I bought a 2015 manual Scat Pack in January without doing any research or homework. Was looking for a Jaguar XJ 5.0 Supercharged and, on a whim, test drove the car I ended up buying. It was a typical whirlwind romance and 100% impulse. If I had a time machine, I'd ensure I checked the following:
1. Reverse synchro - dunno how common this issue is, but I've seen a number of forum posts regarding the reverse synchro on the Tr-6060 in a number of different cars equipped with the TR-6060. The reverse synchro on my car is failing, leading to a bad grind about 40% of the time when I shift into reverse. Shift into reverse at least 20 times throughout your test drive, see if the grind shows up. A lot of times this ends up being diagnosed as a bad clutch, when in reality the trans needs to be opened up and the reverse synchro rebuilt. I was quoted $1400 to tear down the trans to identify the problem, and wasn't willing to risk the costs of simply diagnosing the problem in the event that the service contract I purchased wouldn't cover the repair.
2. AES Squeak - when not in sport mode, the active exhaust system (AES) squeaks when lightly pushing or releasing the gas pedal at low speeds. Sounds like a squeaky suspension component and is annoying. This appears to be relatively common, if you can find a drive-through or an alley with walls on both sides that you can drive through with the windows down, you should be able to hear if the AES is squeaking or not.
3. Rear deck lid vibration - there is a TSB for this issue and, if the car is still under warranty, I believe the fix should be covered. The deck lid (the shelf behind the back seat with the child seat anchors) contacts the rear window, and any music with a healthy amount of bass will cause the deck lid to vibrate against the window. The resulting noise sounds like the speakers are blown out. The TSB call for removing the deck lid (which requires removing the rear seats) and installing a molded piece that prevents the deck lid from vibrating against the window.
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