I have a year later top-of-the line XJ Super V8 (like current Portfolio). Similar to yours but long wheelbase, Brembo brakes, home theater system with screens in the rear headrests, separate rear climate control system, reclining rear seats, Poltrona Frau piped leather, picnic tables, electric rear sunshade, etc. In the 11 years I've owned it, only two things have broken. One is the message you got: ride height too low. My independent mechanic found it was simply an electrical socket under the car that wasn't making connection properly. He fixed it for $60. (Probably sprayed some Deoxit on the socket.) The other problem (several years ago) was the electric parking brake, whose motor died after the car sat out in several snow storms, making it impossible to get the brake off. That cost me $800, mostly for the expensive motor. I also had the same year (2005) Audi A8, which I bought new. I gave it to my sister a couple years ago because I much preferred the Jaguar. This was after I paid the latest repair bill of $4,500 and the (Tysons Corner, VA) dealer wanted another $8,300 for additional repairs/maintenance. Between the two cars, the Jaguar was much more fun to drive, more comfortable, handled better, and didn't have totally infuriating OCD controls (particularly their nav system vs. the Jaguar). My sister had similar complaints with the A8 and sold it a year later even though it only had 30,000 miles on it. The Super V8's color is "Radiance," which is a light metallic burgundy. I still have people coming up to me in parking lots asking what year the car is and complementing me on its looks. Bravo Jaguar! (BTW, I have other Jaguars, Alfas, a Maserati, etc., and am currently restoring my first Jaguar, a Series 1 XJ12 which I bought new in 1973.) Good luck with yours and I'm glad you appreciate just what a wonderful car this is.
I've had 2 04 VDP since 2006 and I never get tired of driving in one. I watched a review of a 456 Ferrari either late 90 or early 2000s and they said the leather in that car was British conolley which is the same used in the 04 VDP and SV8. It looked the same.
This is still one of the most gorgeous cars today, good choice! Really hope a car manufacturer will start making this type of classic-design car again!
I have the same car in grey on grey with 125,000 k on it and have only replaced brakes, battery and tires. Runs perfectly. Incredible fuel efficiency in a 0-60 in 5 seconds or less car. Hope to keep mine for another 20 years. Best car I have ever owned.
I bought my 2004 Jaguar XJR that was exactly the same dove interior and silver exterior as this one. I took delivery on May 9th 2004 and put 10,000 miles on it in one month! I drove it from Miami to Ohio then out to California and Nevada. Great car for that time. Unfortunately hurricane Wilma flooded it out 1 year later. All of my friends liked the car too.
I worked on the intelligent passenger airbag system with a Swedish company called Autoliv back in the very early 2000's and they were quite delayed in it's launch. One of the problems they had when I was there was that the doors wouldn't close easily, and you really had to slam them shut in order for the lock mechanism to latch. I think it had something to do with the door seals because when I started on my first day, I remember bumping into an engineer from the suppliers in the main admin block, at Browns Lane. -That was a fascinating historical place to work.
