2006 Jaguar XJ-Series Luxury Car Reviews & Ratings

The Jaguar XJ cabin exudes class and good taste. It's richly trimmed in leather and wood. Plastic is hard to find. Yes, that's real burr walnut veneer on the fascia, center console and door panels.

The dashboard sweeps across the whole car in a fairly high position. Three gauges are clustered in front of the steering wheel. The center stack features a seven-inch LCD touch screen for managing climate, audio and navigation functions. Jaguar has made the controls as easy to operate as possible and has avoided the temptation to include a host of gee-whiz computer controls. Unlike other cars in this class, the XJ does not demand careful study of the owner's manual to turn on the radio or adjust the climate.

The adjustable foot pedals can be moved up to 2.5 inches at the touch of a switch. Coupled with the 12- or 16-way adjustable front seat, they allow any size driver to find a perfectly comfortable seating option.

The Vanden Plas gets a plusher interior with softer leather, lambs wool carpets and a power rear window blind. The front seats have 16 positions instead of 12. The XJR and Super V8 get a sportier interior with seats offering extra support. They also have less wood trim.

Today's XJ8 and XJR feature roomy cabins. The long-wheelbase versions take advantage of the car being lengthened by five inches behind the B-pillars (between the front and rear doors) for increased rear seat room. The rear seatback reclines. Plus there's a switch provided for the person riding in the right-rear seat to power the front passenger's seat forward. This allows plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy such things as wooden picnic trays that flip down from the backs of the front seats. The Super V8 Portfolio's cabin is distinctive for having two bucket seats in back, separated by a large center console that houses storage areas as well as the controls for the rear climate system.

The rear seat entertainment system features two 6.5-inch LCD monitors embedded in the back of the front seat headrests. A comprehensive control panel located in the rear center armrest operates them independently from the front and from each other. One person can be watching a DVD while the other can watch input directly from a video game or camcorder.

The Jaguar XJ benefits from an all-aluminum monocoque. Although the new body, introduced in 2004, is larger than the previous generation's, it weighs 400 pounds less. That's equivalent to removing the weight of more than two passengers. Even the long-wheelbase version adds back only 53 pounds. Those who might be concerned that an aluminum body is not as strong as a steel body can rest assured that this body is just fine. Like the shell of an airplane, the Jaguar's body is riveted (with about 3200 rivets) and bonded (with 120 yards of adhesive) to form an immensely stiff body shell that meets or exceeds all safety standards. Perhaps more important, the body is 60-percent stiffer than the one it replaces. This rigidity and absence of weight lead to a better handling car.

Toss this big car into a tight corner on a narrow winding road and you'll find it tenaciously hugs the road surface with nary a complaint. It's just what one would expect from British engineers who learned at an early age how to drive fast along those narrow country lanes. It's no wonder the world's fastest racecars are built in England.

The power steering is precise without being too heavy and the new XJ goes where it's aimed. The tires stay glued to the road thanks to the double-wishbone suspension design and Jaguar's Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) that continuously and instantly adjusts damping. CATS ensures stability whether the car is undergoing heavy acceleration, hard braking, or traversing an undulating road. During several hundred miles of driving on a variety of different roads and surfaces we found the car was stable and handled predictably at all times, and it didn't matter whether we were in the standard or long-wheelbase versions. The only intrusive element to the smooth ride was a bit more vibration through the steering column than is expected in a super luxury car.

These cars are quick. The XJ8 with its 300-horsepower V8 engine can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.3 seconds, according to Jaguar. The V8 engine delivers good low-end torque so power is instantly available. And it offers good fuel economy for the class, with an EPA-rated 18/28 mpg City/Highway.

Shifting is seamless thanks to the six-speed automatic transmission. Jaguar's J-gate transmission allows you to flick the lever to the left and manually shift gears, if you wish. In reality, there's enough power and the electronic brain controlling the gearbox does such a good job that shifting manually seems superfluous.

Super V8 and XJR models boast a supercharger that forces air into the engine, producing 400 horsepower. This propels the XJR from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds, according to Jaguar, very quick indeed. These rocket ships also get a stiffer suspension, bigger brakes and fat 19-inch tires that grip the road and sharpen the steering response. Amazingly, the ride is not too harsh despite the short sidewalls. But it is the whine of the supercharger as you press the gas pedal that sets the XJR and Super V8 apart from the rest of the pack. The supercharged XJs face no gas guzzler penalty.

