I made a similar thread in the x308 forum but after thinking it over I believe the x350 would make a much better all around daily driver. So, how many of you use your x350 daily and would you recommend it?

A little background, I have owned a few x308 XJRs (currently a 98) and just love the look of the classic Jag saloon. I also do all maintanance and repair on my own vehicles, otherwise I wouldn't even consider this. My requirements in a daily car are decent power, 4-doors, and a decent sized trunk. I have been driving supercharged GM vehicles (Regal, Impala) for the past 20 years and with my 04 Impala SS about to be totaled due to being hit in the rear its time to find something new. Those cars are fantastic, decent power, cheap and easy to maintain and just run forever. However, they are getting hard to find in serviceable condition and I've seen a few nice x350s for sale at decent prices so it got the wheels turning.

I know the air suspension can be problematic but I figure worst case there is a set of $1200 Arnott coilovers. What other problem areas do these cars have? In the reading I've done so far they seem to be pretty reliable and actually get decent fuel mileage which is a nice plus. The more I think about it an x350 seems like the perfect car for me, but wanted to get some real like opinions in case there's something I'm missing. I definitely need a reliable car but understand it will need looking after like all Jags. Any opinions are welcome, both positive and negative. Thanks in advance.

 

Niggly electrical issues can crop up due to marginal voltage in the battery. If mine sits for a few days, it's give me "Cruise not available" when I start it. After a few miles, shutting it off and restarting, it's fine. I've gotten in the habit of disabling the electric parking brake when i know the car is going to site, because one thing you don't want to see is "Unable to release parkbrake," another possible result of slightly low voltage. And I mean slightly!

If I drove it daily, that wouldn't be an issue, but I only take it out once or twice a week, and use either my Miata or my FJR1300 to do the daily grinds.

I did have the air suspension problem, put in the Arnott coilovers and couldn't be happier. No other major issues at all. I hate that there's no Bluetooth music streaming, but I remember how to use actual CDs.

If I get the parkbrake error, the "reset" is to pull both battery terminals, touch them together briefly, reinstall onto the battery and drive normally. the only thing I have to "retrain" after doing that is the auto-up power windows. They still auto-down, but to fix the auto-up after battery disconnect, you have to hold the switch for a few seconds after raising the window. Nothing to it. Unexpectedly (to me) the sunroof still auto-closes. US X350s don't have a radio code, so you won't have to find that and fix it.

 

The two X350s I had were both "daily drivers", and quite suitable for this task, but a bit uneconomic tootling around town, but we had my wife's New Beetle for that ! The first car, a 2003, suffered more problems than my later 2007 car, (an X358). Whilst I now have a 2017 XE, I think the economics of new(ish) car against older are not as straightforward as people may think. Yes, the XE has been virtually trouble free since I bought it in Jan 2019, so I haven't had to spend money on repairs, just maintenance. The older cars had to have more work outside maintenance. However, the newer car suffers proportionally more on depreciation, but you only notice this large cash loss when you come to sell the car or part-ex it. So I suspect my two XJs cost me less per car than my XE.

Would I go back to the XJ ? Yes, I'm thinking about it, as there are quite a lot of imports from Japan here, being RH drive there as well as here in the UK. They have low miles and are reasonably priced. The downside is that with Tata Motors buying Jaguar Land Rover from Ford, the parts back-up for these saloons is getting poorer by the day, with some items NLA already !

 

Thank you both for the replies, appreciate the info. It seems most Jaguars are sensitive to battery voltage, had some issues on my old 03 XJR that magically disappeared with a new battery. I guess that's good in that there was no other major issue, but you can definitely spend some time chasing your tail if you don't check the battery first.

Glad to hear that you used your XJs daily Fraser, what sort of issues came up with the 2003? I am mostly finding 2004 XJ8 models here in the US, 05-07 seem to be uncommon on the used market and ever more uncommon are 08-09 x358s. I'm sure the updated x358 is a great car, but for some reason I like the subdued looks of the x350 better. I wouldn't turn down any decent example at a good price, but if I had my preference it would be an 04-07 with black leather.

I've come across a few but have not gone to look at any or driven one yet. There is a beautiful XJ8 for sale on this board but it is 9 hours away from me and I just don't have the time to make the trip right now. I'd really like to go get it, but I'll have to block out a weekend to make it happen and with a 2 year old and many other commitments it just seems impossible. There are a few other local cars but they're either really high mileage or in not so great condition. I don't mind paying for a good car and I have the luxury of waiting for the right one to come along.

