Is the XJ the best all round Car?

[davecdp]

Hi All,

I've been daily driving my 1998 XJ 4.0L for 3 months and i forgot how good it is!

I have 3 cars and the XJ only gets used to go to the tip, tow the trailer with dirt bikes or the occasional 4wd day trip. In the 6 years i've had it i have only put about 3000kms on it! My other 2 cars are off the road at the moment.

Anyway i think its just the best all round car, these are the things i have noticed recently.

Pros:
Big enough to fit anything in the back
Small and low enough to park in the tight shopping center car parks
High enough to see over cars in traffic
External plastic door trims that prevent car park door dings
Seats like a lounge chair
Fast enough to overtake
Good handling for a 4wd
Great ride quality
Ground clearance to bump over a gutter or take an off road shortcut
Classic Boxy Looks
Reliability
Going up in value, good luck trying to find a Straight honest example for under $5k


Cons:
Well nothing i can think of?
Maybe fuel consumption but i don't think you would buy one if that is a requirement


We may be biased but its a great car that i don't think i will ever sell.

[indiedog]

I reckon my KJ ticks all those boxes (without being boxy ) and with the 4 cylinder turbo diesel it just rocks. Had mine since new and now up to 260K and no way will I sell it.

[LSE3.9]

Quote - Is the XJ the best all round Car? - Unquote

I've had two XJs. One a 96 and the other an update 98.

The 96 - in red with the appropriate black bits, its forward projecting blinkers/parking lights and its angular panels made it one of the best looking cars I've ever seen....and it did 200,000 absolutely trouble free kilometers. It was fantastic to drive - small enought o fit in tight places but big enough to cart all my camping gear.

The 98 - didn't look anywhere near as good with its rounded out panels. As for reliability - this car had never heard of this word. I was so pleased to see the back of it.

I'd have another 96 if they made new ones today but that's the trouble though.....there are no new ones and the ones still around are very old with big kms covered. Not exactly a recipie for reliability and parts availability.

[davecdp]

Thats interesting about the reliability issues.

My dad bought a 94 XJ new, about 12monts later it literally caught fire driving up a hill!

I believe it was an issue with the transmission fluid overheating and spurting out of the filler tube inside the engine bay, he was towing a vintage 1940 daimer on a car trailer.

The engine cut out, smoke came out from under the bonet, jumped out and within 2-3 mins the whole car was gone!

My 98 has an external trans cooler, looks like its factory.

[Fishframe]

The XJ’s are a very good car. However, the ‘best’ car is the one you keep, sort out all the niggling issues, make appropriate mods and keep well serviced.

[LuluBelle]

Originally Posted by Fishframe

The XJ’s are a very good car. However, the ‘best’ car is the one you keep, sort out all the niggling issues, make appropriate mods and keep well serviced.

I Agree I have 2 XJ's now a 96 and a 99 and would not part with either of them My 96 was a basket case when I bought it 9 years ago But what I have learnt on my 96 journey I applied to the 99 when getting it ready to go back on the road.
They are not too computerized and easy to work on unlike some modern cars I am not a mechanic but read the manual and watch some youtube and you can pretty much fix a XJ in the back yard.

[LSE3.9]

Thats interesting about the reliability issues.


That's not exactly how I viewed my XJ at the time with roadside flat top recoveries numbering in the mid 20s. One memorable issue was when the left hand front wheel seized at 100 kmh on a highway.

The XJ’s are a very good car.

At the time XJ Jeeps had a terrible and well published reputation for unreliability.