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Is there such a thing as a reliable XJ-S?
http://www.kwecars.com/about-kwe/
If I was spending the money you're looking at spending I'd call KWE, get them to find me the perfect XJ-S for me (or hunt it down myself) then get them to do their re-engineer and restore it on it. It would be much cooler than a DB9.
That said, most XJ-S owners seem to reckon that if you look after them properly and drive them regularly they are considerably more reliable than Dammit's Volvo/Porsche, as long as you don't mind minor hiccups.
Fox-
more reliable than Dammit's Volvo/Porsche
I think when comparing 20 year old vehicles level of reliability the Volvo and the Porsche don't come out badly at all, they require stuff to be done- although not very much now- but so will any car of this age and mileage. If you buy a mid nineties car don't kid yourself that you'll escape the requirement to extensively service and fix.
Dammit
Not that shocked surely?. We both like British cars with a less than stellar reputation for quality and roadholding, because we are both primarily motivated by how a car makes us feel, rather than what their ultimate limits are.
On that very note, the first DB9 I drove underwhelmed me totally. It was a high-mileage example, with black paint and black interior, I drove it 26 miles up the motorway and got back thinking 'hmm, that really didn't wow me at all.' I was looking at alternatives (but could I really see myself in a Ferrari 456? Is there such a thing as a reliable XJ-S?).
The second one I tried was a low mileage Pentland Green example from Park Lane Aston Martin that I drove round Mayfair and Regents Park. I bloody loved it. I now cannot stop thinking about that car.
A car that makes you feel good, when the drive doesn't, that's the car to buy.
That's why I don't want the Porsche. It makes you feel great when the driving is great, but is utterly boring at all other times.