2015 Jaguar XJ is in a class all its own
The plan was to take an easy drive from Cape Ann to Connecticut for the weekend, leaving at mid-morning on Saturday.
Of course, there was an obligatory car guy stop along the way, this one in Boxboro for the 10th anniversary Northeast Chevelle and El Camino Regional show.
Trouble is, there aren’t any easy drives around New England on Saturdays these days. The old “You can’t get there from here’’ maxim seemed to be in effect. Rte. 95, Rte. 93, the Mass Pike, Rte. 495, Rte. 290 were either clogged by the sheer volume of traffic or had lane closures for construction.
The traffic reports on WBZ-AM confirmed all that. So did Google Maps. It was becoming an excuse to stay home.
On top of it all, it was an excruciatingly hot mid-day.
Thanks to today’s test car, a 2015 Jaguar XJ, dealing with the delays was a lot more enjoyable.
There are worse ways to cope with a slow slog on the roads than in a premium luxury sedan.
Our test vehicle is what a New Englander who is drawn to the brand would first consider as a family sedan with all-wheel-drive.
DIAL IT UP: The round knob in the console is the transmission gear selector. The rest of the interior makes a luxurious statement with burled walnut and leather.
The XJ comes standard with a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 that puts out 340 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque. It goes to the wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. The rear wheels take the power under normal circumstances and gets shifted to the front as needed. Pushing the Winter Mode button sends 30 percent of the torque to the front wheels.
The V-6 is smooth and refined but jumps into action when you hit the throttle hard.
A few winters back, we got to try the XJ on the ice with and without AWD. It was a good system then and only is better now.
One of the design requirements was that the front half-drive shafts actually go through the engine, a design innovation that makes one highly motivated to avoid any serious front-end damage.
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The base price of an XJ with AWD is $78,625 (with destination). Our test vehicle had the $4,000 Portfolio Package that adds heated and cooled front seats (a pleasure on our road trip), four-way power lumbar adjustment, front-seat massaging feature, and four-zone automatic climate control.
Also as part of that package, the rear seats are heated and cooled, and there’s a soft grain leather upper dashboard with contrasting stitching and a suede headliner.
A heated windshield—front windscreen in Jag-speak—added $375 for the final total of $83,000.
You can tack on up to another $50,000 by opting for either of the supercharged V-8s (470 or 550 horsepower) and upscale XJR trim level. It’s also available in three long wheelbase (XJL) versions: Portfolio, Supercharged, and XJR.
When you sit in the driver’s seat (nice leather, naturally) and push the start/stop button, you can watch the gear selector knob rise out of the center console like King Arthur’s sword Excalibur rising from the lake. (Sorry, I used that analogy years ago when Jaguar introduced this style of shifter, but I still like it).
“I’m not crazy about that shift knob,’’ says my son-in-law, Steve. “It seems like an invitation to end up in the wrong gear if you get flustered.’’
“You get used to it,’’ is my reply, talking as if driving a Jag is a daily occurrence.
Controls are straightforward, including the eight-inch touch screen. The home screen shows what’s happening in the realms of audio, navigation, and phone. Climate controls are on a separate bar below the touch screen and the rear passengers have their own controls on the back of the front console.
Speaking of the rear, legroom is adequate at best. And, because of the sleek roofline and panoramic roof, headroom falls into the same “adequate at best’’ category for both front and rear passengers.
I’ve never taken the time to fully master voice commands, and this system joined most others in failing to recognize my voice. The request this time was to route us to UConn in Storrs, CT. We figured that a cross-country jaunt to avoid some Mass Pike traffic should be rewarded by an ice cream stop at the school’s dairy bar.
We finally entered the destination (Mansfield Center) manually and were rewarded by a wonderful ride through curving back roads with almost no traffic. The Jag’s suspension handled the turns with aplomb. It’s a relatively light vehicle (3,854 pounds) for its size, thanks to aluminum construction.
That also helps with fuel economy. The Jag is rated at 16 miles per gallon in city driving, 24 on the highway, and 19 combined. We averaged 22.9 in a week of driving that included a mix of heat, traffic, and pleasant back roads.
It also had handled the rough roads in Massachusetts with refinement.
Mrs. G has maintained that “nothing rides like a Jag’’ ever since we sold her 1988 XJ6 as it approached its 12th birthday.
That might get an argument as the Jag competes with the likes of the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but it was a fine cruising machine.
The Jag’s styling, which dates to 2011, has become a modern classic. However, the current model lacks some of the advanced technology in current use such as a head-up display, lane-keeping assist, and auto braking.
In a time when vehicles are mostly divvied up by their German, Asian, or domestic origins, the XJ stands apart.
“It’s a Jag,’’ says Mrs. G.
For many, that makes all the difference.
2015 Jaguar XJ AWD
THE BASICS
Price, base/as tested (with destination): $78,625/$83,000. Fuel economy, EPA estimated: 16 city/24 highway/19 combined. Fuel economy, Globe observed: 22.9. Drivetrain: 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, 8-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive. Body: 5-passenger luxury sedan.
THE SPECIFICS
Horsepower: 340. Torque: 332 lb.-ft. Overall length: 201.9 in. Wheelbase: 119.4 in. Height: 57.3 in. Width: 74.6 in. Curb weight: 3,854 lbs.
THE GOOD
Luxurious interior, refined ride, smooth performance.
THE BAD
Tight headroom and rear legroom, some of latest technologies not available.
THE BOTTOM LINE
“It’s a Jag.’’
ALSO CONSIDER
Audi A8, BMW 7-Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
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