jaguar xj review

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

There are two 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines, and the naturally aspirated version is perfectly powerful enough. But, if you’re looking for the ultimate in performance, the supercharged engine has a seriously hefty 502bhp and 461lb ft of torque, and delivers the type of performance you won’t forget in a hurry. Even so, most customers are expected to plump for the 3.0-litre diesel. It’s far lighter on fuel, but it’ll still haul the XJ to 60mph in just 6.0 seconds.

Ride & Handling

5 out of 5 stars

No company knows more about fine-tuning adaptive damping than Jaguar, and it shows in the way the XJ glides over craggy surfaces. It’s also an absolute breeze to place the car on the road with pin-point precision thanks to its deadly accurate steering. This exactness, plus strong grip and minimal roll through bends, means it's all too easy to forget you’re driving a car that is well over 5 metres long.

Refinement

5 out of 5 stars

Refinement is first class, and the pleasingly low levels of road- and wind noise mean you can conduct conversations with your distant companions in the back seats without the need to raise your voice. There’s some gentle chatter from the diesel engine at idle, but even when you accelerate hard, there’s not much more than a low grumble from the twin exhaust pipes. Once it's settled into a cruise, only the lower numbers on the rev counter mark it out from the petrol-engined cars. 

Buying & Owning

3 out of 5 stars

Jaguar no doubt hopes the XJ will match the class-leading residuals of the Mercedes S-Class, but only time will tell. Nevertheless, this level of excellence doesn’t come cheap. You’ll need to find well over £50K just for the entry-level short-wheelbase diesel model, and you’ll need to be an oil baron if you use the supercharged car in anger, because even when you are stroking it around, you’ll be lucky to exceed 20mpg.

Quality & Reliability

4 out of 5 stars

The XJ is built almost entirely of aluminium, so rust is never going to be a problem, and inside it appears to be very well constructed from excellent materials. All the engines are bang up to date, so they should prove reliable. We’ve heard of no problems so far, but as with any car this complex, if there are going to be any niggles, we suspect they’ll be electronic.

Safety & Security

5 out of 5 stars

Unsurprisingly, the XJ comes with all the latest electronic driver aids, and all occupants are protected by a multitude of airbags. On top of that, the bonnet is sprung-loaded to help protect pedestrians in the event of a collision. There’s no shortage of security deterrents, either, so the light-fingered fraternity would do well to look elsewhere. 

Behind The Wheel

4 out of 5 stars

The fat, comfy, hide-covered seats and door cappings trimmed with ever-so-slightly wiggly stitching hint at hand-built quality, while the lavish veneers, old-school bulls-eye air vents and ebony and chrome detailing punch home the old-money message. These traditional ingredients are complemented by Jaguar’s signature, rising rotary gear selector, a touchscreen command centre and digital instruments.

Space & Practicality

4 out of 5 stars

In the front, there is loads of head- and legroom, but shimmy your derrière into the rear, and things aren’t quite so impressive. You sit very low, and there’s not a great deal of headroom, although the swathes of leather, wood panelling, gleaming chrome and oceans of legroom (with an extra 125mm in long-wheelbase cars) are all very nice. At least you can pack an awful lot of bulky luggage into the 520-litre boot.

Equipment

5 out of 5 stars

All XJs are lavishly equipped, with leather-trimmed, electrically adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, twin glass sunroofs and a touchscreen central control panel all standard. Even so, there are still lots of additional toys to choose from, including a sublime Bowers and Wilkins stereo upgrade and a rear-seat multimedia package that features two 8-inch LCD screens and touchscreen remote control.