Bang for the buck with all kinds of bells, and whistles.

 

My two cents:

I absolutely HATED the X351 when it debuted. I was sad that the classic XJ was gone forever and I similarly upset when the Bertone B99 concept was rejected. And then finally after almost 8 years of holding a grudge, I finally went and test drove one. Let me tell you, gentlemen, besides looks, the X351 is a better car in every single way you can think of, especially with the supercharged 5.0 and the 8 speed gearbox. It reminds me of the Series III vs XJ40: the former is an all-time beauty but the latter drives like an amazing spaceship in comparison.

As for styling, beauty of course is in the eye of the beholder. Interestingly, I preferred the long wheelbase X350 as it somehow looked lower and sleeker than the standard. But I think the opposite is true for the X351. In a dark color with the right wheels, the standard wheelbase X351 can almost look like a coupe from certain angles. But in a light color, the car looks bland and bloated.

As I went with the supercharged variant, I decided I wanted this new car to look sporty and mean, as opposed to the luxo-barge look of my old X350. Black grille (with red Growler), front and rear spoilers, and quad tailpipes perfectly compliment the charcoal grey paint and the gunmetal 20" Mataiva wheels, with the giant red calipers peaking out behind them. And again, all that for less than the cost of a new Accord.

So, X350 lovers, you should not feel like all hope is lost. It took a long time, but I finally accepted and fell in love with the X351. It may not look like a "real Jaguar" but it is one helluva car.

All that being said, I still think the Series II and the X350 are indeed the best looking XJs of all.

 

5 years late to the party...
x308 might be sleek, but the rear end is simply horrible. I could never get over those non-Jaguar rear lamps. Seriously, they look like something borrowed from a different brand. I am glad x350 fixed that and went back to Jaguar/XJ lamps.

 

I remember seeing the x300 xjr when it first came out. I was never a fan of 4 door cars. I'd always loved the look of the jaguar coupes and convertibles though, but never even considered a 4 door. Something about the xjr trim just did it for me. When the x308 came out as a supercharged v8?!?!?!?! Woah. Still a bit too much $$$. I'm a car guy and basically just forgot about getting a jag and focused on my career...(and other cars I really shouldn't of bought). Then came the time to go and actually buy a Jag. I was leaning toward a used x308 xjr. I looked at a few, drove a few and then came across an x350 xjr. I never considered an x350 because it was a bit more than what I wanted to spend and at the time, didn't look quite as sleek as the x308. But then I took it for a test drive. SOLD. It was like driving a completely different vehicle. Everything to me was just better. I tend to upgrade my daily driven car every couple of years but I am stuck on this model. The x358 does nothing for me, the x351 is a styling nightmare but likely a much better car than my x350....But to me my xjr is the perfect compromise. It has the classic jaguar 4 door xj style but with a twist. Certainly, it has its problems and id like just a bit more tech, but im good.

All that being said, the standard xj or super v8 version of the x350 dont do it for me. The grill and wheels make all the difference on this car. But the xjr.....man oh man. A little chrome delete and wheel upgrade transforms the looks. The styling upgrade of the x350 over the x308 was for a reason. (need more room). After owning two of these for awhile I was looking into getting an x308 xjr. After a drive I changed my mind. Totally spoiled. I may retire my xjr and cave in and get an x351 xjr as a daily driver. Its at a price point I can deal with. I'm sure i'd love it, just not sure Id do that second glance when leaving a parking lot.

One more thing. I drive my xjr into NYC several times a week. There isnt a day that goes buy that the parking attendant doesn't drool over it, and at least one random person complimenting the car. Its aged very well teetering on the line of modern and classic today, just as it did when released....My opinion of course.