Q: I was thinking of buying a used Jaguar X-type, and I was wondering whether I should be aware of any quality issues or if there are certain model years which should be avoided. Do you have any particular information on these cars?

Kenn Moritz, Fox Chapel

A: Kenn, to get an answer for you I turned to what I regard as the best source of info on these matters -- Consumer Reports. Each year in April, it offers an automobile buyer's guide that lists the best and worst used cars, and a complete rundown on the reliability ratings on each car and truck.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but both the Jaguar X-type and the S-type are listed under the magazine's "Bad Bets," for cars that have much-worse-than-average overall reliability in their 1997 to 2004 models. Particular trouble spots are body hardware and body integrity, and the transmission on these cars.

But look on the bright side -- there also were plenty of areas in which these cars were rated better-than-average. These include cooling, fuel systems, ignition, electricals, air conditioning, suspension, exhaust and paint finish. Although I did not drive it for more than a week, my most recent Jaguar X-type did not display any quality control problems. Moreover, Jaguars now rank quite high on the J.D. Power Survey just completed recently.

Q: I have an original, Ocean Mist F-85, four-door sedan. It has the original paint and 44,442 miles. It does need some minor restoration, but for the most part it's in near factory mint condition. Do you think it has collectible status since it is not an Olds 4-4-2 or a Cutlass?

Jay Mastro, Pittsburgh

A: Generally, cars such as yours are considered "special interest cars." Those are cars that have a loyal following, or large groups of people who have fond memories of the car and want to buy one for themselves.

Your best bet would be an Oldsmobile club or some group that craves Oldses of all kinds. The F-85 was the lower-level sedan in the Olds family. To many people, I'd suspect that the F-85 was a plain Jane car that contrasted wildly with lookers such as the Olds Cutlass and the 4-4-2. The F-85 was, in its day, a bare bones car like, say, a Chevy Biscayne or a Plymouth Belvedere.

Generally speaking, the top-line models of any car make, as well as two-door hardtops and convertibles, are always going to bring the highest prices and bids. But that doesn't mean your car doesn't have potential.

After all, Olds cars no longer are being manufactured by General Motors, and that fact gives it almost instant collectors importance. By the way, if you have an optional engine installed in your F-85 that provides more horsepower, that might bring some additional attention, too.

I think the key thing here is whether you are attached to this car or not. That's the first rule of car collecting. Stick to cars that you know and like. That's important because you may not get a sale on your car and have to hold onto your F-85 for a longer time.

If the car holds special meaning for you, I say keep it.