@Ike N I think there were multiple delays somewhere along the line. We were working on pre-production cars where detailed fine-tuning engineering work was taking place on what would have been the near final product. The sensor positions were already set in place and it was our job to fine tune them by recording a few subjects' (different sizes) body positions within the passenger side section. Clever stuff, it can detect where your head is and prevent the airbag deploying and blowing it off... and your kneecaps. It can even tell if you are reading a newspaper. It can't be fooled. X350 had the most advanced system. We also had a chance to fine tune the newly installed system in the then updated S-Type and XK models. I was contracted to Autoliv which supplied the system, at the time, exclusive to Jaguar. They also supplied the hood deployment mechanism, which was also exclusive to Jaguar, in the the last XK. Browns Lane was a fascinating place but you could tell it was showing it age with all the old huge low roof sheds in a lot of the development blocks and the areas where expansions got tacked on over time. I was only there for about 6 months but the place was fascinating. We were always given random spaces to work on such as 'Track 7' was like a robotics programming and assembly training line. (A 'track' is essentially a assembly line.) Alas, Browns Lane was getting expensive to run: Development work was being switched to Whitley Technology Centre in Coventry, and assembly moved out to Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, and Halewood near to Liverpool. Engines continued to come from the Jaguar Engine plant from within the Ford Engines site in Port Talbot Wales. The only thing left of Jaguar at Browns Lane is I believe, a Jaguar museum(?) and the wood veneering plant. Not sure what became of the historic entry block actually on Browns Lane. Now of course, with Tata buying Jaguar Land Rover, production is split between Castle Bromwich, Halewood, Solihull in Birmingham and engine production moved to Wolverhampton twenty miles west of Birmingham. Development still takes place at Whitley. But with the merger, JLR also now has a development centre in Gaydon, inherited in the distant past from MG Rover Group - that's mainly to develop Land Rover products but also features a test track for road, and a test track for off road terrain. Amazing how the Jaguar came back from the brink. Before the Tata acquisition it only had two weeks survive!...
I hav a jaguar xj8 super v8 ..which is the top of the line. I had mine shipped in from palm beach Florida ..fully loaddded active cruise control ..picnic tables ..20 inch wheels DVD tv in headrest sunshades & navigation. I got an amazing deal. It's my spare hardly drive it as the roads are horrible where I live. I take my navigator out everyday. I'd never part ways w/ it ..i plan on holding on to it. It's expensive to maintain. Not for everyone but hey it's paid off & top quality
Just bought a 2004 Vanden Plas. Non supercharged but still super quick, smooth and generally incredible. $6,600 CDN. 126,000 Km on the clock, What a deal !
My 2004 XJ8 is non-supercharged too and I'm amazed at how quick and agile this big sedan is... When they decided to go with the aluminum stiffer frame for the 2004 model, it improved the handling and speed by a lot!
@@classic-kool Yup. This is my 5th Jag. Had 2003 XK8 convertible, 2003 S Type 3 litre, 1965 S Type 3.8 and 2003 X Type 2.5. Never had any complaints with any of them,
Hey Robert l have one 2004 Vanden plus in eyes it has 120 k miles on it the condition is mint but l have heard it has a major air suspension problem did you get anything like that?
I've owned a 2004 XJR for 12 years (bought it with 90,000 miles on it). It's everything Ivan says it is. Still as classic a look as you can find. You WON'T find many around which adds to its exclusivity. My XJR is black on black and I've only see ONE like it on the road in 10+ years. You can't say that about MB, Porsche, or Lexus/Audi. My Jag has ... (count 'em!) 226,000 miles and it's been EXTREMELY RELIABLE. I replaced the trans @190,000 with a salvage trans and it runs great! With regard to cost of repairs, I CAN say that it's way cheaper than a VW Phaeton W12 or a Porsche Carrera S (the drive shaft warped - cost to replace $10,000 - have you EVER heard of a driveshaft warping?), but it ain't cheap. The saving grace is that is it so reliable. I replaced a water pump @$200, a couple of alloy rims @$600 (ain't the car's fault - NJ roads beat the hell out of them), and TWO wiper motors @$850 each (my biggest gripe). Jaguar Service is 2x - 3x a good independent mechanic would charge. With regard to the suspension problem Ivan mentioned. Like ANY airbag car, esp. VW Phaeton, MB or RR, they're costly @$1500 per wheel. However, it's PER WHEEL; you don't have to replace the ENTIRE suspension like my Phaeton (@$10,000+ a one month wait for parts from dear old Deutschland). I replace ONE ... not bad for 226,000 miles. I absolutely love my Jaguar.
