[Tylerbaker992]

So, I’m in need of a new ULEZ compliant car to replace a cheap X-Type 2.1 that ran out of MOT autumn last year. I’m driving into central london a lot for work, and currently I’m using either my 2.4 diesel Alfa 159 which costs a fortune in ULEZ payments, or a 3.2 V6 Alfa GT which costs a fortune in petrol and isn’t exactly reliable. More importantly, both these cars are manual which gets a bit tiresome in traffic, and theyre starting to get a bit trashed from being used as work cars. Previously I was using an X-type I bought for a grand as a quick stop gap when both Alfas were out of action, which ran perfectly for a year and took on central london like a champ.

so now, I’m considering An X350 XJ petrol, but not sure what engine to get or how much to pay for them. I know it’s not the most conventional work car, but I loved the X Type and want more of the same, a wafty, comfortable, relaxing drive with hopefully decent reliability

1st question, what engine? I’m considering either a 3.0 or a 4.2, the 3.6 seems pointless. I’ve heard that the 4.2 is only slightly less economical than the 3.0, if this is the case and the 4.2 is just as reliable, should I just get a 4.2? Which one is more reliable and does the V8 cost significantly more to run?

2nd question, what real world MPG am I likely to get from either engine? My commute tends to be anywhere from 20-50 miles of motorway and dual carriageway and 5-20 miles of town/city driving each way. (as a side note, My X-Type used to get approximately very low 20s to the gallon on these trips)

3rd Question, what are these cars like for reliability and cost of maintenance especially higher mileage ones. I’m no stranger to unreliability as you can imagine with Two Alfas, but I’d prefer a car that wont be too familiar with AA call-outs. And are running costs

4th question, what sort of money should I pay for one. I’m probably looking at the lower end of the market, I don’t want/need one in nice condition because it’s likely to get the boot filled with crap and get a few battle scars from central london.

Last question, what should I look out for when buying an X350? Obviously there’s service history etc and I’ve heard about issues with subframes and air suspension, but what should I be looking out for especially on earlier pre facelift examples

Thank you for any responses, and hopefully you can help me become a happy Jaguar owner again

 

[MarkFY]

So, I’m in need of a new ULEZ compliant car to replace a cheap X-Type 2.1 that ran out of MOT autumn last year. I’m driving into central london a lot for work, and currently I’m using either my 2.4 diesel Alfa 159 which costs a fortune in ULEZ payments, or a 3.2 V6 Alfa GT which costs a fortune in petrol and isn’t exactly reliable. More importantly, both these cars are manual which gets a bit tiresome in traffic, and theyre starting to get a bit trashed from being used as work cars. Previously I was using an X-type I bought for a grand as a quick stop gap when both Alfas were out of action, which ran perfectly for a year and took on central london like a champ.

so now, I’m considering An X350 XJ petrol, but not sure what engine to get or how much to pay for them. I know it’s not the most conventional work car, but I loved the X Type and want more of the same, a wafty, comfortable, relaxing drive with hopefully decent reliability

1st question, what engine? I’m considering either a 3.0 or a 4.2, the 3.6 seems pointless. I’ve heard that the 4.2 is only slightly less economical than the 3.0, if this is the case and the 4.2 is just as reliable, should I just get a 4.2? Which one is more reliable and does the V8 cost significantly more to run?

2nd question, what real world MPG am I likely to get from either engine? My commute tends to be anywhere from 20-50 miles of motorway and dual carriageway and 5-20 miles of town/city driving each way. (as a side note, My X-Type used to get approximately very low 20s to the gallon on these trips)

3rd Question, what are these cars like for reliability and cost of maintenance especially higher mileage ones. I’m no stranger to unreliability as you can imagine with Two Alfas, but I’d prefer a car that wont be too familiar with AA call-outs. And are running costs

4th question, what sort of money should I pay for one. I’m probably looking at the lower end of the market, I don’t want/need one in nice condition because it’s likely to get the boot filled with crap and get a few battle scars from central london.

Last question, what should I look out for when buying an X350? Obviously there’s service history etc and I’ve heard about issues with subframes and air suspension, but what should I be looking out for especially on earlier pre facelift examples

Thank you for any responses, and hopefully you can help me become a happy Jaguar owner again

Welcome Tyler... well you've post in the right place... so many X350 owners with a wealth of experience... sure you'll be inundated with responses over the weekend!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[JimboV8]

Welcome to the forum, enjoy .

