Ex-Lexus owner's experience of a Jaguar XJ8 (X350).
Discussion
Hello all,
Well - I did it. Continuing with my unusual choice of cars for a 25 year old, and after a few boringly reliable years of driving various bargain barge 'Lexi' (LS400 Mk.1 x2, LS400 Mk. 4) I have finally bitten the bullet and gotten myself into a Jaguar. (Must resist calling it the Jaaaaaaag)
The car I've purchased is a 2004 XJ8 3.6 SE in Silver with black leather.
Whereas the last four years of Lexus ownership yielded precisely zero faults or problems, there are of course a few niggles to sort out with the Jaguar.
To keep track of them, I've started a bit of a spreadsheet:
Even with all of the above, it still feels like an absolute steal. Feels so much more 'special' to drive around in than any of the preceding Lexus LS's, and so far hasn't failed to make me smile whilst driving. Love it.
The LS400 MK.4 probably still just about edges it for quietness, ride quality, overall smoothness and that Lexus feeling of solidness and everlasting-ness.
But that said, the XJ is still an absolute waftmobile, and completely outclasses the Lexus in terms of looks, interior, how it makes you feel, how it takes corners and overall agility.
So it's going to be fun working through that list and no doubt finding more issues, but for the first time since I used to daily drive a Land Rover Defender, it actually feels worth the trouble! I'm actually looking forward to fixing things on it and making it perfect.
If you're interested enough, you can view the spreadsheet as I update it here:
https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ahh03F4t4VqXgYB2647kJFp03-SZ0w
Cheers,
Sam
Well - I did it. Continuing with my unusual choice of cars for a 25 year old, and after a few boringly reliable years of driving various bargain barge 'Lexi' (LS400 Mk.1 x2, LS400 Mk. 4) I have finally bitten the bullet and gotten myself into a Jaguar. (Must resist calling it the Jaaaaaaag)
The car I've purchased is a 2004 XJ8 3.6 SE in Silver with black leather.
Whereas the last four years of Lexus ownership yielded precisely zero faults or problems, there are of course a few niggles to sort out with the Jaguar.
To keep track of them, I've started a bit of a spreadsheet:
Even with all of the above, it still feels like an absolute steal. Feels so much more 'special' to drive around in than any of the preceding Lexus LS's, and so far hasn't failed to make me smile whilst driving. Love it.
The LS400 MK.4 probably still just about edges it for quietness, ride quality, overall smoothness and that Lexus feeling of solidness and everlasting-ness.
But that said, the XJ is still an absolute waftmobile, and completely outclasses the Lexus in terms of looks, interior, how it makes you feel, how it takes corners and overall agility.
So it's going to be fun working through that list and no doubt finding more issues, but for the first time since I used to daily drive a Land Rover Defender, it actually feels worth the trouble! I'm actually looking forward to fixing things on it and making it perfect.
If you're interested enough, you can view the spreadsheet as I update it here:
https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ahh03F4t4VqXgYB2647kJFp03-SZ0w
Cheers,
Sam
Edited by LandyManSam on Saturday 28th October 20:52
craigjm said:
You need to get rid of the nose piercing. Its far too new for that and whoever fitted it has put it in completely the wrong place.
Yeah I realised that after looking at a few pictures of American market ones, which had them fitted from the factory.Would be a replacement bonnet job I think... which would probably mean getting it painted to match the rest... so it'll stay for now!
alec.e said:
Yes, a bargain purchase, so cheap! A slight correction, there was no 3.6 only 3.5 and 4.2 v8s. I got my first at 19, on my 2nd, great cars, my main gripes have been air suspension issues (working on that) and depreciation.
Cheers! And you're right with ref. to the actual engine size - however, it was sold as a 3.6 by Jaguar (not entirely sure why, possibly to avoid connotations of the Rover V8, or to continue heritage of the original Jaguar 3.6 engines in earlier cars?). One of those little eccentricities I guess!craigjm said:
It was never sold as a 3.6 you are confusing it with the earlier engine in the XJ40 that was a 3.6. The engine in the x350 was the AJ-V8 as opposed to the old 3.6 AJ6
I'm not confusing it with anything. I theorised that it may have been sold as the 3.6 to appeal to the heritage of the earlier AJ6 engined cars. If it was not sold as a 3.6, why then, are all of the dozens of 3.5 engined cars listed as 3.6s? And why does my logbook say 3.6? I think you'll find they 'badged' it as a 3.6.http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=sponso...
