1999 Jaguar XJR Review

The Jaguar XJR is an intoxicating blend of luxury and performance.

This supercharged V-8 sedan is reminiscent of Jaguar's first hot rod sedan--the 1960 Mark II; it had a six-cylinder from the automaker's XK-150 sports car and outran unsuspecting drivers of hot American cars in this country.

The $68,450 XJR is among the fastest 1999 cars on the roads of any country. It does 0 to 60 m.p.h. in merely 5.4 seconds and gains speed so quickly, smoothly and quietly that a driver often can find himself moving much faster than expected.

Such performance allows safe driving; it makes child's play out of merges into fast traffic and quick passing on narrow two-lane roads.

Happily, the new XJR doesn't have the bugs of the 1995 XJR, which was powered by a supercharged six-cylinder. Ford-owned Jaguar has concentrated heavily on quality, knowing that the days are long gone when Jag buyers routinely expected lots of glitches.

Jaguars always have been pretty and fast, so it's no surprise that the XJR sedan is one of the world's sleekest looking sedans. But the 370-horsepower dual-overhead-camshaft, 32-valve V-8 makes the XJR more than just fast: The car nearly flies when you floor the throttle.

However, all that weight and power result in poor fuel economy--an estimated 16 m.p.g. in the city and 22 on highways. At least the big fuel tank allows a decent cruising range.

Jaguar had to turn to Mercedes-Benz for the XJR's five-speed automatic transmission because it didn't have an automatic able to handle the XJR's power and torque. But that's OK, as the automatic upshifts seamlessly and downshifts fairly quickly.

You can use the automatic as a clutchless manual transmission, but the transmission's J-gate shift pattern makes it easy to accidentally engage the wrong gear if a driver is in too much of a hurry.

Some XJR owners may lament the fact that the well-equipped car looks nearly the same as Jaguar's regular XJ8 sedan. You must look twice to pick out the XJR's special black mesh grille, small badges and extra-wide 40-series tires on huge 18-inch wheels.

The XJR comes with a full-size spare tire, because a mini-spare would be ridiculous for such a big, powerful, wide-tire car.

Many cars as fast as the XJR have a stiff suspension. But such a suspension isn't acceptable to Jaguar, for it's known for its made-in-heaven ride. The XJR's all-independent suspension thus provides a remarkably smooth ride.

But not at the sacrifice of handling. The XJR takes curves almost like a sports car. Helping in the handling department is a standard traction-control system, which helps with such a big, fast rear-wheel-drive car on slippery pavement.

The steering is quick and accurate, with nice on-center feel and a correct amount of power assist. Braking is excellent, but the pedal has a mushy feel that definitely is out of place in such a fast car.

The XJR has the short-wheelbase version of the XJ sedan, which results in an interior that is rather tight. Four 6-footers fit, but there isn't a lot of room to spare.

The trunk is nicely shaped and has a low, wide opening, but should offer more room.

Shorter XJR occupants may feel that they are sitting too low. The front seats provide good side grip, but their cushions are too short. And one must crouch a bit to get in and out of the rear seat because of the low roof.

As with all Jaguars, the XJR has a plush interior. The Connolly leather cockpit looks and smells great; Jaguar wisely has replaced the rather dreary black-stained bird's-eye maple with the more-attractive brown burled walnut.

The wood-and-leather steering wheel offers good grip and always reminds drivers that they are in a special car.

But gauges are set too deeply for easy reading when the sunlight reflects off the polished-walnut dashboard. Some controls are too small, and too many aren't within easy reach.

Be careful when parking, because those big outside rear-view mirrors can easily be damaged by careless drivers who get too close to this Jag. It's a good idea in tight parking spots to fold those mirrors flat against the front side windows.

A hot rod Mercedes sedan such as the E55 feels firmer and a little more precise and secure during fast, hard driving. But there's no beating the XJR for refinement and elegance. Super sedan.