 

i’ve got almost 600k mi combined between my str and my 350. original engines and driveline.

350 is much nicer to drive than a 308 most of the time. no drama, no body roll, very quiet very nimble.

great throwaway beater vehicles. they don’t ask for much and parts are cheap if you can use google.


but in all honesty the x206 str is just a better car. go drive both then you’ll understand

 

@wfooshee thanks for confirming no issues with the coilover suspension. I'm basically planning on doing that right away no matter the car, even if the air works properly. Would ratther replace it now and not worry about it. I do drive long distances at times and would hate to get stranded due to that. Figured if I remove the air setup while its working I can sell it on anyway.

As far as the radio that's no issue, I dont use that Bluetooth or Apple Car Play anyway. My current car is an 04 with a basic radio & CD and that's good enough for me. I do know lots of people do care about that, my wife for one , so thank you for mentioning.

 

junkyard xf coilovers + drill. never have a problem again. i can totally rebuild 3 suspensions from top to bottom for the price of one arnott kit

04, 05 needs nothing just pull two fuses. 06 and up needs some goofy tricks with resistors.

 

Thank you! Very helpful as always. I'll have to look for more details on the XF trick, I've seen them being parted regularly around here.

 

The main questions that needs answering is what is your daily mileage and what kind of traffic?

These cars are really comfortable to drive but they come with the problems of 15-18 year old cars. Parts are easily sourced.

I have 15mile daily drive in no traffic so its fine. If your driving 100 miles a day in traffic I wouldn't consider it as a daily driver. There are diesel options.

Good luck

 

I have been driving my british racing green 2004 XJ8 as my daily driver since last November. I have driven it to Ohio twice, Georgia once, and even drove the dragon twice. I get 29-30 mpg on the highway and between 18-20 driving back and forth to work (40 mile roundtrip). It just rolled over 140,000 miles.

Mine was already converted to coilovers before I bought it. I purchased the car for $5,000 and the first thing I did was to have all the fluids replaced and the transmission service/filter changed.

I have had to replace the plastic thermostat housing assembly, battery, J-gate shifter, hydraulic shocks in the trunk, air filter, and the plastic panel that covers the back of the trunk (it was cracked from previous owner using the wrong size screws with the license plate).

The sunroof is flaky and occasionally leaks water which will then puddle under the backseat and can cause the car to throw transmission and fuel pump codes. I cleaned out the sunroof drains and threw a couple of sponges under the rear seat and that seems to have resolved the issue for now.

It doesn't use any oil but it is a bit clattery when she starts in the morning. I have low expectations and I expect a catastrophic failure any day but I will drive it like I stole it until then. I drive it hard and don't baby it. I floor it almost everytime I get in it. I will need to buy tires before the winter. I expect it will die as soon as I put $1,000 rubber on it. I probably should sell the car while I'm ahead but it is a very fun car to drive and it gets lots of compliments.
​

 

Went looking for a decent used Toyota grocery getter for the wife.
Sticker shock for nice, 6 to10 year, or older, used ones with 100 thou, or so miles.
The 04 XJ8 Jaguar, in 2016 with less than 87,000 miles, was a steal in comparison.
Was WAY less expensive, at $ 9,000, out the door.
Almost a thousand dollars added, tax, title, tag, etc.
Added to the haggled price paid, for that or any other car.
Resale falls like a stone on these cars, but with lots of Ford parts.
After the usual maintenance, & repairs.
They the nicest used cars i have EVER owned.
Also have an 07 VDP, purchased in 2017 for the same O T D price.

 

I drive about 80 miles round trip per day, 95% highway with some traffic, but not too much. I've never driven a car daily newer than 2004 so used to it. My current is a 2004 Impala SS with 287000 miles and it runs like a top, but unfortunately was rear ended last week and its most likely totaled.

I don't believe diesel is an option in the US, have only seen the 4.2 NA & 4.2 SC.

 

Great post, thank you! We sound similar. For my daily drivers I like to spend around $5k and run them until they're dead (while taking care of them of course). Since my commute is all highway the car gets a bit beat up (the front end at least) so I'm not going to but a nice new car just to put 30k per year on it and tear it up. For $5k and under the car is disposable, but usually ends up lasting me forever. Usually until it gets hit, or starts to rust. My last two drivers were a 99 Regal GS that was retired at 340k due to strut tower rust and my 04 Impala SS with 287k that unfortunately was rear ended.