 

[scrubber]

We’ll the x350 is a great car, probably not the most economical or cheapest to maintain, any of the petrol engines should be ok, I wouldn’t say the 3.6 is pointless, the V8 in my experience is very reliable but just buy the best car you can find for your budget, the 3.0 is probably going to be the lowest priced but these cars are going up in value now, I ran a 3.6 for 7 years and loved it, it could achieve 34mpg on a clean run and overall average was 25 I expect you will be closer to 20 with City driving, mine never let me down although the engine temp sensor failed and looked like it was overheating so I got it recovered, if you think an x tyre wafts the xj is in a different league, a few years ago you could have bought one for £1500 not now though

 

[MrKis]

The V8 is the better engine, smoother more powerful lower down and more linear. Both engines and the car in general are very reliable.
Maintenance is key, air shocks are expensive but last a decent while.
Earth points need cleaning, sealed for life fluids need changing, then you should have decent reliability.
Subframes are prone to surface rust but don’t fail that often.
V6 to V8 is only 1 Mpg or so, even a super V8 will be within 2 or 3 mpg.

 

[fontainbuilders]

I bought a 350 2003 in 2018 with 120000 on the clock with a good service record, it’s now at 1700000sh I had all the fluids changed breaks replaced etc in the first month of ownership and I have never looked back best car I have ever owned! So much so I sold my XJR 358 which was beautiful because I genuinely preferred my 3.6 V8 for its smooth delivery.

 

[mbd424]

I would be a bit nervous of daily city traffic with my car
3.6 v8 2005.

 

[Spacemonkey]

I had a Cloverleaf 170 GT and the cost of parts and maintenance was a lot higher than my Jag, still loved it though. I'd say get a 4.2.

 

[Austin160]

For what it’s worth:- I would very much follow Scrubber’s advice, and simply buy the best example you can find within your budget - just don’t complicate the issue by restricting yourself to a selected engine.
Points to look for and not mentioned:-coated metal brake pipes are an issue, and rust and can fail. Check around ABS unit and all other areas. I would not assume MOT = OK. Some get overlooked.
Door locks can be expensively problematic. Air suspension ( usually compressor piston ring) will again always be/ has been an issue at some point. Batteries need to be premium branded and on the good side of serviceable.
Kind regards,
Austin.

 

[sheddist]

Been through this conundrum myself recently when replacing an X type. I would look for a clean interior with good condition drivers seat and steering wheel. This tends to indicate an easy, well cared for existence. These cars cost far more to run than an X-type, with quite a thirst, expensive tyres and expensive tastes in brakes and suspension components. If you are not into DIY, you need to find a mechanic that does not charge a "Jag premium" Also check any history and MOT history - a lot of failures indicate owners who probably don't bother to maintain the car, just fix what is needed for the MOT.

 

[Tylerbaker992]

Thanks for all the replies so far, judging from what people have said I guess any of the petrol options are good, and I should focus more on the condition/spec than the engine choice. As for maintenance, I don’t mind getting my hands dirty but haven’t done any major jobs yet. My usual garage is an alfa specialist, but after taking my x type there once they told me they wouldn’t answer my phone calls if I ever tried to bring another jag to them.

I live near RCV near paddock wood, they’re apparently a Land Rover and now jag specialist, anyone ever used them or know if they’re decent?

 

[Piousx]

Although they are the wrong side of town for me a lot of people recommend

Used Cars in Charlton, London | S.E Jags Ltd

S.E Jags Ltd are a car Dealers located in Charlton, London. Check out our stock online here now

www.sejagsltd.co.uk

Edit; I've just looked at a map and that's a 35 mile trip - I'd still do it but they are probably not your nearest...

 

[JagFab]

I'm lucky in that I'm not that bothered about m.p.g. - although I'd draw the line at a V12! - as I don't do stellar mileage but out of curiosity I checked my average the other day. I haven't reset anything since I've had the car (April 2022) and my mixed local suburban driving and bi-monthly M25/M26 jaunts from N.E. Surrey to Meopham, Kent returns 21.6 m.p.g. As the old girl is supercharged, I'm chuffed with that!

I'd say: stick with petrol - diesel is slowly being demonised - and yes, just buy the best car you can with your budget, regardless of engine size.

 

[Dodsy]

My XJR still going strong on 260k miles - had to replace a few bits over the years but apart from the valley coolant pipe, air compressor and front shocks nothing that you wouldnt probably need on any other car of similar age. Front shocks are surprisingly cheap so dont let that put you off.

