He guys, recently converted to a Jaguar. Very reluctantly. All I hear is how problematic they are. Or "used to be". Either way I never wanted to take the risk. But every time I saw the XJ L, I thought, I have to have it. If the reliability holds up on this car, it will be the nicest car hands down over every Benz I ever owned with the exception of the Phaeton previously owned. It actually reminds me a lot of the Phaeton, a car before it's time and wearing the wrong badge.

Anyway, I have a 2011 XJL, all I've done is rims and tint. 22 inches though I wanted to go 24. I've had problems with 22 inch wheels on the Benz so 24s would have made it even worse with respect to tired treat (or lack thereof). 24s would have been like rubber bands.

Anyway....I've included a few pics but also had a few questions..

1. Does the 2011 XJL have a factory sub?

2. Has anyone installed an aftermarket amp & sub? If so any information you can provide would be helpful.

3. Looking in the trunk the speakers are mounted face down (pointing into the trunk) not face up. Seems odd to me.

4. Any known issues I should be aware of? Things to check out immediately while under warranty?

My 2011 XJL








My Previous Car 2008 CL550

 

FYI, I hear a lot of complaints about the ride being "jiggly" or having lots of "vibration". This for me has been the smoothest ride next aside from the VW Phaeton. My CL550, rode smooth even with 22s but the 22s over time being bent, repaired, bent, etc caused a little vibration no matter how many times the wheels were repaired.

The car has more features than my CL, granted my CL was a 2008. Hands down I'm loving the XJ L.

Negatives:

- It's not as stable at high speeds while cornering. My CL, and even my Audi Q7 with 24s feels more stable at high speed cornering. While it's stable for a car it's length, you just can't compete with German cars with respect to handling regardless of their size (think S550).

- Navigation isn't as responsive as I'd like. Not a deal breaker, but takes some getting use to. Disabling animations definitely helped albeit still not perfect.

- I miss my "wheel knob" on the Mercedes and Audi. At first I hated the center knob to control the head unit in the Benz and Audi. Then I grew to love it. No reaching. No trying to pinpoint your finger on a touchscreen. Once you got used to it, it was second nature. I find myself reaching for the knob in every card I drive now, and being disappointed to not have it. I find it safer with a knob, I can control my radio without looking down. The jag requires pinpoint accuracy, and your full attention. At least I have steering controls, which on the Benz and Audi I never used because the wheel was perfect. Steve Jobs, thanks for the capacitive touchscreen technology, but I wish everyone would stop making everything touchscreen. Some things are made to have wheels and knobs!!

- The sound system sucks! Bowers Wilkens, 14, 20, however many speakers, it sounds like garbage. My Audi Q7 does a better job (albeit Bose, but who cares factory never sounds good). I plan to hook up my sub, not to thump the neighborhood, but to give it that extra bass it's SEVERELY lacking.

- Headunit, who designed this? Why are the buttons so small? I read about the new headunit, and firmware. It doesn't help me however.

All in all, I love this car, hands down!! I just pray the reliability issue has been worked out. I've been loyal to Mercedes, I just hope I can be loyal to Jag should this vehicle hold up.

 

Beautiful cars - you have got a good taste. Have got the same London Tan interior in my XF - l love it.
The CL was one of the most unique cars made by the silver star.


The only thing I can think off is the battery drain and the roof noises. The battery drain can be fixed with a software reflash from what I have read. The drivetrain has been around for a long time. Transmission is one of the best in the world, made by ZF. They are in BMWs, Mercs, RR, Bentleys and of course Jaguars.

 

By using 22" wheels you've changed the suspension/handling. If you want better, go back to what it was designed and supplied with.

 

Executive:

Thanks for the information. Good to know about the tranny!

JagV8:

I didn't complain about the ride, I complained about the handling. It's floaty compared to a Benz. The rims have nothing to do with it. The car was floaty before and after. I find it to be extremely soft/comfortable even with the wheels. I just wish it handled corners like the German cars.

 

As you haven't noticed it, it would seem the roof cracking noises have been fixed. Posts about this are now very rare, whereas when I first came on this forum around 2010, it was nothing but roof noises. At the local independent I use here, one of the partners was at Jaguar then, and there was a huge panic about these noises because finding a cure proved very difficult, and clearly, needed fixing ASAP to avoid sales of the car bombing. However now the car is selling well, particularly in China.

 

Fraser:

I did quite a bit of research before pulling the trigger, including checking these forums for major complaints and issues. I've heard of this roof noise, luckily for me, no odd noises.

The only anomaly was the airbag light was lit during a drive yesterday. This morning no light. These are the issues I fear, electronic gremlins. My Phateon was plagued with them, it was literally like stepping into an arcade game every time you entered the vehicle. Gee I wonder what light will come on today. With so much tech there are bound to be electronic glitches. I work in the I.T. field, I know how finicky tech can be sometimes. Anyhow, I seem to be creak and rattle free.

