Guys/Girls,

The Jag was totalled as I figure, the factory amp caught fire and burnt the entire trunk.

Got a good payout of $8000.00 with tax and the $250.00 deductiable. Had to fight for that, their first offer was $5450.00 and I figured since I put so much money into it I should get more in which I did.

I am going back to the BMW family with a 2002 BMW E39 540i Sports w/136500 mi. The 4.4 V8 pushes out 290HP, no where near Jaguar 390HP. The 0-60 is around the low 6's, I am getting 25 MPG, close to 400 miles out of a full tank, something I was not getting out of the XJR. Here is some info on E39, BMW 540i 540 performance

I don't have to put too much money into like I did with the Jaguar. But, I do have a couple of issues like the ABS, Traction Control and Brake light comes on, which could be a wheel sensor or the module, had the same issue when I had the BMW 740il, replacement of the module fixed that. I have to get the dealership to up the RPMs at idle and the sunroof rails are broken, its cold, so I can put that off until spring/summer time. Plus, some of my left over parts from the 740il are enterchangeable with the 540 and I still have the BMW diagnotic software, where I can program my own modules.

Beside that it drives and handle amazing, no where near as bouncy as the Jag.

I have attach a couple of picture of the toasted trunk of my Jag and the new/old 540i.

Guys/Girls be safe out there, will miss the club, learned a lot from the forum and hope I gave a lot.

Thanks,
Steven G. Breeden

 

sorry about your loss, that looks like a nice 5 series, maybe we'll see you back on jaguarforums some day with another XJ

 

sorry to hear about what happened

 

Sorry to hear that the XJR is done. If it would happen to me, I'd be on the market for another one. I owned few BMWs (still have the X5 as my travel car), and I find that the Cat is easier for me to DIY on. BMW seems like it's too packed under the hood, and everything is very hard to get to. As I primarily DIY, I stay away from the Beemers.

I also have a BMW motorcycle, and that thing I LOVE.

I also prefer the Cat's behavior on the freeway. I found out that I can sit behind the wheel of the cat much longer, and not get tired as quickly as I do in the BMW (except X5, that thing IS comfortable). BMW sedans let me feel too much road, and after a while, that get's me tired (and I'm talking about 2K miles one way trips that I take from time to time). If I would drive it in town it would be OK, but not easy to DIY.

Anyway,.....I don't know how some people can do with just one car. I know I can't. I don't think there is a such a thing as the "perfect car" (for all occasions). They all do something better, and something worse than the others (kinda like my bikes,......BMW for fast and comfortable, KTM for the mountain and off road, and the KAW for SUPER FAST with backache!).

 

@danielsland, how does the S430 compare to the VDP?



I have to admit the E39 BMW feels like it is made with higher quality parts than the X308. MY dad has a 2000 528i that he has owned since new, and despite it having over 200k miles, it does not rattle at all, and feels as stiff as it did when it was new. I bet your 540 with 134k miles still feels as solid as a rock. The XJs seem to develop rattles as the get older, and the chassis doesn't feel nearly as stiff. The subtle things like the tactile feedback from radio buttons, door handles and etc. are top notch on the E39.

However, the 528i is much more boring to drive than my VDP. It feels bulky compared to the VDP, despite being much smaller. I feel confident when throwing the VDP around on hard turns. The 528i's steering rack provides way more feel than the VDP, but the suspension feels a bit more vague in hard turns. I have never driven a 540 so I can't comment on that one.


Btw, what do you think caused the amp to catch fire? Was the car parked?

 

I'm sorry for your XJR
But why no E39 M5? It should cost nearly the same like your 540

My younger brother is driving an M5 and sometimes i must drive the car, also a nice ride but i still prefer the XJR....
With the M5 everybody knows you are fast, but with the XJR they cant believe whats happening

 

Sorry to hear about that... good thing you're alright and that it didn't happen while on the road as it could have ended much worse.

