Hello,

with my 2003 totaled I am eyeing 2000 for replacement.

Beside tensioners and backup sensors(mine had them, not sure if it was an option or standard for 2003) - what are other differences?

does 2000 have features like rain sensor?

I anyone already knows - please share and save me from more googling...

Thank you.

 

I believe the auto rain sensing wipers became an option sometime in 2000, as well as the backup sensors, the radio was updated to the nav-capable unit with Alpine components and amp for the higher level sound system option.

These will all be pretty easy to tell if you're looking at the car, there will be those circles on the rear bumper if it has backup distance sensors, the speaker grills will say "alpine" if it has the upgraded sound system, the windshield wiper stalk will have auto written on it somewhere. I'm not sure exactly when the changes happened, if all at once or spread out, or at what point of time in manufacturing.

 

The base cars did have options ... my earlier car was a VDB .. so it had most of the goodies. but I don't remember it having parking sensors .. my 2002 XJR does. The cars could come with two different sound systems.

The biggest issue with an earlier car -- is the water pumps/ coolant specification change. These earlier cars always seem to have been mucked with -- never know if it ever had an overheat experience and what's the condition all the cooling components. It's fine if you find one in great shape with all the paperwork -- rare for the earlier cars.

It's still got the ZF transmission -- VVT.

IMO: Spending a few extra K for a later R is the way to go .. especially now with the prices at the bottom and great cars still available.

 

in 2000 the radio was upgraded had different buttons, the steering wheel air bag cover stitching changed, And the remote key fob may be different. The wood may be lighter shade of wood. My 2001 has rain sensing wiping and rear back up sensors.

 

I've yet to see two x308's with the same shade of wood, lol

 

same every where I go to see a x308 its always a different color dark or light or maple color

 

The car is in my driveway now, but the way I am - I did not inspect car in detail. I find myself inspecting the seller more than the car, if I like the seller - I buy the car. Pretty stupid, I know... I had 2003 with 130K at time of accident, when I saw 2000 with 50K for sale in next town - I took it as a sign and went for it. I knew tensioners and thermostat housing are my next two jobs. I may need to look into a-drum problem as well..

But otherwise car drives real nice, engine purrs, no warning lights...

Being busy at work I will not see car in daylight for another day or two... but from driving it home - in addition to parking sensors I noticed that this car does not have heated seats!

It does seem to have rain sensor though(there is an 'auto' position).

I will post as I discover more differences :-)

one more thing - headliner on 2000 sags more than on 2003 :-)

 

Weird.. I assumed all x308's had heated front seats. I thought it was only the heated rears that were an option.

Edit: I thought of another possible difference.. The exhaust. In discussions with greverrr concerning his exhaust modification, I learned that his 1998 XJR has flex pipes, while my 2002 does not (not sure when Jaguar made the change.) A minor difference, but I figured I would throw that out there.

 

When new they all had the same tone -- The wood is stained. It all depends on the amount of light (UV) getting to the wood. Another factor is the finish -- Rules were changing back then and many of the mid year cars seem to not hold up as well.

My 02 - built in 2001 .... had an early color shift as well as a crack in the glove box panel. Jaguar was going to do (reluctantly) a wood refinish on the whole car. I spoke to the people out in CA (refinisher) and just had the one panel fixed.

The wood shift was to a brown ...away from the red of the original satin ... in many cases it was not uniform. The maple tends towards a tan as the black fades -- the clear shows yellow.

 

I have a 2000 with 55k and mine is minus heated seats as well and no parking sensors. I don’t really care for the parking sensors anyway but I do wish I had the heated seats. Mine has that rain sensor also. I think the only options that year for the base xj8 were heated front seats, navigation, alpine sound system, and trunk cd changer. Anything more and I believe you had to step up to the XJR or VDP. What I wonder about is if my car has the navigation ready radio and trunk cd changer does that mean it is prewired for the alpine amp? I had a 03 XJR and even without the subwoofer going the system sounded better than the one in this car. I don’t really need the subwoofer but I would like the better speakers and amp. Oh, and my headliner in this car isn’t sagging but it was in my 03. Lol