Oh good, I love giving my opinion!

Although I own X300s, I AM a fan of the new XJ. There are design details that don't sit well with me, but this car agrees with my sense of what a thoroughly modern XJ sedan should be.

I love the long, sleek profile, and the front end/lighting/bonnet styling. To me it is a totally modern JAGUAR! I even like the cat's claw taillights.

Butt, I think the rear end ends a little too soon. The boot styling can be a bit awkward looking from certain angles. Don't care for the REAR leaper. Don't care for the dial shifter. Don't care for the two pods (air vents) on the dash.

I think it is a viable competitor in the modern luxury car arena. It is unique enough in its styling to be recognizable as a Jaguar, but mostly a Jaguar for a new era. It fits in with the XF and the XK.

One of the most important aspects of this car for me, and true of most Jaguar models in the past, is its rarity compared to its competitors. For every new XJ, you will probably see ten S-class Mercs and ten 7-series BMW. The XJ is still "exclusive".

 

ok ... how far back does one have to go to get a car that can be fixed with a screwdriver, pliers and a hammer?

without going quite that far, I think the X300 is the best of the series for day to day dependability. maybe the XJ40, but the X300 R model has that gorgeous underhood presence.

 

The new XJ with its road-whale proportions is particularly bad. Where the old cars where clearly designed by and for edgy men (Lyons, Sayer, Lawson) with a penchant for international Cold War espionage and the like ,the old XJ was a dangerous looking car where you could expect to open the trunk and find 15 different passports, government secrets, and some stolen art.,,,,, the new XJ was designed by a sweater wearing accountant (Callum) for carrying Costco groceries , sketcher shoes , and maybe a knitted quilt in the trunk.
It was time to get out of the 1968 time warp, why not do something like the Fisker Karma or the Masserati Quattroporte?

I am 31 and I have been around Jaguars since I was a little boy. As a matter of fact my E type and XJS where my grandfathers cars originally. I have driven a Mark VII, XK150, XJ40, series I 's and others, and all those cars have something in common that they do not share with the Ia Callum saloons. Before I lost my job recently , I considered a 13 XF and test drove it. It was quite a drive. But getting out of the car and looking at it I could not get the same feeling as I get walking away of any of the other Jaguars I have driven before. In fairness, the new models are wonderful cars but terrible Jaguars. Big, fat and bulky.same old boring headlights found in every single Audi, Lexus and BMW. Nothing unique about them.

Apparently the new definition of being bold is cookie cutter models that all look the same. I can't wait for someone to think outside of the box and think of how to incorporate fluted bonnets, individual round headlights and a hood ornament into a real modern Jaguar.

On the other hand I do think Callum has done a better job at not totally destroying all the Jaguar bloodlines in the XK and the F type.

 

I like that explanation Spikepaga. Coming from someone your age it makes me feel like maybe it's not just me and my wistful longings for the past by an old geezer. I agree the XKs and the new XF are still pretty cool. The XJ, not so much. I guess the days of hood ornaments are probably gone, but style never goes out of style.

 

Mark and Jim and all of you, as Jim said:
Style never goes out of style and it's YOUR STYLE THAT COUNTS!
There is no brand like Jaguar and there never will be, behold YOUR DREAM!
Stu

 

i drove past a new XJ jaguar on the freeway and waved to the guy. i was in my 2003 VDP Super V8 and the guy waves back! it was AWESOME!

upon further inspection i thought to myself: do i LOVE this car? does the new jag scream JAGUAR.

nope.....at first i thought it was a souped up honda civic. then, i got closer and thought for SURE it was a lincoln....

and then i saw that goofy leaper on back and giggled a little bit.....
ugh.... i then realized it was a jag.

seems like a few years ago i could spot a jag a mile away because they were so rare in my neighborhood and city (provo, utah) and they are STILL rare, but they are too blended in to make it stand out.

some love that, some hate it. im the latter......

 

Been there, done that, got the bills to prove it ... 1998-2003 XJR

It doesn't have bluetooth or a usb music port ... don't care. It has what is needed, maybe even too much. Step back to the 1995-1997 XJR and you get a real LSD. Both have leapers that face the right direction ... forwards.

 

As finicky and cantankerous as Vandy is and with all of what seems like never-ending problems, I feel superior and chuckle anytime one of those new Honda/Lexus/VW/Kia looking new XJ's parks to drives up next to my '99 XJ8 VDP. I'm certain the electronics and drive system are much more reliable. But even after 3-days of trying to overcome cylinder wash or after all the work it takes to install a new fuel pump (3rd time), there is sometime about the lines and sheer beauty of the ol' gal that the new XJ doesn't exude. It's like comparing Britney Spears to Raquel Welch or Sophia Loren…doesn't have the heart, nor the soul. IMHO

 

Amen, brother.

