Can someone tell me which tires they prefer for the 2006 Jaguar XJ8L? I am shopping for new tires and would like an all weather tire that will do well in snow yet still look sporty? I don't care about how they handle with speed, just a good grip and quiet ride.

 

I went with Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 tires on my VDP a few months ago. Very happy with them for the same reasons for what you are looking for. Haven't had any issues with grip, but I don't drive the car aggressively.

 

If you really need good snow performance then winter tyres should be fitted. You can use these in summer too, they will just wear out more quickly. Better this than diving into a snow-filled ditch !!

Alternative if you can afford it is to have two sets of wheels with Summer and Winter tyres on each.

As for makes, last summer I fitted a set of Pirelli P6000 Powergy tyres. Previous fronts were Pirelli and lasted about 35k miles. I had Accelera Phis on the back that got to 30k, but not so good in the wet.

 

Hi Faith2231,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums! It's great to have you with us.

I'm on my second set of Yokohama ADVANs on our '93 XJ6, and plan to put Yokohamas on our '04 XJR when the current Pirellis wear out. The newer models are the ADVAN Sport and the AVID ENVigor. The Bentley-RR dealer that services my brother-in-law's Continental GT put ADVAN Sports on his car, and they're great.

I've found the Yokos to provide excellent wet/dry traction, good snow traction, very low road noise, good tread life and excellent handling and steering response.

A great place to compare the specs and prices of tires is tirerack.com

You may be tempted to install tires with a lower speed rating than specified by Jaguar because you don't intend to drive over 149 mph and would like to save a few dollars. But the ratings are important for other reasons, including the sidewall strength and load rating that the Jaguar engineers took into account when designing the suspension. Using tires with a lower speed/load rating may compromise the emergency handling and safety of your vehicle, and even the everyday ride quality and steering response, so I personally recommend following Jaguar's specifications.

Since we're a friendly group, please visit the New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum and post an introduction so we can learn something about you and your Jag and give you a proper welcome.

Cheers,

Don

 

I have Cooper Zeons RS3-As on my XJR and absolutely love them.
They are quiet, grippy in the dry and wet, and have a long lifespan.
I hit a good deal on mine at treaddepot.com

 

When it comes to tires, the usual DISCLAIMER applies. (Mfg required equipment)

I have always favored comfort and sound with tires on my Jags. But also as stated in earlier posts, kept within load, and realistic speed rating. All of the past and present XJ's have been heavy. It's a lot of weight trying to pull a tire off the rim.

On my XJ-40 I ran Michelin Primacy's, they were smooth,quiet, good in the snow (realistic for A/S tires), and great mileage.

On my 2001 XJ8 I put the same Michelin's. Ran hard and loud. I couldn't wait to get them off. This was the only time that Michelin let me down. Really let me down!!!
When I did get them off, I put a set of Pirelli P7 Plus's on it. This was a daring decision, as we all know how the past Pirelli's and P6's run and wear.
It was like night and day. Quiet, smooth, and good rain/snow traction. I put 40k on these and still had tread when I sold it.

Now the 2006 super V8 with 90k on it. I brought the car home and took my wife for a ride in my new midlife toy. She loved the way it looked, but when we got on the road, she said "this rides like &^%#". I agreed. It had a mix of KUMO ZR's and something else. She didn't like the idea of having to spend money on a car I just bought. So when I took it in to have a set of Pirelli P7's put on it, I did the right thing, just lied to her and said I adjusted the presures.
This car rides smoother and quieter than anything I've driven. Including a giant Lincoln Towncar (L). They grip better than the cheap ZR's that were on it too.
When my wife took it out with the cheap tires that came on it, she said that the rear end came loose every time she drove off. But she also didnt realize that she was driving a blown V8.
There are a million posts about tires here. Some lean more to performance, but those drivers are also getting every inch of HP out of the car, some even more. I get on the road and drive 8 hours strait and dont miss a beat.
Choose the tire for your habits, and the correct (safe) requirements.
I cant say enough about the P7 Plus. But there not cheap. Then again a good set of 19"ZR's arn't either.
If your tire shop says he won't put a tire on your car because his stupid computer says so, get a new tire shop. A good tire shop knows tires, not computers. He WILL tell you if it is not a good choise, and why.
When I ordered my tires, my tire guy didn't really believe me that the P7 was really that great. Then he started reading the reviews and replied "holy &^$#@, this tire has one of the highest ratings out there for a A/S"

The guys here are right about snow. The safest and best, is a second set with snows. I went thru this winter in maine with out snows. If its that bad out, I'll steal my wifes R/R or drive my old land rover (once this year in a blizzard). This winter my wife did say I should get a practicle car, I replied " I do.....yours!!"

Just today I opened up the spare tire area to clean, and there was the orig P-Zero, never been out. If it wasn't a year round daily driver I might entertain the idea of P-Zero's on it. They are an awsome tire, but $$$$$.
Ever notice how the manufature's manual only lists one tire. Thats because thats the only tire they have put on it. There are equal or better.
Be safe.

 

In the past I tried to compansate for hard tires, by seting the pressure for the manufacture's "comfort setting". It doesn't work on the Jags, as they are just to heavy. You will burn the tires off the car in no time. I've had great luck on the XJ8's both X308 & x350 with the setting on the door tag.

