My Friend Bought A £1500 Jaguar XJ - What Happened Next? 

Totally agree on the no finance older car option. It amazes me people are terrified of an occasional service bill but are oblivious to depreciation and finance costs.

Looks like he got a bargain George is a funny humorous guy and a good presenter, I like his accent and it would be nice to see more of him ,

He is living all his car dreams! I have never seen someone having such a wild ownership at such a young age! Brilliant!

Thanks everyone for the kind comments about my XJ. I hope you are all inspired to try a cheap Jag yourself. Thankfully, the connection with Porsche remains, as we have just picked up a 1973 914-6 GT project car, in bits. Gulp. See you out on the road...

Your friend is a natural on camera, and a good story teller. Good video! 👏🏼

Most petrolheads love a story like this...and a Jag. It certainly gets my juices flowing. I would watch more from this man, and especially more on his story with the Jag :)

Always good to hear a fellow Scotsman who can wax lyrically about motors..well done George. New sidekick for the channel James??

I have recently purchased a 04 XJ with 73K miles and I can't tell you how happy I am to hear of your ownership experience. Mine is Red and absolutely like new inside, outside, and underneath. I cost me 10K in the states and it is a head turner as you're lucky to even see another in daily driving. I am now looking for a tweed jacket and hat.

He's after your job James! Really enjoyed the story telling here. Top bloke, and good luck to him.

I had seen so many S-Type V6 (w/ same engine as yours) with over 200,000 miles...so I bought a 2008 S-Type with same engine, has been very reliable and a joy to drive. Fun fact the Ford Duratec V6 engine was designed by Porsche and Cosworth made the heads for it!!

I bought a 2004 xj back 7 years ago. I was somewhat nervous about the Jaguars' reputation for being unreliable, but figured I could learn to fix it. The first problem was the engine going into limp home mode. This was cured by installing a new throttle body. The next problem was getting a transmission error. A transmission flush cured that. Since then it has been the most beautiful, comfortable and yes reliable car. I think the Ford ownership of the brand fixed a lot of reliability issues.

I bought an 04 XJ6 3.0 V6 like George at almost exactly the same time, Paid £1800, 158k miles…12 months later, now done 169k miles, passed MOT with £100 brake line fix. Incredible to drive, whisper quiet, interior is beautiful. Cannot understand why these Cars haven’t started to significantly increase in value.

Your mate in Scotland is a dude ! Let’s have more of these type of videos.

Like a line from some old movie..."The kid's a natural." It's no easy thing to tell a story to a camera and hold interest. But George nailed it!!

George you did same as me! But I'm in Aussie, I saw my 03 XJ8 on Gumtree which is a kind of Oz eBay 😆 went from Cairns to Rockhampton by train (both in Queensland Australia) 1064 km arrived at 1am at hotel stincking hot night no a/C(cheap room 😥) went to look at Jag at 9am, bought it on the spot and drove home 12 hrs Rocky to Cairns, my first Jaaaaag I was delighted and still am! All she's cost me is a new set of rear axle bearings, um? Yeah that's it! 1300 Bux fitted, pretty good out here! Oh I have put new Michelin's on her at about same cost but so far touch wood that's it in 3 great years, she'll be 20 in March and is showroom with 122000kms on the clock, I'm now 70, even if I live another 30 years 🙏😆 the kids will be inheriting this one! 😆 Cheers great vids both of em!

Without trying to be too smug, I paid £50 less, for one with 56k less miles and FSH and clean accident history. That was 3 years ago and I bought it without MOT which had expired after it was part exchanged. Been amazing, changed all fluids myself, including full service of the ZF 6 speed. Never yet let me down.

Drop links and bushes are just things that need replacing on any car after a few years, plus gearbox and diff oil changes are things you should do when you get to 80 or 90K on most cars. Well done for choosing a Jag over a predictable Mercedes or BMW.

