Go for it. Get the preventative stuff done then just enjoy it... I paid £1,900 (say $2,500) for mine. All the important stuff had been done but I had to spend another $2k on chassis and suspension and a few days of my own time sorting out some electrical gremlins - basic stuff with no parts required - it just needed patience. Other bits and pieces were things to make it more usable (new radio etc) and it now owes me about $5k but had done 93k miles when I bought it. Even if you had to spend $2k, you'll have a car you can have confidence in and that will be a joy to travel in every day ('though not nearly as exciting as your XJR!).

 

Not to worry! These cars will spoil you and are a joy to drive. I have had my X308 for eight years and after tending to the known build problems ( timing chain tensioners, water pump with plastic impeller, and plastic thermostat housing) it has been very reliable. Word to the wise - these cars are just as happy going 100 MPH as they are going 70 MPH so using cruise control can save you some grief.

 

I certainly agree with JY John, coming back from Mackinac Island, I had the music going strong,
and found myself cruising at a velocity the troopers would not have smiled at. There were none
of the indicators that normally announce that speed in other cars. So yes, I found the cruise button
and continued my merry jaunt home without the threat of cherry red lights.

 

They're definitely great high speed cruisers. I drive the PA Turnpike 50 miles each way to work every day and these days of you're not going 80+ you're going to get run off the road. I had my 03 XJR just as Covid came around and while I was still going to work every day there was nobody on the Turnpike, it was rather odd. No Troopers either. I cruised at speeds that probably would have landed me in jail, and the Jag just motored along happliy. These really are fantastic machines.

The low mileage car sold before I could go see it, but I'll kep looking. I've also seen some x350 XJs and even S-Types that look nice, may consider one of those as well. I know for the S-Type I'd want to stay 03+, do any of you guys have either an S or x350 and have any opinions? Still waiting on the insurance company to come see my Impala, but I'm not in a huge rush. I've fixed what I could and its perfectly safe to drive but will need to find a car sooner rather than later since it will undoubtedly be totaled. Looking at all types of cars, but thinking it would be nice to treat myself and drive a Jag every day.

 

I have recently seen some XKRs that are growing on me. Very nimble and quick.
However, definitely not a family vehicle.

 

Oh yes, I love the XKR. Don't really need a family car since we mostly tote the daughter around in my wife's Regal, but I definitely need a car with trunk space. Now that I think about it, the x308 trunk is pretty small, might need something a bit larger.

 

Too bad about the low mileage car! I had an '03 XJR that was my daily driver from 2006 when I bought it until 2018 when she was totaled out by a big van that ran a red light. I was heartbroken about losing her but my mechanic had an '02 XJ8 with 80,000 miles he was ready to sell and he wanted the remains of my XJR for parts so we made a deal. With COVID I have not been going to work everyday but have driven it from MD to MI and back a couple of times with no issues and tool around town in it. For me, it's not a "snow car" because I don't like driving rear wheel drive in the snow especially up and down hills but it sounds like you are used to it from your other cars. I had the Asteroid wheels from the XJR put on the XJ8 so it would look a little more like my old car. The low profile tires probably don't help the winter driving, but if I wanted practical I would get a Honda. I don't do the work on it myself, I am lucky to be close to the best Jag mechanic in Maryland so we have a long and happy relationship (when I had the accident with the R and I was standing in the road with my knee bleeding they were my first call, even before my significant other.)

One way to look at it is if you try it and don't like it you can probably resell it and get close to your money back if not all of it since you can do any needed work yourself. I paid $40,000 for my 03 XJR in 2006 with 30,000 miles on it and I have not paid a penny for a car since, other than maintenance/repairs like any car. I look at it as the smartest money I ever spent on a car. The payout from Geico was around $8000 for my car with around 130,000 miles on it. They let me keep the "remains" for $600 and despite being totaled from a little frame damage, most of it was in very good condition so it had a lot of added value as a parts car. Most other cars wouldn't be able to do that. Just the Asteroid wheels it had sell for over $200 each used and I'm still driving on those.

Right now I'm thinking about getting a different '02 or '03 XJ since I've never been wild about the silver/back combo that I have now. For the money they do make great cars. I figure I'd rather put $ into it now and then if something goes wrong than make $500/month car payments on a mediocre car that will not make me smile every time I see it. Then again, my commute is only 7 miles each way on the local streets twice a week and if the weather is bad I can call Uber or work at home so I'm not in your situation.

 

I commute 54 miles each way up and down th NY thruway. So far the Jag has not been to my office as I had some things to sort out and now I'm in Wisconsin for work, so she's tucked nicely inside the parking garage at the airport in Albany until I get back. I bought my 02 XJR with the intent of using it as a daily, knowing full well that it can and will bite me fromt time to time, but I have a spare vehicle I can use when that happens if I can't just work from home...the spare vehicle was the key for me to decide to daily this thing, I wanted an old feeling car and someting to wrench on for fun from time to time, but still use it regularly because I don't buy cars to not drive them.

