I inherited a 1989 XJ6 two years ago. It just turned 97,000 miles and the most serious work it has needed lately are front brake pads and a replacement door handle (those are notorious for breaking) Amazingly the digital dash still works, the motorized seatbelts work, the cassette stereo works, the self-leveling rear shocks work, in fact all of it still works. The 3.6 AJ6 starts effortlessly every time, is single malt smooth, the ride still compares with new vehicles and without squeaks or rattles, the leather and wood are unblemished and a nice break from modern plastic and faux carbon fiber. I've been pleasantly surprised by a few unsolicited conversations and compliments from strangers about the old Jag. It's really a wonderful car, thank you Grandpa.
I had an '89 VDP Majestic, identical to looks with this one, except for different chrome, quad round headlights and basket weave wheels. It shut the windows and sunroof with the key too, but had the 3.6L engine. It was as reliable as my long-lived '90 Accord EX. I've never had another sedan give me that "special" feeling like it did.
That's funny we had the exact same combination. 89 vanden plas & 91 Honda Accord EX coupe. Miss when a vehicle felt like it was made good. They feel like toy now. Break like toys too
When car shopping w my parents in 1991, my mom almost bought this exact car. She always loved the looks of jags and found them so elegant. But we ultimately got the 300e, which was a much better car. Besides the beautiful looks, there was not much going for the jag. The interior was cramped, the ride was loud, the engine felt weak, no airbags, etc. it felt like an antiquated car. I really wanted them to get the new LS400, but she wanted something European bc she felt they were more solid.
The ride was not loud lol they were definitely more plush than a Mercedes. Mercedes are overrated. So they haul ass and handle good. Who cares??? No me... Give me elegance any day.... Mercedes were ugly inside. Like a glorified Volkswagen. Smelled like it too.
@@therealjaysehI agree, 80s Mercedes interiors were stark and a bit unpleasant, the old fashioned springs in the seats, the cheap wood, they fell apart like anything else
The square headlight Jag was always a tough sell for me. I had a Series 3 (1985, stopped in 1986 I think maybe 1987) XJ6 4.2. Great car but it could have been more reliable.
@@VDPEFi I loved them when I was a kid. But looking back on them they were actually pretty damn ugly. Even for the time. Acura Legend interior looked like a Lamborghini compared to any Mercedes lol 🤣 And then the LS400 was so nice that people were afraid of it lol you know the reflective holographic warning lights? That scared people back then. It was top notch for the day. Nobody did it better than Lexus. Of course at the time you don't see that.
My Aunt bought a Jet Black Sovereign new in 1991 after cross shopping every luxury car from the Lincoln Town Car to the BMW 850i. It may not have been as solid as a W124 or 126, but Jaguar was never playing the same game as the Germans even though the cars were often compared. A Jaguar was more akin to a poor man's Bentley Turbo R--offering refined appointments and understated elegance that Benz could not match.
Had a ‘93 model, over 120k miles on the clock when I got it. Excellent to drive, and by that point they had installed airbags. Quiet, sure-footed, quick, classy. Most of the nay-sayers haven’t even spoken to an actual owner, nevermind owned one themselves. Must be fun for them to hurl insults from the seat of their Accord or whatever. Sold the XJ because I foolishly wanted a more traditional sports car. Somewhat recently came back and bought an ‘06 S-Type, and again, ownership has been excellent! Perfect compromise between ride comfort and handling. Awesome review as always, MotorWeek.
Jaguar, despite being an iconic brand, was regularly on the edge of bankruptcy. They knew their core buyers didn't want radical changes. And if they invested in something too different, and it didn't sell, they wouldn't be able to take the loss. Despite people complaining about how Ford ruined Jaguar, their partnership did give them enough capital room to risk taking a chance and making a mistake.
I've had recently saw a black 1987-94 Jaguar XJ6 for sale in Bamberg, South Carolina that has the quad round headlights with the mesh spoke wheels in good condition.
@@E34Benzin They were a modernist touch, like the single wiper. I prefer them, but large rectangular headlamps were going out of fashion by the late '80s.
@@rahimi4762Pretty much every luxury car had a driver airbag by 1990. Most small and midsize cars didn’t yet, though there were some (Dodge Shadow, Ford Taurus, etc). Comment posted November 2, 2023 10:01 am
Crazy but true fact is that Jaguar never believed in airbags. It took Ford to knock some sense into them the XJS had a drivers airbag standard by 1990 and by 1993 the XJ had a standard drivers airbag and a passengers airbag by 1994. Side impact airbags wasn’t a thing for jags until 1998.
