Well, a few little corrections The DB7 had the IRS MK I with outboard brakes, as fitted to the XJS in around 1995... Still had the cage and co. The DB7 is basically a remodeld XJ-S. The front suspension is the same. The rear is the same (parts are interchangable). But otherwise yes...

I would love a Lister LeMans. 2 superchargers strapped to the V12. That car worked and was a rocket as everyone else was just hitting 400 hp Lister had a good 600 hp sitting there ready to kill!

I still prefer my prefacelift, non-cat'ed, 3 speed TH400, late 5.3l. High compression, digital ignition, forged crank and pistons, con rods. Being an 89 it even has the later lip seal rather than the rope seal...

If I compare my XJ-S to a 2001 XKR, the XJ-S still wins. It does everything worse, if you know what I mean, but it is just more what it is. The XK(R) is a nice car. Don't get me wrong, but it tries to hard to hide a bloated body, a lot of weight, and tries to combine that with loads of space. You would think it was really spacious, even in the rear, but it isn't. You see a mile away, that the XJ-S isn't spacious. Neither in the front, nor in the rear. You can fit comfortably in it but otherwise you are cooked alive if the AC fails. You get drippings everywhere. You are always on edge because something COULD fail (but it won't). And you get the best of the worst electrical systems available. in my car's case, the best of the worst of two bad electrical companies! Lucas AND Marelli!

But enough of me saying how bad the XJ-S is but still is better Taste and opinions... And I think, Sean, you stated it quite well, an XJ(R) is so easy to drive, that even a grannie could drive it fast and hard...

 

I'm on my third X-308 and agree that across the board it is the pinnacle of the brand's large sedan achievements. As the last model with Sir William's input, and the last XJ to come off the Coventry line, it's got the historical creds. And that's just for starters.

In my opinion the 308's exterior styling is the ultimate refinement of the most beautiful post-war sedan from any manufacturer. Its form is exquisite and its lines are simple and uncluttered -- the opposite of today's overwrought German behemoths.

The interior's fuselage approach is classic Jaguar -- like a private jet it wraps its occupants in a luxurious cocoon, secure and cozy as a wood-and-leather imbued Edwardian study. In the BMW 740 I owned previously I felt as if I was sitting in a cave.

Engineering-wise, the X-308 was one of the first cars fitted with multiplex electronics, putting to rest the old bugbear of British cars and the Prince of Darkness. The all-new AJ-V8 got it right the first time (except for the timing chain tensioners, easily replaced). The supercharged version was a paragon of grace under pressure -- its direct descendants continue to power the Jags of today. And, the 308's ride comfort and refinement are, in my opinion, superior to the new-gen XJs, hampered as they are by ridiculously low-profile tires.

I've owned three versions of the X-308: a standard XJ, a Vanden Plas Supercharged (I'm still kicking myself for selling it), and my current ride, a 2001 XJR with 151,000 miles on the clock. Thanks no doubt to my excellent non-dealer service shop, all three cars have been economical to maintain and operate and wonderfully reliable. Unlike current German luxury sedans, they were built to last. Plus, I never got tired of driving them. Every trip was a treat, even to the corner store.

My favorite combination of X-308 virtues is my current XJR. It's got the power of the supercharged engine, the extra leather and other goodies of the VDP, and in its short-wheelbase configuration is perfectly proportioned. Its firmer, all-mechanical suspension makes it the best handling version of the series with next to no sacrifice in ride quality.

I'm a senior now, happily retired, and hopeful that my XJR will take me all the way through this enjoyable chapter of my life. I want no other car.

 

Here here, I'm sure it will!

 

I have liked jaguars since 1975, when I bought an S type; good car, travelled everywhere at 100MPH (160kph). Bought an E type before their prices got stupid; it was the best. Series1 XJ, series2 XJ, and then couldn't keep up with the maintenance, so I was reduced to driving lesser cars. 5 years ago, bought an X308. I was all smiles, looked great and drove like a Jag. I thought it was wonderful. Then came the first "restricted performance". Dud coil. replaced that, only to have another one fail within 6 months, with the dreaded RP.
Replaced tensioners, thermostat housing, hoses; I was OK with that. But a few more restricted performance episodes, the spectre of gearbox failure hanging over me, the fact that I can not trust it to get me safely there and back if I go on a long trip, means that it is now up for sale( when I can get rid of the ABS/trac control light). I really like jags, and I will miss this one, but it has lost it's charm. It was longer than the ford it replaced, and had less room than the little 4cyl car my wife drives; their use of interior space was ridiculous. It is more difficult to get in and out of than the E type. 5 different fuse boxes. A temperature gauge that is a glorified idiot light. A diff that is not as good as that which it replaced. A throttle position sensor that cannot be replaced; buy a new throttle body; $2500.