I had a 2004 Jaguar XJ 3.6 V8 which I kept for 12 years. It is the most reliable car I have ever owned and I have owned over 100 cars in my lifetime (I'm 80). It was silver with pale leather and half wood rim steering wheel. I loved that car and have regretted selling it---I changed it for an Audi A8 which lasted 4 years of boredom, so I now have a 5 litre XK in Caviar which I love. Jaguars are TERRIFIC cars!!

From Australia , I'm almost 66 yrs old , the first car I bought with my own cash was a 1965 Jag mk10 only affordable by a 19 yr old because it was left hand drive & I had about 15months to use it as a LHD car before Australia banned LHD cars being used on the roads , as luck would have it a ultra cheap rusty English import came to hand at one tenth the price of my nice one , however I could harvest all the usable RHD hardware i needed , my grandad was a industrial engineer so with his help in the Uni mid year break we did the "meccano" set swap as it was way easier than you could believe . No drilling , cutting etc , as all the holes were already in place for bolts & screws, 95% of all the wiring is in the middle of the dash & needs no changeover at all , simple . It had 52.000miles on it. I used it for years and racked up another 200,000miles on it WITH FLAWLESS RELIABILITY. I sold it & bought a 1967 model with really low miles on it , now years later I am still driving my second one which has also been TOTALLY RELIABLE with just common servicing , here in Australia there is virtually no rust in our pretty dry climate. So guys enjoy your cars . AND George , like you , I have owned other more expensive cars , and still own other more expensive cars , but as with you , EVERYONE loves the big old Jag , particularly when you push the crank/start button and their unique pre-engaged starter motor erupts to life & its lovely almost living breathing engine growls to life and if you blip the accelerator pedal , it really does growl from the exhausts. I love it when it's vacuum kick down system drops it in second gear and you hear that 4.2 litre engine doing its job , as the 4.2's in MK10's were the highest output engines, they have REAL muscle car grunt. RE the seats & handling on a 1,000 mile run, like you George ,I step out from the car feeling like I had just driven 10 minutes to the shops . Cocooned in a 2.4 ton vault of comfort on the road with throne like leather club chairs to sit on so you step out feeling relaxed ready to do the drive again & straight away, It's the favorite of all my cars , always has been & always will be. Honest, Reliable & Luxurious . Built to endure .

Excellent story. I too have been bitten by the Jag bug, and your description of how Jaguars "flow" down the road is spot on. Loved my 1996 X306 XJR which I had 8 years ago. Cost me the princely sum of £1,000 and was a supremely comfortable cruiser whose performance could make me laugh out loud. Now I am on my 6th Jaguar, a 2016 XF S Supercharged in British Racing Green and I absolutely love it. It also gets great comments from onlookers and admirers. Jay, you are welcome to do a review any time you are in Northern Ireland! 😀

Thank you chaps and well done George! I hope the Jaaag continues to serve you guys well.

Brilliant! Enjoyed listening to George, talking about his Jag. What a cool chap. Cayman to tweed and stolen paintings. Awesome

actually my dada had a 2006 X350 2.7 Diesel in the exact same color and other than being a very good car I can tell you that this particular color is perfect to hide dirt even more than silver. Cheers.

Top content again Jay. George is ace, he seems very down to earth and slightly eccentric. Great story, and good lad for getting a Jaaaaaaag. My first Jag was a 2000 XJ Sport (no supercharger) and lucky to have an Ftype SVR now (just road tripped it to Le Mans 24hr, was amazing). Welcome to the Jag fam. He is also a Mechanical Engineer, which I am (although I'm fast jets). Look forward to the next upload.

James for fear of tickling your fair share of accustomed bestowed ego into a bellow of laughter, you're a great presenter. Your friend on the other hand what a talent. He got into all the nooks and crannies, giving answers to questions his silent viewers pondered. Jay not wanting to draw a wedge in the friendship, my home is your home, the friendship valuable, should still stand but it will be an easier challenge climbing and completing Mount Everest than getting on this channel again. Just kidding. I kid you not, when I say he has a flair that would create a stir and valued viewer catchment should he consider a career in broadcasting. Great long-term owner review.

