Panamera VS XJ
 

Traded a 14 Panamera SE Hybrid for a '17 XJL...................The seats are waaaay better in the Panamera vs the XJ. The XJL drivers seat seems to me to be not as wide/adjustable as the Panamera and is not as comfortable driving 10-15 hrs at a stretch. CL550 seats are also more comfortable.

I found everything about the seating position in the Panamera better vs the XJL. Just a personal opin. Not ragging on the XJL. XJL is a better looking car for sure. XJL range is much better than I thought it would be, after the first couple of long drives (1000-2000 miles). XJL Adaptive cruise control is sluggish imho vs Panamera/ Mercedes's Distronic. But then again, I have a love/hate opinion of adaptive cruise control.

And no, I am not a 'fat' boy with a fat arse. Even my '07 XK seats are more comfortable than the XJL. Thinking about going back to a Panamera, prob a Panamera 4S, used, with less than 25K on it.

Porsche service dept seems not unreasonable to me. Better than Mercedes price wise imho. Jag service is ok since it's free for a few years/miles. Just a small problem of Jag overservicing the oil and not resetting the service indicator .....grrrrrr. I guess there's a price to 'free'.

The thing i miss about the xjl seat vs say the cl550 seat is..........the bolsters on the part of the seat you actually sit on, are not adjustable.

That said, others might find the jag seats fine and dandy.

If you find time, give me the link where you mentioned others were comparing xj's to panamera's. Thank you.

I test drove the Pana recently with the standard seat option so I can't speak on the upgraded seats. The Pana definitely has more adjustment options than the XJ and for a non-traditional bucket styled seat, I liked the overall look of the seat. The '18 XJR I drove had an adjustable headrests, a quilted design pattern in the seats and just the right amount of bolstering to keep my body locked in place during aggressive driving. Also, the quality of the leather on the XJR blows the Pana out of the water. You can actually smell the leather on your clothes after being in the Jag for bit.

However, the debate about XJ vs Pana is really more than just about who has the best seats. I test drove the Pana because almost everyone I know praises Porsche so I had to see for myself. IMHO, I don't think XJ vs Pana is a fair fight. Two very very different cars. The Pana is technical, calculated and cerebral. From my test drive, I felt the Pana does everything right. Very predictable. There is button and option for any and everything you can think of in the Pana. The Pana is a fast machine. Keyword: Machine

The XJR was the total opposite. Artistic and uncommon, the Jag speaks to your heart and soul. The moment I pulled off in the XJR, I felt "connected" to the car. It has much more personality than the Pana. The Jag isn't selling the fastest, most detailed touch screen display or 30 seat adjustment options, or push button deploying rear spoilers. It's selling a leather interior that feels like a Bentley. It's selling the exhaust note that sounds like a Jaguar ...and the looks of a Jaguar that can't be ignored. I clearly remember other drivers looking at the XJR during my test drive while we waited at red lights...gawking the car up and down, slowly creeping forward to see who was in the drivers seat. Not one person that I saw looked at me the Pana I was driving. The Jag is flashy but totally refined.

Ultimately, it boils down to what do you value more? Engineering or Emotion?, Your head or your heart?.. I chose to follow my heart.

A better comparison would be XJ vs Quattroporte and Pana vs 750 or S63 IMO.