Edited by LandyManSam on Tuesday 22 August 00:41
craigjm said:
What you have there is a sport not an SE. All the 3.5 cars were sport of sport premium and yours isn't a premium.
Notice on your spreadsheet is mentions the gearbox. What's wrong with it? The two major known faults are for it to lurch when in creep or to make a noise like a bark. Both are symptomatic of a box about to lunch itself so get it looked at.
The aux input on the audio is also not the easiest of things depending on what audio system you have. If it's got navigation then it's not an easy task.
You want to check the car over for corrosion too. I know it's aluminium but they still corrode around the wheel arches, rear screen and a few other places in the way that aluminium
Oxidises and it will need sorting. Also check the steel stuff bolted to it like the sub frames and if it's got a sunroof (can't see the pics now I'm replying) then make sure the steel structure in there isn't rotting the roof
That would make more sense. It does feel rather spartan in terms of toys compared to the LS400, and that would explain it! Notice on your spreadsheet is mentions the gearbox. What's wrong with it? The two major known faults are for it to lurch when in creep or to make a noise like a bark. Both are symptomatic of a box about to lunch itself so get it looked at.
The aux input on the audio is also not the easiest of things depending on what audio system you have. If it's got navigation then it's not an easy task.
You want to check the car over for corrosion too. I know it's aluminium but they still corrode around the wheel arches, rear screen and a few other places in the way that aluminium
Oxidises and it will need sorting. Also check the steel stuff bolted to it like the sub frames and if it's got a sunroof (can't see the pics now I'm replying) then make sure the steel structure in there isn't rotting the roof
Transmission - yeah, I've noticed it doing the creeping 'lurch' very slightly a couple of times, and I feel like it could be a bit smoother between 1st-2nd. The LS400 was definitely a smoother change. Not noticed any bark noises. From reading around, a full box drain and new filters is supposed to help - any thoughts on that? I would be performing it myself, and have seen kits with the required volume of oil and a sump pan for around £150.
Re. the aux input, I've found a good video guide on YouTube for the cassette deck conversion, made by a guy from a guy on the Jaguar Forums. I'm fairly good with this sort of thing so it should be an easy fix.
Corrosion wise, it seems fairly good - wheel arches are clean, but there are a couple of bubbles around the rear window frame.
Stedman said:
Gearbox service is £300. You'll need to use the proper ZF fluid though, anything other is just wasted money.
Nice car though; I bought my X350 XJR aged 23!
And it's a 3.5 sport
£300 total for a garage to do it? I have found this kit for just under £200. Includes the ZF Lifeguard oil, sump/filter, bolts and seals. I have access to a ramp and am handy with the spanners so was going to do it myself later this month. Nice car though; I bought my X350 XJR aged 23!
And it's a 3.5 sport
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-ZF-OE-6HP26-Auto-...
There are also a lot of kits with non genuine oils for under £150, like this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-JAGUAR-XJ-XJR-X350-A...
Can anyone confirm Stedman's thoughts on genuine vs. non genuine oils?
TiminYorkshire said:
I used to run an X308 XJR, fuel consumption used to be 17 mpg to work (17 mile each way mix of A roads and a number of villages to drive through) and 22-24 on a long run.
How do the X350s compare, in V8 n/a form and supercharged form?
Not run a full tank through her (3.5 V8) yet - but have covered 210 miles so far, including about 50 miles of stop-start traffic in London, a 0.8 lepton cruise up to Coventry and then a few days going across town to work and back. The tank is still half full, so - I make that approx. 26 mpg combined so far. How do the X350s compare, in V8 n/a form and supercharged form?
Will be very interested to see how it compares long term to the heavier, more powerful LS400 Mk IV which averaged 26mpg over my ownership and 20,000 miles.
Anyway, got this moody shot today in the work car park. Had loads of positive comments from colleagues, most of whom hated the LS400 with its bronze gold coachwork and marmite 'giant Toyota' styling. And none can believe the price I paid!
Edited by LandyManSam on Thursday 24th August 19:34
Djr1 said:
Looks lovely! I've had my x350 XJ6 for 18 months or so and love it. I've been using a Bluetooth/FM broadcaster to get around the lack of an aux in, but it is a bit of a faff. Would you mind posting the YouTube link - sounds interesting!
Cheers! Yeah, I only ever hear good things about the V6. This is the chap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoShbZHGhY
The video is for the CD unit, but it's a very similar process for the cassette deck.