Hi I just stay down the road from George and like him I bought a Jaaag last year, mines a 1998 XJ8 Sport with 58000 miles on it now and mine was £1200! I can fully agree with everything George says about the Jag, they’re as cheap as chips just now in no small part due to the price of fuel, and if you’re lucky there are still some good ones out there. LikeGeorge I’m reluctant to get too financially invested, but am torn as it’s now become my daily driver and it’s a delight, so if like me you’ve never had a Jag before there’s no better time to dip your toe in the water, get an older one XJ X300 or 308 or an early S Type they’re a lot of car for a few quid and people look at you differently. Watching George was a bit of a surreal experience for me as he sounded just like me, in his accent, tone and delivery and probably looked like I did forty plus years ago it was weird. Anyway only came across your Chanel because of the jag and would like to see more on George’s Jag. Take Care Stay Safe Everyone Regards Dave 👍😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

That was great. Being from Coventry the ancestral home of Jag I have an affinity with these cars. That chaps presentation was top notch.

I loved this installment, it was great to see the big blue Jag back on the channel and even better to see its charm hasn't been lost on George. Really enjoyed hearing it from the ma himself too, he's a natural on camera and told the story beautifully. I look forward to seeing future Jaaaaag updates in the fullness of time.

What a lovely watch. I'm currently considering doing the same thing. Just worries me the whole massive mileage, money pit I may be opening myself up to. But as a man of a certain age the thought of driving a jaaaag into the golf club would just make me smile. And George is proving it can be done. Smiled all the way though this. Thanks guys!

one of the best videos ive seen on youtube and i watch alot....however i say this alot on your vids james lol! i love how youve literally just allowed this guy to sit and talk about his car for 20 mins without any influence or anything else. Hes great too, speaks brilliantly! Another brilliant vid

George needs his own Chanel & would be great to follow his jaguar ! I love jags

Jay , I love your presentation; no frills, straight to the point, entertaining and informative. George is a natural! His gentle, dry, genuine passion and humour shine through. You should have him join you frequently as a joint presenter. Genius!

Just loved Jaaag George's review of his car. From his Land Rover & Porsches stories as a juvenile to Jaaag George's Mini review (which I agree, cause it sucked to me too) and along to his current beautiful X350. Have to say, Jaaag George's sense of style is spot on. Tweed jacket paired with a wooden steering wheel? (or at least wood like), gray driver's cap with gray wheels. And blue jeans with the sky blue car. Great! Almost like a car commercial. Thank you JayEmm for the video and Cheers from across the pond in Charlotte, NC. And beautiful car George!

Top job there James and George, love hearing this kind of story, achievable inflation busting stuff. George is a natural, would be great to see him here again. This is great "real world" content, thanks to both of you.🙂

For a chap who wears a lot of tweed, very smart by the way, I'm glad that he's discovered the joy of Jaguar motoring and that he's financially better off after disposing of that pretty awful Mini.

Nice to see you at Bacon and Brakes again. I only had a short visit this time but really enjoyed our chat the last time you were there.

George - I totally get it and delighted for you. Do not take it out in the snow. That will take excitement/worry to a whole new level.

George's comments were interesting informative and entertaining, he could almost represent a modern equivalent of what the BBC should be, yes let's have more George's content on Porsche and Jaguar please.

Jaguar of the late 90s and early 2000s are such good value for money. I've had 3 jags now 2 stypes and an xj and all have been super reliable I will deffiently have more in the future I love them

well done my boy & welcome to the club I have just about had all the jag, range in my 73 years passed my test in 1966 & owned 2,4 mk @ 17 I now have 54 plate S type with the same engine had for 12 years &been to spain 12 times only needing servicing as yours with now 122K enjoy !!!

