Hey Cool Car Fans,
Last week I had a client fly into Denver from out of town to pickup a 1997 Jaguar Vanden Plas from me that I had on consignment for another client of mine. Before he flew into town he wrote to me with a list of questions and concerns he had about the vehicle. I took it to one of the mechanic shops that I work with and had it checked out for him, so her purchased an airline ticket and flew into town not knowing what to expect having never done business before with The Cool Car Guy.
When Mark arrived he told me that he had owned one of these vehicles with over 120,000 miles, but that someone had rear-ended him and totaled out the vehicle. He had looked at a number of them and landed on this one based on the condition of the vehicle and since I was the easiest guy to work with in making sure it was the right vehicle for him. These are not easy to find in mint condition and as it turned out this one was everything he expected with roughly 85,000 miles. It had been well taken care of by the previous owner who had paid over $40,000 for it and had really liked the vehicle as well.
He was an interesting client, like many of the people I come in contact with as The Cool Car Guy. Mark told me that he had worked on a spaceship that is on its way to the planet Pluto. It will be arriving there in another six years!
He also knew the 1997 Jaguar Vanden Plas quite well, especially the electrical system and he explained to me how they had engineered the vehicle’s windshield washer system on the same fuse as the alternator that could cause a load on the alternator. He had created a work around for this problem with his previous Jag should the problem arise again in the future.
Many people are not fans of Jaguar because of the maintenance issues, but the real problem is that there are just not many repair shops, like other brands that know how to work on these vehicles, so it costs more to repair them. The same is true of Land Rovers where in other countries they are extremely popular, but in the United States they can cost a small fortune each year to maintain. The Jaguar’s are very nice luxury vehicles, especially for the money based on the depreciation that takes place in the used car market.
For 1997, the sedans were imported and manufactured from Coventry, England and it was a very cool car that is quite fun to drive. Mark wrote me when he made it back home and said, “Hi John, Thanks a lot. I just returned home today, after a two day drive. No problems with the car, drives great. Hopefully, I will keep it for many years to come.” Another happy Cool Car Guy client and the client who consigned it with me is looking to have me sell his 1981 Delorean for him next. I’ll keep you posted.
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy
John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy
2001 Jaguar XJR SuperchargedORIGINAL FACTORY EQUIPMENT – Reverse park control (Provides an audible warning to the driver of the distance to an obstacle behind the vehicle), Burl walnut trim-inc: gearshift knob, steering wheel, Door-mounted curb illumination lamps, Trip computer, Central locking doors/trunk/fuel filler door, Retractable cup holders, Multi-adjustable pwr front bucket seats w/lumbar support, Connolly leather-trimmed interior, 3-position memory w/personalized remote activation-inc: door mirrors, driver seat, steering column position, Cellular phone pre-wiring, Vehicle security system w/remote entry, engine immobilizer, audible verification, Heated rear window, Carpeted footwell rugs, Pwr windows w/one-touch down, Automatic climate control heating/air conditioning, Speed control, Dual illuminated sun visors w/map lights, Integrated 4-channel garage door/entry gate opener, Heated front/rear seats, Pwr tilt/telescopic steering wheel w/auto tilt-away feature, audio/speed controls, 320-Watt Alpine premium sound audio system w/6-disc CD changer mounted in trunk, digital sound processing, Electrochromic rearview mirror.
Many of the people that I speak with about leasing a vehicle immediately get defensive because they have heard the horror stories of people who lease the wrong vehicles. However, what most people don’t realize is how leasing the right vehicle can be a huge benefit to the consumer.