The Jaguar XJ: A Flagship Sedan Redefining Luxury and Performance

Jaguar's latest flagship sedan, the XJ, has finally broken free from its styling rut, leaving us with a car that is both sleek and eye-catching. The exterior design of the XJ is long, low, and impressive, making it stand out from the crowd. The interior, too, has undergone a significant transformation, retaining traditional Jaguar cues while incorporating modern details such as wood and leather trim. The result is a luxurious cabin that feels like a private jet, complete with soft suede headliners, machined vent knobs, and folding wood tray tables in the back seat.

One of the most striking features of the XJ's interior is its attention to detail. From the Twist knob for the automatic shifter to the big digital screens and touch screen in the middle of the dashboard, every aspect of the car's controls has been carefully considered. However, this focus on detail also means that some aspects of the car's design can feel a bit fussy. The instruments are large and prominent, but the display is cluttered with small fonts and buttons, making it easy to get overwhelmed. Additionally, the back seat, while comfortable for two people, becomes tight for three due to a large drive shaft tunnel.

Despite its size, the XJ feels surprisingly spacious inside, thanks in part to its long wheelbase. The panoramic sunroof and large windows also contribute to an airy feel that belies the car's size. However, this sense of space is offset by the car's low roof line, which can make driver visibility a challenge, particularly when looking out the back window. Fortunately, standard blind spot monitoring and a backup camera help alleviate this issue.

On the road, the XJ is a joy to drive. The steering is quick and well weighted, with a responsive feel that belies the car's size. Part of the reason for this athleticism is Jaguar's aluminum body structure, which saves weight and allows the car to corner more easily. Even the base V8 engine propels the car effortlessly, with a sound that is both refined and satisfying.

Of course, one area where the XJ falls short is in terms of all-wheel drive capability. Unlike many of its competitors, Jaguar does not offer this option, which can be a drawback for drivers who value traction and control on slippery roads. However, the car's quiet interior and plush cabin more than make up for this omission. The ride itself is isolating, doing a good job of damping out larger bumps and shocks. Unfortunately, however, this isolation also means that smaller imperfections are amplified, leading to a jiggly nervous ride that can feel unseemly in a luxury car.

All things considered, the Jaguar XJ represents a dream for many drivers who crave both performance and luxury. While it may not be perfect – and certainly has its flaws – it is a testament to the brand's commitment to creating cars that are truly exceptional. By thoroughly testing the XJ at our track, we can gain a deeper understanding of what makes this car tick, and whether or not it will meet your needs as a driver.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis is Jaguar's Flagship sedan the XJ Jaguar had been stuck in something of a styling rut with their big sedans you couldn't tell if they were new or 15 years old well that's definitely changed for this car it's long it's Sleek it's low it's really eye-catching now the interior retains the traditional Jaguar cues there's lots of wood lots of leather but they're all Incorporated inside in a very modern interior there's lots of fabulous details the headliner it's all done in soft suede there's these fabulous machined vent knobs there's even folding wood tray tables in the back seat it's what you would imagine a private jet to be like and it makes this car really stand out from the crowd a lot of the Jaguars controls are either unique or just plain fussy there's a Twist knob for the automatic shifter the instruments well they're big digital screen and the touch screen in the middle of the dashboard it's cluttered there's a lot of small fonts a lot of small buttons a lot of pages to Leaf through this is a long wheel-based version of the big Jag that's what the L stands for in xjl what that means is you get quite a bit of leg room the back seat's comfortable for two people but it's going to be tight for three because of a big drive shaft tunnel also for what is such a big car it doesn't have that big of a trunk even though the Jaguar is a large car and has a big panoramic sunroof it's still feels rather enclosed and intimate inside that's because of the car's low roof line another side effect of the exterior styling is soo driver visibility especially out the back window because of a high rear trunk deck luckily the Jaguar has standard blind spot monitoring and a backup camera driving the big Jaguar is a joy the steering it's quick it's well weighted it's responsive the car feels athletic and light on its feet for such a big car part of the reason for that is an illuminum body structure that saves weight even the base V8 engine in this Jag propels the car effortlessly and it sounds great doing it if you need more power you can get a supercharged version one thing you can't get though is all-wheel drive most of the cars competitors offer that it's quiet inside of this plush cabin as for the ride well it isolates the big stuff pretty well but the little stuff well it sets up a jiggly nervous ride it's kind of unseemly for such a luxury car at over $80,000 the Jaguar represents a dream for most but we're going to tell you about the reality of living with this car as we drive it every day and thoroughly test it here at our trackthis is Jaguar's Flagship sedan the XJ Jaguar had been stuck in something of a styling rut with their big sedans you couldn't tell if they were new or 15 years old well that's definitely changed for this car it's long it's Sleek it's low it's really eye-catching now the interior retains the traditional Jaguar cues there's lots of wood lots of leather but they're all Incorporated inside in a very modern interior there's lots of fabulous details the headliner it's all done in soft suede there's these fabulous machined vent knobs there's even folding wood tray tables in the back seat it's what you would imagine a private jet to be like and it makes this car really stand out from the crowd a lot of the Jaguars controls are either unique or just plain fussy there's a Twist knob for the automatic shifter the instruments well they're big digital screen and the touch screen in the middle of the dashboard it's cluttered there's a lot of small fonts a lot of small buttons a lot of pages to Leaf through this is a long wheel-based version of the big Jag that's what the L stands for in xjl what that means is you get quite a bit of leg room the back seat's comfortable for two people but it's going to be tight for three because of a big drive shaft tunnel also for what is such a big car it doesn't have that big of a trunk even though the Jaguar is a large car and has a big panoramic sunroof it's still feels rather enclosed and intimate inside that's because of the car's low roof line another side effect of the exterior styling is soo driver visibility especially out the back window because of a high rear trunk deck luckily the Jaguar has standard blind spot monitoring and a backup camera driving the big Jaguar is a joy the steering it's quick it's well weighted it's responsive the car feels athletic and light on its feet for such a big car part of the reason for that is an illuminum body structure that saves weight even the base V8 engine in this Jag propels the car effortlessly and it sounds great doing it if you need more power you can get a supercharged version one thing you can't get though is all-wheel drive most of the cars competitors offer that it's quiet inside of this plush cabin as for the ride well it isolates the big stuff pretty well but the little stuff well it sets up a jiggly nervous ride it's kind of unseemly for such a luxury car at over $80,000 the Jaguar represents a dream for most but we're going to tell you about the reality of living with this car as we drive it every day and thoroughly test it here at our track\n"