Which Car: 'Can I live with this lazy old cat?'

John Brown is 42, lives in London and works in the media. He recently saw a very late-model Jaguar XJ-S, on a "N" plate in red and was quite taken with it. He wonders if the late models made under Ford's influence are that much better than the older XJ-S, that had a poor reputation for reliability. John also wants to know which XJ-S is the model to plump for.

THE XJS range is one of the great, grand, touring cars built for effortless long-distance travel and with a welcome turn of very high speed.

It is a large car and handles very well. The boot is a decent size but the lack of rear passenger space is the only downside. For two, though, it is fabulously comfortable and the seats are great even if the cabin does feel slightly cramped. Not as outdated as you might imagine, running costs are containable provided a specialist is used for service work.

The XJS was a model that just kept on getting better, so John is right to ignore all the old rusty ones. Ideally all the models from the 1991 restyle onwards are excellent, especially in 4.0 litre guise. If buyers must have an ultra-smooth V12 then they must make sure that it is a 6.0 from the 1990s.

If John wants a convertible, it should be one built from 1992 because they had extra underfloor strength which made the already solid structure feel even more taut. 1992 is also when a driver's airbag was standardised. Original Cabriolet with roll-over bar is very good value as most buyers prefer the full convertible.

A car for the heart

The XJS has recently enjoyed a surge of popularity as buyers realise what value for money a tidy second-hand model can offer.

Having spoken to Dan Clarke at Clarke's (01435 863800), probably the UK's only XJS specialist, the future is bright for this model. According to Clarke some Jaguar owners miss the smoothness of a V12 engine which only the XJS can provide.

Most are bought as weekend cruisers which the 17mpg pretty much dictates. The better 26-27mpg possible with a 4.0 makes it the everyday choice, whereas the manual 3.6 is a heavy old slug.

If you have £5,000 to £8,000, that will buy you a Jag that is sorted, tidy and may even have a warranty. An open-top XJS is now well under £10,000. Service histories are a must, as is shopping at a Jaguar specialist and always paying for an engineer's second opinion when buying privately. Any damage to the trim will cost a fortune as will any mechanical glitch. Engines should be silky smooth as should the ride. Air conditioning often plays up and the power steering can misbehave along with some electronics.

A car for the head

Having spent some quality time recently in the company of a Toyota Soarer, I have found a coupe that cossets like a Jaguar, has amazing performance and won't ever break down.

Weighty and over-engineered doors, a V8 that is possibly the best ever and dashboard high tech that makes i-Drive equipped BMWs look user-friendly. It is marvellous, but never officially imported to Europe. Especially as £6,000 buys you a superb example.

Anyone interested should make the most of the free online membership at www.lexusclub.co.uk. Most 4.0-litre Soarers are in the UK and Australia,. There is a wide price range from £5,000 to £15,000.

There is not much significance attached to the year, although the majority are 1991 to 1992, just the condition and the specification, which has to be a good thing.

There isn't a lot that goes wrong, and a good Soarer will last a lifetime. John should seriously consider turning his back on the XJS and turning Japanese.