I was already disappointed with the rear of the X350, for which reason I started shopping for the lowest miles possible X308 XJR with factory warranty, which I still own. To me it is the last of the Jaguar-looking sedans and it has been all down hill from there. The majority of people whose opinion I hear agree in that Jaguars have been departing from the Jaguar looks and it has become impossible to tell if them apart from even the cheapest brands,, unless one spots the id-necessary leaper in the back.

I still love the looks of my X308 just like the first time I got it. I'm contemplating buying a new car, but I can assure you that it won't be a Jaguar. The brand has totally lost its identity.

Jaguar lost its prestige (to contemplate buying a new one) when they failed to properly handle the car's design changes in a manner that would appeal to the younger crowd that they thought they needed to address. Unlike BMW and Mercedes, etc., they went and totally killed Jaguar's traditional identifiers that made Jaguar a very special brand from day one; no more....

I see a BMW, no matter what model it may be, it is a BMW from any distance, or any angle. The grille has been there for ever. The lines, especially the rear, scream BMW. Their designers have managed to modernize their cars without losing a drop of the brand's identity, clearly something that Jaguar has totally messed up, as the sedans have no longer any link to the great Jaguar tradition. Similar comparison can be made with MBZ, Audi, Maserati Quattroporte, even Lexus or Cadilllac. You see one and you know exactly what they are.

Is the XJ a good car? You bet it is. It is far better than any predecessor in just about every subject. Does its looks tell you it is a Jag in the manner that the competing great sedans of the world express what they are? Absolutely NOT. This is not about what somebody here was saying a little earlier: that this happens with changes all the time that we just need to get used to it. Why? Because when Jaguar previously changed things, the car lines inside and out remained loyal to the Jaguar tradition, which included the sexy lines and lots of wood IN THE RIGHT PLACES. The Jaguar wood tradition is now extended by other brands, like Maserati, Mercedes and other sedans with beautifully presented wood in the manner that Jaguar used to do. The wood on the new XJ? Give me a break!

I wouldn't spend the steep amount that it takes to get one. And, it looks like I'm not alone. Here's Jaguar US sales since my current X308 was made (2002):

Jaguar
2002: 61,204
2004: 45,875
2006: 20,683
2008: 15,946
2012: 12,011 down 80%

Audi:
2002: 85,726
2012: 139,310 up 62.5%

The sales went down following step by step the departure from the Jaguar tradition.

 

Let me tell y'all, I did not care for the X350 XJ and the X type, i thought they where too bulky........that's until the new XJ came out! The X350 and X type became really good looking really fast at that point. It's really quite ironic that Jaguar was critizised by the motoring press for making unique looking cars, but as soon as they started churning out cars from the same mold that Lexus and everyone else uses they all go crazy over it.

I do hope that the indescribable "Jaguarness" has not been lost forever. I hope that someone replaces Ian Callum at Jaguar soon who really understands the brand and who doesn't make recycled u-boats.

 

What I found interesting with Post #19 was for 1/4 Million $US it was a 2012 fully registered ex-demo with 32 Kilometres.
How many have been interested in a test drive for it have covered 32K's only? 1 person who asked the price while on a test drive and had to be taken to a Hospital for cardiac arrest maybe.30 kilometres there and back.

 

Adding to my take...

Retaining some classic Jaguar design in a modern vehicle was accomplished with the X350, with some success. But the X350 really lost a lot of the classic styling charm for me, and another step in that direction might have been worse than what we have now! Maybe? But I don't think Callum could continue to pull forward those design cues for an all-new model. It would have looked like another facelifted X350! They intentionally went for a departure from the classic looks to hopefully increase sales, especially to younger people. That meant that it would have to look more like the "average" luxury car. And although there are things I don't like about it, I still think they styled the car distinctly enough to keep it interesting. Was it a sell-out? Yes. But I don't think they had a choice.

Looks-wise: the new XJ next to any one of the new Lexus, Merc (boring!!), BMW, or Audi (snore) top line sedans: the XJ is the winner in my book, followed by the BMW 7s. Yes they all have the fat-american style bodies, but that's the way most cars are made these days. Jaguar decided to get in line with the current trend, and avoid the "classic" label that they didn't feel would sell any more.

