2011 Jaguar XJ Reviews

The XJ Jaguar is a British sports saloon that can be divided into three quite different stages in its recent history. Those built until July 2003 had traditional styling that looked great and made a real statement both inside and out. These are getting on in years, but those who love Jags swear by them - though their age, combined with quality control that wasn't the best, could cause hassles. The 2003 restyle kept many of the established lines, but now moulded onto an aluminium body to significantly reduce weight and increase performance. As these are sports saloons this added performance was welcomed by those who liked to make good use of their right foot. However, in the eyes of many this combination of a high-tech body and a traditional shape wasn't appealing. The cars still sold reasonably well, but the murmurs about 'old-fashioned' styling became stronger over the years.The all-new 2010 model silenced the critics by taking an altogether different direction in styling with sleek futuristic lines. Externally, the ‘Jaguar grille' was the only major carry-over from the past, but the dash area has a few things carrying over. Naturally, its aluminium body retained the added performance and nimble(-ish) feel of the outgoing XJ.Die-hard Jaguar enthusiasts snapped up the last of the traditional leather-and-wood-cabin models, though even today there's a call for them so you may be asked to pay fairly big bucks to get into the best of them. Though the big emphasis on the 2010 series was its ultra-modern styling and the interior of most cars reflected this, there are traditional leather-and-wood options - the best of both worlds some say.A drawback in the older Jaguars is the lack of interior space in the standard-wheelbase car due to the fact it's a low-slung sports saloon, not as tall sedan. This is at its worst in the back seat, but even the front seats can prove cramped for foot-space due to the large transmission housing. The long-wheelbase variants (look for an ‘L' in the title) are much better for rear legroom, but can still be tight in headroom for taller occupants.Post-2010 XJs have more voluminous interiors, but check out the back seat if you are planning to carry tall adults on a routine basis.The number in a Jaguar XJ's title refers to the number of engine cylinders, thus XJ6 has six of them and XJ8 is a V8, the XJ12 … you've guessed it. Supercharged V8s of 4.2-litre and 5.0-litre capacity installed in the XJ R upmarket hotrods are intended for the keen driver who really wants to let off steam. Turbo-diesel would have been unthinkable in Jaguars prior to the revolutionary, new-design oil burners introduced towards the end of the 20th century. In April 2007 Jaguar introduced its first diesel passenger car to Australia. There's the seemingly inevitable diesel engine noise at idle, particularly when the engine's cold, but from inside it's virtually as smooth and quiet as a petrol unit. And has bags of torque.Reliability used to be a weak point in Jaguars, though after Ford in the USA bought the company in the early 1990s the Brits were given a major shake-up. By the launch of the 1994 XJ Jaguar there were major improvements. As of mid-2008 Jaguar has been controlled by Indian company Tata. The Indians have an excellent understanding of English tradition. Indeed, they can be more English than the English, so the traditional British marque looks in good hands, with the engineers and stylists being left alone to do what works best for their aluminium babies.Servicing, spare parts and insurance costs are all on the high side, so don't fall for the trap of putting all your money into buying the car and then finding yourself unable to keep it in the manner in which it is accustomed.Check that the brake fluid has been changed on schedule. Not doing so can lead to expensive troubles.On pre-2003 Jags be sure all electrical items are working properly. Intermittent as these can be they are frustratingly hard to track down, but if you suspect anything bear with it as repairs can be expensive.Watch out for an automatic transmission that's slow to go into gear and/or which hunts from gear to gear unnecessarily. Hill climbing for an extended distance usually brings out this fault.Jaguars used galvanised steel body panels until mid 2003 then switched to weight-saving aluminium. The galvanised steel variants should be rust free unless they have been incorrectly repaired after a crash. Damaged aluminium panels may have to be repaired by a specialist, so be sure to get a quote from an expert - even for the smallest of dents.Enthusiasts of a marque can be an excellent source of information on their cars' strong, weak and interesting points. Try to find a local owners' club and chat to members.