I have a 1972 Jaguar xj6 with a 400 in.³ race motor I love it I wouldn't sell it for the world they really have the person that likes to tinker with his own car in mind very easy to work on and it rides like you're on a sheet of glass it's black with all the chrome appointments and real wood the leaper on the hood man they sure made a beautiful car back them it's very enjoyable to drive its fun and fast and yet luxurious at the same time other than the motor I have left the rest of the car stock it's too pretty to change got the factory chrome wheels and the high trim package I love my Jaguar
My grandson just bought a 2004 XJR, 100,000 miles for $6,700. Needed a wheel speed sensor, everything else is great. Has the air ride replaced with springs and shocks, rides like a dream. His grandmother wants one. I have my eye on a Vanden Plas, in baby blue and cream interior. In great condition, but needs air suspension replaced. Only 80,000 miles for about $7,000.
Good review, sucks that the air suspension doesn't function as it should. Out of experience I can tell you that the air suspension is amazing when it works correctly. Also in the cornering it really helps the vehicle to go fast through the corners and at high speeds it lowers itself.
I got a 2008 bought it for 7 grand and had 70,000 got 11000 now running flawless I like how he said he can't open the hood it's because a rock is jammed happened to me twice
I have a 2004 XJR. By far it’s the best car I’ve ever owned. It’s reliable, comfortable, very fast and it handles like a spirts car. I’ve had it for 8 years. Most people have no idea it’s 14 years old. It still looks new inside and out. People spend a whole lot more money for whole lot lesser cars.
I owned a 2006 xjr. Great Car, I wished I Could of Kept it!! Ford did a Excellent Job on the Electronics and The Drive Train!! It was "Bullet proof"! I had Very little Trouble with the Car!!
I own the same 04 in Quartz with blk/brown interior love it owned 9 yrs now and bulletproof [ did have to replace front shocks and rear susp bushings] put 100,000 miles on brakes before they needed replacement. Mina Gallery pulley and exhaust 0-60 in 4.4 seconds not bad for a sedan that gets 32 mpg on hwy
I have an 04 xj8 ; its one of the best jags ive ever owned, and ive owned three. The air suspension is a bit problematic, ive had to do the rears and now probably the fronts which are being intermittent and sag after a day or two of not driving. The lcd screen loves to go wonky too, and headlight flicker with bad headlight grounding... However, all minor stuff especially for an older british car . Trunk is big, but not a ton of height in there , i did fold a honda lawnmower into the trunk and a table saw though. Mine has 20" wheels and low profiles from a previous owner , changes the ride in a negative way and something i wouldn't do.
That's what it is, I have headlight flicker. I wonder if anyone will make an LED headlight conversion kit? Everyone would think the car was a new model !
Invest in an airbag suspension conversion kit.. You can get a good set for all 4 wheels for about $1100.00 ... Labor cost to have a them professionally installed ran me $750.00.. Now the car handles great and I have the luxury sedan I wanted in my collection..
@@EdgyNumber1 So do regular shocks a struts!! Regular shocks and struts have a diminishing ride quality over time also. The only advantage is you can ignore a failed gas strut. Air struts maintain a consistent ride quality until replacement is needed. why spend 2000 bucks to convert when you can just fix the leak? conversion kits appeal to fear and lazy people. why even buy a high end luxury car in the first place if you are just going to take awsy from the experience. what a waste
Some cheap Jaguar XJRs, where they can be fixed up (be brave and patient), are stonking good value for money. I love them to bits, but my favourite is the original, the XJR6. By no means as sophisticated as the later models, but it's a real bruiser. By the way the Citroen CX (another amazing vehicle) doesn't have air suspension. It's hydropneumatic and far more sophisticated and advanced than air suspension. Many, many Citroens used this system, which used to make them quite special. I daily a Citroen Xantia which uses the same system. Modern Citroens have done away with hydropneumatic suspension and they have really lost their magic.
That "too low" is a big dollar warning. I had one, and it was a money pit. Yes, a gorgeous monster. I can also see yours is having a headliner issue like mine. When you pay high dollars, or even low, don't go there. It's like old Jag issues they were infamous for which cleared up a little under Ford. Also, the car is very large. The trunk was made unnecessarily large.
