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Jaguar models, news & reviews
5
Handling
4
Performance
Usability
Feelgood factor
Readers' rating
3.5
By Gavin Green
First Drives
26 February 2010 00:01
We have to look back to the early Bangle BMWs, or to Tom Ford’s extravagant efforts at Gucci, to see a similar shake-up of a company’s design DNA. Out goes the carriage-clock Jag; in comes the brave XF of 2008 and, even more, this bold new XJ, Maserati Quattroporte emotion meets Bentley grandeur, rakish coupe lines meets four-door luxury saloon practicality. The styling result is (almost) as controversial as Bangle’s first 7-series. But let us leave that to one side for the moment and ask the bigger question:
It’s extremely impressive. Jaguar is furrowing the ‘beautiful fast cars’ route with Churchillian determination, and that means cars that are sporty, eye-catching yet refined and relaxing. Those first and last qualities are not always easy to square – sports driving rarely equals comfort. Plus add big 20-inch diameter wheels and low profile rubber – both are fitted to our 3.0-litre diesel test car – and you won’t do the ride too many favours.
Jaguar, of course, has historically swerved rather inconsistently on the comfort-versus-sport scale. The old XJs saloons of fond and distant memory were comfort biased, floating over the road surface like the QE2 sailed over the ocean floor, steady as she goes. Apart from the marvellous and incomparable Rolls-Royce Phantom, no new luxury car does this: certainly not any BMWs or Audis, though the Mercedes S-class gets close.
Modern Jags, though, are very much sports-biased. The XF gets positively thumpy and – dare I say it of a Jag? – sometimes uncomfortable when fitted with big diameter-low profile rubber options. The R cars can be positively bone jarring on roads less than mirror smooth.
The new XJ has a much better ride/handling balance, the best in the luxury saloon market.
Yes. The chassis is excellent. Helped by the commendable lightweight of that beautifully crafted aluminium body – nobody does aluminium more skilfully than Jaguar – the new XJ is a deceptively agile car. Select ‘dynamic’ setting – which firms up dampers, makes the throttle response more eager, and boosts the keenness of the six-speed paddle shift auto to downshift – and you can almost feel the big XJ hunker down to the tarmac and boost driving thrills. The steering is sweet and sharp, body roll is well checked, and on the winding undulating roads to the west of Paris, the XJ felt almost sports car sprightly. It’s 150 kg lighter than any rival – the gap over the real class porkers is much greater – and this blessed lightness really translates into enhanced nimbleness.
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Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6D (2010) CAR review
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audijohn says
RE: Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6D (2010) CAR review
Hi BENCH, I posted under the name of Johnbmwx6 as I had a BMW X6, I now have the M3 E90 Saloon 2010 model, however I did as I said in Auto express drive both 5.0V8 and the diesel 3.0 XJ and found as I said, the car was IMO still geared to smooth effortless driving with little emphasis on "SPORTING". I found the car externally large even in SW base model and internally (driver seat) cramped. Power was poor for a V8 5Ltr engine and the diesel ran out of puff way too early. Fit and Finish were excellent if rather ostentatious around the dashboard area, too many changing lights, software that did not work and a touch screen Sat-Nav that needed far more concentration to change data than any driver dare use on the move. Sorry Jaguar lovers but not for me.
Hi BENCH, I posted under the name of Johnbmwx6 as I had a BMW X6, I now have the M3 E90 Saloon 2010 model, however I did as I said in Auto express drive both 5.0V8 and the diesel 3.0 XJ and found as I said, the car was IMO still geared to smooth effortless driving with little emphasis on "SPORTING".
I found the car externally large even in SW base model and internally (driver seat) cramped.
Power was poor for a V8 5Ltr engine and the diesel ran out of puff way too early.
Fit and Finish were excellent if rather ostentatious around the dashboard area, too many changing lights, software that did not work and a touch screen Sat-Nav that needed far more concentration to change data than any driver dare use on the move.
Sorry Jaguar lovers but not for me.
16 March 2010 17:37
bertandnairobi says
"It’s extremely impressive. Jaguar is furrowing the ‘beautiful fast cars’ route with Churchillian determination, and that means cars that are sporty" writes Mr Green. A furrow is the groove a plough makes in a field as it turns over the soil. One's brows furrow when one reads this kind of infelicitous prose. This sentence, as written, means that Jaguar is making furrows in a certain type of route in the manner of Winston Churchill. I wonder are the furrows parallel or transverse to the direction of travel? Just wondering! Perhaps there is a ploughshare attached to the back of the car or appended to the car´s underbody.
08 March 2010 13:55
Bench says
Interesting that AudiJohn posted identical comments, word for word, in Auto Express' on line magazine. But under another name - he signs himself BMWX6 or something. Why would one do that now? But to the car, I'm biased. I'm a BMW 530 Touring driver, on my 4th Touring since the original was launched, and my umpteenth BMW who, having tried the XF, having close knowledge of an XKR, is now itching for the XF Estate launch to see what it's like for space - which I need. Every time I change cars I look at the alternatives and until now have stuck with BMW. But now Jag has changed - a lot. And I don't see why it cannot be as good as the journo's say. The XF actually seems to be really really good.