Lifeguard it is!So with regards to sorting out my autobox, would I be best off servicing it first before getting a man to plug in and reset/update it? My only thought is that the new oil would probably alter the operation of the box quite significantly, so a reset before changing the oil could result in some weird/sub optimal behaviour once the fresh oil is put in?
Or, do the box service myself and pick up a diagnostics kit from the link above for £90. Should still be cheaper than paying someone to do it and I'd have the diagnostics setup for the future. Plus the satisfaction (if it goes right... 
)
I'll get some quotes and see what the difference is.
)I'll get some quotes and see what the difference is.
I have a two post ramp, a full set of tools and both a laser thermometer and a thermal imaging camera for checking the oil temperature. I've looked over the service guide for it, and will be doing it myself - and posting a little guide on here.
Also going to pick up the diagnostics kit from British Diagnostics so I can reset and update the transmission control unit.
Also going to pick up the diagnostics kit from British Diagnostics so I can reset and update the transmission control unit.
craigjm said:
You really need a pump to make sure you get all the oil that's in the cooler and torque converter
That's not mentioned in the ZF service manual. Any more info on this?https://www.zf.com/global/media/medien_mastersite/...
Bit of a thread update.
Having been out of the country for a week, the XJ8 finally got a decent run up to North Wales this weekend. A chance to get to know it better and see what it has to offer.
And in most areas, it didn't disappoint! The X350 appears to have struck the waft-to-fun ratio just right. Whereas the preceding Lexi were probably set up for 95% waft, 5% fun, the XJ8 does a pretty good job of both. From my location in the West Midlands, the Jag took the M6 and M54 in its stride. It rides extremely smoothly on a good motorway surface, and almost feels disconnected from the tarmac - but is a little harsher over imperfections than I am used to. This was to be expected with the air suspension - and I've found it the case with previous Range Rovers too. However, it can be put down in part to the 18 inch wheels and 50 profile tyres, which certainly have a comfort index a good few points lower than the 16 inch wheels and 60 profile tyres on the LS400.
Where the slight reduction in waftability pays off however, is when the road becomes twisty - as the A5 does when you get past Oswestry.
Despite a power deficit of some thiry horsepowers, The XJ is able to progress along this type of road with pace that would have the LS400 twisted in knots. An almost total lack of body roll was immediately noticeable - and even the mismatched, ageing front tyres gripped the damp tarmac much more reassuringly than I expected.
The 6 speed ZF autobox seemed to work OK for the most part - but as mentioned before in this thread, definitely isn't as smooth as the A340 5 speeder in the LS400. Downchanges are felt quite sharply, and there is the occasional lurch when coming to a stop. So as soon as I got back I ordered 10 litres of ZF Lifeguard 6 oil, a replacement sump/filter and a replacement mechatronics plug, which supposedly can be prone to leaking. Combined with the TCU reset and update which will be performed via SDD diagnostics, hopefully some of the smoothness should return.
Fuel economy seems to be about as expected - 240 miles in total on this trip, which included cruising at 0.8 - 0.9 leptons, plenty of kickdown action on the A5, and a slow journey back this evening in heavy traffic. Just over half a tank left. Rough maths shows this to be around 30mpg, which would be nice! The OBC shows 31.5mpg for the trip, but we'll find out come fill-up time.
Something that was slightly disappointing was the audio system. Having dutifully filled up the 6CD stacker in the boot with an eclectic selection ranging from Prodigy to Mozart's Jupiter symphony, I was pretty disappointed by what I assume must be the basic audio system in the X350. Whilst I didn't expect it to be as good as the LS400's Mark Levinson system, I didn't expect it to sound about the same as my old MK.3 Mondeo used to. Not good in a car that cost upwards of £50k new!
Does anyone have experience of upgrading the audio system in the X350/358? Is there the possibility of swapping all of the speakers out for the 'premium' variants? Or the ability to add a subwoofer to support the all but non-existant low end of this system? I wouldn't be averse to upgrading the head unit, and have seen some pretty good upgrades of the standard sat-nav unit (not fitted on my car) with the use of a modern Android based touch screen. Any suggestions welcome here.
But overall - I was pretty impressed by the X350. It certainly 'feels' special to schlep around in, and gets a lot more looks and approving glances than any of my previous cars, especially around Coventry where it was built. It'll be getting some money spent on it now that it has proven itself, so hopefully there will be some more updates to come on here shortly!
Having been out of the country for a week, the XJ8 finally got a decent run up to North Wales this weekend. A chance to get to know it better and see what it has to offer.
