Jaguar XJ Saloon 2003 - Present

The Jaguar XJ has been a mainstay on UK streets for a long time now and it most closely wears the look of the classic Jag of the 70s.  This has ensured it’s having a market appeal to a certain group within the car buying public, but at the same time it has put many new owners off.  The XJ has been reworked over the past few years and the most significant change was probably the introduction of a diesel engine in 2005.  The diesel offers great fuel economy and refinement as well as making it more appealing in the company car market.

The low and long XJ looks pretty dated now, but as you get into the car it’s a completely different story.  Inside the car it’s a tale of beautifully stitched leather seats and quality materials throughout.  The instrument panel is easy on the eye and nicely integrated into the cabin.  All in all the interior of the car is very welcoming and warm, with comfort the key theme of seating.  Leg room is generous although the squat roof means that head room is something of a premium..

On the road there are lots of electronics to help keep you on the road.  Programmes include; CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension) which automatically adjusts damper and suspension settings, and the electronic stability programme (DSC).  The XJ has a large number of aluminium components which help keep it’s weight down.  The end result of this is that the car feels nimble and much lighter than it looks.  The XJ is a real delight to drive with great roadholding and superb steering, both in terms of it’s accuracy and willingness to jump to the drivers tune, and it’s superb sense of feedback.

The long bonnet is that size for a reason, and the reason is that it needs to house a beast of an engine.  There are five good engines to choose from but the smart choices are between the 2.7 TDVi diesel which offers decent performance and 35 mpg, or the 4.2 supercharged madman, which can get to 60 mph in less than five seconds (4.8), and is restricted to 155 mph.  Yes it may only return 23 mpg, which is both irresponsible and costly but all of the petrol engines come in and around the mid twenties on the economy front, so if you’re going to burn a lot of fuel you may as well enjoy doing it.  There are no slouches in the range, the worst 0 – 60 is less than eight seconds (7.8) and they all go faster than 140 mph, which is surely fast enough.  The 4.2 Supercharger is the most fun though.

Bootspace available is a somewhat modest 470 litres, which while a bit smaller than many rivals does at least offer ample room for cases if you fancy a stolen weekend away.

The XJ has an impressive heritage and it doesn’t rely on that anywhere near as much as it looks like it does.  If the XJ looked a bit different it would sell in droves as it’s a really good car, but as it people are still put off by the dated image.

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