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Jaguar XJR Road Test
Anyone who drives this 390
horsepower Jaguar is going to think of that overused phrase, steel fist in a
velvet glove. But this Jaguar is no ordinary glove. This one is color
coordinated, with a soft lining, and leather trim. And, the steel has been
replaced by aluminum. In other words, this may be a fast Jaguar, but it is
foremost an elegant looking Jaguar that can melt the heart of lady folk and make
stern men envious. Of course, all this comes at a price of AUD$219,000 nicely
adorned with GPS, and 20-inch state-coach like wheels.
Mom's view
How do I love thee, let me count the ways. I know the
Lexus LS is a
better deal with more features and more room. I know the BMW 7 Series is better
handling. I know the Infiniti
Q45 has more gizmos. I know the Audi S8L has all wheel drive and
more backseat room. And, I don't care. I want the Jaguar XJ and if it has the
supercharged 4.2-liter engine just that much the better. You can tease me with a
Mercedes and tempt me with a Porsche, but nothing says I love you better than a
Jaguar leaper in your driveway and the keys in your purse. I believe I have made
myself clear.
Okay, back to reality. Safety-wise all XJRs come standard with four-piston
Brembo brakes, ABS, BrakeAssist and electronic stability, traction control,
side-impact and head curtain airbags, front and rear seatbelt pre-tensioners and
we had the optional rear-obstacle-detection system which worked exceptional
well. The best I have ever used. The brakes are nearly as good as those in a
BMW, but have a softer feel and sometimes feel grabby just before the car stops.
Sort of like a Hybrid which uses the halting energy to regenerate its batteries
or a Mercedes with the new anticipation braking option. I even found the
steering feel soft, almost Lexus like. This removes this girl from the canyon
runner category and places it firmly in grand touring territory, thankfully. I
mean I don't even feel it is right for Jaguar to bring out a station wagon,
which they apparently are going to do, because of the elegancy this new model
exudes. If cornering is your forte go to the Jaguar S with the same engine and
sharper reactions. Interestingly, this smaller Jaguar weighs slightly more and
has a larger trunk and costs significantly less. To me, the S is also a good
looking car, but the elegance is missing.
The all new XJ has been made over and its shows. It is longer, taller, and
easier to live with. No more J shift gate that frustrated me for years. This
model has both manual and automatic modes. Unfortunately, you can not get it
into first gear in the manual mode. Speaking of which it is nearly impossible to
tell what gear you are in when shifting for yourself because there is so little
feel in the lever. In addition, the shift pattern is strange. You pull backwards
to go forward through the gears. Yes, it is much better than the J shift pattern
of yore, but it still needs work.
Of course the car looks sensational. Long and wide and fairly low, but not like
the previous models where you felt like you were sitting on the highway. You can
just slide into the new Jaguar XJ without having to drop into the seat as in
days of yore.
Looks wise, the expensive
20-inch rims make this car even more striking. I marveled at the British Racing
Green paint that changed shades as the sun's rays reflected off of it in a
dramatic and nearly breathtaking manner. Unfortunately, the larger rims come
with very low profile tires that can take a pounding if you live in the midst of
potholes.
The interior is very well done. More modest than previous models, this Jaguar
has a very readable center monitor for the GPS that is fairly easy to master.
However, the driver's computer readouts in the main dash pad are very small as
are the speedometer and tachometer. This is a mistake by Jaguar as this is a
very fast car and you can not easily tell if you are going 70 or 100 km/h by
looking at the speedometer. And make no mistake about it, you are not going to
be able to tell how fast you are going by the noise level either, because this
is a quiet ride. I won't hesitate to say that you could easily be doubling the
speed limit before you felt wary. At least that's the excuse I'm using. Some
people might not like the more "subdued" look of the Jaguar's interior treatment
which is famous for wood, leather, and chrome adornments. I missed it too, but
the new look made me feel more like I was driving a car than sitting in my
living room.
There were some odd bits. It took me a while to figure out the parking brake.
The release is a little pull knob on the center console. And, the center console
moves back to reveal two nicely behaved cupholders. The headlights have an
automatic on setting and when you enter a garage or tunnel the HID units jump to
life. I appreciated the full size spare under the trunk panel and next to the
battery, and the low lift over height made loading easy. The trunk also houses
the GPS memory unit. Unfortunately, it needed to be updated and it was not as
accurate as other units.
