RE: Jaguar XJR575: Driven

[Olivera]

I like the car, but the horrible design and black coloured wheels they are festooning on all modern jaguars is a big let down.

[Harry_mac]

Pintofbest said:

You'd be surprised, this is in the 550bhp version and not being too careful on the throttle, get the score up to 90% plus on driving style and you are approaching 40.

You should be arrested for driving an XKR that carefully!

[anonymous-user]

We can all reset the MPG on the motorway and sit at 70mph for 25 mins to get an unrepresentative reading.

[Sebastian Tombs]

ocrx8 said:

Completely agree. This looked dated on launch, yet alone now - not one of Jag’s finest designs.

Specsavers >>>>

When this was launched it instantly made the boring German competition look like they were from a previous generation.
I personally think it still looks fresh today, though I can't see myself ever buying one because they are so huge you couldn't really drive them anywhere.

[Pintofbest]

janesmith1950 said:

We can all reset the MPG on the motorway and sit at 70mph for 25 mins to get an unrepresentative reading.

As you are clearly the expert I would expect you to realise that is a single trip event not the long term reading. I can tell you as an owner that the long term average was 29 over 12k miles, how many XJR's have you owned and what was your experience?

[M4SER]

Pintofbest said:

As you are clearly the expert I would expect you to realise that is a single trip event not the long term reading. I can tell you as an owner that the long term average was 29 over 12k miles, how many XJR's have you owned and what was your experience?

I can concur. I've run two 550bhp XJR over the past 3 years and I'm slightly embarrassed to say I regularly achieved 30mpg averages over 1000s of miles of mixed driving. Do a long run on motorways, with average speed cameras keeping your speed in check, and you can hit the heady heights of 32mpg+, which is just weird given the explosive performance this car hides away so well.

I'm lucky to have a fleet of cars that includes diesel Range Rovers and the 550bhp XJR was the most economical car we had in the garage. Sometimes, fact is stranger than fiction!

[Pintofbest]

M4SER said:

I can concur. I've run two 550bhp XJR over the past 3 years and I'm slightly embarrassed to say I regularly achieved 30mpg averages over 1000s of miles of mixed driving. Do a long run on motorways, with average speed cameras keeping your speed in check, and you can hit the heady heights of 32mpg+, which is just weird given the explosive performance this car hides away so well.

I'm lucky to have a fleet of cars that includes diesel Range Rovers and the 550bhp XJR was the most economical car we had in the garage. Sometimes, fact is stranger than fiction!

Yep, same mix of cars (we work for the same company) and I am always amazed what they achieve. Missed out on getting a 575 though

[RacerMike]

M4SER said:

I'm lucky to have a fleet of cars that includes diesel Range Rovers and the 550bhp XJR was the most economical car we had in the garage. Sometimes, fact is stranger than fiction!

It's actually incredibly aerodynamic which helps. It's by far the fastest car down Dottinge Hohe that I've driven there....186mph indicated under the bridge at Tiergaten!

And yes, when not being driven fast, it's surprisingly economical. More so than my 2.3L Focus RS in fact! As they would say in Trump land....Go Figure!

[liner33]

OGR4M said:

liner33 said:

I wonder if there are any Ford badges anywhere ?

There is - the only one I’ve spotted was when I had the indicator stalk on mine fail, when I took it out it had the FoMoCo logo on it. I imagine there’s countless others elsewhere.

I found a few on my 2012 XF when I removed the front bumper recently

[greenarrow]

Iamnotkloot said:

I agree with the minority on here; it’s a lovely looking thing- distinct and classy.
I also agree that modern BMWs have lost their way styling-wise.
To sum up, I’d consider one.

+1.....

I preferred the Chris Bangle BMWs. Less bland than the current lot. Love the XJ too. Always have done since launch.

[Chestrockwell]

The XJ is the only Jag I like and the only Jag that wasn’t ruined after it’s facelift. I’d love an early diesel model in black or dark brown, SWB with the smallest wheels it comes with. The interior is a work of art.

Checking autotrader now, with decent examples at 15k, I don’t know what kind of crack you need to be smoking to spend 95k on one, you’d have to be insane! Yes it’s 575bhp but for 95k I’d rather buy an ex demo M760li or a new M5.

[AppleJuice]

I'd rather have an X350 on 18" and drop Ford/Cosworth's 5934cc V12 (450 PS) in it, attached to a ZF 6HP26 autobox, than the blue whale in the article. Or if I had to have an XJ with an odd V8: buy a X350 XJ6 D and transform it in to an XJ8 D with the L322 FFRR's 3.6 lump.

