Jaguar XJ 3.0 Diesel Luxury drive

Lucero said:
I just can't get over touch screen. It would make my life hell seeing fingerprints on it all the time
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I used my first touch screen in a car the other day (Boxster S) and it was great changing the radio with. Didn't leave any finger marks, made the dash look 100 times better and actually made it easier to do the things I wanted to.

No idea if the Jag one is any good though, surely companies use some sort of screen that doesn't pick up finger marks easy.
 
I'm curious how you found the transmission Jonnycoupe - I'm fairly sure it's the same as in my 535d. It's not smooth when at low speed and very light loads, like moving from 10-20 MPH in heavy congestion. It refuses to slip the torque converter until you are at a crawl, which means dropping to 2nd gear at 20 MPH - doing 18 MPH in 2nd gear is irritating to say the least, especially as it will then happily unlock the torque converter. It seems like it is always locked in 3rd gear and above, except when it's warming up... which is when I think the transmission is at it's smoothest.

I wonder if in the XJ it has been programmed to be 'more Jaguar', as I find the 535d a little too direct. At light, moderate or heavy loads it's smooth, but it doesn't have the low power waftability like my old ZF 5-speed automatic 530i did.
 
I think its great to see Jaguar doing nothing but making thoroughly decent car. There is not a single car in the Jaguar model range that is anything other than excellent.
 
PMKeates said:
I'm curious how you found the transmission Jonnycoupe - I'm fairly sure it's the same as in my 535d. It's not smooth when at low speed and very light loads, like moving from 10-20 MPH in heavy congestion. It refuses to slip the torque converter until you are at a crawl, which means dropping to 2nd gear at 20 MPH - doing 18 MPH in 2nd gear is irritating to say the least, especially as it will then happily unlock the torque converter. It seems like it is always locked in 3rd gear and above, except when it's warming up... which is when I think the transmission is at it's smoothest.

I wonder if in the XJ it has been programmed to be 'more Jaguar', as I find the 535d a little too direct. At light, moderate or heavy loads it's smooth, but it doesn't have the low power waftability like my old ZF 5-speed automatic 530i did.
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Not sure about the diesel i havent driven one of those for a while but the petrol ones are smooth super smooth at any speed, seamless gear changes pretty much.
 
R.C.Anderson said:
One of the things I'm looking forward to over the next 15 months is driving as many Jags/RR as possible :p (I have a 15 month placement with them starting in just over 2 weeks) Got to ride in several last summer placement (All engineering cars), would have driven them then, but didn't have my licence at the time :( Good thing about them not being yours is you can rag the **** out of them, and nobody bats an eyelid ;)
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I'm liking the sound of this. I've got my summer placement with JLR starting in a couple of weeks. Would be nice to drive a few around.
 
R.C.Anderson said:
Based at Whitley, but quite probably moving to Gaydon at some point (still unconfirmed). Can't remember exactly, but there's different rules depending on if it's a manager car, or an engineering car on ages etc that are required, and I was asked to help move cars between sites whilst I was there (Until they knew I didn't have a licence), so I don't think there'll be a problem :)
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I'm starting at Whitley on the 4th July. Which area do work in? as I know they are moving a lot of people between the sites over the next couple of years.

I'm looking forward to having a go in them at some point, especially the XF as I really do like that car it looks spot on. I have no idea under what circumstances you are allowed to borrow them though.

Also, congratulations on the successful proposal Jonny :)
 
Lucero said:
Aren't you SAT in your 535d?

The box in mine is fine around town at slow speeds in auto or manual. Have you reset it?
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Mine is SAT, yes. It has been completely reset by BMW.

I find mine is quite fine to drive around town at low speeds - I never have a problem when I'm actually driving it i.e. applying power. It smoothly spins up, the torque converter unlocked from a stop, changes in to gear seamlessly and moves around without any complaints at all. However, roll along in traffic at 25 MPH in a locked 3rd gear, slow to 20 MPH, and there's the weird sensation of the transmission taking a deep breath, dropping to 2nd gear not totally unsmoothly, but far from seamlessly, and then unlocking the torque converter. The whole downchange and unlock process takes maybe 2 seconds in total. Push the accelerator pedal during that time and it will sometimes engage the drive instantly with a bit of a thump.

The real problem is slowly speeding up/slowing down around the 15-30 MPH range. It can never decide if it wants 3rd or 2nd, and that shift has the worst quality of them all.

Something else I've noticed is that it always pulls away from a stop in 1st gear. Only way to pull away in 2nd is to do it manually. If you slow from 2nd gear to anything but an absolute stop it will remain in 2nd. I am pursuing it with BMW when I can - the reset was their first attempt.
 