What are going to do with "rest" of the car?! It seems that the fire did a good damage to the trunk and the fuel tank... but what about the interior and most important when talking about XJR - what about the engine?! It seems that it should be in perfect condition despite the fire?

 

I feel sorry for your loss and wish you all the best, Steven!

Maybe one day you'll get infected by the Jag fever another time and we'll meet here again.

 

My condolences on your grievous loss. I wonder if this is something that can happen to other XJs. It wasn't an Alpine sound system was it ? Now I'm going to be checking the boot for smoke when I get out !

 

Steven, I'm really sorry to see that. Oh well. It's good to see no harm done apart from the car, and you've obviously handled it in a business like way.
When mine was totaled I couldn't live without one, I even considered an Audi Allroad, and M5 before finding more R's to play with, maybe one day you'll be casually browsing and find something, like a noisy 'charger for little money and think, Ah, I can fix that.....anyway, good luck with the BMW, has it got a replacement engine, because that's another nikasil engine?
Also, do you have any idea how the amp ignited? Had you done any work in that area? I'm stunned and impressed it didn't boil the petrol and explode, looking at the filler tube, it got very hot right there.
Take care, and always welcome around here

 

@Sandy85 - the 5 series is a common car, which I don't like to see myself on the road, which is why I opt for the 540i with the sports package. The other 5 series don't compare in looks. I am a big guy 6'4" at 230, the seats fit me find, a little firmer than the XJR, but the build is amazing at 10 years old they still look new. You have the drive a 540i sports in order to get the WOOO! factor.

@jaguarxjr02 - I might, if I can find one in the alumium body style in the future. Even though I love the 1998 to 2002 body style, the rust really turned me off from looking for another XJR. I was needing to replace the driver and passenger side floor pan , along with some other rusted parts. The 540i is amazing car, just smaller version of the 740, the build is solid. Not a speck of rust under the car. YEAH!!!!

@danielsand - I always been a BMW fan, I love the handling and style. When I purchased the XJR, I purchased it because of the looks and spec. From the factory at 390 HP, I wanted to see what I was missing. The bad, I purchase a bad example of one, plus it was a rush buy. I didn't have time to really search for a good one, being the insurance gave me two day before I had to return the rental. Learn my lesson and started shopping early this time.

@burmaz - That is correct, the flaws I saw in the XJR at 99k miles, is not in the E39 at 136k miles, not a rattle, it is very solid. The seats are still looking new, I mean it all ***** down to, how the previous owner took care of it. And I got a good example of a well kept car. The same turns I took in the XJR at 40mph, I can take in the E39 at 60mph and it felt like it was sticking the road, unlike the XJR, I like to felt the road.

@maxville - Ohhhhhh how I would have loved to get a M5, but they running from $12k to $18k, I got the 540i for $7800.00. An most owner of a M5 probably beat the hell out of them, I know I would. The 540i sports has everything M5 has, except for the engine, my is automatic and the LSD differential, everything else is the same. I already have a LSD on order and should be here next Tuesday, along with the half drive shalf since the diff is one inch longer than the 540i diff. Besides that, I'm leaving it stock, maybe cut off the resonator, for more exhaust note.

The main reason for not getting another XJR is the gas, I travel 186 miles and day and getting 17 MPG highway, and that was after giving her a turn up. I was filling up every day and 1/2 at $60.00 a pop, it was killing my pockets. I opt for the BMW because with the 740, I was getting 21 mpg and I was using every horse it came with. I couldn't do that in the XJR, as soon as I start any performance driving, I only got a day out of a tank. As of today, the 540 giving 25 MPG, since Wednesday fillup, I'm at 243 mile and still have a 3/4 tank left and that with some performance driving and cruising.

@Estilian - have no clue of why the amp got hot to the point of ignition, but fire department came to me asking what was that in the trunk on the drives side, I told them a CD player, I didn't even know the amp was located there. The rest of the car is intact, no damage at all, just to the boot. The FD stated if I didn't open the trunk it could have been worst. I was driving to work when it happen, started smelling something burning, thought it was coming from outside through the vents, look in the rear view mirror and saw smoke, pulled over and jump out, open the trunk and WOOOOOOHHHHH! flames, and I ran. Call 911 and 5 mins later fire was out.

