Alternative to X308?
 

I recently posted about my losing battle with the various issues that can trigger a limp home mode. Just too many variables and nothing really solid to tackle; now I understand what Floyd Matweather's contenders have to deal with...

I otherwise like the car, I actually love the car, so I've been thinking about, perhaps, a "similar" car that may not have this silly price of ownership, this truly stupid and bottom of the barrel quality/reliability.

As such, the cars to consider would be an X300 or an X350. So, the question is, will I be trading the X308 XJR problems for other as undesirable problems?

X300:


I like the X300 shape which is pretty much an X308. In fact, I like the instrument cluster area better than the X308 one. I wouldn't mind a low miles version of either one below. But,

• Are there well known problems with the X300 as bad as the X308 nighmares?
• Does the AJ16 supercharger contribute at all to additional problems?
• Would the XJ12 be worse than either one above?

Feedback from X300 owners is welcome!

X350:
This is a car that I refused to buy when I was shopping for a replacement for my beautiful, BRG XJ8L. I like the front and I do like the entire dash, BUT, the looks from the rear of this car leaves a lot to be desired. It looks very common, very undistinguished and not the level of a Jaguar, or a Bimmer or Merc, etc. should be. But, it has good things that are superior to the X308 and which should be considered to offset (i.e. to "forgive") the regretful rear looks. So, here again,

• Have all those ugly X308 gremlins been taken care of with the X350?
• Does the X350 have common limp home problems of its own?
• Are there well known (new) problems that are typical with the X350?
• How bad are the air suspension problems that I hear of with this car?

Feedback from X350 owners is welcome!


On the good side, what I like abut the X350 is:

1. The air suspension (when it is working as it should, of course).
2. The larger displacement accelerates N/A almost like the S/C X308
3. Six speed tranny
4. GPS with video display
5. Generous burl/elm wood dash
6. The XJR version is supposed to be faster than the X308 XJR, Wow!

I'm sure that the X350 will be significantly more expensive than the X300 but most likely easier to find lower mileage cars.

Cheers,

The X300 is very reliable
 

Well, I can't comment on the X350, but all makes/models of cars have their own quirks and bugs that need to be shaken out, and once resolved are probably pretty reliable.

I can't compare the X308 with X300 or X350 one-on-one, but I can say that the X300 is a very sturdy and reliable model.

The AJ16 engine was the final iteration of the Jaguar 6, and is considered "bulletproof". The only real issue with the AJ16 engine is the upper chain tensioner drain-down and rattle, where an updated version (simple external bolt-on to change) and 20W50 weight oil seems to address.

The transmissions are generally good, and the XJR X300 uses the also "bulletproof" GM 4L80E, which while not particularly refined was tough enough for use in GM trucks :)

Just like any car that is 20 years old, plastics, rubber and electronics do tend to have worn out and act up, but the X300 doesn't seem to suffer too many age related electronic gremlins.

Three endemic electronic problems common to all X300s do seem to be the radio, clock and drivers memory seat. The factory Alpine radios seem to suffer from cold solder joints from the factory and over time they fail. Of course one can replace the radio with an aftermarket, or there are rebuilding services like Southern Electronics that will repair it like new for about $250. The clock LCD fails over time, but there are a couple shops that will repair it for about $100. And the seat memory is a bigger job that takes repairing several of the seat potentiometers, but the seat still adjusts in the interim. All are fixable and not critical issues.

Other than that, the X300 is pretty reliable overall.

Here is a buyer's guide document from the X300 forum which gives prospective buyers a checklist of issues to be aware of.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...yers-guide.doc


.

Thanks for your response. After all the V8 nightmares the X300 looks like a real life saver. The problems that you mention are not big deal, really, besides I typically change the stock radio for something more modern and convenient, anyway (see gallery). Yeah, the switch to a s/c X300 would be a less drastic switch from the s/c V8, plus I love that instrument cluster with keypads...

Thanks for the nice write up from Doug.

Thank you and cheers,

I have owned 1994 xj40 XJ12 and 2008 XJ8. I have also driven 2002 x308 VDP. Here is my 2 cents...

The V12 is way better and smoother than the 4.0L v8. The XJ12 was also quicker and IMHO a more logical interior. The leather/plastics/wood was better on the XJ12. Braking was better on X308 and handling/road noise ~even.

The x358 is a huge upgrade performance wise. It is faster; more comfortable, more agile, better brakes than any xj40/x308. The 4.2 V8 is very smooth and fuel efficient. The 4.2 is a big upgrade from 4.0 especially at slow speeds. Is it as smooth and linear as V12? No; but it uses almost half the fuel. X358 is as quick on the highway where the V12 is meant to excel.

The X358's interior isn't as high quality though. The wood trim doesn't feel as nice. The switch gear cover for windows is plastic (not wood). The headliner is lower quality. The seats are better and IMHO will age better. The car has functional cup holders.

I wouldn't hesitate on x350/8 to replace your XJR. It still looks like a jaguar and attracts complements.

What you are doing is extrapolating your experience with one car, to all X308s. Why dont you just get one that works properly?

Owner of an 02 XJR that works perfectly.

It is always interesting to read on the experiences of others, but I do agree with Mark; I am sure there are owners of X358's or X300's who have the same, near dead experiences as you have / had, and their are plenty of folks out there with well performing X308's.
I should not exclude an other, better sorted X308 in your list, they remain beautiful cars with beautiful engines.

It is not just the model, a lot depends on the particular vehicle.

