Used Jaguar XJ Saloon 1997 - 2003 review

How much have you got? If you want a bit of luxury, but don't have the resources to sustain such an indulgence, you should maybe consider buying a smaller executive car like the S-Type instead.

It's not buying an XJ that's the problem, though - poor residuals have put the XJ firmly in the Ôaffordable' bracket - but you need to make a long-term financial commitment to run one.

Insurance costs are punitive: the 3.2-litre is in group 16 and the 4.0-litre is in groups 17-19. Frugality? The stats tell you you may get 24mpg, but that's with a whole lot of downhill roads with the wind behind you. Don't expect to get much more than 20mpg, and don't be surprised if it's just 17mpg.

This car isn't cheap to fix, either: Jaguar is among the costliest of all manufacturers for servicing. However, you'll be unlucky if an XJ goes wrong - Jaguar is among the top performers in the Warranty Direct reliability survey.