2008 Jaguar XJ Super V8

Retail Price as tested: $95,200.00

The lighting on the XJ does not move as you head into a corner like other high end cars do. With that said the lighting is still good and works just fine. The adaptive cruise control works like a dream. I wish all cars had this and some day they probably will. Once you set the cruise you have a choice of how much distance you want between you and the car in front of you. Once you set it, the sensors in the front of the car keep you exactly that distance from the car in front of you. It will even brake for you if another vehicle cuts in front of you or the car you are following brakes for some reason. This was an awesome feature and just added to the already great experience in driving the Jaguar XJ Super V8. Its a fine automobile and one I would recommend to anyone that can afford it. Compared to other cars in its catagory (BMW,MB, Mazariti etc) - it is less money, has more power and standard features. It really is a good value even though the price tag is close to $100,000.

The interior is what you love most about the car.  The leather seats are some of the finest I have ever sat in. Most European seats are hard and rigid - not in this Jag. They have 16 way adjustability so you can fine tune them to the most finicky of drivers. The rear seats are also adjustable for the passengers and are heated. I forgot to mention that the front seats are heated and cooled!

The Jaguar XJ Super V-8 is an extremely nice automobile. Its one of the most expensive cars I have ever driven. One way I have always graded a car is how the doors sound when they are shut. Do they rattle like a tin can, are the stiff and hard to close, do the seals get caught in the door jamb making the door stick when opening it. In this case the XJ sounds as solid as it truly is. It really is a masterpiece of an automobile. The lines on the car are beautiful and it looks rich sitting still. Once you climb into it you see why its a car priced at close to 100k. It has one of the finest interiors I have ever seen. The leather is top quality and your feet sit atop sheep skin floor mats. I really enjoyed driving this car. Even though its a very large car it did not feel like it. It handles great and has plenty of power. The power curve of the 400 hp engine is near perfect. With its supercharger there is no power lag like most turbocharged engines. Just mash the pedal and it goes. (It has the sound that goes along with the supercharger) The car is amazing and you get a ton of looks while driving it from every age group. If you like the look and feel of a Jaguar or even if you don't - you will love this car. Now lets get into the details of what makes this such a great car.

4.2-litre 400-hp Supercharged V8 Engine

The XJR and Super V8 models incorporate a supercharged version of Jaguar's 4.2-liter V8 with twin intercoolers. The result: 400-horsepower at 6,100 rpm, a peak torque of 413 lb.-ft. from just 3,500 rpm.

Engine and Transmission

The 400 hp engine is very impressive. It comes with an Eaton supercharger (my favourite) that has two inter-coolers. This is an all aluminium engine (to go along with the all aluminium body) meaning the block and heads are aluminium. The engine has a lot of low end torque and works well from idle up. The more rpm - the more power of course. 0-60 time is just 5.0 seconds! Not bad for a high end luxury car. The engine worked very well and even with all of my testing I averaged 21 mpg in 500 miles of driving. The engine is coupled to an advanced ZF six-speed transmission. “It features Bosch Mechatronic shift – an electro-hydraulic shift mechanism incorporated into the main gearbox casing. Its adaptive shift strategy responds both to road conditions and to the way the car is being driven, providing the smoothest shifts and optimum performance.” I noticed on several occasions that the transmission changed the way it shifted according to how I was driving. If I was just driving around normally you hardly notice when it shifted. But when I really got in the throttle it had very crisp shifts just like you want it. The perfromace setting keps the transmission in a lower gear for a longer time which gives the engine more rpm thus making more power.

Interior

John Rush - Host

Gearhead Radio & Drive Radio

For a audio version of my review - please visit www.gearheadradio.com.

For more details on other features and options on the Jaguar XJ Super V8 click here.

6-speed ZF Electronic Automatic Transmission

All XJ engines utilise an advanced electronic six-speed automatic transmission, providing drivers with seamless shifting and more responsive downshift for enhanced performance. A 32-bit electronic controller integrates engine and transmission functions for optimum power and efficiency. The V-Gate shifter makes shifting manually much easier. There is also a setting for perfromace where the transmission shifts later giving you more power.

The Burl Walnut inside is so fine that you hate to touch it for fear of leaving a finger print. It is silky smooth and again done in classic Jaguar style. The controls are all within reach and the only complaint is the unusable center console. The HVAC for the rear seats take up all the room for the console. Fortunately there are plenty of other places to store things.

When you get into the back of the Jag you feel like this is where you should be all the time with a “driver” handling the controls in the drivers seat. There is more room in the back than the front. It gives you plenty of room to work on your laptop or watch a movie or listen to your iPod. My son and I watched Top Gun one night in the car while enjoying the back seat.

In the rear of the XJ there are sun shades for all the back windows (sides and rear). This really keeps the temperature down on hot days. The back window’s shade works with the touch of a button from the overhead console. The other shades must be drawn manually. The rear entertainment system is controlled via a “radio head” mounted in the fold down center console in the rear seat. It has inputs for both passengers and also allows both passengers to control what they hear or watch. The rear seats are also adjustable and have lumbar support. You can also adjust the right front passenger seat from the rear seat if you need some additional leg room. The front seats have fold down tray tables like an airplane to give the folks in the back a place to work. There is also a power port in the rear for your laptop or iPod.

Lighting & Misc

Communications NAV & Sound System

The XJ Super V8 comes standard with Bluetooth for 5 specific cell phones and it worked great with my iPhone. It also comes standard with a 320 watt sound system. It sounded good but I expected more. I would bet that the target demographic of this car would also. While I am on that subject I was very disappointed that the XJ did not come standard with an iPod interface. Cars that cost a lot less do and the XJ should also. You can buy a kit at the dealer that will make this happen but again a car that is approaching 100k should have it built in. I liked the NAV and it worked well but the controls felt antiquated. I felt this way about all the controls involving the radio, Nav, HVAC etc. The radio lacked HD and you can't manually tune to a station. They seem to be going after "non-techie" individuals. I guess they forgot who invented the technology we have today including the PC. OK I have said enough negative about a fabulous car. Even with a a few negatives this car exceeds all expectations of a big 4-door sedan.