This article was in today's LA Times, got good marks. Only one pic was in the write up and it was the white Jag left front pic, none of the others were shown.

2016 Jaguar XJR ? Luxury mixed with performance | MotorwayAmerica

 

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Jaguar XJR ? Luxury mixed with performance | MotorwayAmerica


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Jaguar XJR — Luxury mixed with performance

Tags:

• Jaguar
• Reviews
• 2016

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

In a perfect world, the 2016 Jaguar XJR high-performance sedan might just be the perfect car. It offers a wonderful blend of style inside and out, a luxury ambiance that is hard to equal at any price, the latest in information and safety technology, room for four discerning passengers, and the type of silky, powerful V-8 performance that will bring a smile to the face of even the most sullen person.

The Jaguar XJ — in whatever trim level — has a head-turning persona even though it's several years old in its current guise and it's as beautiful as the first day it hit the market. Jaguar designers have given the flagship sedan some styling tweaks for '16 including retouching a fractionally larger grille and reworking the air intakes in the front bumper. The headlights and taillights have been redesigned as well.

The interior is a luxurious combination of high-quality leather surfaces with chrome accents and elegant ambient lighting. Craftsmanship and materials quality rival any sedan on the planet. We found the front bucket seats wonderfully supportive. The rear seats are also extremely comfortable, but we discovered rear-seat legroom on the tight side in our standard-wheelbase model. We expect the available long wheelbase version will open things up enough for most people.

Cutting-edge electronics is dominated by a large touchscreen. The dash is awash in ice-blue lighting with the traditional Jaguar large round dials. But the dials aren't real, just clever digital representations that dissolve away into a huge picture of a Jaguar Leaper when the car is turned off. One of the truly magical features is the round transmission shift knob that rises out of the center console when the car is started and retracts when it is turned off.

Noteworthy is that the previous electronics interface has been replaced by Jaguar's new InControl Touch Pro System, which boosts a new quad-core processor and 60-gigabyte hard drive with the main interface being an 8-inch touchscreen. If you use a tablet or a smartphone, you will have some familiarity with the system. Icons can be rearranged and you can swipe between configurable pages. The new navigation system includes satellite mapping, pinch-to-zoom, and the option to put a map on the instrument display screen.

The XJR is loaded with standard equipment goodies that include an adaptive suspension, a JaguarDriver system with normal and dynamic modes, a panoramic sunroof, automatic xenon headlights, a power-closing trunk, rear-view camera, heated rear seats, front and rear parking sensors, and a blind-spot warning system. And the entire XJ line comes with what Jaguar calls "intelligent stop/start." It's improved from the version used several years ago, but unfortunately we are still looking for a totally unobtrusive stop/start system.

But when you take all the XJ goodness into consideration, it's the powerful supercharged 550-horsepower V-8 engine mated to an eight-speed automatic that really sets the R version apart from the rest of the clan. It has been measured in 3.9 seconds from 0-to-60 and 12.1 seconds @ 117.6 mph in the quarter-mile. It's what makes a perfect car for the perfect world. The smooth performance while negotiating a crowded highway awash in inattentive drivers — some who insist on cruising the left lane 10 mph below the limit — combined with the pristine comfort and luxury feel of the whisper-quiet interior is a truly rewarding motoring experience. The XJR also has the ability to stop quickly, measured at a scant 105 feet from 60 miles per hour.

Jaguar has a lifetime’s history of motorsports and this experience, combined with modern technology and innovation has created what some describe as a perfect blend of road, track and luxury. It’s particularly gratifying to whip the XJR around sharp curves and witness its effortless handling and experience the way it stays planted.

One caveat here, the exemplary winding-road performance does come at some small expense — in other words if you are expecting the plush ride of a traditional Jaguar XJ, you're buying the wrong XJ. We wouldn't call the suspension harsh, but it does have a solid feel with a certain measure of stiffness.

The Jaguar comes in standard and long wheelbase versions and in several variants — R-Sport, Supercharged, Portfolio and XJR trim levels starting at $75,395 for the 340-hp V-6 R-Sport. The top line XJR in standard wheelbase like our V-8 test car starts at $118,995, and $121,995 for the long wheelbase. And for the record it has an EPA rating of 15 mpg city, 23 highway and 18 overall. Our test car with a couple of options came in at $121,208.

