Faults:

Rear indicator bulb.

Door mirrors not folding when parked.

General Comments:

This is a fantastic car to own; effortless to drive, and much admired by others. It seems to be car that gets appreciation and respect... not jealousy or road rage. When driving, no one cuts her up on the road. People let you through at junctions. It has immense presence, with the elegance and slight menace of an old school Jag, yet painless to own. Yet it won't disintegrate from tinworm. It's reliable and well made.

By European standards this is a big car; yet despite that, effortless to drive.

Despite looking like a traditional Jag, it's bristling with tech under the skin; everything has purpose, and works silently in the background.

All on the mechanical and electrical front seems robust and well engineered.

The air suspension works extremely well, and gives a magic carpet ride, combined with superb handling ability. The ride is similar to an old Citroen or Rolls Royce, but with far better handling. It also lowers at speed to improve handling and aerodynamics.

Performance wise, the V8's far better than the V6 version, and has a gorgeous burble to it, along with a significant power hike. It just feels a far more complete package and more rewarding to drive. Whilst no supercar, this cat's no slouch, and can really move when needed

The interior's much in the same league - Everything a Jag should be... and then some. Acres of leather and walnut trim, combined with modern ergonomics and technology from the era.

Despite my being very tall, it's extremely roomy and comfortable inside, making long journeys a pleasure.

The seats are extremely comfortable and supportive, and there's decent legroom front and rear. The multi zone climate control works well and chills the cabin perfectly when needed. Being stuck in traffic in the middle of a heatwave is not a problem here. Equally, in cold weather the system warms up the interior and defrosts the windows without any drama.

Reliability wise, only one thing has gone wrong in the last year is... an indicator bulb. This is a far cry from the Jags of old which required eye watering maintenance, and rinsed their long suffering owners in the process.

The downsides:

Parking can be tricky due to its size.

Fuel consumption around town isn't great... around 15 mpg... but 50 at motorway speeds and on runs (V6 version drinks the same amount, if not more).

Not ULEZ friendly.

And that's it.

Regrets so far: None.

In short: the Bentley experience... for peanuts.

Faults:

Not much while in my short ownership. The car was more or less fully restored (cosmetically) before I bought it. Engine and transmission are in great order having been looked after with no expense spared since new.

General Comments:

Always loved these cars. Dream come true for me as I finally bought one last year. Won't say how much I paid but... these are surprisingly cheap practical classics!

Of course, you should use an XJ8 as a second car only. It does 19 miles per gallon, not great even back in the 1990's, and truly awful economy now.

But the car is powerful, buttery smooth, and whisper silent, and I love it. That V8 is the one to go for in 3.2 form.

Beige leather inside is still in great shape after over 25 years. Exterior perfect also, beige/silver.

Classic XJ shape still gets admiring looks when I take it out on a nice day.

When Jaguar was Jaguar and when cars were cars! I love this car and never want to part with it.