Only twice broken down in my ownership of 11 years, once when the radiator burst (but It happened at the garage where it was in to be inspected for coolant loss) and the other was a totally flat battery when a fan just wouldnt switch off - sorted by just unplugging it.

I drive regularly about 50 miles on motorway then 10-15 ish right through london. Fuel consumption overall for that gets down to 22-23 mpg. Purely on the motorway I normally see 28 in the winter and 31-32 in the summer - it doesnt like the cold for some reason.

 

[Fraser]

Do check the car you are thinking of buying is ULEZ-compliant, a 2003/4 may not be. You can easily check on the Transport for London ULEZ web pages quoting the reg number.
I ran two X350s, a 2003 Sport (from 2010), and a 2007 Sovereign (from 2016). The later car was better, even though it had higher miles on purchase. Both cars were 3 litre V6s, and that, to be honest, is your best engine if you're driving into London. Reliable, and pretty economical. Also, the 3 litre cars whilst just as good as the larger engine cars, are much cheaper to buy. Imports from Japan are being sold by a few dealers and having seen a couple, seem to always be in apple-pie order.
The air suspension is expensive to fix but is pretty reliable, but certain suspension bushes have short lives. My two cars never let me down, and I happily took them to Germany every year on holiday, with trips to the Rhine gorge, plus Berlin in 2017, and Nuremberg in 2018.

 

[JimC64]

So, I’m in need of a new ULEZ compliant car to replace a cheap X-Type 2.1 that ran out of MOT autumn last year. I’m driving into central london a lot for work, and currently I’m using either my 2.4 diesel Alfa 159 which costs a fortune in ULEZ payments, or a 3.2 V6 Alfa GT which costs a fortune in petrol and isn’t exactly reliable. More importantly, both these cars are manual which gets a bit tiresome in traffic, and theyre starting to get a bit trashed from being used as work cars. Previously I was using an X-type I bought for a grand as a quick stop gap when both Alfas were out of action, which ran perfectly for a year and took on central london like a champ.

so now, I’m considering An X350 XJ petrol, but not sure what engine to get or how much to pay for them. I know it’s not the most conventional work car, but I loved the X Type and want more of the same, a wafty, comfortable, relaxing drive with hopefully decent reliability

1st question, what engine? I’m considering either a 3.0 or a 4.2, the 3.6 seems pointless. I’ve heard that the 4.2 is only slightly less economical than the 3.0, if this is the case and the 4.2 is just as reliable, should I just get a 4.2? Which one is more reliable and does the V8 cost significantly more to run?

2nd question, what real world MPG am I likely to get from either engine? My commute tends to be anywhere from 20-50 miles of motorway and dual carriageway and 5-20 miles of town/city driving each way. (as a side note, My X-Type used to get approximately very low 20s to the gallon on these trips)

3rd Question, what are these cars like for reliability and cost of maintenance especially higher mileage ones. I’m no stranger to unreliability as you can imagine with Two Alfas, but I’d prefer a car that wont be too familiar with AA call-outs. And are running costs

4th question, what sort of money should I pay for one. I’m probably looking at the lower end of the market, I don’t want/need one in nice condition because it’s likely to get the boot filled with crap and get a few battle scars from central london.

Last question, what should I look out for when buying an X350? Obviously there’s service history etc and I’ve heard about issues with subframes and air suspension, but what should I be looking out for especially on earlier pre facelift examples

Thank you for any responses, and hopefully you can help me become a happy Jaguar owner again

Welcome aboard Tyler, good luck in your hunt

Jim

 

[FlatCap]

Looked last night, not been back in 10 days

 

[Grahamess]

Welcome to the forum, Tyler. Service history is everything. In my experience, a car with a good service history will be far more reliable in the long run than one with a spotty history, fixed up post purchase. Certain things on a X350/358 need doing at around the 100k mark that are not specified in the Jaguar service schedule, such as gearbox oil and filter change, diff oil change, brake pipes replaced etc., and if you find a car that has had these things done, even if it has a higher mileage than one that has not, then you have a winner. The X350 has some fragile mechanisms, especially the boot catch/lock mechanism (it is soft close, and if slammed closed, the nylon gears and levers in the lock can break) and the remote door locking mechanisms. It pays to find a well cared for example, even if you pay a little more. There are no bargain Jaguars any more. And I would agree that the 3.6L V8 is the best choice for an every day car. Good luck.