For the most part, magnetorheological dampers are only available on high end sports cars and the more sporting trim levels of sedans that also include larger brakes, bigger wheels, lower profile tires and in many cases, stiffer springs, i.e. usually its part of a performance package, if anything compensation for having all that extra stiffness. I was reading about Ford tho has some system of sensors under the front bumper that's supposed to detect potholes before the wheels hit them and adjust the dampers to prevent wheel damage, but gee, wouldn't that be unnecessary if they just installed some 60 series tires in the first place?

But still, remember that the dampers are there to "control" the spring movement and are tuned to the corner weight and the spring rate of the vehicle. A much smaller variation in stiffness is possible through variable valving or viscosity, but the spring does nearly all the work. Thirty plus years ago, luxury sedan spring rates were typically in the low 100s of pounds per inch which gave us the "floating on a cloud" ride. Today they're often in the high 300's which would have been an aftermarket upgrade to a Mustang back then.

 

My old '86 XJ6 SIII wafted like a plush carpet so I think it's the spring rates rather than air or magnetic shocks that affect the ride quality. My X350 has some of that plushness depending on road surface and most Lexus cars/SUVs definitely have that. I don't need to be 'connected to the road', just want a serene comfortable driving experience.

 

Nothing makes driving my X350 feel more special than driving something else on a regular basis.

I’d been using the Jag as my daily driver until about 6 months ago, when my wife upgraded from her old R170 Mercedes SLK (1998) to an R172 SLK (2014). Rather than sell the R170 for next to nothing, and wearing the Jag out by using it as a daily driver, I’ve been driving the old SLK to work 4 days a week. Now that I’m using the Jag as my drive-to-work work car only once a week, it feels like it’s had a suspension and performance upgrade every time I drive it .
Even though I’ve had the Jag for nearly 5 years, every time I park it I still turn around and look at it as I walk away. Not bad for a “Botched re-design”.

 

That's a very nice color. I have not seen Indigo Blue or any blue X350 in U.S. I drive mine a couple times a month to the symphony and nice restaurants. I don't know of another $5000 used car that would 'look the part' in those settings.

 

In spite of my previous comments, there was one aspect of the X350 design Jaguar did botch. Thank goodness for Ebay, I was able to “un-botch” it quite easily.
If I’d done more research at the time, and realised the genuine Jaguar mesh was a little bit more widely spaced than the aftermarket mesh I’d bought, I might have de-botched it even more...

 

That was one of the very first things I did when I got my car, replacing the 'egg crate' grill --

 

Wow... what a difference a simple grill change can do to a car.... Great job

 

Ok CRAP! Now I've gotta upgrade the grill!

 

I must admit I am a little confused - To my eye the second grille looks more like an 'egg crate' than does the first? Am I being a bit stupid and missing something here?

 

idk, the mesh grill may be good for salmon eggs.

 

Maybe so - But I still do not get how the first grille could possibly be used to hold eggs?

 

If you buy a dozen eggs in the US. They are arranged like this:

0-0|0-0|0-0
0-0|0-0|0-0

 

Ahaa....Thank you pkoko, now I sort of get it!
And presumably, if you let the eggs hatch you could enclose the resultant chickens with the 'Chicken Wire' from the second grille?
All that the new grille and the 'faux' air vents on the sides need to really look up-to-date and classy is a nice spoiler on the back? Perhaps some flared arches and a body kit?
I realise the originator of this post is simply encouraging debate; anyway, here is my two-pennyworth!
It seems to me that in order to please some Jaguar lovers, all Jaguar needed to do was change the grille to avoid a 'botched redesign'! Given this, one can only wonder why they bothered with all that ground-breaking aircraft technology to greatly improve the power-to-weight ratio over all previous models?

 

I think the X350 would've done better had they implemented the Portfolio-style side vents instead of the X358 versions.

 

The 350 wasn't a botched re-design. It's a better car then the 308 in just about every way. And the 308 was a great car in it's own right.

That mesh grill does look nice but I'm happy enough with the original, for now

 

David, I couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, I think my current situation is the embodiment of your post. Last year, I bought a 2013 X351. Lovely car really, but compared to my X100 XKR - something was missing? I can't put my finger on it, but it doesn't feel like a proper Jag to me. So, I'm selling it now (it's for sale in the Marketplace if anyone is interested). And I just purchased a gorgeous X358 2009 Super V8 Portfolio to replace it. The last and best of classic Jags in my opinion.

 

When I was looking for a Jaguar, I knew I wanted an XJ. At first I started looking for X308, but after a small test drive, I figured out that those cars are not designed for taller drivers. I am 192 and could not fit there comfortably. When the headliner is touching your hair, that is not a nice experience at all. Older cars that I was able to locate were XJ40s, where I had similar problem.

X350 is a very good evolution from older generation cars. First of all, it is a very comfortable car where I can fit in. Rear leg room is also nice in short wheelbase model that I prefer to LWBs. At the same time, silhouette of the car is there, it is instantly recognized as a Jaguar. X358s also look good, but those bumpers give more of a "sport" look than elegant look I was looking for.

I think disadvantages that might have impacted the sales were not the looks and styling of the car, but the infotainment system that was already old in 2003 and never got a real update.

When BMW changed 7 series in 2003, many though to switch to Jaguar XJ rather on the newer 7 series, but the infotainment system and the toys that BMW could offer to its clients were not present here. There is not manual adjustment to the suspension, Sport mode does nearly nothing, there is green, pixelated odometer instead of modern display...

Even when Jaguar updated X350 to X358, not much changed inside the car. I firmly believe, that the flagship car that had to struggle due to its design back in 2003 was not an XJ but Audi's A8. It had same concept of aluminium body and conservative design, but they went for the best toys on market

 

I read an interesting article last year sometime talking about infotainment systems. Most cars even today, the infotainment systems are about five years behind where consumer tablet technology is. Especially ten to fifteen years ago, the article said that infotainment was sort of an afterthought by car manufacturers who were for the most part just buying the technology rather than developing it themselves (tho that is changing). Their primary decision point was reliability rather than being the latest and greatest. I.e. they all bought technology that had a proven track record even though it was already several years old. They still keep sort of old technology around and keep it locked down because they're not comfortable with the idea of the dealership service center having to do "tech support" like Tesla does.

 

Anyone who suggests that the X350 lacks the low, sporty Jaguar Saloon style has not looked at the Jaguar XJ8L. That long wheelbase loses any possible inclination the car has to portliness! And incidentally, I much prefer the lack of chrome on the door pillars (I don't know what they are called) - This continues the flow of the car whereas the chromed pillars? on the X308 are (in my opinion) ugly! I mean, just look at that gorgeous curve on the rear window!!

 

Some here complain that the suspension isn't as soft or smooth as on older Jags ... may I suggest that it was then (older models), not now, that Jag 'lost the plot' with its larger saloons (sedans) by drifting away from what a saloon Jaguar originally was ... a sports-saloon.

If people think the X350's ride compares badly with a 'Jeeves-Kamikazi' saloon then why didn't they go buy one of those in the first place ?