- sedan 39,441
- 33,980 high price
- Raleigh, NC
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- autoshopper.com
2012 jaguar xj review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Superb luxury sedan with heritage and sporting legacy. introductionthe jaguar xj enhances jaguar's legacy of sporting, stylish cars. The jaguar xj uses a smooth and satisfying 32-valve 5. 0-liter v8 making 385 horsepower (470 hp in the supercharged model), and a silky 6-speed automatic transmission. The xj is designed to be a performance luxury sedan that succeeds in european markets. This latest xj suggests they are back on track after years of xjs that were not so exciting. Longer than a bmw 7 series or mercedes s-class, the jaguar xj won't be mistaken for anything else. in the enveloping cabin, leather and wood are mixed in italian shapes and english materials. This increases rear legroom by 5 inches, making an expansive 44. 1 inches of rear legroom total. The best ride quality comes with the jaguar xjl with 19-inch wheels. Cars this long aren't meant to be canyon carvers or autocross warriors, but the jaguar xjl also handles extremely well when driven hard in the corners. under the xj body is a rigid and lightweight aluminum structure that contributes to this handling precision, and also to economy, acceleration, and ride comfort. Jaguar is the leader in sophisticated all-aluminum construction. the 5. 0-liter v8 engine, designed and produced at jaguar facilities in coventry, england, is all aluminum. It features 32 valves, direct injection, independent variable cam timing, cam profile switching, and a variable geometry inlet manifold. The sixth-generation twin vortex roots-type supercharger lacks the whine of old; it can't be heard because of the air intake that was designed to isolate and lose the supercharger whine. the xj is long-legged, meant to get up there at high speeds and stretch. It's so smooth and commanding that 90 mph feels like 70. In fact, it wants to run 90, not poke along at 70, so be careful. the sweet 6-speed manual-automatic transmission uses adaptive gear-change strategies based on the type of road and the driver's application of the gas pedal. In manual mode, the transmission stays in the driver's chosen gear to redline, and the paddle shifts are sharp. the xj uses fully independent suspension, with steel springs in front for precision and air springs in back for the best level ride among varying loads. Ride quality and bump absorption is very good, even on 20-inch wheels over pock-marked roads and expansion joints. But with those 20-inch wheels and wide tires, at 70 mph the xjl tends to follow freeway grooves; at faster speeds, wide-tired jag goes straight as an arrow. the xj uses big brake rotors and calipers, and giant ones on the supercharged models, with their top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited). The brakes are supported by the full suite of electronic controls. The stability control can be turned off, but we never found the need while testing the limits because the system is not intrusive at all. the jaguar xj competes with the audi a8, bmw 7 series, mercedes-benz s-class, lexus ls, maserati quattroporte, aston martin rapide, and porsche panamera. lineupthe 2012 jaguar xj is offered in six models: xj, xj supercharged, xj supersport, xjl, xjl supercharged, xjl supersport. A 385-hp 5. 0-liter v8 powers the xj; the supercharged version gets a 470-hp version of the same engine, and the supersport a 510-hp version. They also include some unique cabin colors for the semi aniline leather upholstery and leather headliner, five unique wood trims including two with inlays and a piano black choice, and illuminated stainless steel door sills. options vary by model but all the features available on xjl supersport may be added to the base xj. Most models offer a trunk badge delete, ashtray/cigar lighter, and wood-and-leather steering wheel at no cost. safety features on all models include six airbags, electronic stability control, traction control, bind-spot monitors, tire-pressure monitors, and perimeter alarm. Active front seatbelts and active cruise control are optional. walkaroundthe jaguar xj expands the work done with the mid-sized xf by bringing a more sporting, sleeker look to jaguar's flagship that just oozes style. Central to this are lots of glass and no building-size pillars for a roofline that seamlessly blends into the trunk. at more than 200 inches long the xj is not a small car but it disguises its size well, much like the smallest learjet more than three times the length of an xjl, and the xj doesn't look nearly as imposing as a bmw 7 series or audi a8. The lexus ls looks rather plain next to the jaguar. surprisingly, the xj design works as well on the standard wheelbase as it does on the long-wheelbase xjl. A larger rear door and side glass are the only way to differentiate them. pulling the lower door sheetmetal inward toward the rear wheel enhances the hips covering the rear tires. The only design element that incites any controversy is the black polycarbonate panel between the rear doors and rear window, a pillar normally body-colored on other cars. From dead astern it looks merely a wider rear window, but from any other angle it tends to look better on cars with dark paint or deeply tinted rear windows. exterior ornamentation is kept to a minimum with the requisite mesh chrome grilles and chrome spats in the outer lower nostrils, a badge behind the front wheel which includes supercharged if it applies, bright window trim, the trunk badge, jag's leaper in the middle, chrome strip across the rear bumper and dual quadrangle tailpipes. Apart from larger standard wheels and the front fender badge there is no trim distinction between xj and xjl or standard or supercharged cars. with 152 light emitting diodes outside, the lighting elements take up where chrome leaves off. Front light housings carry two large and two small circular lights, with a strip of led running lights below. The tail lamps are arranged as three vertical columns to mimic a cat's claws, and cleverly concealed in plain sight at the top of the rear light housing is a clear bump, like an animal's eye, that hides five red leds for side marker light duty to meet regulations without spoiling the flowing body lines. interiorthe jaguar xj is a true flagship, filled with fine leather and wood, as much scandinavian as english it seems. Xjl and supercharged models add piped leather up. Climate Control✔ Cruise Control✔ Sunroof/Moonroof
33,980 Raleigh, NCRaleigh, NC at autoshopper.com