A Jaguar XJ that originally cost over £60,000 (roughly $79,000) sounds like a spectacular bargain at just £4,500 (about $5,900), especially when it’s a well-equipped Portfolio model with around 70,000 miles and a rather interesting former owner.
That’s the proposition facing Rob from The Logbook YouTube channel, who acquired a 2012 Jaguar XJ once owned by British comedian Ronnie Corbett. The big luxury sedan still looks elegant, and its cabin has aged impressively well.
Its leather upholstery, wood trim, panoramic roof, and Bowers & Wilkins sound system make the purchase price seem almost absurd. Unfortunately, the Jaguar’s maintenance history suggests that enjoying all this luxury could become expensive.
Rob decided to have the car inspected before asking a Jaguar dealership to price the necessary repairs. What followed was an uncomfortable lesson in depreciation, although the most troubling discovery had nothing to do with worn mechanical components.
A Luxury Bargain With a Rusty Underside
The XJ’s 3.0-liter diesel delivers strong torque, and its aluminum-intensive construction helps the large sedan feel surprisingly agile. Rob was less impressed by the firm ride and seats, which weren’t as comfortable as he’d expected.
Its MOT history flagged deteriorating brake hoses, a rear suspension ball joint, and corrosion on the rear subframe. At Castle Tyres, mechanic Al found the subframe relatively solid, although cable ties and improvised rubber spacers revealed some questionable previous repairs.
Jaguar Parts Prices Change the Equation
At the Jaguar dealership, Rob requested prices for the affected components, including a replacement rear subframe. The subframe alone was approximately £1,400 ($1,840), while the complete parts quotation approached £2,500 ($3,290), mind you, that’s excluding labor.
A dealership repair could potentially approach £4,000 ($5,260), nearly matching the car’s purchase price. Fortunately, Rob believed a more selective repair strategy, including the suspension arm and brake hoses, might cost around £1,000 ($1,315), provided the subframe could be treated rather than replaced.
The Discovery That Could Hurt Its Value Most
Reviewing the service records afterward revealed something far harder to remedy than corrosion. A 2022 service entry recorded approximately 53,000 miles, yet a subsequent Jaguar service record apparently showed a reading of roughly 47,000 miles.
That 6,000-mile discrepancy raised concerns about possible mileage manipulation, although the video did not establish what caused it. Rob confirmed the vehicle identification number matched and planned to investigate the records further in a follow-up episode.
The Jaguar still offered tremendous luxury for relatively little money, but its uncertain mileage history complicated any potential resale. For Rob, the question was no longer simply whether the XJ was worth repairing, but whether he’d bought the bargain he thought he had.