The XJ (X350) generally received positive reactions and compared well to its main competitors, while criticism rested on its conservative style design, which some critics said did not reflect the car's innovation and technology; to address this and increase sales, a facelift was available in 2007. A more radical, postmodern design was done for the
XJ (X351), which nonetheless shared the X350's platform, and the X350 remained the last of retro-designed Jaguars. As of February 2010, it had sold 295,365 units. Before its release in 2003, an X350 was tested by Jaguar historian Paul Skilleter. An X358 TDVi was featured in an episode of
BBC 2's
Top Gear. It was driven 750 miles on a single tank of fuel by
Jeremy Clarkson from
Basel to Blackpool. Despite coming second behind a
VW Polo BlueMotion the presenters agreed that the Jaguar was "the true hero". Clarkson described the car as "astonishing". About the X350's all-alluminium body, Andrew Frankel of
Hagerty wrote: "In fact the car was a revolution. Because beneath those golf club car park looks lurked what I believe to be the first entirely aluminum monocoque designed for a mass production road car [Editor's note: Technically the
Honda NSX got there first, but it depends where you draw the line for 'mass production'....]." Despite its similarity to the
XJ (X308), the X350 was praised for its elegant styling, engine, technology, interior, and handling, while the rear legroom was relatively small considered the car's length. In his review of the 2003 Jaguar XJ8, Jonathan Hawley wrote: "When pushed hard over lumpy and twisting roads, the air suspension can get a little confused and produces some nasty thumping noises." In his review for
NRMA, Bill McKinnon said: "The 3.5. likes to be revved and delivers its best when worked manually from 3500 rpm to the 6800 rpm redline... The big Jag still delivers a luxurious ride, though its aggressive wheel/tyre package makes you aware of the road surface to a greater extent than previous models. The air suspension is extremely effective at ironing out big impacts." In his 2003 review for
Motoring Research, Peter Burgess praised the X350's interior, as well as its engine for the
sports car potential if revved and the quietness, attributing it to the car's light weight. He commended the X350 for being economical to run; the XJ6 tested in May 2003 averaged 23mpg on the 3.0-litre. He also positively reacted to the six-speed automatic transmission. Criticism rested on the rear legroom despite improvement and the lack of a full manual control of the automatic gearbox. Burgess concluded: "The big advantage that this Jaguar offers over and above the
Audi A8,
BMW 7 Series and
Mercedes–Benz S–Class is a sense of individuality. This is a car which stands apart from the competition yet in most ways is their equal. While the Germans are caught in a technological spiral of ever–outdoing each other, the British car gets on with the job of looking after the driver and passenger is a rather charming way." In a review of the 2008 XJ,
Autoblog.com wrote: "Underway in town or on the highway, the XJ is smooth, quiet, stately and powerful, and it handles winding roads quite well for its size. It's easier to operate, certainly less complicated, than the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, and Mercedes S-Class. It's less burdened with systems and processes that can frustrate with their complexity. The five XJ models are loaded with sophisticated safety and performance technology, mind you, but all that technology is tucked away in a less obtrusive fashion, and it generally works without annoyance or distraction. The XJs deliver the best
EPA fuel mileage ratings in this class, and none carries a
Gas Guzzler Tax." Like many used luxury cars, the X350 has experienced significant
depreciation on the used market.
Classic Motoring concluded: "The X350 and the 358 facelift carries on the XJ's tradition by offering not only astonishing value but also a driving experience that few others can match let alone surpass." Prices starts as low as £1,500 to as high as £20,000 for the low-mileage, more luxurious models. In a 2007 review by Andy Enright for
RAC, he concluded that "the Jaguar XJ makes a great used buy. It's reliable, well built and great fun to drive. Here's a British built car that knocks the Germans into a cocked hat." In a 2017 retrospective for
Honest John Classics, Craig Cheetham wrote: "Like all Jaguar XJs, the X350 offers fantastic ride quality, ironing out bumps like no other car, while maintaining the agility of a much smaller vehicle. Comfort and handling, then, are exemplary, as, indeed, is the luxury of the car's cabin. Indeed, the only real criticism of the X350 is that, in many ways, it was too traditional. Allegedly, there were some fairly senior people in Jaguar who hated it, because of its traditional appearance didn't do its technological advancement justice, nor do enough to attract new, younger buyers to the Jaguar brand. They had a point... but irrespective, the X350 is a wonderful, rewarding and cossetting car." ==References==