The AJ16 engines are lovely refined engines and the X300 is a lovely comfortable car but deeply punishing running costs always were its downside. At least its old enough to fall into lower tax brackets and if its got a good service history there shouldnt be too much wrong with it but parts are getting scarce now and ones you can find tend to require a bank loan to obtain.

Examine its bodywork closely as well as plenty of 90s Jag's have suffered from corrosion and mistreatment from owners who couldnt afford to maintain them properly.

If i may be so bold may i suggest an X-Type? Jaguar purists love to hate the X-Type (i dont think Jag had made a diesel or an estate before it) but it is post-Ford takeover, it shares many key components with the mk3 Mondeo, reliability record of Jaguar improved after this point, they're pretty cheap to buy now with the V6 engine and if you squint it looks like an XJ thats been bashed at the front and back to make it shorter.

Why can't you critisise Saab I had one and agree it was not as good as a Vectra but also had a X type 2.0d estate and did not think that was as good as a Mondeo I suppose that is why they still make Mondeos and finished x type off because of disastrous sale figures.

X300 was certainly better built than early S-Type's. There is only one way to run these cars: buy for sub-£1k and dispose of if/when it goes wrong.

The X300 driveline with the AJ16 and old 4-speed auto is actually quite long lived. Main enemy is rust, particularly on the chassis rails which kills them come MOT time.

You can also easily get a reasonable X308 XJ8 for £1-1.5k which have more modern electrics and engine. They rust as well and also watch out for failing gearboxes about 100k and O2 sensors packing up of which it needs 4 and they are expensive.

All like a drink and all are getting old but they are much more "Jaguar" to drive than the later S-Types and X-Types.

Edited by pd on 31/10/2011 at 11:04

Isnt it a bit sexist to presume a woman would automatically prefer a Mini over a big car?

(And a mini isnt exactly small these days is it?!)

Isnt it a bit sexist to presume a woman would automatically prefer a Mini over a big car?

Don't know if it's sexist but i doubt many women fall into stereotype.

We don't. I like big cars with big engines (and probably shouldn't be allowed to get anything with too much 'hooligan power' as I would likely lose my license).