2011 XJ Supersport X351

[MOBB]

Should I?

Currently have a Polestar 2 for daily duties which my wife loves, its a great thing but not remotely interesting to me.

I have a budget of around £15k for something interesting to add to the family, I've considered everything from hot hatches to sports cars and saloons. Condition and service history more important than age and miles, though sub 70k miles would be preferable

The only other Jag I've had is a 2005 S Type R which I adored and shouldn't have really sold.

The only thing I can find around £15k that isn't financially ruinous or dull is an Audi RS5, or a V8 Jag of some kind

I think the RS5 wont be as much of a drivers car as any Jag, so my thoughts went like this;

- X358 XJR - £15k gets a nice 2007 car with decent miles, love the look of these, reminds me of my STR
- XFR - probably the most sensible option, but I cant get excited about it
- XKR - £15k gets a late nice 4.2 or a rougher 5.0 - seems like a good option
- X351 XJ Supersport - seems like an utter bargain from what I can see, £15k gets a 2011 car with 70k miles or less, and the spec/reviews etc are compelling. Looks are divisive but I often like an ugly bd

Can anyone talk me out of the X351 based on what I've said above? :-)

Edit to add, it will probably do 5,000 miles per year, and will be serviced by a specialist rather than main dealer.

Edited by MOBB on Thursday 14th December 15:24

Edited by MOBB on Thursday 14th December 15:25

[reddiesel]

In my humble opinion the X351 has very little desirability amongst the car buying public and there are various reasons for this . Firstly its not " definitive " of what represents the Jaguar Brand and used values already reflect that reality with the best of the X350 and X358 already outstripping the later Model .
Secondly they are literally static on Forecourts which inevitably means a financial scalping when it comes to exit time .
For me reading your Post and understanding your needs , its an XJR or XKR all day long . If you take your time looking and put yourself out there on the various Forums £15k should just about do it . I would be doing my homework , buying Privately and relaxing in the knowledge that if bought right then you will be almost depreciation proof . They are wonderful Cars .

[reddiesel]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204500061211?hash=item2...


This Dealer an Asian Bloke from Bedford has had this Car for ages and its failed to sell . I put this down to being a limited marketplace and a Model with very little recognition outside Jaguar Enthusiast circles . £15k will buy this all day long .

[Patrick Bateman]

15 grand on the previous generation XJR is bonkers IMO.

That gets you a lot of XKR, easily.

[Oldwolf]

I gave up a Kia EV6 AWD when I left a job earlier this year and went for an X350 XJR and so my vote is - Just Do It

[dbdb]

My brother has had both an X350 Super V8 and an X351 Super sport. They were both excellent cars.

I am a bit of a Jaguar traditionalist so the feel of the car is central to my enjoyment of it. A Jaguar should feel a bit 'special' with a definite and slightly louche swagger to it. The old steel XJs had this by the bucket load but I find it to be strangely missing in the X350. They feel watered down by committee and the result is a little prim for my taste.

The X351 feels much more of a 'proper' Jaguar XJ to me. The car cocoons around you like an old-school XJ in a way the X350 just doesn't and the whole effect is just more authentic as well as far more modern. Much as I like the X350, I find their sudden popularity rather baffling. For me they are neither fish nor fowl: they lack the sleekness, charisma and feel of the earlier XJs and do not have the modernity of the X351.

[AdeTuono]

I had a bog-standard X351 3.0 and it was superb. I can only think an SS would be even better. I'd certainly take one over an X350 any day, irrespective of residuals.

[MOBB]

Of all the cars currently for sale this is the one that gives me the horn;

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023102533...

[Simpo Two]

MOBB said:

Can anyone talk me out of the X351 based on what I've said above? :-)

Yes. You'd have to look at it every time you got in or out of it.

Has that done the trick?



If you don't need four seats I'd go for the X150. I saw one like this today and it looked very smart indeed:

[reddiesel]

Oldwolf said:

I gave up a Kia EV6 AWD when I left a job earlier this year and went for an X350 XJR and so my vote is - Just Do It

We don't hear enough from Blokes like you on this Forum why don't you start a Thread and tell us all about her . Did you buy Privately or through a Dealer and were you tempted by the Japanese Imports ?

[reddiesel]

Its still a beautiful beguiling shape Simpo . Do you think its aging better than the DB9 ? No particular reason for asking only like you I owned a DB9 and although I thoroughly enjoyed the experience the Jaguar for me has a beautiful litheness that the Aston never had .

[reddiesel]

MOBB said:

Of all the cars currently for sale this is the one that gives me the horn;

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023102533...

They aren't that many around in X358 form .

[Simpo Two]

reddiesel said:

Its still a beautiful beguiling shape Simpo . Do you think its aging better than the DB9 ? No particular reason for asking only like you I owned a DB9 and although I thoroughly enjoyed the experience the Jaguar for me has a beautiful litheness that the Aston never had .

I think both cars are ageing equally well, though the DB9 will always look a bit more 'classic' IMHO - and of course it has THAT badge. Unless you're an expert it looks the same as every other Aston from that time onwards, whereas Jaguar... well, 'nuff said.