The 1995-1997 x300 with the AJ16 engine was a bulletproof. We’ve had two with no problems. The first one rusted out at 21 years and we still have it as a parts car for interior stuff mainly.
@@justinianyi3838 I never understood why Jaguar took so long to get decent electronics. I know they aren't as bad as people often claim, but they were never at a level that should have been acceptable in a car at their price level.
Invites wife out for supper at fancy restaurant. Runs over neighbour's dog backing out of driveway. Flirts outrageously with waitress. Smiles sheepishly at wife and says, "Awfully sorry, dear - I do believe I've forgotten my wallet." And it's all okay ... because he drives a Jaaaaaaag.
The LS doesn't feel as special as the Jaag. Just shutting a door close is a pleasant experience in an XJ40. I love the LS400, I had one and I consider it one of the best cars I've ever had, but the XJ40 is probably the most special sedan from its time.
I never liked this era of headlights. The classic rounded double headlights is so quintessential Jag look. Other than that it's a beauty. Back in the day cars still had personality and uniqueness. It's all gone now (mostly).
@@MrDavidstallsmith American mechanics were screwing them up on purpose. Very easy to do just take a wire and start jumping with paper clip. Grounding s*** out. It's just very odd that everything we get from Europe turns out to be junk here in the USA. I'm not that stupid. But apparently nobody else caught on.
@@MrDavidstallsmith we had one, and as long as we kept it away from the dealership we were fine. The guy who worked on it was a master mechanic and ran a fleet service for my step dad. Garcia's Kitchens. Our Jaguar was in immaculate condition and went on the road traveling constantly. It was not an unreliable car. Yes some bullshit warning lights on the dash once in a while. The car never broke down. Audi did the same thing. Always throwing fault codes. Who gives a s*** so they had a bad computer who cares. F****** car ran just fine.
I do really like the engine and the styling I would get rid of that engine put a 5 speed manual in it and fix all other jag stuff in it if I owned one.
@@kamrankhan-lj1ng You don't need to do that since the Jaguar XJ40 was offered with 5 speed manuals. There are not many for sale because almost nobody bought them new (which makes sense, a manual doesn't fit well in this type of car).
I bought one of these new. Beautiful metallic blue with barley interior. Was the worst car quality wise I've ever owned. You name it & it went wrong. Traded it for a Lexus less than 2 years later & never looked back. Lexus was the best then & the best now
@@sjhudon386 except the US speaks English, and the reason? Because the English were the ones to bring the Language over to the US, its pronounced JAG- YOU -ARE, not JAG- WIRE,
I inherited a 1989 XJ6 two years ago. It just turned 97,000 miles and the most serious work it has needed lately are front brake pads and a replacement door handle (those are notorious for breaking) Amazingly the digital dash still works, the motorized seatbelts work, the cassette stereo works, the self-leveling rear shocks work, in fact all of it still works. The 3.6 AJ6 starts effortlessly every time, is single malt smooth, the ride still compares with new vehicles and without squeaks or rattles, the leather and wood are unblemished and a nice break from modern plastic and faux carbon fiber. I've been pleasantly surprised by a few unsolicited conversations and compliments from strangers about the old Jag. It's really a wonderful car, thank you Grandpa.
I had a clapped out 1996 Jag in college and even so, you are right; no car gets you compliments like a Jaaaag.
I had an '89 VDP Majestic, identical to looks with this one, except for different chrome, quad round headlights and basket weave wheels. It shut the windows and sunroof with the key too, but had the 3.6L engine. It was as reliable as my long-lived '90 Accord EX. I've never had another sedan give me that "special" feeling like it did.
That's funny we had the exact same combination. 89 vanden plas &
91 Honda Accord EX coupe.
Miss when a vehicle felt like it was made good. They feel like toy now. Break like toys too
I still have a 90 EX now, 323k and still doesn't miss a beat.
This was my favorite look of the XJ6 back in the day.
and that would be $94,000 in 2023 dollars
107 feet for braking is pretty good
Its phenominal, especially for 1990. Hell that's up there with alot of super cars of the time.
Actually, it's because the engine was stalling before they hit the brakes
Straight 6, rear wheel drive. The way a real car should be. 👏
I never like this headlight style for this era of Jag. Glad they went back to the round quad lights after this.
We owned a 1990 Jaguar Sovereign and just loved it. Great car.
When car shopping w my parents in 1991, my mom almost bought this exact car. She always loved the looks of jags and found them so elegant. But we ultimately got the 300e, which was a much better car. Besides the beautiful looks, there was not much going for the jag. The interior was cramped, the ride was loud, the engine felt weak, no airbags, etc. it felt like an antiquated car. I really wanted them to get the new LS400, but she wanted something European bc she felt they were more solid.
