Oh, you are so right. I like the new-generation XJ but when I took a non-sporty V6 for a spin I found the ride unacceptably harsh. The culprit is those silly low-profile tires and oversized wheels.

And seriously, where can a car guy find a twisty road for some old-fashioned "motoring?" What with electric steering and traction control, today's cars can't really connect you with the road — all you feel are the bumps!

This thread is about the 7-series and I owned a '98. That car was absolutely designed for the autobahn. It wasn't happy under 100 mph. And the car was too big for me. I'm 5'10" and 175 lb. and found the interior cavernous. I know people think the X308 is a tight fit, but I've always been on board with Sir William's "cockpit" approach to the driving position. Nothing is very far away.

What other car would I consider? Maybe a recent Maserati Quattroporte. It's a beautiful sedan but parked side-by-side with an X308 it might be just a little "over the top."

No doubt, the X308 series was a high-water mark not just for Jaguar but for luxury sedans in general.

 

I owned a 1995 BMW 740I that I quite enjoyed, the E38 to me is a substantially more enjoyable car than the e65/66. My sister has a friend with a 750li and I much preferred my 04 Audi A8L to it.

I now own the two older R models, including the 98 XJR and I much prefer it to the A8 that I did spend a lot of time working on versus driving. It's relatively simple in comparison and faster to boot.

 

Personally, the biggest problem with the e65 generation of 7ers is the driving feel. The disconnect between the road and the driver is massive. While the extremely luxury feel is preferable for some, I much prefer to feel the car more, and not feel like I am sitting in a small bedroom like the e66.

However, it does tick a lot of boxes:
- Comfort
- iDrive (not a well developed system at all on this model)
- Performance, it drives a lot faster than it feels. When compared to an e38 there is no contest that an e38 feels like it corners faster and gets of the line quicker, but the e65 gets the job done with so little drama.

Personally, I would look at an e60 550i, a facelift w220 S55/65, or potentially an A8, but I can only speak to the Mercedes and BMW. Honestly you can't go too far wrong either way here- any of these cars are a cut above anything from the mainstream line Camry's and Civics of the world.

 

Actually, that sounds like a great endorsement. I don't want to feel the road. The roads around here (and most everywhere) are horrible. I've never considered a BMW as a daily driver because of their marketing as the "ultimate driving machine" as if everything they make is a racecar and the fact that Jaguar and every other manufacturer explicitly benchmarks their sport sedans against BMW. But the e65 isn't much younger than an x308. I wonder if the F01 series would have the same "massive disconnect"?

 

Indeed it is a matter of personal taste. The F01 shares similar disconnect, if not greater than the E65. The nicer suspension and sound deadening materials help immensely in this respect. Having not driven many newer Jaguars I can't compare how the two stack up. As far as luxury experience and isolation from the outside world, the E65 & F01 (along with the W220) do an incredible job.

 

Since starting this post I've driven an e66 (2007 BMW 750li) and I'm still on the fence about it - it is a total opposite to my x308 Vanden Plas in every way, both positives and negatives. It also seems to be the best-value comparative-class car available, so it is looking like I'll be purchasing one soon - even if it has not yet won my love the way the Jag has.

I've also driven the F01 (2009+ BMW 7-series) and it is remarkably uninspiring - I have zero interest in owning one. The steering wheel is a puny skinny no frills design, the interior looks like an Infiniti with cheap plastic switch gear everywhere (which would be acceptable if it were priced like an Infiniti, but the Bimmer is much more $$$). The older e65/e66 interior is MUCH nicer IMO, the older ones also still drive like a proper BMW in terms of road feel. The F01 did indeed have the disconnect feel that Quantum spoke of. Coming from a cushy VDP Jag with 16" rims, the e66 (with 19" rims) felt super-connected to the road - too much so for my taste, but not a deal-killer - I guess I'm like pdupler in that aspect - or the NYC potholes are influencing my opinions.

My bar to determine car quality is always set by asking myself afterward "am I relieved to get back at the wheel of my ancient aging Jaguar?", after the F01 BMW - definitely - the x308 enjoyment-factory was infinitely better.

For contrast, after driving a 2017 Audi A8L V8T and 2018 MB S550, I was ready to trade the old Jag in, lol - those two cars are amazing!

 

I actually thought the ride quality of the latest Infinity Q70 was about the best of anything that I'd driven on conventional springs. The base model does have the tallest sidewall tires of anything on the market today. And the price in the used market is very reasonable. Three things tho about it that kinda bothered me: 1) the hideous, giant bug-eyed headlights, 2) the odd dash layout (I know its weird, but the humps over the instrument cluster remind me of a pair of voluptuous breasts and I didn't think that was something I ought to be staring at while driving.) But more than anything, I looked online and couldn't find hardly any active enthusiast owners. There's subgroups on Nissan and Infinity forums for their flagship model, but relatively little discussion. On the one hand that probably means not much ever needs fixing, but on the other hand it also shows there's not anywhere near the level of enthusiasm of any of the Jaguar sedan owners groups. Nobody's out there modifying them, racing them, customizing them, even maintaining them, nothing but getting groceries in them I guess. I'm afraid that I'd grow bored with an Infiniti very quickly (well except for the instrument cluster hood . )

 

Amazing cars, I must agree. Still impressive how a 2 decade old Jag can even hold a candle to many of the high end offerings today. The X308's are a class of their own from that era.