Looking for a little advice before purchasing my first XJ.

I've been looking for a '97-'01 XJ 4x4 in decent shape for the last few months but haven't been able to score one yet. This would be used for daily driving duty as well as some occasional light to moderate off roading.

I need something I can start driving from day one and get a lot of miles out of so I've been looking at lower mileage examples without any major mechanical issues.

I found a 2001 4x4 at a local stealership with <60k miles and completely stock. The thing looks practically brand new. Runs and drives great, but they're asking $10.5k. I'm sure I could get them down a littlie bit but is this a crazy price for an '01 in excellent condition with low miles?

KBB seems to think it's almost spot on, but NADA shows it more in the $7k range.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

10.5k? They're high.

 

Been oferred more for mine. A good one with low miles will fetch this.

 

less than 60k is awesome but i dont think its worth 10k at all. id stay away from 00-01 if you can anyways since they have th 0331 head casting that commonly cracks. id recommend going for a 99

 

Yea, a '99 is originally what I was going for, but after checking online daily for the past 3 months I'm getting tired of looking. Can't seem to find any locally that are in decent enough shape for my liking and when they do pop up they get sold before I can even take a look (I work shift work so can't get away).

I'm to the point where I feel like I'm just gonna have to overpay to get what I'm looking for.

 

Keep looking. I got mine off EBay a few years ago for 4500 w/20,000 miles in mint stock shape (1999). Luckily it was in my dad's town. I just was trying to ship one of my old XJs that I left with an army buddy from Louisiana to Montana and it was only like 1200 door to door. Don't limit yourself to your local area... You can do allot before spending 10k on one even with shipping. Just my 2c

 

A quick eBay search just brought up 6 1999 XJs under 3000$- just keep your eyes open for what you are looking for and you'll find it! Use the extra 6000 for accessories

 

No way in hell I'd pay $10.5k for a stock XJ. Keep looking. You can find a nice one out of state, have it transported back to you, and still have money left over. I'm sure you'd be able to find someone on the forums to look at an XJ for you out of state if you found one to your liking.

 

I've really only been searching within a 5 hour drive from my location simply because I want to take a look in person before purchasing. A couple that I was interested in looked great online but were crap in person. If I could get someone to look I would definitely consider purchasing from a distance.

They're asking $10.5k but I'm sure I could get them to come down some. How much is too much?

 

The other thing I consider is the 4.0 is pretty bulletproof. I've got 258k miles on mine (daily driver) and it runs like a champ. 300k+ is not out of the question with these things.

How long do you plan to keep it? How many miles will you put on it each year? Does it make sense to pay $10,000 for 60k vs $3000 for 150k? Personally I don't think so. Prices drop dramatically past 100k miles, that number scares 90% of the car buying public away.

 

I plan on driving it until I can't keep it running anymore. I'll be putting about 12k miles a year on it. Decent examples in my area with 150k miles have been popping up on CL for 4-5k and literally sell the same day they're posted.

 

You could always buy a high milage one and replace everything with the extra 5500. I still think you would have better luck else where if they are selling like that there... Totally understand wanting to see it in person- just ask for more pictures!

 

This completely depends on where you are. Prices for XJs vary significantly by region. What sells for $3K in Michigan might sell for $9K in Southern California.

 

I spent $3000 less than that 7 years ago. And I felt that I got ripped off then. $10k is ridiculously high for a stock XJ.

And that low of miles on a 14 year old vehicle isn't necessarily a good thing. Sounds like it mainly made short trips around town. Short trips kill a vehicle faster than longer trips.

 

this. I had a horrible experience with an XJ that had 100k on it. everything was rotted and clogged because it hadn't been ran, but it looked fine to the naked eye. cars are made to run not sit. you figure 10k miles per year is 100k per decade. if it's not going at about that rate I would be wary

and FWIW I would pass on buying an XJ from a dealership in any case. do some research and figure out what you're looking at. give it a good inspection and pick it up off craigslist. these rigs are very straight forward and it will be pretty easy to pick up a good one for 3-6k cash