I have a 2001 XJR. Bought it with 40k miles, 5 years later and it now has 80k-plus. Other than routine maintenance, and the tensioner upgrade, I have had to replace the fuel pumps and the AC compressor. Knock on wood, it has been completely trouble free otherwise.

My XJR has now done 135K. It's just had its second fuel pump swap, so that's an average of 67K miles lifetime, for the pumps. It failed on my last XJ8 at about 75K. Apart from that, both cars have been very reliable.

I have the service history back to new for my XJR. There's nothing too extraordinary in it. Apart from routine maintenance, and many, many sets of brake pads(!) :

Two new control arms at 30K.
Throttle body at 48K.
New ABS controller at 65K.
Fuel pumps at 79K.
ECU at 95K.
Water pump and belts / idlers / belt tensioners at 133K.
Fuel pumps again at 135K.

Well, the ECU is a bit unusual. Otherwise, though, it seems to compare well with other cars in its class.

Right now I'm going through it and refreshing the suspension with new bushes and shocks. It's due. No error messages, warning lights, and everything works - and I mean everything - even the memory steering wheel and seat adjustments.

Gearbox swap
 

Hello everyone. I am thinking of buying x300 with faulty gearbox however have a question. Is it possible to replace x300 gearbox from x308, so gears would be shorter and consumption would reduce? Or its not worth it?

I think the X300's are wonderful cars, but it's inevitable that they are showing their age. I personally would like to see a AJ16 drivetrain in a X308 car. The 350/358's are also nice cars, but the suspension is very weak (deteriorates quickly due to bad engineering.) but, they ride very well when everything is up to par.

My 2000 model has been quite reliable. But what gets me is that all the plastic, vinyl and rubber trim is starting to disintegrate. No matter what part I ask for, its not available new anymore and used ones from salvage yards are also toast. If you buy an older model or even another x308, that's what you're going to run into.

I want to buy something brand new next year or at least no more than five years old. Its just unfortunate that Jaguar styling followed the pack. At least the x300-308 was instantly recognizable from 100 yards away. If you have to get close enough to read the badges to tell what kind of car it is, then you might as well buy a Lexus for reliability.

Not quite as nice styling wise or interior, but drives alot better. W220 S-Class Mercedes. With the massive aftermarket parts support they are downright cheap to maintain, very reliable, and as long as its not exposed to salty roads will hold up very well.

"Not quite as nice" is something of an understatement. Every S-class owner I've seen is staring enviously at the Jag.

Well its as reliable as an older luxury car can be, so it actually does what a car is supposed to do, get you from A to B.

Now that you are "in the know" about the "hot spots" w/ these gems why not just hunt a well maintained one out ?! They still exist, trust me lol.

I agree 100%, the proper maintenance being done is the biggest thing with these cars. I was told mine was well maintained when I bought it. That was not the case, and I have had several issues, all would have been prevented with common sense maintenance.

I have to say, after owning an X300, X308 and X100, The x308 is an excellent car. A good mix of performance and comfort with great lines. Supercharged is even beter. Although the 6 cylinder was well sorted out, the AJ27 is a fantastic engine if the tensioners are sorted.

Replaced various bulbs (AC control panel, main windows switchpack) and front+rear brake discs and pads few weeks ago. Also replaced differential oil just yesterday. And today, I spent 5 hours of polishing and waxing the body panels and chrome applications. And I took care of the leather interior...now the cat is shiny all around...

I am this thread's originator and I come to realize that I have missed on several great responses here for which I apologize to all, as it looks like if I was totally unappreciative of the very feedback that I was looking for in the first place.

I see great reasons to own an X300 which is a car that I really like, myself. Similarly with the X350 once the air suspension issues are resolved. I remember how impressed I was with the suspension feel that day that this salesman allowed me a test drive of a brand new X350, back when they had just come out.

But what has called my attention the most is the feedback from some of the very X308 owners. I see how many owners have not had the poor luck that I have had to survive with mine. Yes, the car has every potential to be the ideal car with features that even surpass the X300 (the V8 is far more powerful and we all want power, don't we?) and the X350 cars (with a better looking rear window/end and no suspension problems).

You have no idea how much I envy you, guys, because, frankly, I like my X308 looks so much that I no longer see it as an "old" car compared to the newer cars, but rather as having a sort of a "vintage" edge over those newer cars, i.e. for me it has become a "special Jaguar" in the manner that my wet-sanded BRG convertible, show-car XJS, is also a "special Jaguar".

So, today I took the XJR back to the shop where's been before, so they can sort out what's been causing the ABS, ASC track unavailable problem to come back again; yes, the same problem that has caused me to drive 50 miles back on "limp-home mode", no, not fun at all. If we can get rid of this, then I'll do a few nice maintenance actions, perhaps some upgrades and enjoy this beauty for a few more years, hopefully.

Again, thanks for your great feedback guys and forgive what appeared as ingratitude from my lack of response.

Cheers,

In my opinion, the X300 is the very pinnacle of Jaguar
sedans.

Having said that, since you are rededicating yourself to
the X308/R I will add that ASC/TRAC is not that difficult
to track down if it is approached methodically. The barrier
is often the reluctance of many people to tease out the
clues from wiring diagrams and manuals.

One thing that many people dismiss is the process of
baselining the power distribution system. This is both
the positive and negative sides of the main cabling.
Sometimes people clean up one side while ignoring
the other.

As well, some parts are not immediately obvious.

For example, the alternator bracket is a critical
part of the ground side of the system. How many
people would remove the bracket, sand down the
mating surface to the engine and alternator and
reassemble with conductive grease? :)

After the power system has been baselined, you
can approach the ABS/TRAC problem with a known
power baseline.