JAGUAR XJ SALOON READER REVIEWS

My car

I picked my XJ up 2 weeks ago and I absolutely love it. Before the XJ and owned 3 mercedes s class all of which were fantastic but they just dont compare in anyway to the Xj.

For starters the looks are stunning In the 2 weeks I have owned it I'v had more compliments than all three of the s class put together, Its amazing how many people stare when you drive around town

The 3.0d engine is truley excellent its so responsive, very quick and very smooth and thats before I mention the fact that I get 40mpg on the combined cycle (my previous s320 CDI only managed 28mpg). Not only does the car have an extremely smooth ride but It has very sporty steering for Its size and loves being chucked into corners when your on a nice twisty A road. It still amazes me how such a large car can turn from being a smooth motorway cruiser to sports saloon whenever you like.

The interior is truely brilliant, everything has an air of quailty and It feels special which is something you dont feel like its just with german cars. Personally I cant see what the other reviewer was talking about saying It felt gimmicky and plasticky I personally prefer it to the mercedes leather and wood finishes which were a bit iffy in my eyes

I cannot recommend this car enough Its fast, rides brilliantly, feels nimble, has a truely luxury interior, stunning looks, masses of equipment and is well priced

take it from me Im a mercedes convert, If jaguar keep making cars like this I'll never look back

My car

I am writing this based on a 45 minute test drive in a 3.0 Diesel Premium Luxury.

The driving position is OK, but not as good as the previous model XJ, the seat seemed to have a shorter back rest and squab, also this model has lost the adjustable pedals of the previous model so it not as easy to get a comfortable driving position. The ride itself is very smooth, but my rear seat passengers both left feeling ill.

The 6 speed auto is very smooth, the engine is very quiet and very responsive, even more so if you select 'Sport' which makes the auto a 5 speed and switch on the dynamic throttle control, BUT, this can lead to problems at lower speeds, especially using the cruise control, the engine has trouble keeping the speed without contantly 'kangarooing' the car. Selecting sport mode also turns the dials red, which adds nothing to the experience. The 'twin screen' sat nav is immicky and did not appear to work that well in the model I drove.

There is lots of leather, some of which looks very plasticky, and lots of wood which looks very good, however, not all of the controls fall easilly to hand.

The rotary gear selector just feels cheap and gimmicky.

It's a decent car, but it doesn't feel like a Jaguar should, it could be any of the latest offerings from Lexus, Volkswagen etc, if it wasn't for the Jaguar badge under the windscreen you could be driving anything.

The previous XJ, to me anyway, is the better Jaguar and more accomplished car.