Sounds like there are a few things that can come up, but overall the cars are reliable which is good. Surprised to hear about the mpg as well, that is fantastic news. If I get 25mpg I'll be happy which sounds pretty doable on the highway.

I did see a local car for sale last night that looks promising. 04 XJ8, silver with black leather, 130k. Original owner car with new tires but still had air suspension (working at the moment). Asking $4k or best offer, looks like its been for sale a for a month or more. Not crazy about the mileage, but if its been taken care of it doesnt bother me much. It will have 30k put on it annually and if it last until 200k I'd be quite happy. They have service records so I'll be sure to check for trans service, that's probably my biggest worry with the car after reading.

 

As others have pointed out, it depends on what your considerations are for a daily driver. How many miles are you driving, what fuel economy you expect, are you a stickler for proper maintenance and OE parts or just want a beater to drive into the ground?

I bought my '06 XJ in 2012 as a CPO and drove it as my primary daily vehicle until 2019. That includes 35 miles of commuting and any around-town errands. After 2019 I started working from home and with 4 other vehicles in our fleet, it is now mainly only used for long trips. Would I hesitate to drive it anywhere I needed to go? No. It's been one of the most reliable cars I've owned. But if you're going to be stranded when you find the coolant reservoir has cracked (cooling systems on the x350 are a 60k mile maintenance item), or you get an EPB fault and the car won't release, maybe not the best choice.

As Fraser pointed out, parts availability is becoming an issue. Not so much for standard stuff like brakes, filters, plugs, injectors... but anything Jaguar specific is really getting difficult to find. Interior bits are basically all discontinued at this time. I just had a difficult time sourcing an OE radiator for my vehicle. Not sure what your experience is with the brand, but if you're used to Chevy or Honda parts and aftermarket support, be prepared for a huge surprise. Small production semi-exotic make like Jag has virtually no aftermarket. Replacement wiper blades? Only OE will fit and function as new because the washer is integrated into the blade. Are there workarounds? Sure, but that goes back to whether you are looking for a factory example or a beater vehicle.

 

Thank you. That's sort of where I'm at. Why buy a boring overpriced car when I can drive an XJ for cheap and just have to put some money into maintenance which doesnt bother me. The seats in the x350 look worlds better than my x308 which is important for my long commute. Now I just need to find a good one. Luckily I'm not in a rush but my current car (while still driveable) will probably be salvaged any day now, just waiting on the other driver's insurance company to come up with an offer.

 

Very helpful, thank you. I will definitely be taking care of the car, but for all intents and purposes it will be a "daily beater". I have read about the coolant tank and would probably just replace that now along with the air suspension to avoid issues along with cooling hoses and all other basic maintenance. I have heard about the ERB issue as well, any way to prevent that?

As far as parts, that's a bummer. I have always driven GM and never an issue getting parts. Of course interior and body parts are always hard to find for 20 year old cars but maintenance items are readily available and cheap. I own a 98 XJR so am aware that some things can be difficult to find, but luckily have other cars to drive if the Jag is down for a few days. Not ideal, but I can make it work.

Honestly, if I could find another supercharged GM W-body in decent shape I'd just buy that and be done with it. I know those cars inside and out, have fixed just about anything on them, and have driven them to well over 300k with no major issues. Problem is clean examples are all buy gone and I won't drive a total piece of crap. If I'm going to drive an old car it has to look good, I do have some standards

 

Ah, gotcha--sorry I missed that you already have an x308. I misread that as you were looking for an x308. So you know how it goes with Jags, all the engine sensors and mechanicals are typically Ford or another big brand, and can be replaced fairly easily.

The EPB is hit or miss. Personally I've never had an issue, but I don't live in a place with road salt or rust issues. But the EPB and evap system live above the fuel tank, so any issues with those are a major headache. At 141k miles I've had no big issues keeping the air suspension running. Did a compressor rebuild twice early on (once due to failed front struts, which caused the comp to run until it wore out), and of course all 4 air shocks had to be replaced due to worn out shock absorbers. Not an issue if you plan to change to coils.