I bought an S type for almost the exact same reasons. I know a lot of people rubbish it but I like the curvy styling more than the mid 90's Jag's, which are beautiful. Got a ride in my friend's XJ in 2019 and I understood then why people love them. I've never sat in such a comfy seat. I bought my S Type for a similar price, needs a fair bit of work as well, but my consolation is when it does come to selling it, I'll have not just the cash, but the memories. Every time I walk up to it, I smile. I've got a jaaaag. Every time I get out of it, I get smiles. Jag owners talk to me, non Jag owners tell me they like it. I do to. Madness to buy it, drinks fuel (I average 23 MPG on country roads, 32 on motorways) can't park it on my narrow driveway, but I don't care. I finally have a Jag and it brings me joy.

That's some presentation without any notes. Hats off to the individual. Good story.

I always believed Jaguars are expensive to buy and own. How wrong I was I would certainly inspire me to want to own in the future . Thank you

Great that you did a follow up on this. I’m on my second XJ of this generation - had a 2003 4.2 with 100k on the clock and now have a 2008 XJR with 125k on the clock. Both cars have been far from ruinous to own, an absolute pleasure to drive and certainly if you stick to the petrol engines, regardless of which variant you go for there are very few known issues with them and they rack up big miles with ease.

Lovely car and what an engaging guy George is. Good luck with the Jag!

I have a 55 xj super v8 which I think is the best saloon car ever, no exceptions The 3l George has is possibly even better as a daily as slightly less thirsty, and who needs 400hp every day ? Great video of a great story

What a great episode. What a lovely chap with a great story. It is really nice to watch such a good person present a RU-vid video without a horrible sting at the end. Thank you so much.

That sounds like a great deal and being aluminium bodied it has the benefits of lightness on fuel economy and no issues with rust. The X350 looks like the cars that came before but was completely re-engineered, a Ford misstep but a great used car opportunity.

I have owned two XJ6's, both were manual gearbox and they ( a manual) are a different machine. Having said that, with a Jaguar your driving style is more relaxed, calm and somehow sedate. I changed my XK6's at 190K miles , (11 years each UK business miles ) and now have an XKR 4.2. They are very reliable and long distance comfortable vehicles. The trick is finding a good garage for servicing.

This is fantastic. Very nice car. Happy to hear it has been reliable. Really enjoyed this chat with the owner type video. Keep up the good work.

George seems great, natural on camera too. Would love to hear more about the Jaaaag, and what happens in the future.

Good story. I was a bit apprehensive when I bought 2011 XKR. But happily apart from usual maintenance it's been a goodie. Hugely comfortable and a dream to drive

I run a 2010 X351 Jag. Bought it for Cash 5 years ago. Without doubt THE best car I have ever had. Totally brilliant! I have only ever spent money on serviceable items also and done 70k trouble free miles in my ownership!

I too, had to sell a Porsche to buy a house, only this year. I’m in a diesel focus, 2007, slightly modified and I too, am quite enjoying smoking it around, not worrying where to park! 😂

Let's have more of George - what a great chap!

Yup! George is a calm, orderly and detailed presenter of facts. Good job and it would be interesting to see him do more stuff in the future (of a technically orientated type thing)

Loved this, i live in Florida and have 2 jags, a 2012 xkr convertible and an x351 Vanden Plas which i fell is the one to have. You should find a 351 and film some content as there isn't much by the way of a series. Thank you for being awesome and thank your friend from Scotland for sharing. Happy Sunday

no-one says the word 'jaaaag' better than JayEmm ...

Yes, this model of car ownership is a good one. I did the same with an Alfa Romeo 156. Buy cheap, put a little sensible money into the long-term maintenance and enjoy stylish trouble-free motoring for very little outlay.

As long as Ja-a-a-a-a-a-g is pronounced correctly I'll watch every second and thumbs-up every episode. My love is conditional!

Great video! Enjoyed the great story….awesome collaboration!