With regard to the battery drain issue mentioned by Executive, are you all referring to the smart key and car battery drain? I read that somewhere, something about having to lock the door when you walk away or your battery could drain? I'm hoping this as already been addressed with my vehicle as I haven't experienced that issue yet.

I'm also hearing lots of complaints about the heated windshield? I can only assume I have a heated windshield as when driving I notice some strange patterns in the glass. What exactly is the issue? Is it the patterns being distracting? Or something worse when there's ice or something on the windshield? Can the heated windshield be turned off?

 

PS: Can anyone else confirm their rear deck speakers are mounted face down (i.e. pointing into the trunk) instead of face up pointing into the vehicle. Either this is a bad design, or someone messed with the speakers in my car.

 

Jaguar will always ride more comfortable than the German cars. But, they can be pushed as hard, if not harder. Hard riding cars don't always mean better handling or traction, as the suspension in them are not as composed, they will tend to especially "skip" around corners if the pavement isn't nearly perfect.

The XJ has much sharper steering than an S class does, its also lighter by astounding 600 pounds. Should have no problem leaving the S class in it's rear view.

Wheels and tires are one of the most and integral part of the suspension. It's all calculated into the suspension set up from the start. Exchanging wheel size, such as the width/height will always change and have an affect on the overall characteristic, performance of the suspension.

Since you mentioned it felt floaty prior, than is it possible the struts or the rear bags are faulty and needs replacement? How many miles are on the car?

 

IMO, all German cars have this very "planted" feel. It's hard to describe, but no Jag I've ever had has this characteristic. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

 

When faced with the inevitable need to compromise on suspension tuning Jaguar always goes towards a bit softer and less taut.

BMW and MB always go towards firmer and more taut.

"Always" might not be totally accurate...but, in this case, it's pretty close.

Cheers
DD

 

Man you need to add the lighted door and trunk sill plates!!
They look cool!
.
.
.

 

Did you put anything on the passenger seat when you got into the car ? There is a check done on presence of objects/persons on the passenger seat, I believe.

 

Great forums so far...thanks for all the feedback and chiming in.

1. The car feels floaty...but I mean floaty in comparison to a CL550. As someone said, Mercedes no matter how large the car keep firmly planted and have little to no body roll. That being said I've also owned a GL450, EXTREMELY stable on cornering. It was like driving a car. Actually that's a bad choice of words that's the problem. It's not floaty, it has more "roll" than any Benz I've owned.

The Jag definitely doesn't have a suspension problem, I would be able to tell. Don't get me wrong it's firm! It's just not as firm as I'm used to. On the other hand, the ride is much smoother than any car I've owned. So there's the trade off I guess. Once I get more used to the ride, I might take it into a corner a little harder to see where my limits are.

amc and doug are correct, just can't beat that German handling.

tbird6:

I've already been investigating the option! lol.

Fraser:
That was the first thing I checked. But nothing was in my pass. seat. I'll chalk it up to a gremlin for now.

 

First welcome to the forum. I would just like to touch on some of your points. Anytime to change the rim/wheel size combination from the factory recommended you are going to mess with the handling/roll/suspension characteristics of a car. Even just changing tires from different manufactures can have a major effect on how this car handles. I started with the Dunlop Sport Maxx Gt's, Then went to the Bridgestone Pole Positions, and finally to the Michelins Pilot Super Sport(Off Size) and without a doubt the car behaves differently depending on the rubber on it. I am in Germany so I have the fortune to be able to drive my Jag to the limit on a daily basis. I do 130mph on a daily basis without the fear of jail time for extended periods of time and when I hit a no speed limit zone I am at the speed limiter until I run into traffic. Not only is straight line handling awesome I can cornered this cars at speeds I didn't think were possible. I never had a "roll" problem with this car until I put the Michelins on. I think it may have something to do with the sizes. So I am going back to the Dunlops. I go through summer tires every year and change out ever October to winter tires because its the law here. I have been changing my brake pads every year as well because they tend to go fast when you are constantly braking from 160+mph when some idiot pops into the left hand land without checking for faster oncoming traffic.

Second, the stereo. I am an audiophile. I own Bower & Wilkins in my home as well as KEF. Is this the best stereo in an automobile? No. Is it in the top 10? Most definitely. It is one of the purest audio/speaker systems you will buy. Does everything sound good in it? Almost. As indicated by their own engineers the subwoofers in the back deck are under utilized. If you turn the balance all the way to rear and turn the system up you will hardly feel anything which is a subwoofer's primary job. The woofer's in the door carry most of the LFE information for the music played. My main concern is more with the car than it is with the audio system. I play the stereo at 50. Depending on the music played and the sample rate it sounds pretty awesome. The problem is the car becomes the issue. The door panels will resonate depending on the frequency coming out of the speakers and the windscreen in the sunroof area will start to rattle. I have checked this by putting pressure on the doors and opening the sunroof. The other is the implementation of bluetooth audio streaming. If you didn't know it is variable rate. Which mean that even if you have spotify saving songs at its highest level Bluetooth audio streaming will adjust that rate to ensure music is continuously played. That has a major effect on the quality of sound coming from the speakers. Which is why music played on a cd or the hard drive will sound richer and fuller and play at the max level without any stress or clipping of the system as opposed to bluetooth streaming it. I am sure there is something Jaguar could do to improve this if they wanted to. I will agree that two 10 inch subwoofers in the back deck properly amped would add to the enjoyment of this sound system but honestly I would be happy just to get rid of the annoying vibrations and rattling. Every time it starts to happen I just want to punch a Jaguar sound engineer in the face. And I listen to everything from Classical to R&B, to New Age, to Pop, to Hip Hop.

