 in long term storage until such time I can work on her/decide to sell/get rid of the jag. I want a change but don't want to sell the 110 basically. Does this sound reasonable or mental? If reasonable, I'm budgeting £10k on the Xf (maybe a bit more for the right one) so what are the best specs to go for, best options to get and most reliable ones (as it is a JLR product after all!) Petrol over Diesel? Tax bands to look out for? If mental, can anyone recommend a good potted plant for me to talk to? Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197 Self confessed mileage hunter  |
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16th May 2017 1:35pm |
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| Thon Member Since: 22 Nov 2015 Location: Salisbury Plain Posts: 696
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You're asking for opinions so I'll be honest. I don't believe this would be a wise move. I'm guessing it would be a fairly old, high mileage XF, which is fully loaded with kit, all of which could cost large were it to need replacing. The tdv6 engine is (I believe) not always the most reliable either, and if you go for the 2.2 tdci you might as well have a mondeo.
If it's a stop gap you're looking for, my suggestion would be a leggy TDI Bora or Golf and save your pennies. The other option that springs to mind is to flog the old 110, put the funds together and get yourself an early Puma. £10k is a lot for a stop gap car. |
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16th May 2017 1:45pm |
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| Chris86 Member Since: 15 Jul 2014 Location: South Yorks Posts: 755 
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Hi,
My brother has done, and one of my friends run XFs, they are great cars. My brother had the 2.2 'sportbrake', great car, loads of room, plenty of power and a genuinely nice place to be in. My friend has an XF-S- and its great, again its a lovely place to be and is brilliant to drive. However- his has done pretty high milage and has started to show signs of its age, it has had to have quite a lot work done recently which has been rather expensive (most of the suspension bushes on the back end). It has also had a few other gremlins such as the light cluster failing (£300+) and he has had a couple of MAF sensor failures. Chris |
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16th May 2017 4:05pm |
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| Birdy Member Since: 07 Oct 2011 Location: Côte d'Azur Posts: 849  
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"I am terrified of taking her anywhere or leaving her anywhere for ay length of time"
Yes, that's the mental part... Peter |
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16th May 2017 4:14pm |
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| Inigo Member Since: 13 Nov 2011 Location: Kent Posts: 614 
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I had one, an early 3.0d that I had remapped up to about 295 bhp. Before the remap it was quick, but genteel, after the remap it was a hoot.
Quick enough for me, but the back sometimes came out if you weren't careful. I did 70,000 miles in mine from new with the only warranty a work a blown intercooler. Traded it in for a Disco 4 (that was supposed to cover Defender duties as well). Children are still upset with me for getting rid of it. It was great, but I barely drove it after getting the Defender. |
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16th May 2017 4:32pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2545 
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Use the £10k to get the work done on the 110, much better use of it and it'll get you back on the road.
Trust me, the longer you put these things off the worse they become. Just get it done and get out and enjoy using the vehicle again. Otherwise you'll waste years waiting for the 'right time' to rebuild it. |
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16th May 2017 6:58pm |
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3346
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Problem is, its all starting to get a bit expensive.
While I would love to only use it at weekends I have to use it all week which means my weekly running costs are horrendous. The cost of fuel, tax and insurance last year came in at around £5600 which is a huge amount of money to spend on getting to work - that's before I have paid my rent, food and household bills. I cant move flat because we are locked into our contract and my girlfriend still cant drive so we are a bit limited on where we can live even if we could move. I am also soon starting a weekend job to help cover costs (and other reasons but not for public discussion) but this will only add to my running costs and as it is likely my weekend job will leave it left in dark car parks and at the side of the road for long periods of time it significantly increases the risk. The idea (man maths again) being that I can put the Land Rover in storage where it is safe and secure but I can still work on it or get work done on it and get the Jag just to run into the ground as it will be far cheaper on fuel and insurance than the Landy, nobody wants to nick it, its far far more comfortable and if someone reverses into it I'm not going to cry about it. I can still work on it I'm still a mechanic at heart so unless its something horrendous I'm sure I can get it sorted. Yes I could go for a old Clio or Fiesta or something small and irritating but I want it to be a car that I enjoy too as I am going to be spending a minimum 21hrs a week in it. I do like Geraniums  Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197
Self confessed mileage hunter |
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17th May 2017 1:32pm |
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3346
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Alternatively sell her as she stands with a complete set of doors, various odds and sods and hope I get a good price but because the paintwork is so bad it will put off most people.
