A tinkly feeling X350
Discussion
It'll soon be due for a gearbox oil change, check to see if it's been done already, ZF6 boxes like fresh oil every 70k miles otherwise problems could appear later on in life. Also this can be expensive, taking around 8 litres of oil at £15 per litre, it'll need a new gearbox sump also as these contain the filter.
Air suspension is a big thing to look out for, does the car height drop overnight, air-ride shockers can be very expensive, just a leaky pipe is easy enough fixed, compressors can be replaced or refurbed.
Rear bushes - check for knocks or movement advisories on MOT, again expensive to replace due to labour required.
Lots of corrosion spots to check on unlucky effected cars.
Theres other things that I can't remember just now, I had a long list when I was looking for mine. Took a OBD reader also to check for codes, this shocked a lot of owners :-)
Air suspension is a big thing to look out for, does the car height drop overnight, air-ride shockers can be very expensive, just a leaky pipe is easy enough fixed, compressors can be replaced or refurbed.
Rear bushes - check for knocks or movement advisories on MOT, again expensive to replace due to labour required.
Lots of corrosion spots to check on unlucky effected cars.
Theres other things that I can't remember just now, I had a long list when I was looking for mine. Took a OBD reader also to check for codes, this shocked a lot of owners :-)
They are pretty rare out here in France. It really isn't a car culture country, although it is changing. There are currently 18 for sale in the whole of France and due to their love of diesel only 3 of these are petrol - all V8's. Strangely enough they are a similar price considering the mileage etc. Also note the price - a 2007 2.7, 70k miles £9750 - fairly unbelievable and that is the lower end of the market. I will try and see it this weekend to see if it is just man maths or love.
So...a strange one this. On arrival I first noticed the badly machine polished paint, but it happens. So a good look around and all looks in order. The service history has the first two with jaguar (2 years apart) and the next 3 yearly at a ''normal' garage. No bills to show. Now the owner has only had the car 15 days and is selling as he has bought an X351 with only 20,000km. He is a retired guy very pleasant and seemed in no way a wheeler dealer. The 351 is what he wanted and in 8 months of looking he never found one. So back to the car It had pirellis on the front and fulda's on the back. The car sounded great, I had a 335d bmw but this almost sounded petrol. The interior was very clean and lovely but the touchscreen graphics really date the car but that is not specific to this one. It drove well, when I put my foot down I expected it to kick down but it didn't, I put it in sport and it swapped cogs well. The suspension I didn't get the magic carpet ride, it was nice but felt a little choppy on some corners but no banging or rattling. This is the first ever xj I have driven though. It needs a service and has not had the gearbox oil and filter change. Throughout this time the machine polishing was bugging me, it seemed strange to have machine polished paint but all the door jambs, under the bonnet etc looked like they had not been touched since new. Also the brake hubs were quite rusty. The driver door seal was perished. Also the front lhs wing seemed 'ripply' where the side repeater is. In fact on closer inspection it became apparent it had had a respray on the lhs and rear bumper at least. I spotted the masking line in the door jambs. So part of me thinks to snap it up for around 11k euros and spend all my time as an ocd car cleaner to get everything ship shape. The other part thinks it could be accident repaired and to stay well clear, the guy mentioned something about a new damper. So maybe not the one...
I don't think I'd buy one in France. In my experience, cars there are simply not well cared for, regardless of what they are. I had my UK X350 when I lived there, and even the Jaguar main dealer didn't do a great job and charged me a fortune for very basic work.
I never found the RHD such a massive problem in carparks and toll roads, and I used them an awful lot. Just unclip your seatbelt and stretch over the seat - it's a minor inconvenience really.
5k GBP would get you a lovely V8 example which would likely be considerably better cared for than anything you'd find over there. It would even get you an XJR/Super V8 if you fancied one.
I never found the RHD such a massive problem in carparks and toll roads, and I used them an awful lot. Just unclip your seatbelt and stretch over the seat - it's a minor inconvenience really.
5k GBP would get you a lovely V8 example which would likely be considerably better cared for than anything you'd find over there. It would even get you an XJR/Super V8 if you fancied one.
I've had a 2003 4.2 for the last 6 years, it's been a good car.....and having just spent over 4 figures for a major service and MOT (including both rear wishbones being changed) I was quite shocked to see how cheap they are in the UK, it is however the first "big" bill I've had. I'll be hanging on to mine for another couple of years, but €11k.....for a questionable sounding car is too much. I have a LHD E type & 2CV, no issues really in the UK. Get a telepeage think for France and you're sorted ! There are lots of decent cars in the UK, you could buy at a reputable Independant Jag dealer....so a cheap flight, and a great drive home.
Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff