looked at an XJ X350 today

[Crusty Sills]

We will swap our XC90 for a Sorento soon.

[Formula Autos]

Mondeo Mk4s are ok. I was driving one today. The handle well but the ride is slightly buzzy.

 

Having had one for coming up 12 months/14K, I concur. The handling's good, but not as good as a Mk3 though.

 

Mine's a dizzler and seems strangely keen to "chug" at the slightest hint of it labouring in a high gear. The worst car I've ever had for this. Drop it a cog though, and it takes off like a scalded cat. At the expense of fuel economy, obviously. Oh, hang on, it's a dizzler, isn't it? Something wrong there ....

 

Basically you can't waft about in it. Drive it like you stole it though, and it runs fine. I suspect they were designed specifically for aggressive reps and minicab drivers.

 

If you're currently smoking around in a large Peugeot, and are eyeing up Jags enviously, I suspect a Mk 4 Mondy might not be for you.

[SiC]

Please don't do it. Especially if offered BL05 NOH a TDVI in Ultraviolet (dark blue). I am pretty competent with electrickery - been doing it years and I work in IT. I did manage to mend the broken wiring loom in the boot so the boot lock began working again.

 

The continual but random occurence of "restricted performance" was one of the less entertaining foibles that 2 Jag stealers with no limits to expenditure couldn't solve. This little feature cuts back the power to nissan serena settings just when you actually need it. It was marginally more likely to happen in damp weather, but in spite of replacing a shed load of parts, never cured. If you think I had a friday afternoon one, google restricted performance for numerous tales.

 

The power steering would ftp on initial startup about 5 times out of ten, whereupon a stop and restart would cure it immediately.

 

 

The exhausts rot away right at the back of tbe block - Jag cure is a new pipe inc Cat at £700+ specialists will weld the pipe, but it's still a lot of labour and you can't ignore it as it chucks noxious fumes into the cabin.

 

I could go on,but honestly, they are crap.

 

Another issue is that they are neither as common nor as old as the 308 etc and so there's not the specialist backup, and spares are expensive many only available from Jag.

Crikey. People say that Laguna 2's are bad!

 

Or maybe because Laguna 2's get binned way before it gets to that stage?

[dieselnutjob]

I googled "tdvi restricted performance". What I found was lots of threads about simple faults (cracked inlet manifolds, cracked downpipes, pinched wiring looms, split hoses) which Jag main dealers had charged thousands to fault find, often incorrectly.

 

I really get the feeling that the dealers cannot (or could not) cope with the complexity of a modern common rail diesel, which is

 

A: not uncommon with many makes

B: not surprising given that Jaguar were quite late to the diesel party

 

I suspect that the problem is the dealers, not the car.

 

Is there any reason to take a ten year old car anywhere near a main dealer?

[Lacquer Peel]

No. I've heard many stories about main dealers throwing other people's money at simple problems because they are not competent at fault finding.

[Urko]

I googled "tdvi restricted performance". What I found was lots of threads about simple faults (cracked inlet manifolds, cracked downpipes, pinched wiring looms, split hoses) which Jag main dealers had charged thousands to fault find, often incorrectly.

 

I really get the feeling that the dealers cannot (or could not) cope with the complexity of a modern common rail diesel, which is

 

A: not uncommon with many makes

B: not surprising given that Jaguar were quite late to the diesel party

 

I suspect that the problem is the dealers, not the car.

 

Is there any reason to take a ten year old car anywhere near a main dealer?

 

I think all of the above is fair comment - I was using Jag Stealers because the car was only 5 years old at the time and I was working away in Swindon on an IT contract 5 days a week each week - this meant I had no time at weekends and I couldn't find a Jag specialist down there.  If I'd had more time maybe I could have found the issue or found someone who could - my point is that the faults aren't rare.  Pinched and damaged wiring looms also afflict the S-type and as I said, the one in my X350 boot was so crappy I had to redo it.

 

In the end I got tired of playing a kind of Russian Roulette of never know which set of warning lights and messages would appear the next time I turned the key.  If you like that sort of thing, or honestly think you can stay ahead of all the issues then I wish you well (really I do - not being a sarcy git about it).

