Early 90's money pits... Viable?

P38 can, and is normally, plagued by electrical gremlins so I'd say avoid.
Jag can rot rear subframe mounting area that is difficult to repair but otherwise not a bad choice if a sound body.
Don't know anything about W124.

I had a 2.9 XJ40 (base model) and whilst it wasn't a patch on my previous 3.4 XJ6 with reflection it wasn't a bad car despite people ridiculing the 2.9 version.

What about a S Type - V8

Biggest issues with Jags is rust ; but the XJ40s do tend to have strong mechanical bits on them bar the odd gremlin. P38s seem to be plagued with many faults, but worth it if they are working. W124s are a strange one. Some spare parts can be pricey but they are a solid car. Something feels sturdy about the W124 even 3 decades on in all honesty. In this case however, it is better to go with an earlier car .

Jaguars are difficult and prone to rust: believe me and I haven't even started.

Think I have my answers here. Looks like another (more practical) Rover is required

I'd avoid the ZT I'll be honest. A mate has one, oddball tyre size sees £100+ a corner for midrange rubber. It's also heavy on suspension.

75 running softer suspension and higher profile tyre size may be more manageable.

Ideally I would have a 420gsi tourer.

I have had 2 w124s both 250d manual models, very cumfy , not to bad on fuel, parts can be had easy enough interior is robustas is the car if you get a decent one , they tend to rust on front wings, bottom of doors,. On the estate cars the rear suspension can go like any other car thats maybe been used as a removal van.but I loved mine when I had them.get a decent one with history, and a good colour and you will probably keep the car for ever.

I know it's probably too late, the firing squad has barked, but in defence, here's the list of things I've done to my '38 since purchase in October 2013...



The only two 'electrical' jobs were the door latch and fuse box and both were replaced as a precaution only. Everything else works exactly as it should.

I also reverted to air suspension from the coil conversion which apart from initial set-up issues, has been fine and way superior in ride terms.

Nearly all the other work has been catching up on ignored maintenance/replacement which in the UK, would be dirt cheap with parts easily available.

Yes, they can be problematical, but so can many other vehicles of that era when ignored. The problem has been ignorant owners and even more ignorant "specialists". But the '38 now has a solid following of guys in the UK who have them well sorted. Buying from one of these would see you with no more issues than any other '90s car. 

And yes, I did run a '38 in the UK as well

"The defence rests, yer 'onour"

I'm a bit late to the party also but I had an XJ40 and it was lovely

I had a 1993 4.0 Sovereign which was one of the later ones after Ford took over, the build quality was good and I didn't see many of the electrical gremlins that trouble early ones

Rust is a killer on them but with plenty around at cheap prices, it shouldn't be hard to find a largely rust free one

Only mechanical issue I remember having was a starter motor that got slow to disengage after starting resulting in a 'crunch' sound. A new motor sorted it and wasn't all that expensive

Parts are also available cheaply enough if you shop around, I was able to find a rare late A/C condenser for less than 100 quid if I remember correctly


Was an ace car to drive, really well equipped, supremely comfortable, fast when required and handled pretty well too. Plus I think they look badass

Only downside was the economy, I averaged 17mpg over the time I had it which was mixed use and daily driving, the 3.2 may be better though



Edit: ironic you mention a Saab, I replaced my XJ40 with a Saab and that cost me a lot more in repairs than the Jag ever did

XJ40 all day long. I've had three of them over the years (in addition to two later X300s, mechanically similar) and none have ever let me down, left me stranded or given me mega grief. Worst thing I can recall is having to get the steering rack changed on one 300 and do the head gasket on another due to an oilway leak. In my experience they're easy to work on and stuff you can't manage any local mechanic can do easily enough. Parts are plentiful and cheap from specialists and eBay.

If you're careful and buy cheaply, you're laughing. There's nothing with the road presence of an old Jag. Post 1990 cars are best, after Ford started pouring in money. Like others have said, keep an eye out for rust. A lot of them can look rough (like my current example) but there's nothing that'll fail an MOT. Some look pristine but are hiding a world of pain, so keep your eyes open. Late cars (93/94) can have bulkheads like sieves (as a result of a half assed redesign to accomodate the V12), so be careful there too.

Mechanicals are super tough. Gearboxes are usually reliable, rear diffs can whine but carry on regardless.Engines go on and on and on. Occasional oil leaks or head gasket woes, but nothing super worrying.

Electricals can be bonkers and do odd stuff. I've had warning lights come on the dash for no reason and then disappear, never to return. Air con pack up and then come back to life like nothings happened.

Check out XJ40.com for more!

Sorry for the waffle, but these cars are very much maligned and I really don't understand why!