The ride was not loud lol they were definitely more plush than a Mercedes. Mercedes are overrated. So they haul ass and handle good. Who cares??? No me... Give me elegance any day.... Mercedes were ugly inside. Like a glorified Volkswagen. Smelled like it too.
@@therealjaysehI agree, 80s Mercedes interiors were stark and a bit unpleasant, the old fashioned springs in the seats, the cheap wood, they fell apart like anything else
The square headlight Jag was always a tough sell for me. I had a Series 3 (1985, stopped in 1986 I think maybe 1987) XJ6 4.2. Great car but it could have been more reliable.
@@VDPEFi I loved them when I was a kid. But looking back on them they were actually pretty damn ugly. Even for the time. Acura Legend interior looked like a Lamborghini compared to any Mercedes lol 🤣
And then the LS400 was so nice that people were afraid of it lol you know the reflective holographic warning lights? That scared people back then. It was top notch for the day. Nobody did it better than Lexus.
Of course at the time you don't see that.
My Aunt bought a Jet Black Sovereign new in 1991 after cross shopping every luxury car from the Lincoln Town Car to the BMW 850i. It may not have been as solid as a W124 or 126, but Jaguar was never playing the same game as the Germans even though the cars were often compared. A Jaguar was more akin to a poor man's Bentley Turbo R--offering refined appointments and understated elegance that Benz could not match.
Had a ‘93 model, over 120k miles on the clock when I got it. Excellent to drive, and by that point they had installed airbags. Quiet, sure-footed, quick, classy. Most of the nay-sayers haven’t even spoken to an actual owner, nevermind owned one themselves. Must be fun for them to hurl insults from the seat of their Accord or whatever. Sold the XJ because I foolishly wanted a more traditional sports car. Somewhat recently came back and bought an ‘06 S-Type, and again, ownership has been excellent! Perfect compromise between ride comfort and handling. Awesome review as always, MotorWeek.
Loved the way Jags used to look.
Lexus, Acura and Infinity have been long term winners by miles ahead then and now!
Have a happy Thursday everyone!
One of my uncles has a Jaguar XJ6. It has served him well. A good used one is probably hard to find these days.
0:26 Finally! The proper and correct pronunciation of Jaguar. Same as Pink Floyd in "Welcome to the Machine"
I didn't know that the first Ford Ka use the same key (3:24). I'm surprised.
The original XJ managed to last a long time without too many changes. A lot of British cars from this era largely went unchanged for so long
Jaguar, despite being an iconic brand, was regularly on the edge of bankruptcy. They knew their core buyers didn't want radical changes. And if they invested in something too different, and it didn't sell, they wouldn't be able to take the loss.
Despite people complaining about how Ford ruined Jaguar, their partnership did give them enough capital room to risk taking a chance and making a mistake.
All i really know is John Williams definitely didnt score Motorweeks theme "music".
I've had recently saw a black 1987-94 Jaguar XJ6 for sale in Bamberg, South Carolina that has the quad round headlights with the mesh spoke wheels in good condition.
That's just a little over an hour from where I live! :)
@@cdldriver2348 I live in Cope, South Carolina which is 10 minutes away from Bamberg!!
I like the single light front end of this model. Somehow, it seems more honest, less pretentious.
It was designed to have rectangular headlamps. To me it looks so much better than with the dual round ones.
@@E34Benzin They were a modernist touch, like the single wiper. I prefer them, but large rectangular headlamps were going out of fashion by the late '80s.
One overheated on my mom during a test drive, she bought an LS.
1990 and no airbag… in a Jaguar 😂
Slot of cars didn’t at that time. It became mandated in 1993
@@rahimi4762Pretty much every luxury car had a driver airbag by 1990. Most small and midsize cars didn’t yet, though there were some (Dodge Shadow, Ford Taurus, etc).
Comment posted November 2, 2023 10:01 am
@@rahimi4762it was actually not mandated until 1998 but almost all had them by 1995
Crazy but true fact is that Jaguar never believed in airbags. It took Ford to knock some sense into them the XJS had a drivers airbag standard by 1990 and by 1993 the XJ had a standard drivers airbag and a passengers airbag by 1994. Side impact airbags wasn’t a thing for jags until 1998.
@@rahimi4762almost every car in this upper price class had them though. Even Volvo and Saab added them to the ancient 240 and 900.
I miss most cars from this era. Now All car reviews talking points are safety features and electric range. Cars are now simply robots.
The most elegant car of that era , if they made them more reliable , and roomier interior , the history would be different
Like I hear & say, they definitely don't make them like they use to. You know dependable.
