Jaguar Xj6 Sovereign
I owned a Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign (1991 vintage) for just over a year back in 2004/5, and absolutely loved the car.
The first models of the XJ6 rolled of the production line at Jaguar's Brown Lane factory as far back as 1968! Consequently there are a lot of used Jaguar XJ6 models for sale, but many have either been thrashed or else are in generally poor and run down condition. So shop around carefully before you decide to purchase a used model.
I bought my own Jaguar on eBay (UK) in March 2005. A 1991 Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign 3.2-litre long wheel base (LWB) model (extra legroom), with only 107,000 genuine miles on the speedometer, and in totally immaculate condition.
So how do I rate the Jaguar XJ6? One word sums up my feelings very succinctly. WONDERFUL! It was an absolute joy to drive, and was universally admired by all my friends and family.My car was under sealed from new, which protected it well against under body and chassis rust, which is a common fault on some older Jaguars.
The XJ6 has chrome everywhere! On the front and rear bumpers, around the number plates, on the door handles, on the exterior mirrors, on the lights, on the window frames and stanchions, and even on the upper part of the door sills as you enter the car. The interior door handles, ashtrays and trim are also all chrome, which nicely complimented the sumptuous light grey leather upholstery and dashboard. Offset this with highly polished real walnut trim on the dash, doors, and around the centre and rear console, and you have a car that is fit for royalty! (In fact, the Queen owns a 6.0-litre Daimler version of the Jaguar Sovereign!)The leather seats in particular were simply delicious. The driver's and passenger seats were infinitely adjustable using the electric controls, so you can change the rake, distance from the steering wheel, height, back support and so on to find the position that best suits your own particular driving position.
Interior storage space was more than adequate, with large side pockets on the inside of all the doors, and a good sized glove box and centre storage area underneath the centre armrest in the front.
One drawback was the badly designed boot (trunk). The rear wheel arches encroach on either side of the boot space, and the spare wheel is stored flush against the rear seat bulkhead instead of underneath the floor as in most cars. But to offset this flaw the boot is very deep, which means that you can load more than one layer of suitcases and luggage on top of each other.
The boot (trunk) also holds the original Jaguar 6-disc CD changer, a fitted fire extinguisher, and a slide in spot for the original Jaguar toolkit, which also came along with the car.The XJ6 has climate control and air conditioning, both of which can be adjusted to suit the individual preferences of the rear seat passengers. Cruise control is fitted, which to be honest isn't of much use on the poor road system we have here in Ireland, but is a real bonus for motorway (highway) driving.
The dash had more dials and warning lights than your average Jumbo jet, but all served a purpose. Lights will flash on from the Vehicle Management Computer if even so much as a light bulb blows, so you're never likely to damage the car by driving on blissfully unaware of a fault.
Further little luxurious touches included a lighted flip down vanity mirror on both the sun visors, and a further lighted vanity mirror on the lid of the glove box. You have two very bright interior lights in the front, and also a map reading light, both of which are controlled by switches on the centre console.
The standard in-car sound system in the XJ6 is excellent. I'm not sure of the manufacturer as it carries the Jaguar logo, but it has three FM wavebands and MW and LW wavebands, all of which can be set to your favourite radio stations. It also incorporates a cassette player and the original Jaguar 6-disc CD changer in the boot that you can load up with your favourite sounds. The speaker system has six outlets; one in each door, and a couple of bass speakers inset underneath the rear seat, which produce incredibly good quality and clarity of sound.So what's the car like to drive?Well, put simply, the drive and ride quality is second to none. The general consensus of opinion within motoring circles is that the 3.2-litre (and larger 4.0-litre) Jaguar engine they used during the late 1980's and early 1990's were the best they ever produced, and are practically bulletproof. In other words, they simply don't go wrong that often, and the engine is renowned for its reliability.
The engine on my 3.2-litre Sovereign was a six cylinder V6, with 24 valves and an engine size of 3239cc. What this means in practical terms is that it provides totally effortless reserves of raw power. Unfortunately, it also means that it has a tremendous thirst for fuel returning (on average) only about 14 to 15mpg around town, and perhaps about the 25mpg mark on a longer run, and this is driving it with a light right foot! The stated top speed is 139mph, and the 0 to 60mph figure is in or around 8 seconds.
To get the best performance from the 4-speed automatic gearbox Jaguar incorporated a semi-manual mode with there J-shift gear lever. The sound of the engine has to be heard to be believed. It will either purr, growl or roar depending on your style of driving, but at all times reminding you of its impeccable pedigree and willingness to oblige.To hold you on the road surface the Jaguar XJ6 has all the modern goodies. My car had sixteen inch Pirelli tyres on a lovely set of pepperpot alloy wheels. This is backed up with an excellent set of ABS (anti-lock) disc brakes and traction control. Despite the size of the car the brakes will stop you on the proverbial old sixpence. (Even at high speed)
The quality of the ride is simply wonderful. You feel as though you are simply gliding across the road surface and even large bumps don't phase the Jaguar in the slightest. If you are unlucky enough to hit another vehicle or have an accident of some kind, you'll have little to fear in a Jaguar. They have consistently won various awards for safety, the most prestigious of which is probably What Car magazines safest car on the road, and the Department of Transport's award as the Safest Car in Britain.Maintenance and running costs for a luxury car of this type would be a little above the norm. My advice is to avoid main Jaguar dealers like the bubonic plague, (rip-off merchants of the first order!) and instead find a good independent mechanic.As for the purchase price, you can pay whatever you like for a used Jaguar XJ6, ranging from a few hundred pounds up to tens of thousands for a new model. The trick is to decide what you want from the car and what you are willing to pay, and then to shop around extensively in garages, newspapers, magazines, and on the Web until you find exactly what you want.
I believe I got the bargain of a lifetime. I only paid a piddling 1,500 Sterling for my 1991 Sovereign. A further 700 Euros VRT (the much criticised Vehicle Registration Tax we must pay the Government here in Ireland when we import a car) increased the price a little. But I sold it at over a 1,000 profit after a year of practically trouble free motoring!
