Thread: Ride quality - XJR6

Originally Posted by Capri

Morning all,

Just a quick question I have, not really a concern but I wanted to see what the general opinion is.

I've just taken my XJR6 in for what will no doubt be a very expensive service! As a courtesy car, the specialist has given me an old XJ40; I think it's a a base-model 3.2. I've noticed, of course, that the ride quality is significantly better than the XJR's. I put this down to the XJR's sports suspension and low profile tyres, but I was just wondering - should the ride in a comfort-spec XJ40 be so superior to a sport-spec XJR? I mean, the XJ40 has the sort of ride quality I was expecting from a Jag; the XJR doesn't ride much better than my 1994 Honda Accord. Is this right? Should I be concerned? I did test drive a few XJRs and I found most of them had a pretty firm ride, so I'd assumed mine was OK, but I really just wanted to see if anyone else has had the same thoughts as me!

Cheers

Alex

Hi
The ride quality being better than a XJ40 could just be down to your own personal preference, but when you mentioned 94-reg Accord I have to reply. There is no chance on this earth the ride between your XJR and the honda should be anywhere near close. I think you have some serious problems if this is the case.
The only car I have ever driven which was a nicer quality ride than my XJR8 was a Bentley Arnage T.

Maybe you could explain why your XJR is such a bad ride, in what ways?

Well, it's just not very wafty lol. I've noticed that transmission of imperfections in the road surface is worse than in the XJ40 I drove, and it tramlines more too. I also notice bad potholes make it crash a little bit. On the motorway it gets much better, although you can still feel expansion gaps through the steering and suspension more.

I mean, I know that the XJR6 will be a lot more harsh riding than the XJR8 due to its lack of CATS, and not as good as a standard XJ due to its stiff setup and low profile tyres. It's not really any worse than the other XJR6s I drove but I just wanted to see if anyone else has felt this way, or if it's just me being paranoid! I genuinely don't mind if this is the way it's supposed to be (I don't mind the firm ride as a payoff for its remarkable handling) but I just want to verify that it is! :lol:

What size wheels are on both? from a standard XJ on small wheels to an XJR on large wheels you will notice a difference. There is always a trade off between handling and comfort.

Bottom line Capri if you are happy with it I wouldnt worry about it.