What specifically? If it's the look, what part(s) of the car do you like best? Or the way it makes you feel driving it?

For me, when I look at my VDP sitting in the garage, it just looks SUBSTANTIAL. Weighty. Expensive. Unlike so many cars on the road today, the car looks finely crafted. Solid. And at the same time, super SLEEK. If you think about it, it really looks like a stealthy, low-to-the-ground jaguar cat "stalking its prey."

I like the thud of the door... the smell of the leather... and all that rich-looking wood. And "YES," I tell my friends, "It's REAL wood." (Interesting how because so much is crap today that the first thought they'd think is PLASTIC.)

I really enjoy sitting in the back seat, too. The amount of leg room is absolutely ridiculous. And for the VDPs... those walnut tray tables... they just kill me. Who the heck has a car with finely polished walnut picnic tables on the back of the seats of their $%@#$ car?!

Performance... of course. The car wrap around corners like it's on rails. All this luxury and speed and handling too. For 11% of MSRP.

Sure, I need to do some repair work (just bought the car). But for the price I paid, even with the repair dollars thrown in, what else could I have purchased that was newer? Some zzzzzzzz Honda or Toyota that are practically invisible on the road? Or even a Lexus. (How many of them do you see every 30 seconds?) Personally, I think the XJ/XJR one ups BMW and Mercedes in class and prestige. And this model, in particular, does it best.

Enough of my yakking. Let's hear what my fellow Jag friends think.

Cheers!

SirJag

 

The backseat fit for a king.

 

Highly exaggerated, especially for a VDP.

But yeah, I love everything about my XJR except the cupholders, which I never used and still broke.

 

out of the 15 or so different cars I have driven, I find my XJR to be the most enjoyable car I have ever driven.

That being said, there are many things that I find to be very annoying about the car. like SteveM said, the cupholders are pretty useless, I am pretty tall so my head brushes the headliner unless I sit in just the right way, and I have an annoying belt tensioner or pulley that chirps like a bird until the car is warmed up (I just need to fix that and the car would be 100%).

There are still lots of favorite things, the reverse opening hood is cool, the 5 second 0-60, the comfortable seats, the overall shape of the car is like nothing else available during 1998-2003, and it's pretty quiet riding down the road. Whenever I know of anyone looking at cars I suggest and XJR as they can usually get one for 1/3 the price of the car they are looking at and the XJR will be a much more enjoyable vehicular experience.

 

+1 on that! Basically, a Rolls Royce interior in a car that can be parked without fear of every thief eyeballing it.

The long and low classic understated-luxury shape, the LWB models are a van-length 203" long and yet 5-10" shorter than most other cars on the road!

All the hidden functions, very James Bond like - hold down radio volume for speed-controlled auto-volume, hold key in door lock/unlock position for all windows up/down, etc.

Also, I get particular pleasure peering out the yacht-like interior at every person with a new Japanese or American plastic-mobile who is making 36-monthly payments on it, when my Jag was paid in cashs for about the same money as three Apple laptops!

They are bloody-fast (even my non-SC model) and can really pull some G-Force when going up a grade - how many 2-ton cars can start a steep incline rolling at about 30-40mph, floor it and while accelerating past 95mph manage to upshift from 3-to-4th and keeps accelerating while going up a steep hill?! As for the handling, it is nice for the ride quality but in terms of performance there is definitely body-lean, SirJag, many other high-end luxury vehicles (and most modern sports cars) remain parallel to the ground at all times.

 

I too have the belt tensioner chirp. Its pretty embarassing until she warms up.

I can't believe it when people ask if the wood in my car is plastic. They think this much wood in a Jag might be plastic? Wow. Some people have even asked if my car was front wheel drive! Many constantly ask if it has a manual transmission b/c of the J-shift. A VDP with manual? Wtf?

The VDP's handling at the limit is decent but on the factory wheels, does not have much grip.

I autocrossed my VDP on its factory 16" wheels with Pirelli P6 tires, and it pitched and leaned alot in the corners and talk about serious understeer. I couldnt get it to oversteer no matter how aggressive I was unless I did a hard to control power oversteer (open diff). My 18" asteriod rims with Continetal Contiextreme contact tires have MUCH better grip and much less understeer.

I autocrossed against a 2001 BMW 740i (no sport package) on the 16" rims, and he had much less lean and understeer but had more oversteer (his was a SWB). I beat his best time, but his times were more consistent and his car appeared to be easier to control. The Jag V8 almost felt out of place in the VDP on the autocross. It winds up to 6700rpm and throws down its power like a sports car but hold on tight, the VDP's suspension and 16" tires were not prepared for that type of speed. Maybe the CATS equipped VDP superchared have better handling?

The quick steering rack was excellent on the course however.

 

I dig the tray tables as well but they seem to be pretty much useless. Too small. They look nice though.

 

They're large enough for tea and a scone.

 

Not really. You don't know what I was driving before this!

 

+1, got that question a couple days ago

re: belt tensioner chirp
+1 got that too - don't really care about the noise though, mostly just concern that nothing should break.

burmaz, I cannot believe that you autocross this car?! That must get major eyeballs of amazement! The BMW's I have been in have much stiffer suspension, so you feel all the bumps but they are also much more solid in handling. In the Jag you only hear the bumps

 

Yea man, I autocrossed her. I also drove a E39 BMW so I can compare the handling. The Jag understeers much worse and leans much more, but I actually still prefer the Jags handling at the limit. I feel like in the BMW, its harder to feel the car's limit. The Jag feels a bit more predictable. Its steering rack is much quicker, which makes the slalom a breeze. I never hit any cones with the Jag.

I def got a lot of attention. I was a part of the prestigous 4000lb car club. Haha. The people working the course were lining up to ride in the passenger seat of my car. The car did better than they expected.

 

The perfect blend between luxury and performance. The all around best car I have owned or driven to date.

 

The XJ's are great looking cars -- My dad had one when they first came out in the 60's and we have had one ........ or two around ever since.

 

There is definitely something magical about the styling.

I am currently putting in a lot of hours of practice to become an alcoholic, mainly due to a stressful job change. This means I have been getting chauffered around in the XJR by my girlfriend at the end of the evening on the way home. I had never sat as a passenger in the car until recently and I highly recommend trying it! It is just a thoroughly nice place to be. When you are not driving it, you can take the time to appreciate other things you don't normally get to, like its just nice to look out down the hood at the curves and lines, and how the leaper is just visible. Subtle, you know its there but it's not shouting out. Also the dash is much more elegant on the passenger side as it has a lot less on it compared to mission control on the drivers side. There's also something about a hot asian chick driving your Jaguar fast, but maybe thats just me.

Hope all are well on the forums.

 

Very well stated! I only experienced the passenger side of the car when my wife first took it out for a drive and I was instructing her on the control layout, etc. I had very similar feelings about the car. Now if I would just get the sagging headliner repaired, my passengers in the back may have a similar feeling!

 

Just tell them that is the patented Jaguar head blanket, no other car has it lol.

 

it is pretty cool being eyeballed by everybody from pimply faced skaters to octagenarians.

 

What about pimply faced octogenarians?



















Just joking with you. I know what you mean.

 

That's so true , this reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson like calling

 

I would expect that pimply faced octagenarians have other things on their minds than my car.