Brakes on the XJ models, which were already powerful and smooth, are improved on 2006 models with larger front and rear rotors. Supercharged models get a new Conti-Teves R Performance system with ventilated front rotors for 2006. The XJ has an electronic parking brake; a lever switch is pulled to set it and it's automatically deactivated when drive or reverse is engaged, an elegant setup.

The Jaguar XJ series comprises six models, all built on a platform that makes extensive use of lightweight but strong aluminum architecture. Three XJs are powered by 4.2-liter V8 engines. The XJR and Super V8 models are supercharged. The XJ8 and XJR are built on the standard 119.4-inch wheelbase. The XJ8L, Vanden Plas, and Super 8 are built on a longer 124.4-inch wheelbase that stretches the overall length of the vehicle from the standard 200.4 inches to 205.3 inches.

The XJ8 ($61,830) comes standard with a long list of luxury features. Its 4.2-liter V8 is uprated to 300 horsepower (up from 294 horsepower) and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The self-leveling air suspension, the CATS adaptive suspension damping, dynamic stability control, xenon headlamps, power-adjustable foot pedals, an electronic parking brake, and reverse park assist all come standard. Also standard are leather upholstery, power 12-way adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, and an eight-speaker stereo and CD player.

The XJ8 L ($64,330) is equipped like the XJ8 but offers more room in its back seat as well as an electric rear sunblind.

The Vanden Plas ($74,330) is the quintessential luxury Jaguar, offering all the equipment of the XJ8 L but richly trimmed with a twin-stitched leather dashboard, burl walnut trim with Peruvian boxwood inlays, lambs wool rugs, 16-way power front seats, three-stage heated front and rear seats and heated steering wheel, rear fold-down picnic trays, and a 320-watt Alpine premium audio system.

The XJR ($79,930) is a high-performance model built on the standard wheelbase and powered by a supercharged version of the V8 engine that's been upgraded to pump out 400 horsepower (up from 390). The XJR also gets a firmer suspension and larger Brembo brakes, bigger wheels and tires, R Performance 16-way driver/12-way passenger sports seats with perforated leather inserts, R Performance leather and chrome shift knob, radar-based adaptive cruise control, a 320-watt Alpine Premium audio system, and newly designed 19-inch Sabre alloys wheels with Z-rated performance tires.

The Super V8 ($91,330) has the same supercharged powertrain as the XJR but puts it on the longer wheelbase and adds four-zone climate control, a DVD-based touch-screen navigation system, DVD-based rear multimedia entertainment system with two display screens, an electrically adjustable rear seat, electric and manual rear door sunblinds, Bluetooth wireless technology, Custom alloy wheels with Z-rated tires, and front parking sensors. The CATS adaptive damping system is tuned for a Touring ride.

The Super V8 Portfolio ($115,330) begins a new line of super-luxurious Jaguars. Portfolio rides on the long wheelbase and is powered by the 400-horsepower supercharged V8. Exterior revisions include aluminum side vents, larger chrome-finished tailpipes, polished 20-inch Callisto alloy wheels and special Black Cherry or Winter Gold paint. Inside is special soft-grain leather upholstery with seat piping, satin-finished black walnut wood trim, suede-like headliner, pillars and sunvisors, aluminum J-gate surround, individual power-adjusted rear seats separated by a center console, and a 400-watt 15-speaker Alpine surround-sound stereo system.

Options for the XJ8 and XJ8 L include a heated seat package ($950); a Cold Climate Package ($1,250) with front and rear heated seats and a heated wood and leather steering wheel. Options for Vanden Plas and XJR models include a Warm Climate Package ($1,350) with four-zone air conditioning and manual rear side sunblinds and a Multimedia Package ($2,950). Other options include special wheels, Front Park Control ($250), Bluetooth wireless connectivity ($500), and Sirius Satellite Radio ($450).

Safety features that come standard on all models include frontal, side-impact and side-curtain airbags, antilock brakes and electronic stability control.