This light overall weight adds to its agility. I took the opportunity to tackle some particularly serpentine stretches of tarmac near my mountainous home, which, other than the lack of control the driver's seat gave me, was the ideal opportunity to test the new Jag's athleticism. It's good, very good. Despite its tuxedo appearances, the XJ can charge down a thin ribbon of curving two-lane highway with the best
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| Despite its tuxedo appearances, the XJ can charge down a thin ribbon of curving two-lane highway with the best of its rivals. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
of its rivals. It shifts from side to side with amazing nimbleness, handles jounce and rebound without fuss and tackles long, sweeping corners at high speed with confidence building alacrity; no doubt benefited by the lighter curb weight, increased torsional rigidity, wider track, larger diameter wheel and tire package and improved overall suspension geometry. Braking too was exemplary. But driving dynamics aside, the new XJ fell down in a few areas where I expected it to excel. What's the first thing you grab when getting into a car? The door handle of course. In the case of Jaguar's new XJ8 they wiggled so loosely it felt as if they would eventually fall off. Again, it wasn't just a problem with the one car, as the second XJ tester I had also had poor fitting, cheap plastic door handles. Since driving the Jag, I've paid
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| Of all the XJ's serious competitors, only the Lexus 430 and Infiniti Q45 come with a lower price tag, and some could easily ignore that and pay the little bit extra for the Jaguar heritage. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
attention to the majority of my loaner cars to see if this is a sin particular to the British marque or something more predominant in the auto industry. Sorry Jaguar, whether Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, or for that matter Toyota, Honda or even Hyundai, your door handles are the least substantial feeling. Not a major issue for some
buyers, but something to think about nonetheless. In most other areas the Jaguar performs at least equally to its top-tier competitors, and does so for thousands less than the Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It's more expensive than the Lexus LS 430, but not by much. And to many, Jaguar's rich heritage and distinctive styling will be worth the extra $5,000 or so.
