Why or why not?

 

here are some reasons:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/o...an-x350-10365/

 

See, that's what I thought. But than I drove the one I fixed for my GF over the weekend ('06 XJ8) and I've been driving the '06 XJR I picked up to sell for the past few days and I absolutely love the way they drive. I mean holly smoothness awesome. Since they are so much taller I thought they would be pigs but the aluminum body is just awesome.


I also have to say that the XJ8's torque curve is impressive for NA

 

I would say 2008-2009 if the new body style, 04-07= BORING, nothing special at all. Barely any difference between XJR and XJ8 aside from performance

 

The 08-09 looks different because of the fenders and the front bumper. I found 2 fenders for $300 so a conversion wouldn't be hard. The X350 is all about the brakes and the wheels between the xj8 and xjr models.

 

I like the appearance of the X308 much more than the X350. Mostly, the length of the boot. The shorter boot on the X350 just doesn't look right to me. I know the cabin is bigger and more comfortable on the the X350, but to me, style is everything as far as Jags are concerned...

 

I certainly prefer the X308 style more than the X350. If someone was going to give me a X350 I certainly would not say no.
I do know that my next Jaguar will be a 2003 X308 hopefully a XJR, I just need to raise the cash and travel to one of the southern states to buy it, just give me a few years.

 

I was looking at both very heavily when I was buying an XJR, but came down on the X308 side for a few reasons.

X308 advantages:
-Looks. I love how the X350s look, especially the X358s, but they don't compare to the X308. The X308 is simply one of the best looking cars ever penned.
-Coil suspension. I'm just not a fan of air ride. I'll always choose to lean towards sportiness over ride. This isn't a huge deal seeing as you can do the coil conversion or S-Type coilover swap on the X350s, but it does require extra steps.
-Cost. X308s are about half the cost of a comparable X350, and about a third the cost of a comparable X358. And almost all maintenance items are somewhat cheaper for the X308s.
-Steel body. Heavy, but much easier/cheaper to maintain/repair.

X350 advantages:
-Power. The 4.2 is nice to have.
-Transmission. The 722.6 is nice, but that ZF 6 speed is better.
-Interior space. One of the costs of the X308s stunning looks is that the interior is kind of cramped, especially the back seat. The X350 is a much nicer place for extended trips.
-Weight. That aluminum body may be expensive, but it pays huge dividends in weight.
-Brakes. The X308 XJR brakes (the ATEs) are good, but those massive Brembos on the X350 are AWESOME.

So it's a very tough choice. I love my 2000 XJR, but there are a couple of inherent problems with it that the X350 solves while remaining very similar. I've been toying with the idea of moving to an X358 XJR for a while, but for now, I'll stick with the X308

 

I too love my 308. But when the expenses of repairing it or I begin the lack the ability due to age of fixing things, I plan to upgrade to much later model 350 or 358.

Mechanically the 308 ages well; however, the plastic finishing in the interior does not age well.

So at some point, age of the vehicle counts as much as the mileage.

 

i upgraded to a 350 from a 308......truly enjoyed the upgrade.

then i upgraded to the 351 and my mind was blown......

 

Totally agree. You can drive the later models till the tires fall off but they still won't look as good or cool as the 308!
Dave

 

X308 is truly one of the most beautiful cars built. I sold my 2001 R. But instead of going to X350, I will be looking for an X300 R when I return to Jaguar camp. Nothing against X350 and subsequent models but when you park your X308 next to X350 you realize the great styling proportions of the X308. Just my opinion. Comparison was done in real life. ))

 

my first post on this forum

I've been thinking of a 350 as a new work car, I drive a lot and my TDI is starting to wear out my back and clutch leg. I've seen a few nice deals aand happened to notice that my local jag dealer had an 01 XJR for sale for $10k asking. I went out at lunch and took it for a test drive. More to try the car out in general- an XJR is not the road car I probably need.

I must say my reply after my test drive was 'I didn't fall in love with it'. The salesman, who was a professional, shrugged and said 'they've come a long way' and didn't push the issue.


My main complaint was the cheapness of maybe half the interior bits. So many of the buttons, switches and plastics looked and felt so, well- it came to mind -"ford like". It's not aged well in my mind. I was able to pull the transmission surround off by hand, just a cheapo piece of plastic with a bit of chrome on it. I was not impressed and it turned me off on the whole car.

So is the 350 a big step up in interior quality, switch feel etc?
or will I be disappointed if I go look at one of those too?

 

I want to buy a 2004-2007 350 XJR or XJ8, but can't find one in a good condition. Anyway, i LOVE mine 308, it looks awesome and fun to drive, so i'm not planning to sell it. Now i'm using a 308 as a daily driver, but i don't think it's right to do so - it should be a fun car for a weekends The 350 XJR or SV8 perfomance is amasing, it's easier to maintain the car, that's why i want one

 

I much prefer the looks of the x308 over the x350. Anyone can tell the x308 is a Jag, the x350, not so much.

I've never come across an x350 that could keep up with me on a windy road or a straight line race.

A good friend of mine just bought a x350 and it is more complicated and harder to work on than my x308s ( I have a 2002 XJ8 and a 2000 XJR). You want to have a look at the throttle body, well then, you must first remove the windscreen wipers (not kidding)

 

You should have joined us at the Nürburgring or Santa Pod

 

But it's easier to get a parts for a 350.
If you have a mangoose or VCM dongle and SDD and a generic mechanical skills, then working with a 350 is not a problem.