Again welcome to the forum and to the family and I hope you continue to enjoy your car.

 

As for the handling... its all an illusion based on engineered 'feel'.
Remember that various car magazine reviews had the XJ actually producing greater handling speeds and higher cornering g's than its competitors.
Placing the XJ in dynamic mode does produce an (albeit small) improvement in 'feel'.

 

Looking for more of an improvement in feel, you could always swap out the front sway with the one from the 2014 XJR.


https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...update-108341/

 

Derrick, I really like the look of your polished wheels. Can you give me the manufacturer and model?

Thanks!

2011 XJ Base

 

I am not sure what you have been driving but, my XJL is anything but soft and comfortable when it comes to the ride. I am quite familiar with suspension setup, having built and very successfully raced my own street and full racing cars for decades and I would say that if all XJLs ride like mine than the Jaguar suspension team is entirely incompetent and should be fired.

The spring rates are far too high (stiff) for a flagship luxury sedan. I would guess those springs to be way over 400 lbs/inch both front and rear. I used to set up my ultra performance street fighters with no more than 350 lbs front and maybe 250-275 rear. In my case I am coming to the conclusion that the dampers can not keep these high-rate springs properly dampened at high frequency motions, such as when the wheels/tires respond to minute but, very close surface irregularities, such as a brand new black top surfaces where the minute imperfections have not yet been flattened by traffic. They do OK for medium to larger surface irregularities.

What you perceive as "floaty" is the result of the lack of rear sway bar size. The single biggest change you can make to get rid of that floaty feel AND to sharpen steering response is to use a far bigger rear bar than what the XJL is equipped with stock. This seem to be a Jaguar practice as my two previous XKs also came with puny rear bars, producing floaty handling and steering. A car this size needs minimum a 3/4" but, rather a 7/8" rear bar, not that toothpick that Jaguar installs in the rear.

I just went out to the garage to check the rear sway bar sizes on my XJL and the XF. I could see the XJL's by looking under but, could not get to it to measure. However, I did get to the XF and it seems to be identical size and mounting. It measures a ridiculous 0.55" diameter. I would guess that to translate to no more than 130-150 lbs/inch. A car with this much mass and weight needs more like 350+ lbs/inch. You install one with hard, poly bushings and the handling will be transformed with the car cornering as if on rails. Steering effort, accuracy and turn-in will also be VASTLY improved. That is likely the major difference between Jaguar and the Germans. Germans, particularly Porsche, are not worried about their customers screwing up, they set-up their cars with handling as the priority. That is one reason that it was commonly said before the electronic controls that more 911s left the road backward than forward.

Some manufacturers install those tiny rear bars exactly to promote heavy push (understeer) as it is safe for inexperienced drivers who might find themselves going into a corner too fast where a sharp, neutral suspension setup could spin them out. This setup will get them through. Jaguar seems to be one of those many companies who dumb-down the handling of their cars and rather place customer safety way ahead of sharp handling. Of course, with all the electronic wizardry of the past decade there is very little excuse for not setting up the car to be more (much more) neutral and leave it for the electronics to save the day after those occasional driver mistakes.

Albert

 

Hey guys, hope everyone had a good holiday. I'm just getting caught up here...

ExpatJag:
I was wrong, the sound system sounds EXCELLENT!!! The problem? You must keep your trunk empty. What I thought were rear speakers facing downward into the trunk were actually the subwoofers. Apparently Jaguar uses the trunk as the "bass box" essentially. With nothing in the trunk, the car sounds EXCELLENT!!!!! With anything in the trunk, it all gets muted and crappy sounding. It's bad enough there are no real storage compartments in the car, but I can't put anything in the trunk either! lol. I actually had my aftermarket sub and amp installed. Surprisingly it did very little given to improve the sound. Again due to having items in my trunk.

Avus9: I don't care what those reviews say, I've owned 5 Benzes, all cornered better. Sway bar is an idea! Thanks.

Ralph12345:
22" Inch Lexani CVX-44 I was actually about to reply to your other thread.

axr6/albert:

Rear sway bar sounds like a great idea. Do you happen to have any part numbers tnumbers for a good one? Did you install one?