I'm shopping for a 2018 or 2019 XJ or XJL. Some have the adaptive cruise as indicated by the rectangular radar window in the top of the grill. Do you folks that have it speak well about it or is it just a minor frill?

 

I use it all the time - and find it indispensable - in road works. Set the ACC to the limit and it takes your mind off the issue. Having had it, I wouldn't be without it.

 

Yes, it is awesome. It is not only a nice to have, but also helps with safety in case you get distracted and don't notice cars slowing down in front of you.

It's very well programmed. I switched from driving a Tesla Model 3 and then Model S for 4 years total before going to the 2019 XJL. The ACC in the Jag is a 10 times better than TACC in the Tesla.

 

Don't like it. What happens is you get stuck behind some slow poke and you don't realize it. With normal cruise I can see who is the slow poke so I can get around them.
I really hate getting around a large truck as it triggers much easier with that large target.
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This is why I use it in road works, not day-to-day. I need to rein in my natural tendency to overtake slowpokes where doing so may get me flashed by a camera.

 

How are you driving the car but not realizing that you are slowing down? LOL And when it slows down, you just need to press the gas pedal, like you would normally without ACC, to go around slower vehicles.

I will say that I don't use ACC much around the busy city freeway, but on the open highway it's immensely useful.

 

For those of you who have Adaptive Cruise in your X351, can you tell me if you can also elect to use this as a "regular" (non-adaptive) cruise control?

 

No, you cannot. It is ACC or nothing.

(At least in my 2011 diesel Portfolio and 2018 petrol Autobiography, the only two that I have had with ACC)

 

If you put it on the closest following distance, it behaves similar to basic cruise control. Unlike my more-advanced-than-any-other-car-in-the-world Traffic Aware Cruise Control in my Tesla's, the ACC in the Jag doesn't slam on the brakes for no reason on the freeway, so there's no downside to ACC in the Jag.

 

The two biggest drawbacks for me:

1) It will cheerfully allow (nay, encourage) you to undertake middle-lane hogs. Sitting in the "slow" lane with ACC on, you have to be aware of the eejits in plenty of time.

2) When you are following someone who is doing 0.5 mph less than your ACC setting, my car will slow down before I would normally pull out to overtake. I mitigate this by eating the ACC to "full Audi" when in this situation.

 

My 2004 XK8 had ACC and it was pretty bad under most conditions. But it was brand new tech back then with a lot still to be learned. The sudden braking was unsettling enough that I never used it in traffic. Glad to read they got it sorted out now.

At this point I would not seek out a car with ACC, but if the car I was interested in had that feature then it seems like it would no longer be a deal breaker. Although that ACC stuff is crazy expensive to repair when it breaks. Something to consider for sure.

I like to think of myself as more of a driver than a passenger anyway.

 

Interesting because my wife's 2013 MKS with ACC can be operated in either mode?
I did not realize Jaguar made it mandatory to use if installed?
I do love and use my regular cruise control a lot
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