WASHINGTON — The Jaguar XJ sedan is the flagship large luxury sedan but some say that the rear seat leg room isn’t enough. So now Jaguar lets you choose the XJL for the long wheel base version for a rear seat with plenty of room to stretch out.
This big Jaguar even has available AWD so you can drive the big cat year round with confidence.
One thing you notice about the Jaguar XJL is the sheer size of the sedan and the length of this car. Still, it’s simply stunning to look at. The Jaguar has an elegant style to it — not in your face, but more reserved, with a very expensive air. The look may be more opulent than the $88,975 price tag suggests. The price for the XLJ with AWD starts at $84,700 with the base supercharged V6 engine good for 340hp. There are also two other supercharged V8’s but you can’t have them with AWD.
All that extra length provides plenty of room, and to the eye it looks very upscale with rich leather and nice ebony wood trim. The Jaguar interior really combines the classic look and feel with some more modern touches, such as a rotary knob for the transmission that comes out of the console when you start the car.
The front seats have massage capability, which is really luxurious. The seats are high-quality leather front and back, all heated and ventilated. The extra four inches of space for rear-seat passengers provides good leg room, but be careful when getting in — the roof line slopes down and is rather low for this class. The soft-close doors are a nice touch, and when you don’t close the door all the way it will finish the job for you. The eight-inch center touch screen with NAV and audio isn’t as quick as some others, but it’s pretty easy to use.
Driving the XJL Portfolio AWD is rather sporty-feeling for such a big sedan. The supercharged V6 does a good job of moving the big Jaguar. But this isn’t really about a sporty drive; the XJL is about being a luxury car and it does very well with a nice suspension that coddles and offers a nice ride on all surfaces. You find yourself more relaxed driving this car even in traffic! It could be the massage but a quiet interior also helps out. It really doesn’t feel its size until you go to park or maneuver through tight spaces. Make sure to utilize the camera and other parking aids to not mess up the pretty aluminum body panels.
The XJL AWD really proves itself on long trips. I even did a little better than the sticker averaging 20.2mpg over 215 miles with a lot of stop-and-go. The sticker says 19mpg of mixed driving so if I had more highway driving I could have beaten what I did.
The 2015 Jaguar XJL Portfolio AWD is a handsome large luxury sedan with year-round capability that works well as a luxury car yet feels light on its feet. With a classy interior and a competitive price, the XJL gives you more flare than the usual German competition.