When I opened the thick driver's door I felt there was something wrong. If this
was a Mercedes or BMW I would feel overpowered by the weight. This was not the
case with the Jaguar where the aluminum construction and well weighted hinges
made it easier even when the car was parked on an incline. Driving away I
started out slowly and noticed that there was no evidence of aggressive behavior
that frequently exists when piloting other high strung supercars. It was as
gentle, well, as a kitten. Than, I stepped on its tail and it reacted with a
sharp downshift from the transmission and a refined purr from the engine. If
Harley Davidson thinks that the loud blipping of their engines is copyrightable,
Jaguar should have no problem with the sensual whine of this sweetheart. A few
hours behind the wheel revealed that this Jaguar is soft in the corners when
compared to the true hot rods of the luxury set, the BMW M5 and Mercedes E55.
But neither of these offer the XJR's visual allure and both are more sensitive
to acceleration inputs. The Jaguar takes a moment to pull up her skirt before
rushing down the way in a rapid, but dignified, manner.
In addition, the pedals, seats, and steering wheel had motors that moved them at
your command. This was a real pleasure. You get used to accepting a pedal
position, but once you drive this Jaguar you are going to find that you don't
have to take the factory default settings. I moved the pedals up about an inch
and my body felt much more relaxed while driving. It was impressive.
Young Working Woman's view
The seats are delicious. The steering wheel feels wonderful. The forward
view over the leaping Jaguar is almost anachronistic. Of course, I could have
used more trunk room as this model only had 16.4 cubic feet. And I sort of miss
all the funny little tricks that other cars in this price range have, but the
mirrors that fold in and the rear window screen were nice touches. There is a
significant blind spot created by the smallish rear view mirrors and the high
trunk and so you must be very aware of your hindquarters, and that is exactly
what I mean.
This might be difficult to
understand, but it is very difficult to evaluate a vehicle such as this
supercharged Jaguar. The reason is simple. It is difficult to separate the
effective domain from the cognitive evidence. When you walk out the door of a
store and see it in the parking lot surrounding by gas hoggish SUVs, raised
trucks, and buzzy compact cars the Green Goddess looked so elegant I had to stop
and admire the contrast. This Jaguar is why people work long hours, have trouble
separating wants from needs, and when all else fails, lease. Yes, it has
shortcomings. The chassis flexes a bit too much over bumps, the transmission
takes a second too long to kick down, and the dash fonts are too small. But
nothing can rival the feel this Jaguar imparts. The way the seat, pedals, and
steering wheel can be adjusted. You can even get more support for your thighs as
the bottom of the seat can extent. All four windows are one-touch up and down,
and there is a power-operated shade for the rear window. The trunk lid does not
open wide enough when you use the remote. You have to stick your hand underneath
the lower ledge where the rear bumper is the dirtiest. Closing it is no problem
as Jaguar offers a soft-touch close. And for those long trips, which are where
this Jaguar excels, you have a 22.5-gallon tank making 400-mile non-stop
journeys possible.
After time with this Jaguar I doubt that there are few people who can honestly
not feel a little envy when this vehicle crosses their path. Fortunately, for
the owner of the XJR, this image is more than classic looks. I found the sound
of the supercharged engine absolutely addicting. Just a touch of the toe was
enough to excite my aural senses as the V8's supercharger produced a muted roar
not unlike a jet liner during take-off. Magic. The brakes were superb. The
Brembo units are huge and all business. In fact, my real worry was in giving
those in back of this Jaguar enough room for them to stop safety, because few
cars in the world have this ability to halt 4000 pounds so rapidly.
What I question is whether or
not you need the supercharged engine and the extras that go with it. The
standard, if that could possible be the term for the
XJ8 Jaguar, has
294 horsepower, a 6-speed automatic transmission, traction control, the same
safety features, dual-zone automatic climate controls, interior air filter,
power steering, power tilt/telescoping wood/leather-wrapped steering wheel
w/radio controls, cruise control, leather upholstery, 12-way power front bucket
seats, power-adjustable pedals, memory system (driver seat, mirrors, steering
wheel, pedals), center console, cupholders, wood interior trim, heated power
mirrors w/automatic day/night, power windows, power door locks, power sunroof,
AM/FM/CD player, analog clock, tachometer, trip computer, automatic day/night
rearview mirror, compass, rear defogger, illuminated visor mirrors, map lights,
rain-sensing variable-intermittent wipers and automatic headlights. You pay a
lot more for the supercharged version. Yes, you get to 100km/h a second faster,
but you must be rational. Of course, if you have a drop of red blood in your
blue veins a black supercharged version would make everyone green except your
financial advisor, who would probably turn white, because the insurance of this
model is significant. In other words, as a businesswoman, there is no way to
justify the need for such a vehicle. However, I really would like one just to
give me some instant gratification when the coffee buzz wears off. All I have to
do is look down on this Jaguar patiently purring in the parking lot to know the
rewards of risk.
