2005 Jaguar XJ8L Road Test

Dad's view: The suspension, independent forged aluminum double-wishbone with anti-roll bar and self-leveling air springs in front and independent aluminum double-wishbone with self-leveling air springs and stabilizer bar in back, make this XJ8 fairly capable of carving corners or making avoidance maneuvers with a degree of dignity. However, mainly it provides a quiet, well-controlled ride and does it with aplomb. You can get a shorter sedan model and even a supercharged version of the XJ, but we like this model best. If you are going to buy an expensive sedan you should be able to have a backseat that can accommodate three full sized adults. And, by the way, this is one car that can easily accommodate a NBA sized driver, too. Lot's of room.

2005 Jaguar XJ8L

Also available are adaptive cruise control, four-zone automatic climate control, heated front and rear seats, and a navigation system. We found the GPS not to be as refined as we would like and crashed the system twice. This was an early model so we expect that this glitch is going to be cured. We did like the seven-inch size of the touch screen and the ease of which most stereo and climate changes could be made.

I liked driving the Jaguar and found it a devoted servant for the most part. I would have liked the steering to be more responsive and I don't think I shall ever appreciate the six-speed ZF automatic transmission shift lever and gates. Overall, this four-door is a nice combination of old world allure and cowboy hustle and certainly one of the best ever produced for the gentry.

The engine is quite potent; look for 0 to 60 times in less than seven seconds and a top speed that is limited to 155 mph apparently to prevent you from reaching take-off speed. All in all this is an exceptional vehicle if you like the grace and styling it brings to the boulevard.

Working woman's view: Gripping the walnut and leather steering wheel, looking over the softly contoured hood, and feeling the energy of the V8 can take your objective reasoning away when considering a car of this status. Questions that are essential to answer such as resale, reliability, customer service, and environmental concerns need to be rationally through out so as not to be overwhelmed by the obvious appeal and name recognition value of the Jaguar.

2005 Jaguar XJ8L

My initial reaction was to question whether this was a new model. Only when you see them side-by-side can you tell the difference. The seats are low so getting inside requires some dignity problems. The parking brake is a little lever on the center console that makes it simple to release or apply with just a flick on the wrist. Very nice. I found the gauges a little too small to read readily, but were nicely understated and not impacted by bright sun glare. The turning radius is a bit large, but the nicely weighted steering makes it easy to park without fear. The engine is responsive, but you have to let it know that you want acceleration with more pedal travel than I would have liked to exert. Once underway the Jaguar shrinks in size and blends into traffic with ease. Rear visibility is a little restricted by the rakish rear window, and there is some tire noise from the wide wheels when driving over diamond cut concrete lanes. Other than that this is a lovely way to spend time. Although I would prefer the sportier Jaguar S, the XJ certainly is more or a statement. I cannot imagine any working girl not being impressed by the looks and demur of this Jaguar.