1997 Jaguar XJR consumer reviews

This car is just the style that I wanted and I was blessed to find it. The previous owner kept it in good shape, especially the exterior. It is a smooth ride with great pick-up speed. There is a sun roof, leather seats which are adjustable & heated. Enough legroom for me & my son who are over 6'.

BLACK!!!!!Looks sleek!!!Needs a good simonize, a catalitic converter; and started sounding like back brakes making noise( my read); however, the feel of this car on the open road and the great gas mileage that I get is the reason I have not tried to sell it until now. Thanx for all considerations...

If you've been thinking about having a mid-life crisis, well here's a perfect car to have an affair with! Originally sold in the mid- $60's; now available from 8 to 15k depending on mileage and condition. Ford acquired Jaguar in the early 90's & immediately set about improving the quality & reliability of the entire line- the downside was the cars lost their legendary inline-sixes at the end of the '97 model year, much to the dismay of Coventry & fans the world over. The '95, '96 & '97 are all essentially the same car; '97 will be the one to have owing to its "last year" status. Ride is noticeably firmer than a standard XJ. Usual weird Jag switchgear on the dash & console. Seats are terrific, albeit a little slick when cornering. Well-weighted steering with just the right amount of assist at low speed; good feedback thru the wheel which may annoy some folks (go buy a Buick). Engine is the star of the show! Barely audible purr when started & driven gently; becomes the coolest exhaust note you ever heard in your life when the hammer is dropped! Transmission seems up to the task; manual gear selection probably not a good idea, 'cause it'll need gears faster than you can choose 'em. Toss it up an on-ramp with some throttle & you'll get some noticeable body-roll; steering line is "point-&-shoot" easy, & the car seems welded to the pavement. Brakes are very good, well-modulated & for the most part fade-free. Premium gas is a must, as with all supercharged gasoline engines. Expect a combined MPG around 12-15 (gulp). Hmmm... looks like I finally found the downside. Climate controls take a little getting used to (hey, it's British); sunroof mechanism sounds cheap. Audio system however sounds great. This is not a car for those who simply wish to go fast- there are plenty of fast cars on the market now- some cheap, some pricey, & many faster than the XJR. However, there is not one other car built in the last 20 years that offers the combination of style, luxury, safety, handling & mind-melting speed together in one package. They are true bargain buys now, & may remain so for a while longer. Sooner or later, though, they will begin to appreciate, & when it happens these cars will vanish from the market as if they never existed, in my opinion at least. Now's your chance, folks- high automotive art, for the price of a used Whocaresmobile.