The XJ6 was far from dependable.
I can't remember when Jaguar made a quality vehicle within in the last 35 years..
They still dont.
The engines in these models were bombproof
The 1995-1997 x300 with the AJ16 engine was a bulletproof. We’ve had two with no problems. The first one rusted out at 21 years and we still have it as a parts car for interior stuff mainly.
@@justinianyi3838 I never understood why Jaguar took so long to get decent electronics. I know they aren't as bad as people often claim, but they were never at a level that should have been acceptable in a car at their price level.
No issues with my previous two or current. My ford is a nightmare however.
3:30 did Jaguar or VW have that feature first with the key?
VW started it with the Corrado and B3 Passat in 88? Mercedes added it to the W124 for 1990.
Classic junk, but still a classic.
My Favorite Jaguar XJ is 2005 -2009 When the XJ was a XJ.
Invites wife out for supper at fancy restaurant.
Runs over neighbour's dog backing out of driveway.
Flirts outrageously with waitress.
Smiles sheepishly at wife and says, "Awfully sorry, dear - I do believe I've forgotten my wallet."
And it's all okay ... because he drives a Jaaaaaaag.
Great car. But the LS makes this look 20 years old.
The LS doesn't feel as special as the Jaag. Just shutting a door close is a pleasant experience in an XJ40.
I love the LS400, I had one and I consider it one of the best cars I've ever had, but the XJ40 is probably the most special sedan from its time.
You were a fool if you bought this over the Lexus LS. Full stop.
@@mattmayo3539 I bought a Mercedes 600 SEL after the Lexus LS 400.
I don't have the Jaaag yet, but I plan on buying one.
Honestly, the engines and transmissions in these were really good. It’s just the rest of the car was… iffy
I never liked this era of headlights. The classic rounded double headlights is so quintessential Jag look. Other than that it's a beauty. Back in the day cars still had personality and uniqueness. It's all gone now (mostly).
Beautiful, but the quality.
Again, I was beginning to wonder.
the only edge they had was the wood interior
You've clearly never ridden in one
I agree. I’m master certified jaguar and worked on these under warranty. They were terrible quality but looked great.
@@MrDavidstallsmith American mechanics were screwing them up on purpose. Very easy to do just take a wire and start jumping with paper clip. Grounding s*** out. It's just very odd that everything we get from Europe turns out to be junk here in the USA. I'm not that stupid. But apparently nobody else caught on.
@@MrDavidstallsmith we had one, and as long as we kept it away from the dealership we were fine. The guy who worked on it was a master mechanic and ran a fleet service for my step dad. Garcia's Kitchens. Our Jaguar was in immaculate condition and went on the road traveling constantly. It was not an unreliable car. Yes some bullshit warning lights on the dash once in a while. The car never broke down. Audi did the same thing. Always throwing fault codes. Who gives a s*** so they had a bad computer who cares. F****** car ran just fine.
You aren't driving in a Sovereign you're travelling.
the ultimate
looks like a car from 1984 from the outside
The 3rd generation XJ only lasted for 8 years
I do really like the engine and the styling I would get rid of that engine put a 5 speed manual in it and fix all other jag stuff in it if I owned one.
So you would basically ruin it.
You like the engine, but will get rid of the engine.
What u wanted to say is that u would get rid of this TRANSMISSION and put a 5 speed manual in its place?????
@@kamrankhan-lj1ng yes
@@kamrankhan-lj1ng You don't need to do that since the Jaguar XJ40 was offered with 5 speed manuals. There are not many for sale because almost nobody bought them new (which makes sense, a manual doesn't fit well in this type of car).
Half modern, half archaic - not a good sign for such a car.
Money pits as they age
There’s no high end luxury car that is reliable even now in 2023
Imagine 30 years ago
I bought one of these new. Beautiful metallic blue with barley interior. Was the worst car quality wise I've ever owned. You name it & it went wrong. Traded it for a Lexus less than 2 years later & never looked back. Lexus was the best then & the best now
Arfur Daley
Why cant Americans say Jaguar? 😅😅
Because Jaguars live in America, we are the ones pronouncing it correctly
@@sjhudon386 except the US speaks English, and the reason? Because the English were the ones to bring the Language over to the US, its pronounced JAG- YOU -ARE, not JAG- WIRE,
@@MrRetro- I say JagGwar
The correct Spanish pronunciation is JahGwar
Jaguar never built a decent vehicle. Even new ones now are rubbish compared to German and Sweedish makes
its a pimped out taurus
Not even related. Wrong generation wrong car all together lol
A very uninformed comment
I totally forgot how ugly those headlights were.