 

I will admit I was massively gutted.  I had wanted an XJ since my dentist gave me a lift in his Series1 XJ6 when I was a kid - I should have seen the signs really - he chopped that for a Volvo and drove Volvos thereafter (fairly sure he still does).

[sierraman]

This is symptom of what you are dealing with. A lot of the 'technicians' fail to have an understanding of how what they are dealing with works hence work purely off a machine that just gives a vague direction in which to investigate. Give a lot of them a 15 year old car with rusted up parts and they'd be fucked.

[dieselnutjob]

I was also reading about the Saab 9-5 V6 diesel. Such a shame but that seems to be a different story. With them it wasn't the dealers, they were (it seems) genuinely shit. And no auto option either.

[Urko]

Isn't that V6 the same as the Renner? There's your answer - Renner did it with an autobox in the Vel Satis and we all know what a paragon of reliability they are - or perhaps sir might prefer the Vauxhall with the same engine - Vectras had it - I suspect maybe even the Signum - and they are very roomy in the back - as is the Vel Satis.

[Urko]

Or if you fancy that 2.7 mill from the Jag, Peugeot put it in 407s, and 607s (don't think sold that version here though)

[Longblackcoat]

I had two Disco 3s and although they had other issues, the one problem they never had was with the engine. Both were mapped, one to 240bhp, the other to 220.

 

Electrics were a different story, but the only really big problem was the torque converter needing a rebuild at 160k miles for one of them. Also replaced a turbo on the high-miles/high-power one, but I'm not sure that's entirely unrelated to the upgrade.

 

Frankly, the engine's the least of your problems!

[Honey Badger]

Not a diesel but maybe worth consideration, big, a feeling of exceptional quality, loads of room in the back and certainly more reliable than anything made by JLR.

 

I wouldn't expect more than low 30s if you're pottering round town.

 

We have a RX300 and it's been a great car for the last 2 years, it's racking up 15k a year with no issues, they do like to chomp through front discs though. has a bit of a wallowy ride at first but once you get used to one you can hurry them along quite quickly, my wife scares the shit out of me when she's driving it.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LEXUS-RX400H-SE-L-FSH-VGC-DVD-95k-miles-/162048295694?hash=item25bad4c30e:g:pgkAAOSwXj5XG-gB

 

 

GS450H have the same drivetrain as well, can't vouch for the size in the back though as I've never been in one.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-GS-450h-3-5-CVT-HYBRID-84-000-MILES-FULL-LEXUS-HISTORY-/131793653004?hash=item1eaf838d0c:g:MDMAAOSw2GlXH6aA

 

[rantingYoof]

The 3.0CDTi in the Signum is the same lump they used in the 9-5, and it's been very good.

 

It seems they only went splodey when put into the Saab - HGFs and auto boxes being derpy etc.

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

 

[dieselnutjob]

Having had one for coming up 12 months/14K, I concur. The handling's good, but not as good as a Mk3 though.

 

Mine's a dizzler and seems strangely keen to "chug" at the slightest hint of it labouring in a high gear. The worst car I've ever had for this. Drop it a cog though, and it takes off like a scalded cat. At the expense of fuel economy, obviously. Oh, hang on, it's a dizzler, isn't it? Something wrong there ....

 

Basically you can't waft about in it. Drive it like you stole it though, and it runs fine. I suspect they were designed specifically for aggressive reps and minicab drivers.

 

If you're currently smoking around in a large Peugeot, and are eyeing up Jags enviously, I suspect a Mk 4 Mondy might not be for you.

What about the 2.2 diesel? Basically the same engine as my 607 but a lot more powerful.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The Peugeot/Mondeo 2.2 in our Gaylander goes surprisingly well considering it's only about 5kg lighter than a Discovery-,shit mpg though.

The Lexus GS 450h has almost no boot at all, I'd probably have had one by now otherwise .

[Urko]

I had 2005 mk3 Mondy 2.2 dizzler - ironically I chopped in for the X350 Jag.

 

It was fast and economical, never had a moment's bother with it. Often wished I'd never "upgraded"

 

That engine is available in the x type with auto.