I have to say, I don't get any of that in the non SAT box on the 530d. In fact, mines the opposite. It never uses 1st gear unless you manually tell it to.

I can roll around at 20-25 in 3rd, if the revs drop below 1k rpm it pops to 2nd and sometimes I don't even notice until i accelerate again and it either changes gear, or I have it in manual and wonder why the engine is screaming :D
 
bLuEuK said:
I'm starting at Whitley on the 4th July. Which area do work in? as I know they are moving a lot of people between the sites over the next couple of years.

I'm looking forward to having a go in them at some point, especially the XF as I really do like that car it looks spot on. I have no idea under what circumstances you are allowed to borrow them though.

Also, congratulations on the successful proposal Jonny :)
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I'm in Body Electronics for the 15 months. And yea, all engineering is meant to be going to Gaydon over the next few years, with a chance (plans are always subject to change :p) that Electrical engineering will be moving over in the next year. Of course no one should take this a gospel, as I don't have anything to do with it, it's just what I've been told.

As for using the cars, it's not just a case of taking them when you want them, but usually if you have a car assigned to you for whatever work your doing at the time, you can use it. (Again, not 100% sure on the technicalities, as I didn't look into it a huge amount, as I didn't have a licence)
 
Lucero said:
I have to say, I don't get any of that in the non SAT box on the 530d. In fact, mines the opposite. It never uses 1st gear unless you manually tell it to.
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Tbh I have no idea why it uses 1st. It's utterly pointless for a D mode - it has a top speed of 33 MPH and is accelerating quicker than you'd ever need to. For S mode, sure, use it, but I'd much rather it use 2nd in D mode. The thing manages 0-60 in about 6s using 2nd anyway!
 
PMKeates said:
I think the 5.0 petrol XJ has the same transmission as the 3.0 diesel.
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Its principally in mechanical terms the same ZF 6HP28 but of course the transmission calibrations in the TCM will vary. I noticed no real issues with traffic crawl and movement, feels like the engine is pootling in 3rd with occassional drop to second with slip as you move along. Auto's will always have that sensation of the drivetrain catching up. It also has adaptive shift control that tries to learn how you drive to tweak the driveline smoothness. Somtimes there is the sensation as it drops a gear and the boost threshold/pressure builds with the changing rpm and you get a surge of power that can be quite unsettling to the chassis entering a corner at low speed.

I think it will only lauch in 1st by launching with kick down and possible more willing to do that with dynamic mode active, thats quite impressive as the engine will provide 500Nm from idle within 500millisec.

This setup certainly felt a little more relaxed and civilised than the XFR unit though. That is comedy when you boot it and hit the kick down switch at full throttle travel. The car sort of pauses, takes a gulp of air in as the transmission rapid shifts down and then you start giggling as you realise how quick the car has just started moving :cool: Use the paddles then for maximum enjoyment. :D
 
Thing is, I am used to the auto sensation of the drivetrain catching up - I like that. What I feel in the 535d is the sensation of the transmission catching up with a slipless downshift. The drivetrain feels all too directly engaged.

If I think about it, the scenario where it is the most obvious is a slow without brakes from 30 to 20 MPH in 3rd, where you reapply power at 20 MPH - not a lot, just gently. It will go to accelerate, then shift down to 2nd and unlock simultaneously, the revs will rise and you'll get a small bit of acceleration, it'll then realise it has enough speed for 3rd and you are accelerating so gently it doesn't need 2nd, relock in 2nd forcing the revs to match road speed, and then upshift to 3rd forcing the revs to 1100 RPM. I can almost understand why it behaves like this - it wants to lock the converter to improve response and fuel economy, but it does so with such a negative impact on drive quality I actually think it's ****. Either that or it's broken.

I went in my old 530i the other day - so much smoother. Revs are steady as you accelerate with no locking until around 50. Thanks to that, low speed downshifts are undetectable.
 
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PMKeates said:
Thing is, I am used to the auto sensation of the drivetrain catching up - I like that. What I feel in the 535d is the sensation of the transmission catching up with a slipless downshift. The drivetrain feels all too directly engaged..
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Ah i see.

The XJ was nothing like that then. Waftastic - no shunting.
 
The gearbox in the XF seems to be much better controlled than the 335d I had. It is much better at picking the right gear in D and gets better with Dynamic and S mode engaged. In S it down shifts nicely as your braking and with Dynamic mode engaged in either D or S its just gets more responsive, but never feels jerky or lumpy.
 
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