1985 Jaguar XJS Reviews

Oh god, here we go. I bought the car, and it was obviously used a bit in its life. Headliner has fallen down, carpets are destroyed. But that's not the bad part. Cooling system failure was constant. There was a leak somewhere, but could not find out where. Head gasket was fine, radiator was fine, hoses were fine. But I drove around with several gallons of water.

Windshield wipers went, which by the way are impossible to find. Tried getting them repaired, but no electric motor shop fixes car parts?

Interior lights were fine when I bought it, but got dimmer by the day until only one or two of them worked in the end.

The radio quit, and the computer on the dash would light up, but claimed I was getting 999 MPG... trust me, she wasn't.

The battery would go dead if you did not drive it daily; never found what was drawing the current away.

Air con was cool not cold. Thankfully the blower motor in the dash went, so I couldn't tell the difference anyway.

Blinker stalk fell out while trying to make a turn one day.

I always got the "brake light failure" light on the dash every time I hit the brakes (brake lights all came on), and I'm sure I'm forgetting some small things that Lucas the dark lord of electrics threw in.

NOW despite all of the things I mentioned above... god I loved this car. I traded it in for a 2005 Jaguar XJR, and I don't know how happy I am about it. Sure, the modern supercharged V8 is more powerful, but it is not more comfortable.

The feel of the steering in the XJS while cornering is like nothing I ever felt. In part because of the inboard rear disk brakes (about $2,000 to change the pads), but the suspension system on this old girl was great. I had mine entirely rebuilt by a local import shop.

Speed, she had plenty to spare, however I think looking at it from the perspective of my XJR, it seemed kind of slow for being such a little sporty car.

That brings us to the design. Pure beauty. I have never, and may never see another car more beautiful in my life. The rear flying buttresses? PERFECTION. The contours of the hood, the interior layout, everything was perfect. My father owned an E-Type Jag, and this, in my opinion, comes close. It is beautiful in a different way. Trust me, you may not want this car for your daily driver like I chose to have it. But you NEED THIS CAR once in your life.

Also, for the price they are now, it's almost a sin how cheap they are. I got mine for $1500, and was able to sell it for $2000. So all in all, this was one of my favorite cars. I'd prefer one in better shape today than my XJR. Cheers!

When purchased, the car had been in storage for five years. The front brake rotors, pads, alternator and the left intermediate exhaust pipe required replacement early on. Later on, the air pump pulley had to be replaced... then the air conditioner clutch came apart. Both were easily repaired.

Driving it every day to and from work keeps it lubricated and limber... no other problems after taking out of storage!

An unbelievable car... 12 cylinders of real British power, a beautiful sweep of the hood (bonnet), a grand roof profile, and a one of the kind rear end, complete with buttresses! Accented like a car should be, with the very best the Earth can produce; wood, leather and chrome.

Loves gasoline... but who doesn't? A turbine-like "woosh" when passing Asian cars whining along at 90 mph.

Is it a classic? It will be soon...

Is it collectible? One at a time, yes.

Does it turn heads? YES, but...

Most of the time the heads are bald and attached to fat guys like me... I was hoping for better. I suppose they see the car and then remind themselves that when young, they promised themselves they would own one when they could. Well, now's the time. The prices will never be lower.

Maybe the only head it really needs to turn is mine, as I look back at her in the parking lot.

Damn, that's a fine looking car!

Alternator failed, replaced with reconditioned unit, no problems since.

This is a great car however it's performance can be vastly improved with a few simple modifications. I have altered mufflers, air filters, new 3.54 differential, added XJR alloys and Pirelli P-zero rubber. It's very quick and is actually using that fantastic race-bred V12.

Alternator charged intermittently, replaced with Bosch 120A unit from 1989+ models.

Previous owner had the serviced religiously and all books were current. Don't buy a Jag that hasn't been looked after.

A beautiful car, I love it, daily transport, has only let me down the once and I was going to upgrade the alternator anyway. Never let it overheat, use a good oil, and try and do as much of the work yourself if possible. Only the wealthy can afford to let someone else look after their Jag.

There are fantastic resources available for the owner/mechanic (Clubs, Internet sites, etc).

When I park it and walk away I can't help looking back over my shoulder. Impractical sure, who needs a 150 MPH 2+2 V12 when you have 4 kids. But I have always wanted one and sometimes you have to just do it.

Don't buy one and neglect it - that is a crime. The car knows, and will treat you with contempt.