So that decision leaves us as the lucky "classic" XJ owners, who are very fond of their Jaguars. The new XJ has firmly established the X308s and earlier cars as classics. And there is still a lot of appreciation for them out there!

And I agree Plums, all leapers should face forward. Call me old-fashioned. Maybe they placed the new leaper sideways, to indicate a radical side-step from the classic styling!

 

Sir William lyons, founder of Jaguar would only accept the x308 as the last true Jag.. long sleek low
grace pace and space

best
Peter

 

Why didn't I think of saying that? Because that is exactly how I see the latest XJ

 

I've been reading everyone's opinion with much interest, and just wanted to add a few things.

First, I couldn't agree more with those who say that the sideways leaper on the trunk is "wrong!" I might (for the first time in my life) consider partially de-badging the new XJ (if and when I get one). Second, the front of the XJ is too much like the front of the XF, but then again, the front of the X-type is very similar to the front of the X308, in my opinion. I do find myself seeing what I think is a new XJ but it turns out to be an XF.

Finally, I have never been inside a new XJ, but I've drooled on my iPad a few times while "shopping" online. I absolutely love the interior of the new XJ. Say what you will, compare it to anything you want, it's still very Jaguar-ish and classy, in my opinion. I would give my left (fill in the blank) for a black or red XJ with London tan seats and contrasting piping, add the appropriate wood trim and I'm in 7th heaven.

One more comment -- the reviewers haven't been very nice to the new XJ, but if we were the kind of people who listened to reviewers, we'd all be driving Audis or Beemers, right?

 

Well, I guess that means in a few years our X308s will be the last of a dying breed. The uncompromised, low, long and lean Jaguar. When everyone is driving around in "bubble cars", ours will stand out like a rose among thorns. Like Angelina Jolie surrounded by a bunch of Rosie O'Donnells. Like Hugh Jackman among a bunch of Paul Blart mall cops... I could go on.

 

I agree 100%. FINALLY Jaguar's quirky interior layout has been revised with a well thought out, high quality material design. One thing I completely dislike about our VDP is the console. Might as well have put an F350 console in there. Actually, the button feel on the F350 is superior and the finish doesn't wear off from infrequent use.

That said, I really like the interiors of the old Jags, '87 and prior. They are charming cars and I've liked them since I was a little kid.

 

i like this quote-- anywhere online i can see who said it, or aluded to it? if sir william lyons said it and agreed with it, that speaks VOLUMES about the new jags.

and also, i have a 2003 VDP Super V8--what an honor to own the LAST TRUE JAG ever made.....

 

One of the reasons I posted the sales chart in the previous post was in the hope that somebody would have a different opinion about this corporate disaster.

To that I'd have to add that Jaguar's sales drop was not caused by an overall industry sales drop, as the direct competition actually went UP during that same period:

BMW 2002 sales were 232,032 and vs Jaguar represented 3.8/1
BMW 2012 sales were 281,460 and vs Jaguar represented 23/1

Audi 2002 sales were 85,726 and vs Jaguar represented 1.4/1
Audi 2012 sales were 139,310 and vs Jaguar represented 11.6/1

MBz 2002 sales were 213,225 and vs Jaguar represented 3.5/1
MBz 2012 sales were 295,063 and vs Jaguar represented 24.6/1

Young people's comments that I always hear is that my 2002 XJR is "old folks" car. OK, but who are the "young" people that Jaguar is addressing with this pretty pricey XJ? IOW, how massive a market is that these young people represent? And how big is the subsection "wealthy young people?

I love the Jaguar brand as I've loved all the Jags I've owned, but where is it going as it sinks to below Porsche's sales, a very unique and narrow market car?

I'd appreciate another view on this whole scenario.
Thanks,

Cheers

Reinaldo
Redondo Beach, CA

 

reinaldo--
you hear the EXACT same thing i've heard from "younger" people (mainly the under 30 year olds)
this is the second jag i've owned. my first was a 1994 vanden plas. LOVED that car--had its issues, but everytime i drove it i had my peers say: that your DAD's Jag or your GRANDPA'S? they were SHOCKED when i said it was mine.....in their minds, i may as well be driving around a buick.

but in MY mind, its a RARE car. when i bought my second car-- 2003 VDP Super V8, i got the same questions from those under 30. my peers now are quite jealous as i turn 40 in 6 weeks. since they are aging, they now want the jag......but IMO, the jag is timeless.

bmw and audi have captured the "young" market. maybe with the new line-up, the XJ Jag will capture it as well.....although, its not a jag, IMO, its a honda with a leper on the front........