It's all subjective of course but for me the DB9 pips the XK150 both inside and out. I never quite liked the shape of the pointy bits on the lights of the XK150, but the DB9 works from every angle, and whilst the interior of the XK150 is perfectly fine (especially the later ones), the DB9 is far more special. The snag is that it costs twice as much to buy and run than the XK150. And so if you can't stretch to Aston ownership, or if you like value for money more than brand, get an XK150

[reddiesel]

Simpo Two said:

I think both cars are ageing equally well, though the DB9 will always look a bit more 'classic' IMHO - and of course it has THAT badge. Unless you're an expert it looks the same as every other Aston from that time onwards, whereas Jaguar... well, 'nuff said.

It's all subjective of course but for me the DB9 pips the XK150 both inside and out. I never quite liked the shape of the pointy bits on the lights of the XK150, but the DB9 works from every angle, and whilst the interior of the XK150 is perfectly fine (especially the later ones), the DB9 is far more special. The snag is that it costs twice as much to buy and run than the XK150. And so if you can't stretch to Aston ownership, or if you like value for money more than brand, get an XK150

Fair comment . Wyvern Boats at Leighton Buzzard is another for your Filofax

[chriscoates]

MOBB said:

Of all the cars currently for sale this is the one that gives me the horn;

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023102533...

As an X358 XJR owner you'll join our pretty small club by buying that one. I took mine to the Jaguars at Gaydon meet in the summer where there were around 850-900 cars and there was only one other there - they are extremely rare.

Lower mileage ones are up for strong money but whether they ever sell for that is another matter. Even with the rarity/future classic factor these are still a hard sell, especially at this time of year and with the high VED rate. That one has been for sale a while so definitely do some bargaining if you want it.

Edited by chriscoates on Tuesday 19th December 10:13

[GeniusOfLove]

I've had loads of X350s and two X351s, my current X351 is a Supersport I've been running for 7 months and about 9,000 miles.

I don't want to offend the X350 fans here, and I think it's a great car, but the X351 is ten times the car the X350 is, it's an utterly beguiling thing.

The "a Jaguar must have four headlights" giffers hate them, but we know what a dead end that "Jagwarrr by Epcot" approach was from the commercial performance of the S-Type and X350. I feel like inside and out the X351 is every inch the 21st Century big Jaguar I wanted them to make.

I'm very objective about cars I own, I don't do confirmation bias or fanboy-ism to the point of being over critical, and while I can nit pick a few faults but the gorgeous interior and materials quality, the bold and striking appearance, and the way it flows down a road totally overshadow them.

I also have an X150 XKR convertible which is hilariously good fun but the X351 is leagues ahead of that too in terms of "grown up" feel and interior. I can tear the X150 to shreds for it's shortcomings in comparison to the X351, but it makes me laugh out loud in a way nothing else has.

Advertised prices on the X351 Supersport are nonsense, there is a private one up for £12.5k on 65k or so that he's been struggling to sell for ages, the even more expensive ones have been around longer. Same goes for XKRs, they sit around unsold for an eternity and they're incredibly cheap at trade - 55k mile XKR convertibles get less than your budget all day long. Go and see one that's been advertised for a while and haggle very hard, walk away and call him again in a month if he's being obstinate.

Also, if you spend 15k on an X350 you should be sectioned. I'd have an XF V8 or XFR over any X350.

ETA - this is my car, from the ad the last owner bought it from

https://www.qualitycarstoday.co.uk/vehicle-details...

Paid north of £20k. He sold it to WBAC 13 months later for £13k.

The owner before that bought it from this ad

http://www.parkwayspecialistcars.co.uk/sold/car/ja...

I bought it for £11.5k

In short, buy one retail from a "specialist" if you MUST have a particular example and plan to keep it forever, otherwise it's a good way to burn 50s.

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 19th December 13:39

[MOBB]

Thanks for all the input, really appreciated and useful.

I think where I'm at is;

- XKR - I looked at a XK briefly last week and I thought it looked a little low rent compared to the XJ's. I will still try one though
- X351 - I still think its the sweet spot value wise. Though one thing that concerns me a little is all of the ones I've looked at online seem to suffer with switchgear coatings wearing away, some of them look terrible.
- X358 - probably the front runner at the moment, but they are the same money as X351's, which I suppose may point where the market is going with the 2 cars, but of course I dont know the real sales prices
- X350 - as above but I just prefer the X358 facelift. That green one in Bedford mentioned above has since been reduced by £1.5k - the pics make it look in superb condition, I might take a look as I'm only 10 miles away

I think I'll have a look at some cars over the Xmas break - the car would be replacing my motorbike (eye issue, might have to quit) so the car really has to excite me like I used to get excited over cars before they got boring recently!

[GeniusOfLove]

MOBB said:

- XKR - I looked at a XK briefly last week and I thought it looked a little low rent compared to the XJ's. I will still try one though
- X351 - I still think its the sweet spot value wise. Though one thing that concerns me a little is all of the ones I've looked at online seem to suffer with switchgear coatings wearing away, some of them look terrible.