[Formula Autos]

I had 2005 mk3 Mondy 2.2 dizzler - ironically I chopped in for the X350 Jag.

 

It was fast and economical, never had a moment's bother with it. Often wished I'd never "upgraded"

 

That engine is available in the x type with auto.

[Formula Autos]

I tried the X type dizzler auto, and bailed out after 18 months (I normally keep my daily drivers for at least four years).

 

Too many FTPs, rattles everywhere in the "premium" interior, and rusting like a Ka at five years old (JLR replaced the whole tailgate -it was an estate - as it was utterly fooked with rust, under the paintwork warranty). The inside of the boot floor had some primer wafted in the general direction of it, and had so much surface rust the space saver was rusted to it and had to be prised off with a crowbar.

 

Shame, as it was a genuinely lovely thing to look at and sit in (if you like olde-worlde styling). Cannot unreccommend enough.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Remember when people used to boast that the last year of Escort Vans built at Halewood were built to Jaguar standards, because they introduced a new paint shop or something?

Doesn't sound like a good thing to me.

[sierraman]

I had the 2.2 in a transit. Probably did 60-70k in it with only the EGR giving trouble. Not sure if it's same engine.

[Formula Autos]

I had the 2.2 in a transit. Probably did 60-70k in it with only the EGR giving trouble. Not sure if it's same engine.

It is. When some of the electrics connected to the fuel injection packed up on my X type dizzler they were replaced by Transit bits by the mechanic I use. He decided they were a better bet as they were cheaper, and looked to be better made and/or a bit longer (I.e. less stingy in terms of the amount of cable used, so less likely to have to be pulled tight and pull on the connectors, meaning a more secure connection). The Jag ones had juuuuust enough length to be able to be used, and were sent back for a refund, after comparison with the equivalent Transit bit.

 

He was not impressed with the Jag wiring part.

 

EGR also needed cleaning while I owned it. Once with 50K on the clock, and again at 65K. I avoided supermarket diesel as well, but it still got gummed up. Probably needed doing again when I got rid of the car with 78K on the clock, but I was past caring by then.

[dieselnutjob]

Can anyone tell me anything about these?

 

[andrew e]

Yes. No room in the back. Well in the saloon one I used to get a lift in, colleague was serial Accord purchaser and didn't really like his current one. But do try it out - the estate may be different.

[Ghosty]

The reason Superbs are so spacious is because they're built on a LWB Passat platform.

Skoda don't actually do a car on the regular Passat platform - despite appearances, Octavias are Golf based...

[cort16]

Those Hondas have tiny gear knobs

[Bren]

Remember when people used to boast that the last year of Escort Vans built at Halewood were built to Jaguar standards, because they introduced a new paint shop or something?

Doesn't sound like a good thing to me.

 

Jaguars built to escort standards.

 

Has one not considered an aldi A6?

[dieselnutjob]

I did.  I think that the first time I heard a V6 diesel it was an A6, and I still remember it now.

 

There are a lot of good points to a V6 TDI A6 avant auto, but they are almost as expensive as an XJ.....

[cort16]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SAAB-9-5-2-0TiD-VECTOR-SE-DIESEL-AUTOMATIC-2010-60-REG-/291725337003?hash=item43ec2f61ab:g:RQAAAOSwA4dWKkk1

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I did.  I think that the first time I heard a V6 diesel it was an A6, and I still remember it now.

 

There are a lot of good points to a V6 TDI A6 avant auto, but they are almost as expensive as an XJ.....

There's a major bad point too- the gearbox. Unless it's a Quattro it'll be Variomatic or whatever Audi call theirs.

Fatha N has got an A4 2.5 V6 Tdi and whilst the engine is great, it drives like a bag of shit, the delay before something happens when you floor it at a junction makes a TD6 Range Rover look like a Tesla.

The lack of creep in traffic is just plain weird and the fake gear changes annoying. His was upgraded from 6 to 7 speed* on a service once.

Amazingly given their reputation, his hasn't broken, but then it's a 2 owner car and always been serviced by Audi for its 12 years and 50,000 miles.

[dieselnutjob]

what about the quattro?