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Buying a used 3.0 Diesel XF Luxury - Advise on running costs and what to look for

29K views 81 replies 16 participants last post by  David1972  
#1 ·
Good Evening,

This is my first post, I've looked at two Jaguar XF's today and was hoping for some buying advise.

I've today viewed and test driven a 2009 (59) reg XF 3.0 Luxury with 44k miles http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201611119662432and a 2010 (10) reg XF 3.0 Premium Luxury with 70k miles http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201703103117341 at ÂŁ10500. I've put a holding deposit down on the first lower mileage car just so it doesn't sell, but I can change my mind if needed and look else where. I'm part ex changing my own car so I'll get ÂŁ3500 against the sale price which I'm happy with.

Both cars have fully stamped Jaguar service books, and both appear to drive very well, both felt very solid when driven and reminded me of my old BMW 730D which I loved but it had so many electrical gremlins I gave it up for a more normal motor.

The 2009 car seems in overall better condition and has the lower mileage which is what's currently attracting me the main selling point, but the other one is nice as well and it should scrub up nicely after a valet, alloy refurb and getting rid of some minor surface scratches which the seller will put right.

The only advantage I see buying the higher mileage Premium Luxury is for the extra's you get over the luxury and 19 inch alloys and the car is sold by Sytner who seem to offer more purchase protect including 6 month warranty, Full Mot and their Inspection Service appears pretty robust and they will correct anything I need scratches, refurb the alloys etc. In comparison, the lower mileage luxury comes with a 3 month full warranty, MOT will be due August 2017, they have there own vehicle inspection service.

So it's a hard decision and there are other cars out there with similar age around the 60 - 90k mileage mark that may be worth look at.

Could I ask for advice on the following:

1. Any idea on what I should look out for before committing to the purchase?
2. Which of the above seems the better car from the ad's, or should either be fine?
3. Could you give me a general idea of the costs of running the 3.0 Diesel, such as maintaining and serving the car. I love the XF, I'm not going to run it on a shoe string budget but at the same time my pockets aren't that deep either, so I probably need to know what I'm getting myself into. I've already seen my insurance will go up by about ÂŁ300 and I know the tax is around ÂŁ230 so a little more then what I pay now but this was anticipated, I know I can't go from a 1.8 Petrol Turbo Ford to a 3.0 V6 Diesel Jaguar and not feel some impact on my wallet.

Thanks in advance for any help and advice offered, I genuinely appreciate it. I'd be lying if I said I'm buying this car for practical reasons, I've loved the XF's ever since their release and always dreamed of owning one, so though I best check with those that know the car, rather then rely on my own instinct which is jaded by the excitement of actually coming close to owning one of these beautiful machines.
 
#82 ·
No problem; great news to hear you are really pleased!

I've got 2011-on XF's up to ÂŁ15k set as a saved search on auto trader now and am enjoying seeing prices for the facelift model slowly soften.

The longer I can control my urges, the better car I'll get [emoji120]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#81 ·
Hi David, sorry for the very delayed response, I haven't logged in for a while. I can honestly say, I'm really happy, it's everthing I ever wished for and more. Having dealt with the minor issues after purchase, I've now just been enjoying the drive!! I love the power delivery, the responsive steering and then there's the ride, it's the most comfortable car I've owned (even more so then my E65 7 Series which I also loved). I've now done a few 200+ mile drives on routes that usually leave me feeling shattered but in the Jag and I arrive feeling fresh as a daisy. I have to say, the car puts a smile on my face and I look forward to every trip. The engine tickover is solid, it doesn't miss a beat, the sound and the feel I get is great. No doubt the diy service, hasn't hurt it. I'm happy with it in pretty much every way, and do find myself admiring the car on the drive way, or parked up in a scenic spot, I love the look of the car, front and rear.

The two minor niggles I have at the moment are :- sometimes the fuel indicator hasn't been resetting or increasing when I put diesel into the car, it seems to do this at random, the electronic bar goes up, but the actual number of miles doesn't increase, it's a bit confusing when this happens as I'm not sure how much fuel I have left. I've managed to reset it and it then goes back to normal, but it's now happened a couple of times, so it's a small concern. The second niggle is the drivers seat belt doesn't always spring back to the pillar when exiting the car, so I've trapped the seat belt in the door once or twice. I'm now more weary of it, but when your in a rush, it's easy to forget to check it!! Could just be the tension, as it winds back as snails pace, but not sure how to adjust.

Overall I'm really pleased with the car, if it stays reliable and gives me 5+ years of pleasurable motoring, then I'm a happy man. By that time, we'll probably all be pushed towards electric!!
 
#74 · (Edited)
You certainly did, and thank you for the advice, I needed the prod. Car goes back for the work on Friday.

At the weekend, I magic sponged the leather, front and rear to give it a really good clean, was advised it would be better to clean it prior to any repairs. The sponges revealed a considerable amount of dirt and grime, whilst also removing any masking or shine products, to stip the leather back to its natural matt state. I then replenished the seats with some Autoglym leather encriching balm, I'm not sure how well rated this stuff is, but it was on offer and the seats have come up very nicely. I'm confident with a bit of time and detailing work that I can get the interior looking nearly new.