And in most areas, it didn't disappoint! The X350 appears to have struck the waft-to-fun ratio just right. Whereas the preceding Lexi were probably set up for 95% waft, 5% fun, the XJ8 does a pretty good job of both. From my location in the West Midlands, the Jag took the M6 and M54 in its stride. It rides extremely smoothly on a good motorway surface, and almost feels disconnected from the tarmac - but is a little harsher over imperfections than I am used to. This was to be expected with the air suspension - and I've found it the case with previous Range Rovers too. However, it can be put down in part to the 18 inch wheels and 50 profile tyres, which certainly have a comfort index a good few points lower than the 16 inch wheels and 60 profile tyres on the LS400.
Where the slight reduction in waftability pays off however, is when the road becomes twisty - as the A5 does when you get past Oswestry.
Despite a power deficit of some thiry horsepowers, The XJ is able to progress along this type of road with pace that would have the LS400 twisted in knots. An almost total lack of body roll was immediately noticeable - and even the mismatched, ageing front tyres gripped the damp tarmac much more reassuringly than I expected.
The 6 speed ZF autobox seemed to work OK for the most part - but as mentioned before in this thread, definitely isn't as smooth as the A340 5 speeder in the LS400. Downchanges are felt quite sharply, and there is the occasional lurch when coming to a stop. So as soon as I got back I ordered 10 litres of ZF Lifeguard 6 oil, a replacement sump/filter and a replacement mechatronics plug, which supposedly can be prone to leaking. Combined with the TCU reset and update which will be performed via SDD diagnostics, hopefully some of the smoothness should return.
Fuel economy seems to be about as expected - 240 miles in total on this trip, which included cruising at 0.8 - 0.9 leptons, plenty of kickdown action on the A5, and a slow journey back this evening in heavy traffic. Just over half a tank left. Rough maths shows this to be around 30mpg, which would be nice! The OBC shows 31.5mpg for the trip, but we'll find out come fill-up time.
Something that was slightly disappointing was the audio system. Having dutifully filled up the 6CD stacker in the boot with an eclectic selection ranging from Prodigy to Mozart's Jupiter symphony, I was pretty disappointed by what I assume must be the basic audio system in the X350. Whilst I didn't expect it to be as good as the LS400's Mark Levinson system, I didn't expect it to sound about the same as my old MK.3 Mondeo used to. Not good in a car that cost upwards of £50k new!
Does anyone have experience of upgrading the audio system in the X350/358? Is there the possibility of swapping all of the speakers out for the 'premium' variants? Or the ability to add a subwoofer to support the all but non-existant low end of this system? I wouldn't be averse to upgrading the head unit, and have seen some pretty good upgrades of the standard sat-nav unit (not fitted on my car) with the use of a modern Android based touch screen. Any suggestions welcome here.
But overall - I was pretty impressed by the X350. It certainly 'feels' special to schlep around in, and gets a lot more looks and approving glances than any of my previous cars, especially around Coventry where it was built. It'll be getting some money spent on it now that it has proven itself, so hopefully there will be some more updates to come on here shortly!
craigjm said:
There would be no point attempting to retrofit any other factory available system unless you can source every part very cheaply on eBay IMO. For similar money you could create a much more up to date system if you are handy with tools as the OP is. His car does not, as far as I can remember, have the navigation unit so I think he would be better off sourcing a decent double din unit with all the features he wants and the sound that he wants.
Everything I've seen/read so far has confirmed that the Alpine system isn't worth bothering with as a retrofit. So as you suggest, I'm going to look into aftermarket upgrades. I reckon that if I change the front speakers/tweeters, add a decent woofer (either a big one in the boot to compensate for the bulkhead & insulation, or a smaller one under a seat), and fit a CarPlay enabled double din headunit, I should have something that's at least worth listening to for around £500 - £600. craigjm said:
I would go for something like this....
https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-pioneer...
Then get speakers to replace in the positions you have, under seat subs (don't bother trying to compensate for the bulkhead) and decent wire. Then if you want to add additional amps you can depending on the power you want. If you're gonna take the carpet up it might be worth getting some dynomat too
Do you think it would be worth adding speakers in the places that seem to be free on top of the dash? Any idea what size they are?https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-pioneer...
Then get speakers to replace in the positions you have, under seat subs (don't bother trying to compensate for the bulkhead) and decent wire. Then if you want to add additional amps you can depending on the power you want. If you're gonna take the carpet up it might be worth getting some dynomat too
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