Very nice presentation of a young man, experienced a good time with an old Jaguar. I am driving as well a XJ 4.2 X350/2007 with today 196.500 km on the clock. Only the air compressor made some troubles once, got replaced - rest is normal service. I had my experiences with other high end limousines ( BMW, Mercedes and Bentley) but compared to fun/cost ratio the Jag is the winner .

Great video, buying sensible cars has always been very regretful for me and usually the car is sold after a year or so of boredom. The last few years have been strange in that new cars have appreciated but for most of my 40 year motoring life owning an old car has proved way cheaper than paying the depreciation of a newer car (not many cars cost £300 per month on repairs)

I've owned a 3.5 V8 X350 Jag for about a year too... I live in Japan, so bare in mind nobody would touch that here with a stick to begin with, but I paid 1500 pounds also for it, which included all taxes, road registration for a year and a half and shipping to my place.... bought sight unseen of course. The main difference is that mine had 60000km on the clock when I got it :) It had a leaky air strut in the front and was throwing gearbox codes once in a while...Changed the strut for a good (used) one, flushed the gearbox... and it's been a year of nearly trouble free driving... 30.000km total now. One thing failed... Thermostat housing which is made of brittle plastic, cracked and started to leak... After a few months of it being "fixed" with JB Weld, it finally failed for good... I swapped the part which cost me a little less than 100gbp and 3hours later I was back on the road... Awesome car really! I'm about to change for a X351 5 liter XJ and I hope I'm not making a mistake..... we will see :)

I have one from 2007, supercharged 4.2l v8. It is one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned, had it 8 years now and it has just rolled over 100,000 miles. Aside from a few minor scratches on the paint work here and there it's immaculate. Zero issues and doesn't use a drop of oil. It's also comfortable as hell to drive.

Great review on a lovely car. Definitely need to hear more on the future... how about a road trip through Scotland with both of you...in tweed of course.

Great video, proud (previous) Jag owner and loved every mile in a (relatively) fast, comfortable car (XF). Would be great to see more of George on the channel.

Was expecting this to be a horror tale, so I'm pleasantly suprised! I really need to own a Jaguar.

What a wonderful chap.

Good review. Loved the car, and enjoyed listening to George as well.

Great video James, really enjoyed the alternative format 👍

Guess I was lucky I got to watch the isetta video then

Nice to know when a deal works out 👍👍. Really enjoyed this one

Great content, far better than channels that focus on cars made of unobtainium

Love this format of video, do more!

I thoroughly enjoyed this segment. George is quite engaging. Having watched this and Jack over at Number 27 XJ videos back to back, I must say I'm a bit smitten, and get the Jag esthetic better. Over here in the States the modern Jag is perhaps best remembered for the X Type. (Not necessarily a terrible car but for the subterfuge underneath.) I absolutely love these interiors, and the idea of wafting down our increasingly ill-maintained roads is tempting. Very tempting.

loved watching this as I have a blue sovereign version of this car on a 55 plate, bought it for 3000 six years ago with 80000 miles. stuck a new battery on it when i bought it and until recently literally other than service items spent Nothing on parts as none needed ! and never a problem with it, now at 180000 miles. i have had even better fuel economy on motorways than stated and a friend of mine tuned his v6 up to 300hp. the duratec engine and 6 speed gearbox combo is really really good, the peripheral electrics can be quirky in the winter, but it loves the summer. tech is out of date but a chinese company is selling a custom built tesla style touch screen that brings it right up to date. it was way ahead of it's time and also has a load of design features that are echoes of the supermarine spitfire - class act imo. george is also right about getting attention, people just come over and say "love the jaaaaag, well done for keeping it on the road" men and women. i also have had quite a few strangers ask me to sell it them on the spot !! you can keep the new xj i'm not interested.

Bloody good video and as someone else commented it’s very interesting to catch up with the jags progress 👍 more like this please

V6 engines do like to rev... great combination of relaxed class and sporty verve.... lovely car !