 

What's ridiculous interior space-wise is the trunk on my modern XF. First time picking up my sister at the airport I'm freaking out trying to get her massive luggage into the trunk without scratching the paint. Like that old Milton Bradley "Operation" electronic game except the bones weigh 100lbs. It was never any problem in the X308 because the trunk opens wide. Last week I had to change a flat tire in the XF and it was a pita because I couldn't lean over the spare tire well to lift straight up. The only way to do it is to literally drag the tire across the plastic threshold (replacement part on order). In the XJ8 you just pick up your luggage or spare tire and set it in there. Oh and its perfectly big enough for a full-sized spare but unlike the XJ8 came with only a spacesaver donut. The XF "fastback" body style looks cool and I'm sure it's more aerodynamic, but rear visibility is almost nil (I'll be toast if the backup camera ever fails) and trunk access is inconvenient.

 

I've had mine for 19-years - as there is no other car like it on the road. Sadly, the transmission went last week. Contemplating what to do with it now.

 

[QUOTE=Doug;1066195] "I agree....but I see no reason not to include the X300s as well, both 6 and 12 cylinder. Same great styling...the differeneces are very subtle....and both engines were quite good."

I recall reading an interview with a Jaguar executive during the launch of the X-308. The reporter (rightly) took him to task on the styling, saying it was virtually indistinguishable from the model it replaced, the X-300.

To my surprise (but now I understand and agree), the executive responded that the X-308 was more different from the X-300 than the X-300 was from the XJ-40!

When you think about it, with the X-308 generation the entire powertrain was replaced, as was the entire electrical system -- the X-308 was one of the first mass production cars to feature multiplex electronics. There were major changes to the suspension, at least at the rear, and the interior was completely redesigned. That doesn't leave a lot else.

As to why the X-308's exterior was permitted to so closely remember its predecessor, I can only echo that old mantra: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

I'm sorry your X-308 gave you so many unanticipated problems. As I've said before, I'm on my third, and with preventive maintenance, I have been able to afford to own them on my modest income as a technical writer.

That annoying ABS warning light is the fault of a dirty rear sensor. My wrench Juan (who won't let me publish his contact information!) cleaned it pretty quick.

That ZF 5-speed transmission you correctly point out as flawed found its way into pretty much all the Euro luxury cars of the X-308 era, and it was ridiculously marketed as "sealed for life" due to its synthetic fluid. My '98 XJ's transmission failed and I forked out $6,000 for a rebuilt unit, installed.

According to my wrench, those "sealed for life" ZFs accumulated so much metal dust over time that starting around 80K miles the magnets and filter that are supposed to contain the dust are hopelessly clogged. This leaves sludgy and ever-thickening fluid circulating, to the point the transmission will fail.

When my '01 reached 100K miles it was continuing to run superbly (I'd done all the preventive stuff). So Juan, who was servicing a slew of aging X-308s here in America's Jag capital, the SF Bay Area, undertook to refurbish my automatic transmission. Beyond flushing it, he scooped out the gunk from hard-to-reach places like the torque converter. It was a big job, but that was 54K miles ago. At 154K miles my transmission fluid remains sufficiently clear that Juan doesn't think another refurbishing will be required for quite a while. The transmission continues to function flawlessly.

About long trips . . . Next to my dearly departed Citroen ID Special, my XJ sedans are the best road trip cars I've owned. (And I've owned an E-Type.) But I share the writer's concern about a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. I enjoy road trips and do at least one a year, a couple thousand miles in distance. A few years ago I drove to my home town in Ontario Canada, a nearly 6,000 round trip. And as with all my X-308s, the car didn't miss a beat.

Yes, I could go to Enterprise and rent an econobox and get better fuel economy and be free from worry about breakdowns, but as Paul Newman once said about the folly of extra-marital sex, why do out for a hamburger when you can have steak at home?

Since the early 2000s my three X-308s have, by way of their consistent reliability, proven themselves fit for the long haul. I love driving my XJ and am proud of it. Cars and exotic dogs (Brussels Griffon) are my two indulgences, and I've got the best of both. Sometimes you've got to take a bit of a flyer if you want to indulge your passion, but damn it, life is short and AAA Premium membership isn't THAT expensive.

A clean, high-mileage 2001 XJR like mine goes for around $4,000 on Craigslist these days, so that is the maximum exposure I'd be facing should my X-308 break down on a long trip. I've already earned that money back from the pleasure of tens of thousands of miles of road-tripping since I got my first X-308 in the early 2000s. From here on it's gravy.

On a recent episode of Jay Leno's YouTube show, he went for a blast in an X-350 with more than 220k miles on the clock. And Juan tells me he has several 308 owners with over 200k miles and their cars are still fine. This plus my extensive personal experience with this series will motivate me to do another road trip to eastern Canada this coming August. I refuse to fly anymore, and driving the blue highways (the backroad alternative to the freeways) is still one of my favorite activities. Driving those roads in a Jaguar sedan is one of life's great pleasures if you are a motorhead.

 

I broke down twice on a cross-country trip in another car that was already 16 years old at the time. Spent a total of five nights in the middle of Arizona on the phone hunting and then waiting on parts to arrive. On the way back, I stopped and picked up a couple and child who were driving the same kind of car that had broken down between El Paso and Odessa. Having just been through it I couldn't leave a fellow owner stranded in one of the most desolate areas I've ever driven. Dropped them at a gas station/garage in the next tiny little town. Thinking of that place and their situation reminds me of an old Pep Boy's TV Commercial.