X150 interior is FINE but yes it's pretty low rent/dated in some areas. It mostly wears very very well though, I've seen 200k+ mile cars where it looks good. Plastichrome coated power seat controls are the notable exception, they really don't wear very well. Some of the detailing on the car looks a bit shoddy, I find it quite striking how much Jaguar upped their game on fit and detail design between the 2003 launch of the X350 and the 2008 X250 XF and 2010 X351 XJ.

X351, like a lot of German cars, does get scabby rubberised buttons. You can clean the coating off and end up with a regular old smooth button, I spent 15 minutes now and again doing mine until they were all done. It does look horrific but I'd use it as a haggling point rather than avoid the car.

The late facelift X150s got rubberised buttons to replace the hard ones which means ironically their interiors can look worse than the earlier cars.

Be aware that getting any sort of aux audio into an X350 and X358 is a ballache if it doesn't have the iPod/USB interface which is very primitive in and of itself. The X350 stereos are also poor (premium audio) or outright dreadful (standard stereo).

Get an X350 for £2k, for that is what they are worth, drive it around for a month and then reflect on what a total plum you'd feel driving around in one you'd paid £15,000 for in 2023, even if it is quite fast.

dbdb said:

My brother has had both an X350 Super V8 and an X351 Super sport. They were both excellent cars.

I am a bit of a Jaguar traditionalist so the feel of the car is central to my enjoyment of it. A Jaguar should feel a bit 'special' with a definite and slightly louche swagger to it. The old steel XJs had this by the bucket load but I find it to be strangely missing in the X350. They feel watered down by committee and the result is a little prim for my taste.

The X351 feels much more of a 'proper' Jaguar XJ to me. The car cocoons around you like an old-school XJ in a way the X350 just doesn't and the whole effect is just more authentic as well as far more modern. Much as I like the X350, I find their sudden popularity rather baffling. For me they are neither fish nor fowl: they lack the sleekness, charisma and feel of the earlier XJs and do not have the modernity of the X351.

Agree with this. The X350 was a good car for 2003, but it never felt like a good Jaguar to me and never had any of the feel or charisma of the steel XJs with the feeling you were wearing the thing not driving it, and now X350 just feels like any old decent early 00s car. Time has been kind to it's bloated X308 looks though, probably as all the X300s and X308s have dissolved so they're not around anymore to show it up.

I picked up a shed of an X308 recently, and as crap as it was in a million different ways I adored it and it really put into contrast how much was lost with the move to X350. I covered huge distances in X305 and X300 XJs and they were wonderful things.

Also agree about the X351. Very much feels like it's what Jaguar would have been making in 2010 had they evolved the XJ line continuously rather than letting it stagnate for 30 years, and it wouldn't have shocked the old boys quite as much then.

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 19th December 12:26

[Patrick Bateman]

How did you haggle to get your supersport for £11.5k?

On the face of it based on advertised prices, that'd involve offers likely to result in a reply that rhymes with cluck off.

[TheWokeBlob]

There is absolutely no comparison between a X351 and a X358 in my brutally honest opinion.
The X351 was Jaguar’s closest attempt at making a genuinely world beating saloon. I worked as a tech in the early 10s and we had droves of Audi A8s, Mercedes S Classes and 7 serieses being traded in en-mass for a X351. Stunning design, bleeding edge technology for the time, an interior that I have only seen been beaten by the likes of Bentley and Rolls Royce in terms of opulence, materials and finish and with the 5.0R engine, a power train that can match the best of what the rest of the world had to throw at it.
In my eyes in terms of the used market, it’s a £30k car available for ~£15k and represent a brilliant bargain.

Conversely, a X358 with its oversized wheels and bodykit supplied by ripspeed of Halfords is £5k used car masquerading as a ~£15k car. Aside from the aforementioned “unique” styling choices, there is very little to differentiate one at 15k from a X350 XJR that would struggle to shift for £5k. The X350 and by extension the 358 were designed to compete with an older generation of barge and while they did a relatively decent job in 2003, by 2007 odd it was massively out classed by the likes of the w221 S Class and company, and by 2010 odd dealers struggled to give a X358 away. The X351 brought customers back upon release.

Time has continued to be savage to the X358. The infotainment and connectivity is laughable, the styling (imo) garish and bloated, the materials and interior are just not good enough and don’t do enough over a 2003 X350 XJ6 to differentiate themselves in ANY way apart from slightly different seats. The powertrain is... good, not excellent, the 5.0R is head and shoulders above the older 4.2 mind to the point where i'd personally not touch another 4.2R cars unless cheap, there's absolutely no reason to aside from some boogieman stories about reliably (all of which are largely unfounded in my experience as a technician regularly working with Jags)

The asking prices for them in my opinion are side splitting. I can only assume that the contingent of older (slightly blind) blokes claiming that it looks sort of like a series XJ if you squint are keeping them inflated as the 2020’s “Jaguar saloon that’s going to be a real classic honest” taking that mantle from series cars that are still in the doldrums of classics in terms of value.
Everything. EVERY-SINGLE-THING is better in a X351, cheaper, faster and more exhilarating to boot.

Go try one, now!