I had the S-type for 6 years and absolutely loved it, but when it starts to go wrong (and it will) be prepared to sell a kidney on eBay! It a beautiful car I hope you get as much joy from ownership as I did.
Control your phone & Bluetooth ...that didn't come out til 08' in the jags. ?? Pretty sure any yr prior u would need to add an after market Bluetooth & aux cord if you want to play music . Although in mine..I can connect cell phone to the DVD players in the rear but that's all you can do w/ standard equipment in the super v8. So I'm confused to as of how ur connecting ur phone
@@Bri11ante just be ready to open your wallet for repairs if the car wasnt taken care of properly , i bought a 2003 super v8 last february and its had nothing but problems since , it also sat under a tree for three years before i bought it , so i knew what i was getting into , but with less then 800 made its worth it to me
@@thomaslogan5689 completley agree. Ive done everything to my jag myself, Including changing out the front crankchaft seal , i had to buy 2 expensive tools to get the job done , but i also replaced the harmonic balancer/SC pulley at the same time , im not a mechanic and didnt know much about cars before i bought my first jag , the 97 xj6 about 4 years ago
Detox 2 literally the same exact situation as me. I knew nothing about cars until I bought my first Jaguar XJR (x308) and got tired of paying an arm and a leg for repairs so I became knowledgeable of the repair process.
I loved your description of the refined ride and comfort of the car - as the camera was showing you bouncing and swaying all over the place!! That made me chuckle!
It seems an easy fix, I think they come with a central air compressor. All the shocks are down means there is one central issue and nothing wrong with each individual shock.
I have an 03 911. 0-60 is 4.6 in all the literature i have. I cant imagine the 04 911 c2 being a 5.5 sec 0-60, this is for the 3.6 na flat six. The jags 0-60 was insane back then! Definitely on my list of cars and to have!
1. As he's describing the "smooth" ride, he's being bounced around the interior along with the camera lol. Granted, it's a simple air suspension problem, which is typical of the early 2004-2005 XJ cars, but I'd choose a different scene to talk about ride smoothness. 2. He mentions the air suspension in his citroen. That is COMPLETELY different setup than this Jaguar. The Citroen had a hydropneumatic system, like the Mercedes ABC. That's basically a hydraulic system that shares a single hydraulic circuit for all 4 corners, not air. The jag is different in many ways, more reliable, and cheaper to repair. NO NOT change this to coilovers. 3. I would not advise driving this car (especially in a spirited way) without being able to open the hood and check fluids. These are notorious for valve cover gasket leaks and that oil level could be exceptionally low given the deferred repairs that already exist. Anyway, I look forward to seeing this beautiful car get sorted!
Hey guys please reply l am thinking to buy a 2004 XJR and it has 120 k miles on it but l've heard the air suspension are really bad after 70k miles did you had any problem?
There’s is one of these near where I live. Owner had massive engine probs was quoted $10-12000 for new engine. So he pulled engine out sold it as is and dropped a 427 Chevy in its place for around 4000. Car now is low flying missle Best thing to do with jag engines. British and reliability do not go together very often
Bullshit lol. British engines are very reliable you just have to keep up with maintenance and not cheap out on fluids, either way you Americans have cheap ass petrol, European engines are ment to run on 95,98 octane.