 

A Vanden PlaS X-308 is refined, elegant, eye-catching, and sporty.....All at
the same time. What is not to love?

 

Since you revived an old thread, another eight years on, my x308 is still chugging along at 26 years old and closing in on 130K miles. Although since 2018, the engine has been out to replace every seal and gasket as it was leaking from pretty much everywhere, along with every rubber hose. And the valve cover gaskets have had to be done again twice since that (dunno what it is about valve cover gaskets not lasting, but at least they're easy). And despite doing the Sonnax valve body upgrade in about 2013 (which I guess bought it another 40K miles), the transmission finally popped its A-drum and has now been rebuilt with a Kuhl upgraded A-drum and new ZF valve body with their revised pressure valve. And all of the suspension bushes have been replaced along with new Bilsteins all around. Had to replace all of the stereo speakers because the foam rubber around them deteriorated, fuel pump died, fuel pressure regulator died, engine mounts oozed and had to be replaced, boot struts wouldn't hold the lid open anymore, heater pump needed new brushes and backflushed the heater core after it got plugged up. And despite being garaged day and night, the paint now needs redoing in spots along with the leather. Nothing went wrong at all its first 80K miles or until it got to be about 12 years old but things really started to unravel beginning around 17 years old.

If I had to pay somebody to do all of those jobs, it would have made more sense to buy a newer car for less money that didn't need all of those things. But repairs aren't all needed at the same time. They happen one by one and before you know it, you've already spent more than the car is worth. And then the next big repair, you're so deep in that you can't convince yourself to quit and cut your losses. Especially because by then you've fallen head over heals in love with the thing. In for a penny, in for a pound as they say.

Moral to the story, anyone thinking of buying an X308 today needs to realize that regardless of the miles, its an OLD car. Everything made out of organic materials like plastic, rubber and vinyl are deteriorating and its not going to be reliable any more. Plus some of those organic parts are starting to become scarce (or were made back in the day and are just as old as the part that needs replacing). Don't get me wrong, its a wonderful car. Really is the best sedan design ever. Its just old now. It's be the same if it were an old Toyota. You need a lot of patience, a good set of tools, some diy skills, a newer Honda for backup and ample financial resources. If you are looking for a daily driver and don't have at least three out of five, I recommend to buy a much newer model. Leave the X308s and other older Jaguars to the tinkerers, the collectors, the hoarders and other gluttons for punishment.

 

^
On the other hand, the thread isn’t nearly as old as our cars.

My daily driver is a 2001 XJR with 114,000 km (71,250 miles) and her stable mate is a 1992 Series 3 VDP with 160,000 km (100,000 miles) which is now a summer only/fair weather car.

I have neither the tools nor the skills to do anything DIY other than cosmetics (which is a treat as they’re both spectacular, at least to my eye). That means a local indie is tasked with keeping them on the road and sourcing parts but do far we’ve not come up against anything that is truly made of unobtainium.

I’m not one to put things off so your list is no surprise to me and it’s not inexpensive to have someone else do it but it’s worth every penny to me.

I can also look at the cost and the instant depreciation of anything new - or even newer - that I might be prepared to live with instead and those maintenance/repair costs start to look like a bargain.

 

Yes, there's huge depreciation on a new vehicle (I bought a new Ford because if anything goes wrong, there's a Ford dealer in every other small town across America), but what I'm really paying for is reduced risk and more free time. Seriously my XJ8 still exists only because it belongs to somebody who has the time afforded by having a newer car and who likes to tinker. I spent six months researching and making the tools necessary to rebuild the transmission. If I had traded it in when I bought the XF, it would have been financed to some poor person who really needed a $5,000 used Honda but was enticed by the beautiful Jaguar instead. It would have been scrapped the moment that A-drum went, probably bankrupting the poor new owner in the process. If anyone reading is in the position of that poor guy needing basic transportation, I implore you, if you spot a 25+ year old Jaguar on a tote-the-note lot, look away, look away!

 

^
Yes, you absolutely do need to be able to afford a used Jaguar both initially and on an ongoing basis if you are going to buy one!

If you can afford one however, they are much more rewarding than that $5,000 Honda which - like any used car - may still have it's own potentially catastrophic failures if not properly vetted before buying).

 

I just posted my 2002 XJR on Marketplace. Low miles, and ready to roll. My plan in 2019 was to sell the E-type, but spouse now says keep it....

 

my only issue with the 308 line is the trunk was once described to me as a largest compact car trunk ever installed in a luxury car. I much preferred the boot on my now-deceased '06 VDP. Oh, and the 308's a little low for an old fart like me to easily enter and exit. Funny, it didn't seem that just a few years ago!

 

The boot of the Duchess is plenty large enough for anything I want to carry. However,
it is certainly true that needs vary with the individual. The modern Jags are taller and
thus allow much more space back there and I have no use for them.

 

X308 trunk is not large but it still had space for a rear end

 

Certainly not described that way by anyone who’s ever owned a Series 3…

 

It fits my golf equipment and that's all I care about. Also, the trunk opening is large and easy to get to.