Hi All-Jus a bit of fun this. I was thinking this morning, even though I love my car to pieces, there are a couple of things that annoy me about it.
They are:
1) Only having a single wiper - It doesn't give a clear enough view at the side of the windscreen.
2) The Stereo having to be on if I want to use the Factory Sat Nav

I'm curious to see what things annoys other owners, so don't be afraid to let rip! :P

S.

 

the aerial....

 

The cup holders!

 

The car is great (well, the cupholders not so much). The dealers are predatory, (at least the seven I have dealt with over the years) to an astonishing degree - most downright dishonest.
The handbrake lever pokes my thigh, but I have learned to live with that...

 

only thing I don't like about my car is the fact that my head brushes up against the roof, I usually have to hunch forward to avoid this

 

It's not as well built as my old Mercedes :P


And the transmission but that's not Jag's fault.

 

Reliability!


No side curtain airbags or glass sunroof.

Proper stability control.

The sunroof and trunk are too small.

Some interior bits are flimsy compared to cars of the same class.

The seats are kinda comfortable but kinda not. The front seats are supremely soft, but my left leg gets very uncomfortable on long drives. (I have heard others mention this too). The rear seats are firmer than one might expect.

The car is very delicate. My dad abuses his BMW and it looks brand new when washed. My VDP would be pretty damaged, esp the interior under the same treatment.

Minimal after market parts in comparison to some other cars (esp. BMW) & no ipod attachment.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this car and want to keep it as long as possible! A fusion of the XJ and my dad's BMW would be perfect. The BMW doesnt look as nice inside or out, and is actually more boring to drive than my VDP despite less body lean and more cornering stability. It also feels bigger than the XJ (its not) and is pretty sterile. It gets much less attention.

These are just areas in which my dad's car beats the XJ. There XJ is the overall winner in my book though. The XJ has many advantages.

 

I agree with the delicate part, which is what I was alluding to in my post when I said it wasn't as well built as my Mercedes.

Admittedly, I used to beat the **** out of my Mercedes and after a solid wash and wax and detailing (I'm very on top of keeping my cars clean), it still would like a gorgeous Mercedes that has been used but well-kept over the years.

Not to mention she took everything in stride. I even tracked the car a couple times and she drove away without a hiccup at 120k miles.

I feel like I have to be more cautious with the way I drive with this car, but it's hard having the Sport model because I could just haul *** on a nice twisty road or a jughandle, yet I feel a bit apprehensive when I do .

 

I don't like the pedal placement.

I don't like that I cannot find a proven solution for hooking up/charging my iPhone.

I HATE what the dealerships charge for necessary items - $400 for key and fob set and $28 for a stupid valve adapter for my wheels...

I don't like that neither of my child car seats fit in the car. Boys don't get to ride with dad.

I don't like that I have to try desperately to achieve 15 mpg combined.

 

My solution for my iPhone, use the 12volt charger and use the cassette player input. Works perfectly for me.

 

Valve adapter? Am I missing something? My tires seem to have standard schrader valves, which my inflator fits over nicely.
My dealer charged me $300, just for one key. They do seem to have quite a sense of entitlement.

 

X2 on the broken cupholders! I also hate how the steering wheel moves in and out all the time when I put the key in the ignition, but I need it to do the for some reason. There is no room when the wheel is extended (ie getting out of the car while its running and coming back to it)! I also hate that it doesnt have a double din slot in the dash.

 

I've got the R1 package 18" wheels that have a "hidden" valve stem. It is basically a small screw-on plate, once removed requires the valve adapter to be screwed in to check/add air. I'm not sure that I get the point of why...

 

It is possible to disable the automatic steering wheel movement by turning the adjustment knob on the side of the steering column.

 

I 2nd the uncomfy seat.
(Guess my small b**t is used to the BMW seating.)

I second the pedals.
When I wear my Timberlands I always either step on the brake when I try to accelerate or my right shoe gets caught on the carpet of the front center console. There's just too little room around the pedals.

Don't like the "leather" interiour which in fact is just a special kind of plastic with a cheap leather looke-a-like finish. It even does not smell like leather.

I don't like the fact that the gas tank sits behind the back seats for 2 reasons.
-1- I always had a subwoofer in the trunk in my previous cars. With the Jag - useless!
-2- As an avid water skier I carry my ski around a lot and there's no way to get it into the trunk so it has to sit on the backseat.
(The Beamer had an opening in the back rest to "stick" a ski through from the trunk.)

I don't like the headlights at all.
-1- The car would look so much better when the glas of the headlights would be flat not convex. With this bulge-like glas the front of the car has
this goofy froggy look.
-2- The output would be so much better when they would have been HID.

Don't like how antiquated the whole chassis is build (subframes WTH?).
With that lot of rods, joints, hinges and bushes it is prone to wear much faster than conventional built cars.

I don't like the wind noises at Autobahn speeds. (Probably caused by all the chrome roof rails.)

I don't like the ridiculous sound when closing a door (or even worse the trunk).
In these big cars it should just be a fat "plopp". But on the Jag it is more like a cheap "clack".


...


David

 

For XJ's fitted with BBS wheels, they use a valve adapter, and I can get a new left hand drive lock set with 3 keys (2 black, 1 green) for $120 genuine Jaguar, they just need programming to the car, locks are drivers door, boot, glove box and ignition. Just did mine.

 

For alot of real leather, you should have gotten a daimler

I agree, the XJ chassis is pretty dated and weak. I get cowl shake and the chassis stiffness is and feels much weaker than my dad's BMW. I have a long wheel base which is an even weaker chassis.

I agree with the pedals. I occasionally wear Timberland boots in the winter and it seems dangerous driving with them on. Dress shoes are more comfortable in these cars.

As for the exterior design, simply beautiful. Less chrome would be nice however. I think larger outside headlights with smaller inners a la XJ6 Series I and X350 would look nice. That is the only design improvement IMHO of the X350 over the X308 w/ HID.

Apart from its reliability issues, I love the engine in these cars. Smooth as silk and its high revving nature makes a sedate VDP feel unexpectedly lively.

My car keys slap my knee all the time.

These quirks give the XJ character.

 

Not an X308 Owner but would like to add a few points of my own
1- Gauges , 1990-97 6 way gauges better looking and hence lack of alternator and oil pressure gauge , might not be necessary but I like those gauges
2- Door capping and door panel layout , 1993-97 Jaguar better looking

As for the Timberland shoes, lol you should use Jag Club shoes for your Jags lol
Door closing sound , might be sound cheap I know wha you mean but earlier Jags are feeling cheaper but let's not forget earlier models are more solid than today's cheapo eco boxes .You see if you tap on their body with your finger

 

The door panels in the X308 look cheaper IMHO than the X300s. The X308 dash looks better however.

The thunk the hood makes when its closed is the most solid sound I have ever heard from a car.

 

That's probably because your dropping it instead of closing it at each side.

I'm having to bite my lip on some of these comments, nice thread Stu.