Plus I don't want to. Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197 Self confessed mileage hunter |
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17th May 2017 1:34pm |
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| Huttopia Member Since: 23 Feb 2016 Location: West Midlands Posts: 1965
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Man maths is hard to reconcile with real maths! A jag as a stop gap sounds like a halfway house, where you get the worst of both worlds, a relatively expensive purchase, associated running costs and reliability. Depreciation will be pretty poor too - not a great market for high mileage XFs. Why not go for a 140bhp Golf or similar and save a fortune on fuel and other running costs? How many of your 21 hours are spent grinning from ear to ear on the commute, so does it really matter what it is done in?
I'm biased as I've got a 09 Golf I use just for that, boring but reliable and inexpensive and I don't care where I leave it or how much bird sh$t it gets covered in at the station etc. |
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17th May 2017 2:07pm |
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| Thon Member Since: 22 Nov 2015 Location: Salisbury Plain Posts: 696
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You asked for opinions so again, I will give mine, and I suspect you won't like it but it comes from hard, bitter experience and a very similar situation.
Be realistic with the Defender. Either keep it and make it roadworthy and use it, or sell it and stop your outgoings. There will be others - i'm on my 5th. Sorry for my presumption but you and your partner sound as if you are not in the finest financial health - we've all been there mate - but keeping hold of an old Defender that needs work and then spending £10K on something you're going to run into the ground? I have to question that strongly, especially if it's on finance of some kind. I'm not disputing how good the XF is, but what if (like every other car of its type and complexity) something really significant goes pop on it? Do you want to change a gearbox, ECU, injectors, etc on a car that you're hoping to run on peanuts or do you scrap it/sell as spares? I had to scrap a 3 year old car recently and it ended up costing me £6.5K for one month of use. I know you would love the XF and the ownership experience but I know plenty of people that did the same as you with similar vehicles and ended up driving around on bald tyres and worn out brakes because of just such problems that come up inevitably. I also hate to say this but if you are renting and have aspirations of home ownership one day, this course of action will do you no favours at all. Saving for a deposit is hard enough without added debt hanging and a defunct Defender around your neck. There are plenty of cars out there that will give you an economical commute and some driving pleasure (try and old Skoda Fabia VRs for one) - 50+mpg and 130mph - so you don't need to give up driving fun and you save thousands to boot. Please don't misunderstand - i'm only trying to point out the pitfalls that I have experienced some years ago, under very similar circumstance, and what I could have done to avoid it. None of it is meant to be critical of you as a person. |
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17th May 2017 2:12pm |
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| gabe3105 Member Since: 25 May 2015 Location: Grimsby Posts: 237
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I recently opted out of a company car and was looking for something as cheap as possible to do my weekly commute.
Picked up an ex-Lex Autolease Vauxhall Insignia, 62 plate, 100,000 miles FSH, for £4,800. I'm averaging 62mpg in it and it costs £30 per year to tax. If you are looking for a stop gap, you can buy a lot of car for £5k if you look at the likes of Insignias and Mondeos with 100k miles on. Spending £10k on something you will run into the ground sounds like wasting an extra £5k unnecessarily, not to mention the higher running costs of a Jag over an Insignia or something similar.. |
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17th May 2017 2:16pm |
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| neil3728 Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 10 
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As well as my 110 I also just bought a 2016 XFS, love both cars and they are completely different animals, both cool in their own right.
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17th May 2017 4:12pm |
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3346
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No worries at all Thon and all, after all I did go to the internet to ask or opinions
 
It does make sense, really it should be one or the other but I'm not sure I can face giving up my Defender just yet. And that is entirely down to selfish and ridiculous emotional attachment. Its stupid really how you can get so attached to something. What I need is a change for a while and then I might come back. If I don't miss her I can sell her a bit easier, if I do then I know its the right to keep her and rebuild. I know deep down I want to keep and rebuild her but currently I don't have the space or time. If I can get 5 years under my belt so I can get onto a more stable situation with a few things, I can reassess but I don't want to get rid of an asset which in 5 years time I may not be able to afford to buy back. Then again in 5 years time diesel cars may be outlawed in Europe in which case its pointless keeping it without a petrol conversion in which case the value is just emotional. Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197 Self confessed mileage hunter |
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18th May 2017 1:18pm |
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| Kit Member Since: 12 Feb 2016 Location: Shropshire Posts: 1110 
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Very wise and sensible words! An XF is not a car you buy if you're looking for economy. 1993 200 Tdi 90 CSW 1956 Series 1 Hard-top 1958 Series 1 Soft-top |
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18th May 2017 5:49pm |
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