Great story that dispels the myth that Jag's are unreliable moneypits! To buy and get your XJ pretty much sorted for 2.5K is a bargain. Think you were right to go for a petrol engine as the diesels can get problematic as they get older. I have a 3.0V6 XF petrol (same engine I think) and it has been pretty reliable during my six years of ownership. Performance is reasonable and provides a very smooth refined drive. The main mod I would suggest is change the grill to the mesh type that was found on the more sporty versions of the XJ, IMO the standard XJ grill looks too fussy! Some XJ's had bigger nicer looking wheels that might improve the looks of your car but not really essential

Good to see a sensible head on young shoulders. Lovely car in a superb colour!

What a find! Nice bloke, thanks for this!

More than happy to hear more from you George.

Great video! It’s incredible how similar a story we have w the XJ8! I bought an 04 Zircon Blue model 1.5 yrs ago for the same reason and 31k miles later it’s been one of my best cars.. I also own a Boxster and I get similar compliments all the time when driving the Jaaaagg. And yes at work I make them call me Lord Michael. Great car and yes reliable))

Enthralling video - so pleased for George; he's a lovely chap - hope he enjoys his Wagwahr for many more months/years to come.

What a great episode ! George is a fantastic storyteller. So funny about having tweed jackets now....and panama hat requirements ..lol! I own a beautiful XK 5.0L, and a lease totally reliable and sensible Honda Civic. Civic lease ends early next year....maybe ...just maybe..... ?? (I'm crazy right?)

This content is why I have a bloody great big TV that I don’t watch 😎🇬🇧 Nice work James……. Carry on 🙂

Really enjoyable video, George is a natural in front of the camera.

I bought an XF 3.0ltr V6 petrol, by far the most reliable engine. The car was 9 years old when I bought it and it had 76,000 miles on it. It had FSH and comprehensive additional history. It had the cream interior which was a must. At the time all other XF's (mine is the premium luxury) we're around £8,000 and I got mine for £6,500. Drove it back from London with no issues. Since then I've replaced parts of the interior, the dash board being the main piece but I did all that from ebay and the entire cost of the bits (dash, steering wheel, two plastic trim bits and a keyless door latch plus getting the drivers seat refoamed and sprayed) and fitting was £800 I had new discs and pads £700 and since then just little niggly bits and servicing. However the ZF6HP26 gearbox and torque converter has developed a terminal fault, pissed me off because I had the box serviced at 85,000 miles but there we are. I'm in a corner with it. I had the rear suspension poly bushed as a precaution against failure so I'm into the car for a bit of cash. I'm gonna get the gearbox and torque converter rebuilt, £3000 all in. Still worth it cos I love the Jag.

Great chat. Liked this a lot

Great video! Really like this, and well done, mate!

Bally great, Tweedy-George was superb & banger Jag was a delightful change of topic. Ta

Great video James, and a worthy debut for George the Jaaag Man. Love the bunnet George!

Gotta say this guy is a natural presenter and good to listen to

Hey James.. Lovin this! I had a 3 Ltr v6, was Great But now i drive a 4.2 v8 xj 350 which is Even better and is More economical on Long Runs! BTW James, Great to See you again. On a Personal Note your Series Helped me Thru my Cancer Treatments a couple of years back. Keep up the Good work!

Such a lovely looking car .. with a private plate looks a lot newer. Great story ..... drive safe

George is so laid back I was waiting for him to slide gently off the Jaaaags bonnet

What a gentleman and a scholar !

Brilliant story on this Jaguar. I'm only slightly jealous :) My 2007 200k miles Mercedes CLS 320 ows me about £15,000 in total (purchase and extensive repairs) after 2 1/2 years. But you know what, stupid me's still in love with it.

Having just bought a 2003 XJ6 I can totally relate to what you guys raised in this video. A very enjoyable watch..thanks! I hope my experience of owning the car turns out to be similar