Edited by AppleJuice on Friday 25th May 15:41

[Chafford1]

Chestrockwell said:

The XJ is the only Jag I like and the only Jag that wasn’t ruined after it’s facelift. I’d love an early diesel model in black or dark brown, SWB with the smallest wheels it comes with. The interior is a work of art.

Checking autotrader now, with decent examples at 15k, I don’t know what kind of crack you need to be smoking to spend 95k on one, you’d have to be insane! Yes it’s 575bhp but for 95k I’d rather buy an ex demo M760li or a new M5.

Carwow advertising a new XJ575 for £73,400

[autofocus]

Hi there,

Spent a little while playing kiss chase with the press car features in this article tonight on the M40 heading north around Gaydon.

Driver was happy to play giving it plenty of beans as and when the traffic allowed. The car sounds epic.

Regards

Tim

[Shiv_P]

Loved the XJ when it came out however now it is too dated & the engine is getting repetitive and boring

[anonymous-user]

I've done 90k miles in my XJ Supersport now, a mere 510bhp by comparison and the old 6 speed box. Averaged 22.5mpg, mostly commuting and a lot of back roads and foot down stuff. 25mpg entirely believable in an 8 speed car.

I have come to replace it many times but just keep going back, what else shall I get? A newer XJR and monumental depreciation or some bland German?

I tested an F10 M5 and a V8 RS6 a while back, both marginally quicker, marginally better handling. Could've been a 520d and A6 diesel when sat in them. Also tried a Merc but just to chintzy and footballers wives, what is it with bits of chrome trim? Just didn't get that subtle special feeling you get with a Jag. Way cooler.

[Shiv_P]

skinthespin said:

I've done 90k miles in my XJ Supersport now, a mere 510bhp by comparison and the old 6 speed box. Averaged 22.5mpg, mostly commuting and a lot of back roads and foot down stuff. 25mpg entirely believable in an 8 speed car.

I have come to replace it many times but just keep going back, what else shall I get? A newer XJR and monumental depreciation or some bland German?

I tested an F10 M5 and a V8 RS6 a while back, both marginally quicker, marginally better handling. Could've been a 520d and A6 diesel when sat in them. Also tried a Merc but just to chintzy and footballers wives, what is it with bits of chrome trim? Just didn't get that subtle special feeling you get with a Jag. Way cooler.

They are distinctly a car size lower though. Sit in an XFR vs M5/RS6, they are more comparable. Then sit in the new A8 or S class vs the XJ. The A8/S feel way more special inside

Edited by Shiv_P on Saturday 26th May 09:58

[Alex P]

liner33 said:

I wonder if there are any Ford badges anywhere ?

Probably not quite as many as you will find on all but the very latest Volvos...

However, if my neighbour's brand new XC40 is anything to go by (I think he has now rejected it after numerous attempts at solving problems with ridiculously complex electronics - after a string of dealer demos he now has a Volvo head office car on the drive) the Ford era Volvos are more reliable than the latest 'Chinese' generation.

Back to the Jaguar, as someone who likes the old XJs (including XJ40), I like the shape of the current version. It is an imposing car with great road presence. However I think the particular blue of the test car is more suited to something less limo like and as for the black wheels, with few exceptions (some sports cars - dark green XK 140s etc), I think they ruin the appearance of a car.

The big Jag is relatively rare in my neck of the woods, but then so are most big saloons - the default luxury vehicle round here tends to be a Range Rover. Is this version still available in Europe or have Pistonheads tested a car you can no longer order?

[Willy Nilly]

skinthespin said:

I've done 90k miles in my XJ Supersport now, a mere 510bhp by comparison and the old 6 speed box. Averaged 22.5mpg, mostly commuting and a lot of back roads and foot down stuff. 25mpg entirely believable in an 8 speed car.

I have come to replace it many times but just keep going back, what else shall I get? A newer XJR and monumental depreciation or some bland German?

I tested an F10 M5 and a V8 RS6 a while back, both marginally quicker, marginally better handling. Could've been a 520d and A6 diesel when sat in them. Also tried a Merc but just to chintzy and footballers wives, what is it with bits of chrome trim? Just didn't get that subtle special feeling you get with a Jag. Way cooler.

Keep the Jag, it's very, very cool.

[loudlashadjuster]

How Jag can thing of sitting what appear to be sliding red calipers off of Barry's Nova SR on a near 2-tonne car is beyond me.



Could they not drop in some nicer monobloc items?