Ivan, I hope by now you have done the following. As you can hear the suspension bottoming out, and which will further damage components. Change Pan and filter one unit on the 6hp26 automatic transmission, and buckle up the fluid is 60 USD a liter and you have to throw it on the ground to set it to the correct level. Engine service and upgrade the engine and transmission and change the fuel filter, if you don't the next $1000 will be on dropping the tanks and replacing the fuel pump. I have owned, loved, restored and raced Jaguars ( JAG ew ers ) for more than 4 decades. They are wonderfully engineered, beautiful and when under maintained a bit of work. This car will provide luxurious transportation for many more years if you sort it early and don't cut corners. I recently sold a 1986 XJ-6L that had 165K miles and ran perfectly and the oil looked like honey after 6,000 miles and a year of use. Lad come on clean your car before showing it, you drive a Jaguar now.... Robert Phelps JCNA
Perfection... when whoever in the future brings this shape back it will be a best seller. I was at a show room looking at the new model Xj when this old guy comes in and says where is the other one meaning this shape. Sorry sir they have changed the shape now he turned around and was gone. Check out Iron Maiden jaguar old Xj fitted out with modern interior
Always liked these x350,s. The aluminium body certainly appeals after owning 5 steel-bodied jags. The electrics, air suspension & excessive tech puts me off. Plus-i still feel an xj should have the fuel filler cap beneath the rear window 😂
Not all models had it - an option I think? My 2003 XJ8 SE has it but my 2004 XJR only has the standard cruise control. Maybe they reasoned that nobody stays in front of an XJR for long? ;-) - He does mention it and demonstrate at around 9'.30"
In the UK our fuel costs about £1.30 [$1.84] a litre (£5.90 [$8.36] per UK gallon [4.54 litres] ) so, just out of interest, would you still have bought this car if your fuel costs that much? 🤔
VEHICLE TOO LOW lol Beautiful Car, One of the last European Classic Build Cars ! And this Metallic Look is my Favourite ! I want to buy one soon actually, but first will try n look for a Daimler Version,they are called Vanden Plas in the USA. Greetings, and thanks for a great review , nice to hear U also own a CX !
Friend has a Daimler Super V8 LWB. Amazing vehicle. The car mats look like a couple of sheep sleeping in the footwells. Goes like stink and he says it's been reliable so far. 2006 model and it's like new.
@@garethonthetube Just bought me a 2000 Daimler Super V8 LWB. For a good price ,so I got so money left the get it properly fixed up. Will do a Full Check up, and hope for the best. Beautiful Green Metallic, lovely Car. Greetings !
Cool Jag, you never stated the price but said they can be had for as little as $3k, is that what you paid? That is a crazy bargain in that price range...assuming the air suspension repair does not drain your wallet.
Just wondering if you still have it and how it’s doing now. I’d like to get a big body saloon for the extra safety. My two concerns are reliability and gas consumption. I’m not shy of working on my car. Great review man and sick drift.
One thing you didn't mention is how you can not only set the steering wheel for reach and height, but the pedals too. At least you can on the Sovereign and I assume you can on the XJR. Enjoy!
Just bailed my 2005 xj8 VDP out of the shop for $6450 and as of now I'm in for about 20 k, but she is the nicest riding car you will find with an unmatched fit and finish. Life is short.
6400??? Stay away from dealerships!! I have found that a lot of those parts aren't much more expensive than today's cars actually... Go to AutoZone for parts
Picked mine up just today, '98 $7,000.00, 102,000, not concours but definitely museum quality..... Timing chain tensiiners done.... Goes like stink! Tee Hee Hee....