Essentials
Base price: $118,995; as driven, $121,208
Engine: 5.0-liter supercharged V-8
Horsepower: 550 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 502 foot-pounds @ 2,500 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drive: rear wheel
Seating: 2/3
Wheelbase: 119.4 inches
Length: 202 inches
Curb weight: 4,134 pounds
Turning circle: 39 feet
Luggage capacity: 15.2 cubic feet
Fuel capacity: 21.7 gallons (premium)
EPA rating: 23 highway, 15 city, 18 combined
0-60: 3.9 seconds (Car and Driver)

The Good
• Outstanding acceleration
• Sumptuous interior
• Updated InControl interface
• Distinctive styling

The Bad
• All-wheel drive not available

The Ugly
• Backseat a bit cramped for large sedan
...
© 2016 MotorwayAmerica.com. All rights reserved.

 

I do not understand some of these reviews. Where AWD is not available in the V8 it is available in the V6 which I own. I am 1/2" shy of 6', medium build and when I sit in the rear of my Jag I have no problem with leg or head room, others who have ridden in the back have said they find the area to be very spacious.
I have even heard complaints of small trunk but the way todays luggage is made, unless you are carrying and elephant IMO the trunk area is amble.

 

Speaking of trunks. Last weekend we made a 4 hour trip to Charlotte to drop My Daughter off at camp and then go to My Son's college orientation. I was amazed at how much luggage I was able to fit in the trunk, 1 "camp size" very large suitcase, 1 36" duffel bag, 3 Briggs and Riley 21" carry on suitcases, 1 backpack, 2 laptops in bags, and a pillow. Now I will say that it was a tight squeeze, but it all fit!

 

Oppsss..sorry bout that..I did check it prior to posting and it worked, but not after posting it here, didn't think there'd be a problem..

 

Because of my wife's handicap, we require assistance if we take trips of any significant distance so my son and daughter-in-law usually accompany us. My daughter-in-law "sits tall"; she has a long torso and short legs. For instance, standing side by side, she is about 6 inches shorter than my son but if they sit side by side on a hard surface, she is suddenly 4 inches taller! We tried out an XJ but the required upright seating position caused her head to rub on the headliner. The additional length in the XJL allows her to slide downward and spread out a bit to keep that from happening.

Like you, I have no problem with the trunk space. We can accommodate luggage for four plus a wheelchair without problems.

Dwayne

 

It is wonderful to have great kids that you can depend on. I fully understand your rear seat head room issue. It looks like the future design of the XJ will not eliminate this problem and more and more car brands seem to be heading down this same road.

Blessings be upon you, your wife, your son and daughter in law.

 

Thank you! I am fully aware of how blessed we are to have Cody & Brittany in our lives; especially when I see what some folks go through with their kids! When Brittany first came into our family a little over five years ago, we had a Lincoln Town Car and a Cadillac Escalade EXT, both of which worked okay. I traded both together in 2012 on a new Lincoln MKT which also provided her adequate headroom, but I personally didn't care much for the vehicle. Traded it a year later for a new 2013 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Edition which also worked just fine, which was important because it served as our primary vehicle. During all that time, I also had a 1997 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur which, thanks to the power seats in the rear, also worked well for Brittany, but which we didn't really trust for long trips. It was getting a little long in the tooth, so to speak, and finding someone to work on one of those is an absolute nightmare if you're traveling! That's what ultimately led to the decision to replace the Rolls with another Jaguar (we had one for several years that was my wife's car prior to her stroke, but sold when she was no longer able to drive). Have not regretted that decision at all, but could not have managed with a standard XJ; we just needed that little extra space.

Dwayne

 

Trunk space? A -- O.K.! Rear seat leg room? Not so much. When I got my 2013 XJ, I didn't realize that it did not come with an auto seat setting that puts the driver's seat all the back for exiting. What gives, I thought. Well, my "hack" was to set the "3" seat button so that one push on "3" when exiting puts the seat all the way back and I can comfortable get out. That is, until that move almost squashed my golfing buddie's feet and shins. Good thing I heard him yelling a few expletives before the seat made it all the way to the rear. Now I know why they didn't include this convenience feature. Lesson learned, if there's anyone in the back seat I keep my finger off the "3" button.