Dad's view
This Jaguar is a player. In fact, if the reliability continues to be
outstanding, they are now rated in the top ten, this new aluminum monocoque
constructed sedan might become acceptable to those smitten by the Teutonic
Plaque. Since Jaguar is using an industrial first rivet-bonding construction
epoxy adhesives in constructing this alluring machine they have s stiffer
chassis. Although, I would like even more rigidity, those who ride the highways
well welcome the cushioned coach. To help mollify the cruisers and the bruisers
Jaguar uses an air suspension Computer Active Technology Suspension system that
can slightly raise of lower the vehicle to improve aerodynamic efficiency,
vehicle stability and fuel economy during high-speed cruising. The six-speed
automatic transmission is above average, but not great. It still takes a while
for it to think before dropping down a gear or two, and the shifter is very
difficult to use in a hurry as the indentations for each gear---first gear
starts are not allowed in manual mode-are too shallow. To me, the transmission
and the tire noise were the two areas of most concern as well as the lack of
headroom in the backseat. Of course, I had a lot more concerns with the Jaguar's
competitors from Mercedes, BMW, Infiniti, and Lexus.
Under the bonnet is an incredible smooth 4.2-liter V8 that seems unaffected by
the demands of carrying two tons of aluminum, steel, leather, chrome, and wood
trim as well as four adults and get you to 100 km in the five second range
thanks to the puff power of a Eaton supercharger. Most of this power is at your
disposal from 2000 rpm up. Torque, well there is 399 lb ft of it and you still
can easily get 20 mpg on premium thanks to 2.87:1 rear gearing. Imagine how
quick this Jaguar would be with a 4:11 set.
Although the engine is potent,
I was more impressed by the Brembo braking system. Get this, there are 14.4 x
1.26 ventilated discs with Brembo aluminum, four-piston calipers embossed with
the Jaguar R Performance logo in front and solid 13 x .59 discs in back. Do you
realize that a decade ago 14-inch wheels were standard on compact cars and now
Jaguar has brakes that large! Just make sure your brake lights are working.
In terms of seating, I gave the XJR mixed reviews. The seats can be adjusted 16
ways and you get front and rear heated seats, but my rear send just did not fit.
I felt I was sitting on the seat more than in it, but I'm sure if Jaguar would
let us test it for a month or so I could compress it to my dimensions.
Young working man's view
The Alpine audio is excellent, but the reception is inferior. You have
controls in the center monitor touch screen as well as the steering wheel and
they were easy to master. The radar-based adaptive cruise control worked well
and should be required of all upper statesman vehicles. We didn't get to see it
in action, but Jaguar offers a rear-seat entertainment system with an LCD screen
in the back of each front headrest. Other options were the heated front and rear
seats, a navigation system with available voice activation, and a 4-zone
automatic climate control. You can also order heated rear seats and the rear
headrests are adjustable. In other words, this is a nice mixture of performance
and panache.
Driving this babe magnet is interesting. You get a different type of reaction
from those attentive. The Jaguar looks attract even those unfamiliar with cars.
You have to value sophistication and charm rather than the mockery and mayhem
images other vehicles project and, of course, you don't get the attention of
those who foolishly frolic at the sight of kidney shaped grills. No, this Jaguar
says mature driver who just likes to live life with class. If that means
shutting down some upstart in a coffee canned exhaust cut and thrust youngster,
so be it.
When driving the Jaguar I wanted more feel in the steering and a less body lean.
When I hit a bumpy section of road the suspension sent a shudder through the XJR
that was not appropriate. The chassis sort of felt nervous. You could almost
hear it say, "How dare they leave that blemish in the road when they know I use
it." Another area where tradition has overcome common sense is with the ignition
key. This sharp, and thin key is difficult to get into the ignition at night or
if you are in a hurry, and is expensive to replace. Speaking of night, the
headlights are excellent.
Would I buy one? Certainly. The
Lexus LS would be my second choice and we
have not tested the new BMW
5-Series yet. But none of these offer the allure of the Jaguar. I
would be hard pressed to pay the extra funds for the supercharged model, though,
as the XJ is very well priced coming in at nearly the same cost as an
E-Class Mercedes.
Naw, get the big boy and keep it in sports mode.
Family conference
If you can afford the XJR you are certainly going to enjoy its company.
There are faster cars, better handling cars, and better values, but they are not
Jaguars. A noted female automobile writer Denise McCluggage once wrote that two
of the nicest sounding words in the English language were, "My Ferrari." The Car
Family believes that from our aspect, the best words might be, "It's my turn to
drive the supercharged Jaguar." Enough said.
Good points:
Drive train, exterior, seats, spectator reactions.
Needs improvement:
Visibility, handling, gauges, cost, brake feel.
Written by The
Car Family
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