The cosmetic repairs will be done by a place called Touch and Go in Wakefield, I'm hoping they will really do a top job on the drivers seat, including fixing the wear / tear / cig burns, but even more so on the coin trap plastic part of the doorcard which is a real eyesore. I'm going to ask them to take their time, I'd like both areas to come out like the damage was never there to begin with, even if it means me waiting in town all day.
 
#70 ·
I've heard back from Sytner today and had the following update :

"I have spoken to Richard this morning, he has agreed that we can refurbish the Driver’s Seat, refurbish the Door Card and change the side panel on the Driver’s Seat. I will order the part today and let you know when it arrives so we can arrange for you to come through and have the work done."


All I can say is what excellent service, putting the damaged trims and seat in order is all I could ask for to make this the car I had hoped for!! Much credit to Sytner, this is truly excellent service and shows they are a company who care about their customers, not just before but after the sale has been made. Will update the post with pictures once the above work is carried out, hopefully this week.
 
#64 ·
Sorry to say no candu.

That feature came with the electronic oil level display unit.

I no longer use the analog speedo if I can have a digital display. Knowing one's speed is irrelevant except for compliance purposes. A digital read out is a bit like a cash register display, in fact I would find it more useful if it simply displayed the applicable dollar cost in fines and the demerit points on my license, I know how fast I am going for safe driving purposes without a number to look at.

The last racing car I drove had the speedo covered in electricians tape. The instructors don't want you driving to a speed target, they want you to stay out of the armco.

The iPod solution works except that there is no interface. I found that the volume on my iPhone had to be set quite high for the car stereo volume to produce enough sound, just so you know.

The dashboard clock display is one of the "screen saver" options for the instrument panel. Annoyingly, if the low fuel light or TPMS warnings (or low windshield washer etcetc) occupy the entire spot unless you manually select "hazard" cancel from the touch screen. If the TPMS warning is a fault that doesn't work either. If the low washer fluid is right at the warning level that doesn't work either. There are few things Jaguar did not think through properly.

But the drive makes all those irritations fade away......
 
#65 ·
Sorry to say no candu.

That feature came with the electronic oil level display unit.

I no longer use the analog speedo if I can have a digital display. Knowing one's speed is irrelevant except for compliance purposes. A digital read out is a bit like a cash register display, in fact I would find it more useful if it simply displayed the applicable dollar cost in fines and the demerit points on my license, I know how fast I am going for safe driving purposes without a number to look at.

The last racing car I drove had the speedo covered in electricians tape. The instructors don't want you driving to a speed target, they want you to stay out of the armco.

The iPod solution works except that there is no interface. I found that the volume on my iPhone had to be set quite high for the car stereo volume to produce enough sound, just so you know.
Thanks. Yes I had just had a similar digital readout on my last car and it was good for a quick glance, but I'm fine driving on instinct, it was just a 'can it do it' question, and now I know it can't.

I've had a very old 512mb Ipod suffle going through the aux to test and the volume seems fine, so I'd just need to buy a better MP3 player at some point, but then there is no interface as you say. Are there any other solutions / workarounds for the audio, or is it literally aux or mp3 cd's for the car? I don't think mp3 Cd's do selectable playlists if I call rightly, they just hold more tracks.
 
#61 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well yesterday I sent Sytner (Guy Salmon Wakefield) a rather long email to express my unsatisfactory situation with the car. I've tried cleaning the seats and the carpet this morning, but it's not even worth me trying, they are really dirty and need a professional clean. It doesn't look like they've been washed or shampoo'd or given a proper valet at any stage. Here is the evidence.

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Below are the final lot of pictures I putting on here for Sytner / Guy Salmon's reference and to catalog of the extent of the damage state the car was sold to me in.

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The balls now in Guy Salmon and Sytner's court to put these things right, I'm sure they will come good and I can give them a positive appraisal at the end of all this.
 
#60 ·
#62 · (Edited)
No. The standard level 6 CD player fitted does not accommodate USB input. More correctly, there's no two way communication capability you need in order for your USB to work.

The optional 440 W B&W system came with the 6 CD changer and USB port.
 
#51 ·
I take it some of the options that I'm not getting, can't be simply enabled, e.g. they are physical rather then activation's that can be switched on in the ecu?
it will be both - physical as well as activation which seems to be very expensive (if possible at all in some cases)
 
#49 ·
they are not downgraded for sure, just not upgraded :) and difference will be only less functions, not quality. if they are different, it might due to a fact they lookwas slightly changed few times - some say they are not as comfy as upgraded seats, but can't confirm or deny (I've got 18/18way sport seats:D)
 
#47 ·
bit surprised seats are only 10way adj, usually at prem lux they are more than that, but there was a lot changes in options being included or not through the years, so better seats must have been an option back then.

all I would miss at this spec comparing to mine would be better seats and adaptive suspension. I haven't got rear camera (don't need it personally - rear aid is enough) and blind spot sys - that would come in handy :)

not long time now :D
 
#48 ·


Does that mean I've got downgraded seats in terms of the leather or quality or just missing some functions? They look different to the seats in the Luxury I viewed. Sorry I'm not sure of the seat specs on this car, I just thought getting the PL would ensure the seats were at the higher end. This is the only pic I can find of them.
 