City councils champ at the bit over citizens that fail to contain their wandering cats. It's a major problem. Unsterilised cats spray and call for kilometres to find mates and ultimately leave their fertilised fruits homeless and ready to repeat the irresponsible life of their parents. All cats, clearly, should be garaged.During the 1980s and 1990s, most were. Jaguar went through a period where its offspring were causing havoc in neighbourhoods around the world and some spent extraordinary hours in garages awaiting to be fixed.But that's no longer the case. Mimicing the results after a domestic male cat gets surgically neuted, Jaguar has gone from making a nuisance to making superb cars. The XJ is the best of the litter.VALUEProbably not value in the sense that the same money can buy a lot of wheels. Even as a whole, the $250,000-plus tag of the XJ 5.0 V8 SWB is a hurdle that only a very few of us can vault. But it's more than just a car. It is stylish enough to be viewed as moving art and, as you know, people pay even ridiculous sums of money for art.The XJ competes with big cars from BMW, Audi, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and even can touch Maserati. It's territory occupied by choices based on subjectivity and contemporary fashion - territory where value doesn't necessarily hold much significance.TECHNOLOGYJaguar centres its vehicle control on a touch screen monitor which is the quickest and most user-friendly of car management systems. Well, not always. While the XF's system is almost flawless, the big XJ packs so much info onto the screen that the touch squares have to be smaller.That means it can take more than one stab of the finger to get your wish and even then it may fail to register because they're not as sensitive as they could be. Your eyes are off the road while doing this, making it a bit frustrating. Electronics, however, redeem themselves in the brilliant LCD instrument panel that can change its read-out.This depends on issues such as a desire to have the sat-nav map in front of the driver, any drama in the engine bay, driver's selection of the "sport" mode and so on. Mercedes' S-Class and BMW's 7-Series have similar systems.The Jag also gets a superb Bowers & Wilkins audio and a smart central monitor that incorporates two screens - one angled to the passenger and idea for a movie or TV, the other angled to the driver, such as the sat-nav or trip computer. Clever. The rest is an aluminium body sprung only the way Jaguar can do it, with a normally-aspirated V8 at the front with a ZF six-speed auto behind. Sounds simple but the devil's in the detail.DESIGNBeautiful from most angles, stunning from the rest. Its looks make it a winner on the showroom floor. Against the rather brutish BMW 7-Series and rather bland Audi A8, the XJ is a seductively fluid shape that still has good rear passenger space and a large boot.The cabin mixes old and new, with the boat-tailed curve of the dashboard representing a fresh look and the big, circular chrome vents echoing earlier Jag models. Visibility is reasonable but park sensors and the rear camera save any parking embarrassment. The low seating position may not suit everyone but, once ensconced, feels more like a luxury sports coupe than a limousine express.SAFETYFull marks. True, you no longer have to pay the big bucks to get a five-star safety rating. The Jaguar gets a five-star, full airbags and electronic assistance plus has sufficient metal around the cabin to improve occupant protection in an accident.DRIVINGThe engine is almost inaudible and gearchanges imperceptible when treated gently, but the XJ shows its spirit when the chequered-flag button is pressed and the accelerator floored. This is the essence of a luxury performance car. But though the XJ will do a lot of the things of which its contemporaries also excel, one single factor changes all comparative dynamics - weight.It weighs 1755kg - the same as a six-cylinder large car and up to 300kg lighter than its European rivals - and that translates into a more nimble and responsive machine. Dive into a corner and you quickly forget about its length (or price tag) because the way it turns in, its response to the brakes and the ease of steering input makes it feel like a smaller, lighter car.So while it handles, it also goes really well in a straight line. You may argue against the 5-litre V8 for city and suburban runs. But tested on a long country trip, on major roads and twisting single-lane backroads, the XJ proves stress-free to drive. It is dismissive of rutted bitumen and always delivery sublime comfort with the subtle V8 exhaust-note backdrop.VERDICTThis passes onlookers on the street with a sweep of their heads - a true indication of the big cat's arresting design. Jaguar's flagship lives in a rarefied, uber-rich portion of the car market - but doesn't have it all to itself. Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Audi and Maserati are some big players in the same pond.But the Jaguar rates highly - purely because it looks as beautiful as it works. And if style isn't your bag, point one down an empty country road and understand how size and luxury can be melded with performance. It'll make you smile again.JAGUAR XJ PREMIUM LUXURYPrice: $251,000Warranty: 3 years, 100,000km, roadside assistEconomy: 11.3 l/100km; 264g/km CO2Safety: six airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.Crash rating: 5 starEngine: 283kW/515Nm 5-litre V8 petrolTransmission: Six-speed sequential autoBody: 4-door, 5 seatsDimensions: 5122 (L); 1894mm (W); 1448mm (H); 3032mm (WB)Weight: 1755kg Tyre size 245/40R20Spare tyre: Space-saver