I was browsing on the internet and I found this article. Any opinions?
https://driventowrite.com/2016/08/08...design-review/

I agree that X350 had too much chrome and grill that didn't match the car but the X358 is just handsome classic Jaguar. I wonder why they didn't fix those small issues early.

 

I bought mine five years ago my thinking being it was the last of a lovely line so if I was ever going to have one it was now (well, then) or never.

I'm sure the 351 is a lovely car too, but it doesn't have that unique style, it's too like all the other big saloons (sedans).

 

It is this article that sums it all up to me: -

https://driventowrite.com/2016/04/08...ions-analysis/

Jaguar cars once had a peerless quality of ride and that would seem to have been totally lost. On my own X358 I have downsized the wheels to 17" and the ride is now acceptable, but still nowhere near that of the old XJ Series 3 I once had. Of course the current cars are so much better built, but it seems to me that comfort has gone out of the window to keep the teenage scribblers on the motoring magazines happy.

 

I've never understood the x350 haters. They act like this was the most atrocious car design since the Nissian Cube. It may be a little taller and wider than the x308, but it wasn't a huge departure. To the laymay, if an x300, x308, and x350 drove by in succession they'd never notice a difference.

Of course I'm in the camp that loves the classic Jag design and wanted one of the last of the old body styles.

The author's claim that the x350 was a total debacle and all the design costs were lost are a bit extreme... now that (all?) Jag's cars are aluminum bodied I think they have made use of the design costs of the x350. Also, I'd love to know what sales figures were for x300 and x351. Comparing 125k units of the x308 to 75k of the x350 isn't definitive proof of anything. I'm sure all car manufs took a hit in the 2000s with the economic bubble that burst.

Side note--I had a brand new XF as a loaner a few months ago, had 18" rims and I was surprised it rode nearly as nice as my x350 on 18" rims. I had no complaints about a harsh ride.

 

When I started looking at getting an X350; I originally wanted an XJR. But even that car, the front end looked mis-matched. Long story short, when I saw the x358 redesign in pictures; I was amazed how much cleaner & modern it looks. I am a firm believer that if the original car had the front end look of the x358; it would have sold much better.

BTW, I don't believe the x358 facelift to be perfect either. The fake side vents are stupid and ruin the lines of the car.

 

Large luxury saloon sales of all manufacturers have been on the slide because of the worldwide rush to buy luxury SUVs (or double-decker buses I prefer to call them !).
The author of that article is totally wrong about why the car didn't sell too well. First there was a large price hike when it replaced the X308, and also by then prospective buyers had a choice of two other Jaguars, the S-type and the X-type. Jaguar only sold one saloon from 1968 to 1998 - the XJ. Once they started to sell several designs, the XJ declined. Also Jaguar were very slow in recognising the drift to diesel.

For me, the X350 and later X358s are a very elegant saloon and far better to drive than the later X351 which I have driven. Visibility is not very good on the X351 whereas it is excellent on the X350 cars. The style that Sir William Lyons laid down has stood the test of time, but of course is now out of fashion like a lot of other things.

 

I'm glad I had the opportunity to buy a 350. The later cars look alright, but if you swapped the badges for Lexus ones, how many people would notice?

 

I personally think the X350 styling has aged somewhat better than its contemporaries. 7 Series Beemers and S Class Mercs may have looked more modern in 2003, but those same cars look dated these days. By being less up-to-the-minute fashionable when it was released, I think the X350 now manages to look “classic” rather than “old”.

A 2003 X350 says “car enthusiast” while a 2003 7 Series or S Class says “can’t afford a new one”.

 

Davidrnz, I think you've nailed it right on the head. The design is ageing beautifully, just like us.

 

Thank you for the botched design. I have 2 low miles X350 in my garage. I paid less than $0.10 on a dollar.

My brother works at Jaguar dealer indicated low miles X350 are sought after. Jaguar sold them as fast as they can find them for top dollars.

 

There's no doubt that the X350 looks MUCH nicer than its contemporaries. The pre-2006/7 S-Class especially looks very boring and frumpy in comparison. Its interesting that everyone always asked me what year my X350 was; nobody could ever figure it out themselves. They're timeless.

 

I completely disagree. The grill matches the style of the X350. The grill on the X358 looks like just about every other grill on any other make and for me is faintly redolent of cheap looking chicken-wire!
The very new body style XJ is indistinguishable from any number of manufacturers models on our roads today.
In my opinion, the X350 may well be the last Jaguar Saloon that looks like a Jaguar.
Regards,
Ray

 

The x350 and x358 are my favorite XJ designs. I loved them from the day they were introduced. The sevice guys at my local dealership say the same.

 

I have had more complements on the looks of my x350 vs. the x308.
The x350 is not as sleek as the x308 but still a recognizable "Jag". It does not look like a 13 year old car. The present one has not aged as well.

 

But sales actually went back up in 2003 and again in 2004 with the last of the beloved x308 and the introduction of the all new X350. Something happened in 2005 to cause sales to drop off a cliff and I've not researched it. I would suspect that they lost their repeat customers as the leases on 2003 models came due and somehow it just wasn't the same anymore.

I think this may in fact have almost as much to do with it as the move to SUVs, but its not just Jaguars, its all modern luxury sedans. I bought my X308 after a back surgery specifically because of the magic carpet ride achieved on conventional springs. When it came time to upgrade, I drove everything and the closest, but no cigar, was the Mercedes E class with the optional airmatic suspension. I decided to take a chance and stick with Jaguar. I've bought the Spires comfort suspension kit for the XF and hope to get it installed soon. But it shouldn't be this way. It should be the one in a hundred thousand person who is actually going to take his car to a track who has to buy aftermarket suspension. Cars shouldn't come out of the factory race-prepared as its all useless on the daily commute.

 

To my eye the X308 looks very dated compared to X350, and X358 has a face that says "I'm trying too hard to look cool."
My old XJ6 and XK8 rode smoother and quieter than the X350, but reliability was abysmal.
Test drove X351, firm sporty ride, nice interior, but felt very wide (hard to park) and non-existent rear visibility.

All things considered, X350 is the last Jaguar saloon for me. My next saloon will likely be a Mercedes W222.

 

This is very interesting because I've frequently heard that the X351 ride is very firm and sporty, yet I just bought one with 20" wheels and the ride quality is incredible. Its so much more comfortable than either of my X350s were, before or after coilover conversion. The car just floats over everything.

 

The X351 has adjustable suspension settings. Are you sure that you were in comfort mode and not Dynamic mode?

And if you are looking for a ultra comfortable sedan; consider the Lexus LS.

 

It was in whatever 'mode' that the salesperson put it in. I prefer my cars to waft like a cloud and absorb all road imperfections but can also corner reasonably well (moderate body roll doesn't bother me).

 

I would give the x351 another try imho but you perfectly describe a customer who would want variable magnetic shocks. Cadillac & Lincoln use them among domestics. Obviously flagship sedans from foreign car companies offer them as an option as well. They react faster than air suspension and mostly trouble free as well. Lastly, stay away from cars with big wheels.