For those of you who no longer drive your X308 on a daily basis or have a second car for bad weather days, battle with the grocery store shopping carts, etc, what's your "beater"? I actually retired the X308 in 2017, as it was getting up there in age and miles, was leaking oil quite badly and needed all of its suspension redone. With the idea that a newer car would be more reliable, I updated (not upgraded), to an X250 but I had to install the Spires suspension and taller sidewalls to make it tolerable. Situations change tho.

Next April, our office is relocating and I will no longer have a parking garage at work. One summer in the Texas sun and I'm sure the now eight year old XF's dash would be all curled up by August. I've gone through everything on the X308 since so its back in shape, but I don't want to subject it to the Texas sun either. Plus sadly, the XF up through 50K miles so far has not been anywhere near as reliable as the old XJ8 was through 100K. I had actually been considering to sell the X308 to free up a garage bay for another classic car, but now I'm rethinking that plan. It occurred to me that if I were to trade the XF on a "beater" that could sit outside in the sun at work and could also sit outside at home too, that would free up a garage bay, then maybe I would keep the XJ8 AND still have room for another classic car. I just don't know if I can do the whole "beater" thing. I'm the guy who watches the weather radar, strategizing how I can avoid driving in the rain, and then if I can't avoid it, feel compelled to wash (by hand of course) the instant the rain stops.

This would be the 85% of the time car, so I'd want something modern, say 2015 or newer and above all, excellent ride quality and comfort. It just can't be anything too cool or I'd surely slip back into my obsessive-compulsive behavior pattern. I ask my fellow X308 owners since you maybe have made similar choices. I know there's nothing on the market in the last decade that comes close to the x308's magic carpet ride, but I'd want to get as close as I could, certainly nothing with 19" wheels and rubber band tires.

 

My two beaters are a 1988 Chevy S10 pickup and a 1998 Dodge Caravan, both are in excellent condition and low miles but together not valued at more than $5,000 bucks. The Chevy is a stick-shift, both have manual windows and minimal electronics, they sit outside but you wouldn't know it from looking at them. The pickup is perfect for hauling stuff, the Dodge is perfect for hauling up to 7 people and/or stuff. Despite their "soccer-mom-reputation" a mini-van is just about the perfect all-around vehicle, and you can pick them up for next to nothing.

 

Good luck finding anything 2015 or newer that doesn't have painted on tires. Everything is a track day car now, if you want a highway cruiser you have to go with an SUV. But if you want a cool car with some oomph I would check out the Kia Stinger, great prices right now.

Your average 15 year old Camry will offer a good ride as most were sitting on 15" or 16" rims with high sidewalls. It would be damn reliable, get good mileage and parts are dirt cheap. If you want something more upscale get a used Avalon or an early 2000s Acura TL. Almost anything after that will have skinnier tires and a harsher ride. If you don't care what it looks like get a used Buick LeSabre. It rides on a cloud, the 3800 V6 is near bulletproof and gets 30 MPG on the highway. Parts are also dirt cheap. The days of the land yachts are over.

 

I don't want an OLD car as that's part of my problem. What's kind of starting to bother me is that every time I want to start a project on one of my classic cars, the XF demands my attention for the next two or three weekends. My classic cars have a long list of repair needs but the XF has almost become a.... "wife". She's pretty but with apologies to those who married her twin sisters, she's no supermodel. I need to think more like a settler on the prairie, sending off for a mail-order bride; someone who may be homely but young, healthy and can take care of things around the cabin her own damned self.

I actually did drive a new Buick Lesabre back in 2017 before buying the XF so that's a good suggestion. The previous generation was medusa hideous but the latest version looks decent enough. The ride is decent too, but the seats.... oh, the seats were awful. The flat seat squabs were four inches wider than me and there was not enough lumbar support. I thought about taking it to an upholsterer but that kind of customization kind of leads to "obsessing" again.

I kind of doubt any SUVs would do it no matter how car-like they claim they are because you can't overcome the laws of physics. I've been in a number of SUVs (everybody and their dog drives one it seems) and they're all painful. I think it has to do with how far the seat bottom is from the roll-center of the vehicle. The farther it is away, the more your body get tossed around going over uneven pavement. I've never driven or ridden in any of the class of vehicles they call "crossovers" tho.

 

I'm going to recommend a 2016-2020 volvo v70/v90 standard and XC variants, the seats are to die for ( when my x308 is in for repairs the 04 xc70 comes out to play) , the ride quality in the xc70 isn't to far from the x308 plus, no one expects a volvo to be fast. As for a beater their basically bullit proof so more like a really really nice daily or dare I say GT (I can comfortably cruise for hours in her). Also if you have really ypung children theira a rear facing third row seat , built in booster seats and volvo durability if the unexpected happens. Best regards.

 

2016 Infiniti Q50 here it's sweet.

 

Leased Lincoln Continental. As big as the XJL, slightly better hp/weight; Bluetooth and navigation, nearly as comfortable seats and ride over bad roads (those upper shock mounts the difference); anything faults, off to the dealer -- and they come and get it, providing another 'beater' loaner!

 

The new Lincoln Continentals are very nice, but really too nice. I couldn't spend that much money and leave it outside. I'd be obsessing over it. I've driven a Q50. Stiff ride. Infinity saleman said they come with run-flats standard. I might have bought a Q70/M56 though back when I bought the XF if one of 5.6L variants with standard suspension had come along. However, there were at least 100 XFs for sale to every one Q70/M56. They did offer 18" wheels with some decent sidewalls as standard equipment and had a decent ride, but those with the v8 were very hard to find and almost always came equipped with the "S" trim, which included 20 inch wheels and stiffer suspension. At the time, I was dead set on getting one of the last of v8 sedans, figuring I by the time I updated again, there wouldn't be any. But I guess I've gotten that out of my system now. But even with the Q70 3.7L, they're still pricey today and I'm not sure I could spend that much $ and leave it outside. I was thinking more in terms of Japanese or domestic, blue collar cars.

Anyone ever been in a Honda Crosstour? They came with 225/65r17s which is pretty decent sidewall and the automotive journalists hated the handling (which may indicate they actually ride good). They're ugly enough to leave parked outside.

 

I just use a 97 X300 as the daily beater, demands a lot less attention than the 308 and everything else that’s come and gone until recently anyways. it’s arguably the better car in general just feels really old inside.

If I wanted a newer car that had comfort and some get up and go it’d probably be the Lexus GSF but those are still criminally expensive used, of course the 350 is a little more reasonable.

Too bad we don’t have citroens around here, even their cheapest econoboxes rode better than an old jag, unfortunately they ditched their hydraulic suspension a few years ago.

 

The xjr 100 is my semi daily car. I mostly work from home. I have a 96 collector edition lt4 vette, but it needs trans work at the moment.

 

I tried working from home during the early days of the pandemic, but I realized that it was too easy to take a five minute break to clear my head, step out into the garage and not come back inside for an hour.

 

After see this "spot" i must say 1+ for volvo:

 

Were I in your position, I'd give strong considerations to ditching the XF for a late model Camry, mileage somewhat immaterial. Pretty much indestructible and cheap to operate. My beater is a 2014 Prius at 66k and I use the 30k-mile, new-to-me X308 for fun drives and weekend stuff ... when i'm not chasing engine lights, updating the transmission and chasing a humming noise in the drive line.