Hello,

Is there any way to program the car to ride a bit softer? The car seems rather firm and is the ride is certainly stiffer than my 2000 XJ8 VDP. The car has ZR 20 tires if that makes a difference.

 

Ah yes, David, I too would love to have the ride of my old 2001 XJ8. But, nope you cannot have a high sportscar performance sedan with stiff narrow wall 20'' tires, high g lateral side force, and super duper sportscar suspension for cornering. I don't know why we have to have that for a luxury passenger sedan, but we do. Apparently, the market demands it. You can help the ride with 19" wheels as has been written about on this forum. Read up on what touring tire gives the latest softest ride. I picked Michelins and keep them at 31 psi just for the ride. (I read you can vary the pressure within 10% of what is specified and still be safe). Fooling with the wheels and tires is about the only thing you can change to impact the ride. I specifically picked the XJ x351 for the ride because it was softer than the harsh ride of a Mercedes when comparing luxury sedans if that is any consolation.

 

Remember the earlier Jaguars had 4 wheel air suspension. They dropped that and went to only rear air suspension on the later models.
So big changes were made.
.
.
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Wow, thanks for that thorough reply! That certainly describes this car's characteristics but I was not expecting it to be so. Oh well, it is a marvelous car not withstanding the stiff performance ride! I don't think I will endeavor to replace the wheels and just drive on as is!

Best, Dave

 

Try fitting tires with a 1/2 inch higher

sidewall. Make sure they fit.

 

David, a 19" wheel would allow you to mount a higher profile sidewall tire there by giving more flex and a softer ride. Remember how the tires had a lot more sidewall and lower tire pressures on our XJ8s .

 

Hi David,

I purchased some new wheels for my car's 10th birthday. These are semi forged and weigh 11.5 Kg each, which is a lot lighter than the standard wheels and do improve the ride noticeably. The handling is a little sharper too.

I considered 19inch wheels but was warned that they may not clear the brake calipers, which are larger on the "R".

I can let you have details of the wheels I purchased if you are interested.

Regards,

Kem

 

David, FYI, I pulled this off the internet some time ago and I came across it again. Apparently, Jaguar makes an 18 inch wheel just to satisfy the comfort issue. Check the 4th sentence in this old announcement: All-new for 2016, Jaguar has massaged the 3.0-litre V6 diesel to deliver 296bhp and a colossal 700Nm of torque. It weighs a little under two tonnes yet does the 0-100kmph run in just 6.2 seconds. That’s a pleasantly fast luxury limousine. Jaguar has also reduced the tyre size to 18 inch wheels with 50 profile fronts and 45 profile rears, aimed at giving the XJ L a more comforting ride than the 19 inchers did prior to this facelift. And they do a brilliant job of ironing out all road irregularities. It’s poised and levels out the worst of road surfaces without having that floaty feel of large luxury sedans. The steering is new as well, an electrically assisted unit now that feels super-light in the city but weighs up brilliantly when you push it through a series of corners. The XJ L feels a lot tighter than its cushy quilted leather insides and 5.25 metre length suggest.

 

Looks funny with the huge sidewalls.
https://www.evoindia.com/cars/2016-j...-diesel-review

 

lotusespritse, I agree but I think it's because we've grown accustom to seeing the low profile tires on this latest body style. That's what the tires used to look like on the previous XJ8s. ....back in the fat tire day when you could rub a curb and not kill your wheel.

 

David, I have been tire shopping on and off in preparation for my next tire purchase since I too would like a softer smoother ride. For your future reference, I have been considering the Michelin Primacy 4 Plus and the Michelin Pilot Sport 5. Both are Michelin premium touring tires. Check out this YouTube comparison video:

 

That is a rather impressive set of tests! When I replace tires on all my cars I always buy Michelin as I find they preform well, last a long time, and are generally quiet riding. When I purchased my 2015 XJL it came with nearly new Continental Extreme Contact tires. I can't say the Michelins would be quieter but these tires are not objectionably loud. Some of the freeways here use rather a rather pebbly surface compound to reduce the amount of water on the road and do generate a good bit of sound relative to a smooth pavement. Also, as the roads wear, the pebbles dislodge and the cars are bombarded with stone chips.
It appears the Micheline is a better tire and if I had owned this car before the tires were replaced, it be riding on Michelins.
My XJL came from out west and has few stone chips for a 100K mile car in my opinion. Certainly not a scientific test! Just observations from driving around the Atlanta area for may years.
From the test above, I'd go with the tires that rode the softest and quietest! Thanks for sending this link Freddy J!