The cooling system on my car has been refreshed twice. Around 55k miles the dealer did the reservoir (purge line nipple likes to snap off on these), and the thermostat housing (internally deteriorates and tstat won't regulate). Right on schedule at 120k miles I had that reservoir and thermostat fail again. As long as you're not dependent on this as your only car you should be fine. I just replaced the radiator at 141k due to the plastic deteriorating and a small leak.

Definitely the 15-20 year old plastic parts that are starting to show their age and can't be sourced new. My defroster grille recently broke mounting tab, that's NLA. Previously I had to replace the 3 covers for the rear child seat mounts, and I had to do the sunroof seal. I doubt any of the window seals or weatherstrips are available. Luckily my car lives in the garage, but I'm seeing people post about dash buttons turning sticky and similar ailments.

All that said... not trying to scare you away. Even with its minor issues, this XJ has been one of the most reliable cars I've owned. I like keep mine as perfect as possible because I don't see any newer cars that appeal to me like the x350 does.

 

Shame about a lot of parts being NLA. I guess that's par for the course though with older cars and luckily there seems to be a decent supply of used stuff around. However all of the used parts will suffer from the same issues but that's another story. I've been pretty resourceful in keeping my older cars going and don't mind a bit of a challenge so no big deal. It seems like with regular maintenance these are generally reliable as far as I've been reading which is good enough for me. Was really just trying to avoid anything with fatal flaws and it doesnt sound like there are many, if any, with the x350 which is good news.

I see you're in Raleigh. The forum member with a gorgeous lower mileage x350 is in Charlotte and wish I had the time to get down there. It's a really nice car at a great price.

 

Exec summary: Buy it and drive the heck out of it--they're terrific cars and hold up well; you'll love it.

I've been dailying my XJ8 for a couple years, and fairly hard, at that (20+k/year, doing residential real estate in a large geographic region). It's been a terrific car, and I don't see why I can't or won't drive it indefinitely (unless, say, an XJR or Super V8 drops into my lap as an inexpensive project). The aluminum body is a really big deal (I'd previously wanted an Audi A8 for similar reasons, but depending on which gen of A8, either transmissions are junk or later ones with complex timing chain systems make them a no-go, and this from a previous Audi owner). This Jag replaced a Lexus LS in my fleet of a handful of cars.

Parts: Sure, a lot of fiddly Jag-specific bits are NLA, but between the aftermarket for suspension, consumables and the like, and plenty of used bits out there to be had due to these cars being at the sweet spot in the junkyard ecosystem (bottom of the curve in terms of availability and pricing), these are distinctive and inexpensive daily drivers. Since I've had mine (bought as a broken $500 project car), I've gone through the front and rear suspension (bushings, ball joints, control arms, rear tie rods and a set of low-mile used air struts in back), the transmission (serviced + solenoids and valve body overhaul), and found a bunch of the extra options on the car and added them to the car (Bluetooth, CD changer, voice module, dimming rear view mirror with compass), and found replacements for fiddly plastic things that didn't hold up well... Even with a couple sets of tires for the car and acquiring a set of Lincoln LS rims and a set of snows, I'm into the car for quite a bit less than the car's still worth, all-in. Download the manuals online, set up a laptop with SDD and an appropriate dongle (since you still have an X308, maybe you've already done this), and you'll be able to do pretty much everything you'll ever need to do to the car.

Drivetrain: The 4.2 seems to be the really sweet spot in Jag land as far as long-term reliability goes, and the ZF 6-speed is robust and pretty easy to maintain. I've been watching for an XF or later XJ, but see so many of them with dead 3.0 and 5.0 motors...

Driving it: It just feels sooo good to drive. Comfy but not floaty, can hustle hard if need be, stealthy at speed, very good gas mileage for something so big. Trunk is plenty adequate, HID lights are excellent.

Paul

 

Fantastic feedback, thak you Paul. Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. The main draw of the X350 XJ for me was the comfort, decent power, reliable drivetrain, and big trunk. I really like the x308 but they seem more like weekend cruisers than every day cars (at least to me). The mpg is really a plus as well. I do drive a lot and my supercharged Impala is doing about 24-25mpg on the highway, so if I can at least equal that with the 4.2 in the Jag I'll be happy. Sounds like owners are doing even better than that which is great to hear.

I have looked around and seen that suspension parts, maintenance parts, and basically anything to keep her running is available and not overly expensive so that's good news as well. I will definitely get the manuals as they've been helpful with the x308s and that's really all you need to keep it going.

Thanks again. Now to find a suitable example...