07 March 2010 18:10
V12 Migaloo says
Part II, That stiffness I mentioned earlier must be the build, not once did the car shake, rattle or roll. Brake hard and I had the feeling as if the front springs were pushing the nose up (??) but the fronts are equipped with steel springs so it must be some kind of anti dive geometry that I’ve not witnessed before. I am trying to be subjective here and put my obvious love of the marque to one side but to be honest guys the cars bloody fantastic. I’ve never driven anything quite like this, it really felt very special piloting this XJ, (I almost wish I dressed up) looking over the superb interior, flipping down the paddles when the mood takes (very mechanical, very precise, very instant), cruising at some insanely 3 figure speeds whilst still registering 32 mpg whilst on the cruise control. My 5 is great but it’s leaves me with the feeling that’s it’s just another modern product, a good one though, but still a modern car built to sell in numbers, this XJ though gave me a special feeling, as if it had been built with the passion of the guys at Morgan, but with the help of the Japanese quality guru’s. I’ve not had that special feeling for a while and only tend to get it when I drive expensive classics or stay at the Mandarin Oriental or such. That alone is worth choosing this over the competition… If only I could afford £60k….. All donations would be gladly accepted..
05 March 2010 13:03
Test drove the XJ today. The first thing that strikes you about the XJ is its size, it’s a large car, it looks wide and aggressive from the front, which I like, but I also caught a glimpse of a Bentley continental in the rear (looking side on) which makes it look sleeker then it actually is and the rear, even with its blacked out pillars does not look as unresolved as it does in print. But enough of that, what’s does it drive like. The car I had was a LWB 3.0d. When the doors close with that solid thunk and you sit down in to the seat you really do appreciate how large the XJ is inside. A subdued sporty roar from the six pot diesel was surprising on start up but not as surprising as the feeling that the car felt remarkably stiff, not in suspension or ride, but in a way the old W124 used to feel stiff, perhaps it was the build quality, the old adage hewn from stone. A slight prod on a longish accelerator pedal and she was off without even a chirp. I had forgotten what a powerful diesel was like to drive after the past 18 months in a large capacity petrol, the torque of this car is addictive. The power delivery is really smooth and even though the revs change quickly, the car gathers speed rather rapidly, a few seconds later on the A3 she was showing 115mph all in silence, with just a ruffle of wind noise and the odd movement from the suspension, no float, no head rocking, a ride quality that reminded me of a recent trip in a friends new Range Rover. It really felt as if it could smash any hump at speed so you’d barely notice what the suspension is doing. The same goes for the gearbox and engine, if you want to cruise its perhaps just as accomplished as the LS600 I travelled in 2 weeks ago in Tokushima. Drove past a new 7 series and the driver nodded his head a number of times in appreciation! Exiting the A3 I took the back roads and found to my surprise that the low speed ride was perhaps not as smooth as the LS, but leagues ahead of my own 19” shod 5 series. The recent snows had left our minor roads covered in potholes and missing tar and XJ, as you would expect handles these supremely well over 40mph, under this speed though there is a feeling that the car has been set up to be hustled and in some ways this removes the float of the old XJ, which in my mind improves the comfort factor, but the LS does ride better at low speed. So hustle I did for 30 minutes. What strikes you for such a large car is it actually feels quite compact, I was mindful of curbs and for the first few minutes I always used the nr side mirror to check my position, but it actually feels smaller and is physicaly smaller on the road when you drive it. It corners very flatly indeed, just as flat as my M Spec, but without the constant head rocking movement that I have now become accustomed to in the large diameter equipped cars. The steering feels very positive, light when it needs be but giving some interesting feedback through the rack so always know what surface your on. That stiffness I mentioned earlier must be the build, not once did the
Test drove the XJ today.
The first thing that strikes you about the XJ is its size, it’s a large car, it looks wide and aggressive from the front, which I like, but I also caught a glimpse of a Bentley continental in the rear (looking side on) which makes it look sleeker then it actually is and the rear, even with its blacked out pillars does not look as unresolved as it does in print. But enough of that, what’s does it drive like.
The car I had was a LWB 3.0d. When the doors close with that solid thunk and you sit down in to the seat you really do appreciate how large the XJ is inside. A subdued sporty roar from the six pot diesel was surprising on start up but not as surprising as the feeling that the car felt remarkably stiff, not in suspension or ride, but in a way the old W124 used to feel stiff, perhaps it was the build quality, the old adage hewn from stone. A slight prod on a longish accelerator pedal and she was off without even a chirp. I had forgotten what a powerful diesel was like to drive after the past 18 months in a large capacity petrol, the torque of this car is addictive. The power delivery is really smooth and even though the revs change quickly, the car gathers speed rather rapidly, a few seconds later on the A3 she was showing 115mph all in silence, with just a ruffle of wind noise and the odd movement from the suspension, no float, no head rocking, a ride quality that reminded me of a recent trip in a friends new Range Rover. It really felt as if it could smash any hump at speed so you’d barely notice what the suspension is doing. The same goes for the gearbox and engine, if you want to cruise its perhaps just as accomplished as the LS600 I travelled in 2 weeks ago in Tokushima. Drove past a new 7 series and the driver nodded his head a number of times in appreciation!
Exiting the A3 I took the back roads and found to my surprise that the low speed ride was perhaps not as smooth as the LS, but leagues ahead of my own 19” shod 5 series. The recent snows had left our minor roads covered in potholes and missing tar and XJ, as you would expect handles these supremely well over 40mph, under this speed though there is a feeling that the car has been set up to be hustled and in some ways this removes the float of the old XJ, which in my mind improves the comfort factor, but the LS does ride better at low speed.
So hustle I did for 30 minutes. What strikes you for such a large car is it actually feels quite compact, I was mindful of curbs and for the first few minutes I always used the nr side mirror to check my position, but it actually feels smaller and is physicaly smaller on the road when you drive it. It corners very flatly indeed, just as flat as my M Spec, but without the constant head rocking movement that I have now become accustomed to in the large diameter equipped cars. The steering feels very positive, light when it needs be but giving some interesting feedback through the rack so always know what surface your on. That stiffness I mentioned earlier must be the build, not once did the
05 March 2010 13:00
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