Nice Jag. I just recently sold my XF. The older Jags are the best ones to own because the newer ones are plastic and cheap inside hence me buying a Mazda CX5
Let's see . . . You can’t open the hood due to a latch problem. For me, that would be a dealbreaker right there! Did you even check the oil level before you bought it? Instead you wave off the stuck-closed hood and drive around with the Check Engine light showing red! And the other two error indicator lights also glowing. This car is telling you to get it off the road! You drive a car with a collapsed air suspension and from the video you’re being bounced around quite a bit on bumpy roads . . . And yet you go on about the car's excellent ride quality! Think how much better it will be with a functional suspension. The X-350 series of the XJ, which includes your car, had excellent reliability - it’s the only luxury sedan of its time that was comparable to Lexus in owner satisfaction, according to J.D. Power. But with any exotic sedan, the owner needs to stay on top of maintenance issues, in part through preventive maintenance. (You or your mechanic spots an early indicator of a problem and take action before something fails.) From your car's immediately visible problems, my guess is that the original owner drove it into the ground then dumped it. Let’s just hope it isn’t mortally wounded. You’re probably going to have to a few thousand to make it drive the way it should. For service your best choice is an independent Jag specialist - and NOT a Jag dealership's service department. If there's a Jaguar club near you, I recommend joining it and finding out where the best service shops are. There are also a couple of Jag forums on the web with long-time owners helping newbies with issues that pop up. But the first thing you need to do is get that car off the road. Do you even know what the oil level is? Did the former owner include the car's service records? My guess is, the answer to both questions is no. My 2001 XJR has 157 thousand miles on the clock and still fast, solid, and reliable. It’s my fourth Jag - I will own no other car. I know that for a guy with a moderate income, it’s possible to own an affordable, reliable, and highly desirable XJ from 1996 forward. Just do two things: 1) Buy a used one from a fastidious owner who wants a good home for it. (I do my car shopping exclusively on CraigsList, and strictly from private owners, not from used car dealerships.) The XJ you buy should be running perfectly and come with all its service records. 2) The car needs to be serviced by a Jag specialist. Don’t go to one those “all Euro cars maintained here” places. The XJ is unique and complex and only a specialty shop knows the quirks of the various models and series. If you don’t live near a Jag maintenance specialist, don’t buy a Jag! Your car seems to be worth saving, but it won’t be for long unless you address its issues immediately. Good luck with your X-350!
Jaguar, almost any model you can name, has something no production Mercedes ever had or will have: sex appeal. Women especially are into Jags because when the car pulls up to a posh restaurant and the host opens the door for her, she sees herself as Princess Di doing the same thing so often, almost always in a Jag. Jaguars have great street creds too. While a lot of people consider the three German brands to be snobby and pretentious, everybody on the street knows a Jag when they see it and as often as not will give a thumbs-up to its driver.
@@johntechwriter Absolute rubbish Mercedes have always had sex appeal and always will. The ladies love Mercedes and everyone knows a Mercedes when they see one the three pointed star is iconic. I could list loads of Mercedes that are sexy cars. Give any woman the choice between a Mercedes and a similar Jaguar and they'd pick the Mercedes every time.
Audi A8 was aluminium looong before this came out, along with a lot of cars. Then they changed it back to steel because it turned out to be super expensive to fix alu body parts when customers crashed the cars. This generation of the XJ-s were pretty good cars as they were not british any more.
Actually the all aluminium Jag he's showing was the first all aluminium bonded as in an airframe mass produced saloon and last all British car. The v8 was a masterpiece of British metal.
These cars if you research and talk with owners that take care of them are well documented to go 200,000 plus miles on original engine and transmissions.
Here's the update! Thanks for watching and commenting and please SUBSCRIBE and share my videos on Social Media! Drivin' Ivan ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xTacLRenEVY.html
do you buy cars brand new from jaguar dealers? or do you buy them used from a private 5th owner and jaguar doesnt make a dime off you? cause if so they dont give a fuck about what you think
I saw the car 3 times before I bought it, so I saw it with the hood up prior to buying it, but by the time I actually bought it, it wouldn't open at all! Thanks for watching and commenting. Please share my videos with your friends and family and SUBSCRIBE! Also checkout the UPDATE video on my RU-vid Channel! Drivin' Ivan
The warning lights are cracking me up man.....looks like you got a few tasks ahead. If you have owned and maintained a Citroen Then NO ONE needs to give you any shit or try and tell you about your jags suspension. I think you got it under control. Did I miss what you paid for yours? Also the miles? Cool ride I missed a red 2003 XJR w/148k miles at the auction last week. I check the sold list and it went for $1500. I think it had a few lights as well. But was a run and drive car. Good luck man with your it looks so cool!