@highway star - maybe, we see.

@jimmyL - Nope I had the HK system, the radio was off when it happen.

@seanb - Nope, no work performed in that area, the fire department too, was amazed how the tank held up, been the fire melted the plactic cap and the surround aren on the filler tube. If I was to go back the Jaguar, it would be the S-Type R supercharger, the dealer I purchase the BMW from had one, asking $15K though. But it was SWEEEEETTTTTT!!!! it actually purr like a kitten, but roared like a Jaguar.

Thanks,
SGB

 

S 430 has the AMG/Designo package, and it's a great looking car. Very comfortable. Has three suspension settings, and the standard was dubbed "mush setting" by my wife. The car wallows, and feels like a boat in the standard mode. "Sport one" is better, and "Sport two" is GREAT. These settings not only change the points of shift in the tranny, but they also change the linkage stiffness, ride height, and the steering geometry. Driving this thing is like sitting on the sofa, and watching the world go by on 55" plasma. Visibility is much better than VDP. It has gobbs of power (way more than VDP), and it screams when you want it to. There is more room in the cockpit, and the whole interior, including the trunk. The sound system is WAY better than the Harmon in the VDP. I find myself constantly speeding in it. It loves to run around 100mph, and behaves the best over that. I like the sound system in it, and maybe that's what makes me speed in it too. The instrument cluster is MUCH better than VDP, and way more legible. The leather quality is WAY behind Cat's leather. The whole interior feels too "plasticky". I owned two S class cars before, and they had every little piece of interior wrapped in the finest Corinthian leather. Not this one.

Both of us (my wife and I) are constantly "fighting" who will take VDP out for the day! The Cat is MUCH smaller inside (overal lenght of both cars is the same), seats are smaller, but they craddle you better. The sitting possition makes one thinking that he's driving a sports car, and sometimes I have to look around to make sure it's still a big sedan. Instrument cluster is hard to see in the daylight, radio sucks, and I never listen to the music in it. I listen to the sound of the engine (way different than the Benz, and almost sexy!). The car glides over the road, and that interior is something Germans can only dream off. Power is OK,....nothing to brag about, but it's a classy, comfortable ride.

Benz has only 75K on the clock (the Cat has 83K), and we are thinking of using it on the Vegas runs only. I am looking for the XJR, and she will get the VDP for a daily ride ( she likes it that much). When we go to party to Vegas we are not taking the dogs with us,..... if we travel with dogs, we take the X5. When we travel with horses, we take the Sierra 2500 with the trailer.

Like I said,.....there is NO car that does EVERYTHING. One needs several to have every situation covered.

Kinda like women! Too bad the Mormon Church "abolished" polygamy, otherwise I would consider moving to Utah (I can talk like this,...she never reads this forum!!).

 

Sorry about it, I have been waiting for pics, I remember your
thread when you mentioned it, asking about the radar detector
option. Surprised they would total it, but hopefully you got a
big check in the end.

I agree with Sandy, the E39 is the last fine BMW. Great looking
and great driving too.

As a note on rust, my last Jag was a Buffalo, NY car, and was
free of significant rust. Just surface rust underneath. 2002 XJ Sport.

Happy motoring,

Ian

 

I once had an E34 540i & that was a barrel of fun over the 50k miles I put on it. Fuel economy was excellent & it would do 30 miles per UK gallon on long motorway cruises in the summer months. I once got almost 500 miles from a tankful-the kind of range you'd expect from a Diesel, not a big petrol V8

The Jag has the style, looks, comfort & refinement though-as well as the edge in acceleration in the XJR version. The BMW had more in reserve if you were driving really hard-something it seemed to encourage all the time & probably contributed to the reputation of BMW drivers, compared to their more 'gentlemanly' Jag counterparts

 

Very sorry to hear about your Jag, but have fun with the BMW!