Is an £1100 S-Type Jaguar a good buy?

I have been offered a 1999 Jaguar S-Type Jaguar. It is a 3-litre V6 automatic. It appears to be the basic model with cloth interior, in good condition, with air-conditioning but not climate control. The bodywork is good with only the odd scuffs one would expect on a car of this age. The mileage is 85,000 and the asking price is £1100. I know little about these cars but it seems like a good deal. Is it? What should I look out for? Does it have a cam belt or a chain cam?

Asked on 23 June 2012 by Ian Prentice, Solihull

Answered by Honest John
For £1100 you either take the risk or don't. Almost anything wrong with it will cost you more than that to fix, especially if the ABS module has failed. So it’s worth asking some pertinent questions before you buy. Any dash warning lights remaining on will mean an MoT fail. So how long is the MoT? The engine of this model is chain cam and is better than the autobox.
Similar questions
I want to buy a cheap car with low insurance. It needs to be reliable and I'm not bothered about the badge. What do you recommend?
We need a large estate car - perhaps a Volvo - as we are a family of five with lots of clobber. I don’t mind a car with high mileage, as long as it is safe and reliable. Our budget is £1000, however I...
Your correspondent who buys cars with high depreciation is on the right track, but I've refined the idea even further. Go to your local Lexus dealer and ask them for the name of the local independent car...
 

Value my car

Save £75 on Warranty using code HJ75

with MotorEasy

Get a warranty quote

Save 12% on GAP Insurance

Use HJ21 to save on an ALA policy

See offer