hello all, I am very new to the world of jaguars, but I have been searching for a new car and have come down to my final two choices, a 2005 jaguar xjr or a 2005 bmw 545i. I know a little bit more about bmw's then jaguars so I was wondering if anyone can help me.
1. Can they go through a Michigan winter
2. Is there a lot of space (I am an avid snowboarder)
3. I looked up roof racks and so far have not come across any for the jaguar
Just hoping some of my questions can be answered, thanks in advance,
from-
Justin

 

Hey Justin,

First off snow and XJR really dont mix well. Not sure how well the Bimmer would do. Ive also never driven with snow tires so perhaps someone will chime in.

As for the car itself I dont think you can compare. Ive driven that Bimmer and it does not nearly put the smile on my face the xjr R does. As a matter of fact. I smile just thinking about by xjr. Something that just wouldnt happen owning the Bimmer. Even an M5..nope..Il take my xjr it really is in a class of its own.

NOWWW that being said. If you are looking for practicality for what you want the Bimmer may be a better choice for you (no one hit me here). Id take one of my tbirds with flip down rear seats and a limited slip diff over my xjr for snowboaring and such anyday..My XJR......NEVER! Then again I probably wouldnt buy that Bimmer for what you are looking for either.

Good luck either way!

 

The Jag would not be ideal as a car to take snow boarding. If you want a comfortable classy cruiser that gets compliments all the time ("That's a beautiful car!"), then get the XJR or a Vanden Plas. The non supercharged XJ will get 30mpg. But if you want a functional luxury winter car, then go with and Audi like and RS4 wagon for sportiness or the S8 for luxury.


Although I can't really recommend the S8 cause my friend bought 2, one to drive and one to use as a parts car.


If you do get a XJ, you'll probably want to swap out the differential and put in a LSD unit.

 

Hi jfowl21,

Here's my two cents:

If arriving safely at ski slopes along snow covered roads is your priority, then neither the XJR nor the 545i would be ideal. A 545xi all-wheel drive might be a better choice, although either the XJR or 545i might be fine with Blizzaks. For the rest of the year, either the XJR or 545i will give you a lot of driving pleasure. Here is how I would compare the two:

545i
Slightly better driving position and seat comfort
Better steering and handling
Harsher ride
Better on a tight curving road with a smooth surface

XJR
More power and a lot more smiles on your face
Aluminum body makes the car more responsive and improves fuel economy
Better styling
Not as common as 5 series so more exclusive
Better road trip car and better on Michigan's rough roads

In terms of reliability, the cost of ownership will be very similar. BMWs are built for performance but are not the most reliable cars (I own an '04 3 series). Aside from a few known weaknesses (air suspension in particular), the X350 has proven to be a reliable car.

Cheers,

Don

 

Having just gone through a harsh Michigan winter with a '04 XJR, I feel I can give you an honest opinion of how they perform. I did install a full set of Yokohama snow tires, 235/50-18s on a set of standard 18" Jag rims. The car handled great, and drove through numerous heavy snowfalls without issue. I drove up-north 2x for skiing, and packing of equipment was an issue, but driving was fine. The only time I almost got hung up was when the car was bottoming out after about a foot of new snow when backing out of the driveway, however, I was able to "rock" it out. With close to 400 HP on a rear wheel drive car, the dedicated snow tires are mandatory, IMO.

Having said that, I did run into a reliability issue. See Frozen Engine thread. I do believe that this was a unique situation based on the frigid temperatures that we experienced, and my bad luck, as there are numerous other XJRs that don't seem to be effected. Having said that, I'm seriously contemplating selling my XJR before the winter. In all my years, I've never had a vehicle strand me - I've always been able to figure out a way to get it going. I'm sure part out of it is the level of sophistication and technology that are now employed on newer vehicles, but none the less, it is an uneasy feeling knowing that you may not be able to start your engine...

 

Justin,
I will only reply to your last question as I believe the two others were aleready answered.
The roof racks that are documented by Jaguar in Topix to fit with the X350 are actually made by a Swedish company, Thule.
I bought such roof bars directly from retailers selling Thule products (at a cheaper price) with the additional fitments allowing transportation of bikes. Very happy of the item, elegant and robust, made in aluminum, works fine. Other fitments also allow tranportation of skis, snowboards, etc.
Dunno if these can easily be bought in the US or if alternatives exist.
Serge

 

Depending on what your snowfall amounts are, the rwd cars may do fine with snows. Ours does ok in MN. That said, if it dumps, I always prefer one of our awd vehicles (also with winter tires).

 

I am searching for a roof rack for my 04 XJR - both for hauling bikes but also using the cross bars to haul other stuff. When I go to the Thule site and enter my car info, they say they can't help me. Can you give me the model number of the fitting you use to secure the rack to the roof? Also, did you have any issues mounting it? thanks!

 

The whole Thule assembly for X350 was already being discontinued as a set when I attempted to purchase it through a car accessories dealer in France.
What I did was to procure separately the various items to have a complete set.
I don't remember the number of the wingbars, there are different lengths depending on the car, I think it was n° 962, for 135 cm width.
The fitting system was n° 754 and included the locking system and keys.

I attach the links for the products so that you can make your mind.

2 BARRES DE TOIT THULE 962 ALUMINIUM WINGBAR rayon BARRES DE TOIT THULE sur Meovia.com

4 PIEDS THULE 754 POUR BARRES DE TOIT rayon BARRES DE TOIT THULE sur Meovia.com

The mounting is simple if you carefully follow-up the instructions in the right order and make the good measurements for a good fitting but can take a couple of hours overall.

Hope it helps you.

 

Thanks very much!

 

You are welcome