I had a 1997 XJ6 and I now have a 2004 XJ8.

Both beautiful cars in their own right.

My 1997 would ride like it was on glass no matter what type of conditions I drove on or at any speed.

My 2004 rides beautiful on nice smooth roads but....

Is it my imagination or does my older 1997 absorbed bumps less harshly then my 2004. It seems that my 2004, (keep in mind the 2004 has no front end issues, new control arms and brand new struts, vurtually like new) handles irregular roads and bumps more abruptly that the 1997.

I know that the 2004 has the air suspen....Can that be the difference?

It seems like other people must have felt this way. The new designed XJ got rid of the air susp in the front and only have them in the rear?

Any comments on your ride?

 

Well I dont have a new one with air suspension, but from reviews I have read about various luxury cars, air suspension has upsides and downsides. Air suspension doesnt seem to absorb the bumps at low speeds as well as a conventional set up, but out on the freeways theyre supposed to be similar.

Not only that but the X350 is a much stiffer (and lighter) chassis, so with less flex its not absorbing as much, forcing the air suspension to do all the work. Now Im not saying that a stiffer chassis would result in a substantially noticeable difference in ride comfort, but I think its a combination of many things that is the end result.

But the upside is it does handle much better so when you are on a swift country lane it makes it much more enjoyable to string the corners together!!

 

You have found out the truth that the older Jaguars rode much better from a comfort point of view. Problem for Jaguar is that the other up-market manufacturers are all successfully selling "performance, performance, performance" and then there is this big-wheel syndrome we have now with 20" wheels and thin rubber-band looking tyres. My old Series 3 XJ6 had 15" wheels with 205/70 VR15 tyres and was a model of comfort. Now my X350 has been changed from 20" to 18" wheels it is acceptable to me, but not a patch on the Series 3 ride. But handling is better, so I suppose we ask too much.

Of course reliability and build quality are far better than the old models. When I think of the condition of my old 1980 XJ6 on purchase at 8 years old, and my current car at 7 years, there is just no comparison at all ! The old XJ6 needed extensive, (and I mean extensive), body repairs due to rust, plus a cracked block, worn out suspension joints and so on and so on.

We and Jaguar have moved on, thank goodness

 

Agree, agree, agree. I agree with all the responses here. I too own both an X300 (96, VDP) and an X350.

The X350 was designed with more ride safety and bias toward "performance suspension" minded owners, plus the bigger dia wheels. My X300 has 16s and the X350 has 18s, and those are small compared to the X350 options. Yes, agree too, the VDP is much heavier - more wieght suspended on more rubber, the strut persormance almost (almost) becomes inconsequential.

With the X350, besides the larger rims, the air suspension responds to numerous road conditions and speeds by modifying the ride quality. It leans toward safety and sport with comfort last. This might sometimes be felt as a stiffer ride under these conditions.

Completely different rides and very different driver's seating positions. I appreciate both rides for their differences.

 

I have heard that the X350 wipes the floor with the Lexus LS' ride, which is saying quite a bit because the Lexus is geared towards comfort compared to the German rivals.

I havent driven the Lexus to compare for myself so Im basing my facts on journalists reviews.

 

I think it's probably the other way around.

 

"Probably slightly sportier ride/handling compromise than many people expect (especially on the larger rim sizes), but the XJ remains one of the best riding cars in the class. Makes mincemeat of long journeys. Smoother than a big Lexus, which is truly saying something."

http://www.topgear.com/uk/jaguar/xj-series/verdict

This is of the new XJ not the X350. They removed that review after they posted this new review. But the new one is supposed to be firmer than the X350 it replaces.

 

Guys, I have a 1990 Lexus LS400 with 213K miles. It is not as smooth as my 04 XJ8 on a flat road but it sure handles bumps better and it needs $500 worth of front end work. It think its the air suspension and how much pressure, some bumps actually make the steering wheel jerk a little.

But nothing nothing compared to my 97 XJ6L. I will alway miss her. Damn Divorce!

 

An update............

Having just driven my newly purchased and now on-the-road 1977 MG Midget hobby car, I can say that compared to the MG my X350 is smooth as silk.

So now I'll try to use the MG once a week to make sure I appreciate the Jaguar more !!

 

97Jaguarxj6:

I had even a bigger change when I went from a 96 XJ6 to a 2005 S-Type. The S-Type was much firmer in all types of roads. On the flip side, the S-Type was significantly more agile and the handling limits seemed quite a bit higher. I found that my driving style has changed so that I now drive quite a bit harder (not sure that's a good thing though).

Mike