The follwing pic summed up my reasoning as I was shopping for my Jag.

 

So you went from an XJR to an XJ8 - just the guy I wanted to hear from How is the NA V8 compapred to the supercharged V8? I've only owned 2 x308s and both were Rs so have no basis for comparison.

I also totally agree about driving something that makes you happy. Family and friends keep saying to get an economy car since I drive so much and I could save on gas - no way that's happening. The Impala was the "slowest" car I've ever owned but still enough power from the supercharged V6 to not be a bore.

It is too bad about the low mileage car, I guess it was as good as it looked, sold in under 24 hours. I did see a nice black on black 2008 XJ that's only a few minutes from my house with 74k on it, but its a bit more than I wanted to spend. Might go take a look, I've never driven or been in a newer XJ and wonder if it would be more usable every day than the x308. Of course the x308 looks better, but I do really like the x350 and it might be a better every day car.

 

I had an x350 VDP (‘06, Radiance Pearl, slain by a falling tree). Loved it. The engine/gearbox combo was outstanding and the mileage is about maybe 10% better because of the weight difference. I once did 32.3mpg on a 600 mile run on a cool day without the AC running! Yeah, they stand a little higher (easier for us old folks to enter and exit), but at its heart it’s a Jag. Only downside are the air shocks, but that’s an easy conversion, or at least easy on the checkbook. I’ve got a little-old-lady/Sundays only ‘03 VDP and enjoy it for weekends and car club trips. If another tree fell I’d look for an ‘08/‘09 X350 with the facelift.

 

Thank you! I quite like the x350/x358 looks so maybe that would be ideal for a driver and keep the x308 XJR for a weekend cruiser. I think being higher is actually better for a driver since even as a younger guy (40) the x308 is not the easiest thing to get in and out of. Nice to hear that mileage isn't that bad either. There is a very nice 08 facelift for sale by me but price is a bit high. Might take a look anyway. Thanks again.

 

It may just be a personal perception, however to me, the x350's do not seem to maintain the same level
of craftmanship and elegance of the x308 Vanden Plas. They certainly do not present as well and for my
personal driving style, they do not handle and ride with the same comfort level.

 

Can't argue on the look, x308 wins hands down Cant comment on the ride and I haven't driven one yet, but for daily duty I'm really thinking an x350 is the way to go. I actually love how they look from the back, but the front is pretty bad compared to the x308, no argument there. Seems they're pretty solid cars as well with the exception of the air suspension, but looks like an Arnott coil kit is only $1200 or so which isn't bad.

 

The merits or otherwise demerits of the X350’s styling have been debated at length on these forums, but suffice to say,
the car’s introduction was greeted with perplexity rather than acclaim. The X350 was in essence a fine motor car and
a worthy bearer of the XJ nameplate. Its visuals left a good many observers, not to mention prospective customers
underwhelmed. The revised XJ, which was introduced as the X358, received nothing but derision. This due largely
because it looked cheap. There was one aspect in which it did succeed. It lent the somewhat limp X350 a decidedly
more predatory appearance and to some eyes at least enhanced a design which can best be described as a colossal
missed opportunity.

 

It's funny you mention the x358 looking cheap. At first when seeing the 2008 that's for sale locally I thought it would be a much better option than the 04-06, but after looking at it more and more I actually prefer the clean, subtle lines of the 04-06. I wouldnt pass on a nice x358 if it came to that, just thought it was interesting that the more I looked at it the more I prefered the more simple looking x350.

 

I bought a 2002 Vanden Plas with 46,000 miles on it for around $4,500 in April. It was meant to be a cheap second vehicle, but became an obsession to restore it to its glory. It has become my daily driver, but not without months of repairs, preventative maintenance and restoration. The car has no rust and the underside looks brand new with stickers etc still visible and no rust.

Now that I have it sorted, I trust it as a daily. It seems well built. Anything plastic on the car may break just by looking at it.

I have done a very long list of items to make the car last another 200,000 miles and keep it looking new. I have a 2015 BMW X5 as a backup. I wouldn’t own this car without another form of transportation when something does break down and you have to wait for parts. If you have alternative transportation and can do your own work, they are a really magnificent car to own and grow on you like nothing else.

 

They can really grow on you,

 

Oh yes without a doubt they can grow on you, that's why I'm already on my second I think I've decided to go with an x350 for daily duty and keep the x308 XJR as a toy. I put a wanted post in the marketplace, hopefully something comes along. There is a ver nice x350 for sale down in NC and spoke to the owner, he had an ad on this board. If it were closer I'd already have it, but he's about 9 hours away and just too busy to make the trip at the moment.

 

There is a pretty nice x308 for sale at chicagocars.com $8k
Used 2003 Jaguar XJ8 for Sale Near Me | Cars.com

 

Thanks Randy. Very nice car! I think I convinced myself to go with an x350, but I would not turn down a nice 308 if it came along. If that were closer I amy take a look. I don't have much time for travel these days, so hoping to find something within a couple hours of me (just outside of Philadelphia, PA).