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The Jaguar XJ8L
Car Review
When does $194,000 (AU) seem like an automotive
bargain? When it is the MSRP for the fuel frugal, lightweight, Jaguar XJ8L that
is significantly less money than its luxury sedan competition while treating
your to great fuel mileage and an interior with few equals.
Mom’s view: There is something about
asking your lady friends if they would like to take a ride in your Jaguar that
speaks of good taste and a nice wine cellar. It has elegancy both inside and
out. What is even better is that we got over 23 mpg in this Anglo-liner even
though I frequently had my derriere pushed tight against the double stitched
leather covered seats when all 294 horsepower tugged at their collars.
Although not a cheetah out of the starting gate, the long legged Jaguar comes
into its own at speed where the silky smooth
4.2-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8 gives you 303 pound-feet of torque that make short
work of those pesky palisades. In other words, I liked the Jaguar for it looks
and deeds. Sounds like a perfect mate to me. Besides, it is easy to park and
everyone looks at you. Could this be love?
Dad’s view:
The suspension, independent forged aluminum double-wishbone
with anti-roll bar and self-leveling air springs in front and independent
aluminum double-wishbone with self-leveling air springs and stabilizer bar in
back make this car fairly capable of carving corners or making avoidance
maneuvers with some degree of dignity. However, its main job is a quiet ride and
it does this with aplomb. You can get shorter sedan models and even a
supercharged version of the XJR sedan, but we like this model best. If you are
going to buy an expensive sedan you should be able to have a backseat that can
accommodate three full sized adults. And, by the way, this is one car that can
easily accommodate a NBA sized driver, too. Lot’s of room.
Also available are
adaptive cruise control, four-zone automatic
climate control, heated front and rear seats, and a navigation system. We found
the GPS not as refined as we would like and crashed it twice. This was an early
model so we expect that it is going to be cured, but we did like the size of the
touch screen and the ease of which most stereo and climate changes could be
made.
I liked driving the Jaguar and found it a devoted servant for the most part. I
would have liked the steering to be more responsive and I don’t think I shall
ever appreciate the shift lever and gates. Overall, a nice combination of old
world charm and cowboy hustle, this Jaguar is certainly one of the best ever
produced for the gentry.
Working woman’s view:
Gripping the walnut and leather steering wheel, looking over the softly
contoured hood, and feeling the energy of the V8 can take your objective
reasoning away when considering a car purchase. Questions that need to be
answered such as resale, reliability, customer service, and environmental
concerns need to be rationally through out despite the obvious appeal and name
recognition value. I cannot imagine any working girl not being impressed by the
looks and demur of this Jaguar.
Young working male’s view: You gotta love
Jaguar. They have produced some of the sexist shaped automobiles in history, but
apparently felt it was un-British to bestow upon them a proper powerplant. I
mean even Carroll Shelby would have been nothing without the AC Ace body. There
is still nothing as slinky as an E-Type Jaguar, and the XK 120 and 140 models
are still head turners. Well, I think that this time they may have finally
gotten it right. The engine purrs, sips petrol, and delivers power the way
Silkily Sullivan used to do it, coming up through the pack after a slow start.
However, what I really admire is the five-inch longer wheelbase and what it has
done to the rear seat. You can stretch out back there. And, if you have the
Euros, you can even enjoy the optional DVD player with displays in the
headrests. Cool. I also liked the fact that Jaguar didn’t make the interior
gimmicky like the Mercedes and BMW. Tasteful and understated are two traits
this Jaguar enthuses. Make my black, and no lemon, please.
Family conference: Only a
transmission that seemed to become confused at times marred our stay at the
Hotel Jaguar. The trunk was large and useful. The rear seat room enormous, the
ride lithe, the brakes powerful and the entire ensemble was a joy to wile away
the hours in heavy traffic or the doldrums of blandness cross-country travel. A
good friend, but perhaps in need to a more updated appearance, this Jaguar sedan
is the best yet.
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