PS I drove my XJ-40 every winter in Apple Valley MN

 

The X350 is a pretty lightweight car given its size. Even the long wheel base is under 4k lbs.

 

I'm kind of in the same boat. Right now, I'm leaning towards Continental PureContacts.

 

Not true with the aluminium X350, which weighs less than the S-type. I think 35k miles out of my front Pirellis was pretty good and I always set the pressures to Comfort. Mind you I am not wellying it away from the lights or racing around bends, as my 'wheel spin to wheel lock' days are over. I am happy to cruise on German autobahns and French autoroutes at the speed limit of 130 kph. It's quick enough for me most of the time.

 

These were tested and rated independently by Cons.. ReP...All season Tires. Continental ProContact Eco plus, Michelin Energy Saver A/S, Hankook Opimo H727, Goodyear Ausurance Triple Tread.

 

"A pretty lightweight car given its size" is not the same thing as "a lightweight car."

A curb weight of nearly 4,000 pounds means an average of 1,000 pounds on each tire (a little more on the fronts, a little less on the rears). Add a driver, three passengers and trunk full of suitcases, and you could easily reach nearly 1,200 pounds on each tire.

Of the four tires recommended in the owner's manual for our '04, the only one still available in the correct size is the Pirelli P-Zero (255/40 ZR 19 96Y). Its maximum load rating is 1565 lbs. I personally would not install tires on an X350 SWB or LWB with a load rating much below 1500 lbs.

But load rating is only one aspect of tire design, which is an exercise in compromise. Increasing performance in one area tends to reduce performance in another. The Pirelli Scorpion Verde All-Seasons the previous owner installed on our XJR have a load rating of 1565 lbs. just like the P-Zeros, but they're designed to improve fuel economy on a Crossover/SUV, not to provide the best ride and handling on a high performance luxury sedan. Their handling and steering precision are not nearly as good as the Yokohama ADVAN S.4.s on our '93 XJ6, and they're also not as quiet.


I just took a quick glance at those tires on tirerack.com and some of them are nice-looking, but they're all listed as "Standard Passenger" or "Standard Touring" tires. Only the Michelin and Goodyear offer a speed-rating of V, but only in certain sizes (and possibly not the sizes that fit an X350). As Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "No generalization is wholly true, not even this one," but tires designed for high performance luxury sedans like our X350s tend to have speed ratings of at least V, and typically even higher. That isn't solely because the cars are capable of high speeds, but because the car's chassis, weight distribution, steering, suspension, acceleration and braking are designed around the qualities of ultra-high performance tires.

My two cents!

Don

 

Should bear in mind that the standard XJ8 rim pre-'06 was 235/55R17 and post-'06 was 235/50R18 (and an option for 255/40-19). Though the different sizes give different results, there's still a host of selections for both that exceed the stated requirements.

Since the overriding concern here is snow, you're probably looking at the Ultra High Performance All-Season category, and I'd say the Continental ExtremeContact DWS should probably be considered. They're very well reviewed and highly sought after, and while I have no idea of your local weather situation, I kinda doubt its worse than Sweden's:

 

I'm sorry, but when did a 3,800 lb car become a heavy car? The S-Type is heavier than the SWB. The new Mustang weighs the same in GT trim. The Camaro and Challenger weigh much more. There aren't many standard sized cars that weigh less. Heck, my 2004 Pontiac GTO weighed more than my VDP.

 

Depending on trim level, according to Edmunds, the curb weight for the 2004 X350 ranged from 3,806 to 3,948 lbs., and the curb weight for the 2008 X358 was 3770 to 4,006 lbs. "Standard Passenger" tires are made for vehicles like the Toyota Camry (3,086 to 3,362 lbs. in 2004) and Honda Accord (3,038 to 3,384).

Would owners of Mustangs, Camaros or Challengers consider Standard Passenger tires as the best option for their cars? Doubtful.

Just because a car is lighter than previous versions or cars by other makers doesn't mean it is actually "light" or significantly less demanding on tires. The laws of physics still apply. Two tons is still two tons.

But thankfully, it isn't two tonnes.

Cheers,

Don

 

I have the same on my XJR. Great tires so far!

 

I put General AS-03's on my 09 XJ last fall. They are quiet, have an aggressive tread and I'm getting fantistic milage. I'm frequently betwwn Columbus Ohio and Upstate New York; with stops my door to door average speed is 65 mph for the 600 mile trip, and I average 26.5 mpg per trip. They were inexpensive and I love them!

 

I can vouch for the General AS-03 as being a smooth, quiet, and inexpensive alternative, (Continental is the Parent Company) but they are on my Crossfire. Thing is I don't drive in All seasons....in fact I can't remember the last time I drove the car in the rain. So I can't figure out why I bought them On the XJR I can tell you I love the Michelin Pilot Super Sports in the dry, don't know about rain. Still, no snow experience to give you since they are summer tires. BUT, when I was looking into a "high performance" winter tire for future shoulder season trips, the Continental DWS-06 came up and also the Pirelli sottozero w240, which actually came with the 20" Volans I bought. (that's another post). Long story longer, they seem to have the same Dry, Wet, Snow style with the Pirelli being WAY more expensive. Good luck in your search!