Recently I've been shopping for an X350 and I've noticed that a huge percentage of the ones available (over 85% on Autotrader, for example) are 2004. Why so few 05-07?

 

Bigger-yet break a few years later.

Check the global economics timeline ....

Fewer bought new, more of those in-place kept longer = fewer entering the downstream.

 

The rest of your post makes sense but does this line:

mean '04s have a better reliability reputation?

 

Leasing and loan terms of 5 years and 10 years (5 + 5) make them more common
Expect an 04 to be second owner and an 09 to be a first owner

Cheers
34by151

 

Separate issue.

Original owners may shed 'troublesome' cars after shorter periods of ownership than more satisfying ones, but I meant that economic conditions worldwide did not exactly IMPROVE after 2005.

Rougher patch yet 2008 to present-day, first US, then EC. Now China.

And those are the largest markets by unit-count - most especially for luxo cars.

The envious may say 'there goes a fool with more money than brains' when a luxury car passes by. But the reverse is actually more likely.

Whatever ELSE they know or do not know, they managed to find the wherewithal to lease or buy the costly creature. Can't be TOO damned stupid...

 

A couple days ago I posted my nearly perfect condition 05 VDP in the classifieds on this site. I just bought an XK8 can't keep the VDP.

classified ad here

 

Sorry, looking for a SWB (which is already pushing it for size on New Orleans streets).

 

After the LWB was available again in 2005, I would guess that at least half of the XJs sold in the US from 05-07 were LWB vs SWB. That probably contributes your success rate in finding a SWB.

The difference in overall length of them is only 4.9 inches.

 

A small, but very, very wisely utilized increment. Plenty of rear-seat room even with front seats full-back, yet the overall envelope remains shorter than quite a few of the US-beloved road warriors.

Roads are no issue in Northern Virginia, but garage length-less-obstacles and carparks can be, and so far I am delighted with the XJ8-L in both of those venues.

 

So in 2004 even the VDP was SWB?

 

Correct, and without seat trays.

 

Sorry, but I plan to be buried in my '05, so it won't be for sale either.

 

Nor will mine, unless it is being sold by my estate.

 

A departed friend of mine left instructions that she be buried sitting at the wheel of her pet Corvette. Rules and regulations as they were in her State, didn't happen. B'lieve there WAS a case of someone being so interred in another state, but that it wanted a right costly, sealed, above-ground structure to meet the codes even so.

Anyway.. it is a dis-service to the vehicle and to your own legacy.

Far better to gift it to someone worthy who will appreciate and care for it, become able to purchase one or more new ones over THEIR lifetime, and thereby help to perpetuate the Jaguar line.

It has earned that right, has it not?

 

I traded a C5 Corvette with just over 23,000 miles in on my Jaguar.

 

Here are some reported production figures on the X350 from the book, "Jaguar: All the Cars".

2003-27,811
2004-15,100
2005-13,594
2006-10-,032
2007-10,270
2008-5,192
2009-837

Total production: 83,566

Since cars built in 2003 to build up an inventory at dealers before the introduction of the 2004 model year will be advertised as 2004 models, I think these numbers explain why so many 2004's are for sale. My 2004 xj8 was one of these, built in June of 2003.

Tom

 

Does anyone know how many of the 13,594 2005 production were the V8 Super?