#46 ·
Just done it, looks like they are halogens, not to worry. Can't spot any extra options, but anything stand out?


  • 8.5 X 19 CARELIA ALLOY WHEEL
  • ANALOGUE AUDIO BROADCAST
  • AUDIO 6 DISC PLAYER
  • AUTO DIMMING REAR VIEW MIRROR
  • AUTOLUX CONSOLE MATERIAL
  • BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY
  • BUMPERS-N/ASP
  • CASTLE BROMWICH
  • CCR CENTRE CONSOLE
  • CCR FRONT DAMPER
  • CONVENTIONAL REAR SEAT
  • CRUISE CONTROL
  • DOOR SILL APPLIQUE
  • DOVE HEADLINER
  • DRIVER HEATED SEAT-VARIAB TEMP
  • ENGLISH/UK LITERATURE PACK
  • FLOOR MATS-CARPET
  • FLTR CWL AIR INTK-COMBINATION
  • GREAT BRITAIN
  • HALOGEN HEADLAMPS
  • HEADRESTRAINT-REAR CENTER
  • HEATED FRONT WINDSCREEN
  • HIGH PERFORMANCE AUDIO SYSTEM
  • HTD/P-FOLD/MEM/A-DIM/APP.LIGHT
  • I/P FACIA MONOTONE-CHARCOAL
  • INT FLINT GREY CARPET-JAGUAR
  • INTERIOR TRIM - MORZINE
  • IP-LEATHER
  • JAGUAR SEAT BELT-CHARCOAL
  • KEYLESS START
  • MANUAL HEADLAMP LEVELING
  • MARKETING LEVEL 1
  • NAV SYS/DYNM RUTE GUDE-TRF MST
  • NAVIGATION DISK - EUROPE
  • POWER 10-WAY DRIV SEAT ADJUST
  • POWER 10-WAY PASS SEAT ADJUST
  • PROGRAMMABLE DRIVER SEAT
  • REVERSE PARKING AID
  • SPARE WHL-REDUCED SECTN ALLOY
  • STANDARD SUSPENSION
  • STNG WHL-LEATHER WRAPPED
  • STRG COL-TILT/TELESCOP-MEMORY
  • THEATER LIGHTING
  • WIRE MESH GRILLE-BLACK
  • LESS ADAPTIVE DAMPING(PASSIVE)
  • LESS BLIND SPOT MONITORING SYS
  • LESS BREAKDOWN WARNING SIGN
  • LESS CAMERA
  • LESS CONTRAST STITCHING
  • LESS FENDER WARNING SIGNALS
  • LESS FIRST AID KIT
  • LESS FRONT PARKING AID
  • LESS GARAGE DOOR OPENER
  • LESS REAR WINDOW BLIND
  • LESS SVP
  • LESS VOICE ACTIVATED CONTROLS
 
#44 ·
Thanks, I was too busy paying attention to everything else that I overlooked this. I've had Xenon's on previous cars and they are so much better. I those Xenon Gas HID bulbs on my current car to see if they came close, they make the light brighter but still no comparison to real Xenon's. Fingers crossed!!
 
#43 ·
Just wondering, does the car I bought look like it has Xenon's. I assumed Xenon's would be standard but apparently not.
I don't think, you can see it by looking at it. But xenons are self levelling. The height adjustment for the halogen headlights is a wheel next to the driver's door. If there are two wheels like on the low mileage car, you were looking at, it has halogen headlights. If there is only one wheel, it has xenons. The other wheel is the instrument lighting dimmer. It is a huge advantage to have xenons. The light is much better, and they normally don't blow. Halogen bulbs blow once in a while, and they are a hassle to change on the XF.

Edit: The xenons also have cornering lamps. I just had a look in the original 2009 catalogue. The xenons were an option on both Luxury and Premium Luxury. They only came standard on the supercharged SV8.
 
#30 ·
Wow, that's definitely a beast, if ever there was one:) I'll be interested to hear if you get one.

About 10 years ago, I also used to own a ZT 260 with the 4.6 V8 mustang antiquated stone lump. With a super charger it was capable of 580 odd BHP. As you can imagine the fuel consumption caused me to sell it!! To be honest though, I was more then happy with the 3.0 V6 on test drive, I tried it in the sports mode and it pulls very well, it doesn't give me the butterflies but it made me smile and I loved the feel. It's not all about scaring the hell out of yourself, but I must admit I did try and push for an S model and in the back of my mind I'm already wondering if the standard 3.0 can be mapped, or tuned to S spec, because if I'm honest I'm still a petrol head at heart??