Jaguar XJ (2010 – 2019) Review

Jaguar XJ (2010 – 2019) At A Glance

4/5

+A characterful alternative to the go-to German luxury saloons and far more engaging to drive. Diesel offers low emissions and tax but is very strong. Excellent overall refinement.

-Not as much rear space as you might expect. Some inconsistency in cabin quality. Doesn’t always feel head and shoulders above the Jaguar XF.

Insurance Groups are between 48–50
On average it achieves 96% of the official MPG figure

The Jaguar XJ is a classy British luxury saloon that encapsulates the best that modern Jaguar has to offer. It’s the company’s flagship large limo, which in theory should bring together everything that’s great about Jaguar today.

And it does, almost. What’s not in doubt is that the XJ model has moved onwards and upwards, ditching the evolutionary design approach repeated generation after generation since the 1960s. The bold design will alienate some traditionalists, but it’s unique and modern.

The result is that today’s XJ is made more in the mould of a big sports saloon than an out-and-out limousine. That puts it on ground somewhere between the cosseting Mercedes S-Class or Audi A8 on one side, and more dynamic saloons like the Maserati Quattroporte or Porsche Panamera on the other.

It's ground that naturally means some compromise, but Jaguar has generally got the balance spot on. The XJ drives like a sports saloon, with a compact-feeling cockpit and genuine sharpness, yet most of the time it goes about its business with the unfussy calmness and quiet you’d expect of a limo.

It’s not quite perfection however. This being a British car, many of the flaws may be written off as ‘character’, but the fact remains that when it comes to outright space, quality and technology, the XJ falls a little short of the aforementioned German limos.

The air vents, for example, are cheap-looking shiny plastic domes set incongruously into a beautiful soft leather dashboard, while the touchscreen multimedia interface has a relatively small, low-resolution screen – although it does boast amazing ‘twin view’ technology that allows the front passenger and driver to view different things at the same time.

Taller drivers and rear seat passengers will be left wanting for both head- and legroom, which in this class is troubling. Especially as the long wheelbase (LWB) version seems to share the standard version’s space deficiency, despite offering 125mm more rear legroom. That said, Jaguar did increase rear headroom for 2014 model year LWB models and introduce twin ‘airline’ style seats.  

In late 2013 Jaguar updated the XJ with more engines for the 2014 model year, so the range comprises three petrol units and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel offering 44.8mpg and 159g/km CO2. At the top end of the spectrum, the 550PS 5.0-litre supercharged V8 XJR returns 24.4mpg, but hits 62mph in just 4.6 seconds.  
Additionally, 2014 saw Jaguar introduce all-wheel drive to the XJ range, available only with the 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, as well as fuel-saving start/stop technology and a more efficient eight-speed automatic gearbox across the board.

Jaguar XJL 3.0 Diesel 2011 Road Test

Real MPG average for a Jaguar XJ (2010 – 2019)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

96%

Real MPG

17–50 mpg

MPGs submitted

134

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

Is it safe to have 'new' tyres fitted that are five years old?

"I have ordered four new Dunlop tyres for my Jaguar XJ from an online company. The tyres are to be delivered to a nearby Halfords for fitting next week. I am concerned that I may find my new tyres were manufactured some years ago. The online tyre company advised that the “new” tyres could be up to five years old. Is this acceptable? I would accept two years old but if they turn out to be five years old have I the right to reject them?"
A used tyre can have a safe lifespan of up to ten years depending on mileage and tread depth, so if they are stored safely a five year old tyre should perform effectively as well as a brand new one. However it is likely that the tyre company will include in its terms and conditions your right to reject a tyre, so we would suggest taking a close look at these. We would expect that the chances of your tyres being this old are slim, unless the size of tyre you require is particularly rare or no longer being produced.
Answered by David Ross

Can I reject my Jaguar XJ based on the grounds that the dealer didn't disclose the true service history?

"I bought a Jaguar XJ 2.7 TDVi for £15,500 from a main Jaguar Dealer. I was told it had full dealer service history, having been regularly serviced by them. It did not come with a service book but I have since been given a computer print out of it history. This shows that less than 2000 miles before I bought the car, it had had a replacement engine. I am not happy about this. Could I reject this car? I've had it for three and a half weeks."
As long as this was a new engine and not a second hand engine, the fact that it has had a replacement engine is good news not bad news. Delays the point at which you would need to replace the timing belt, etc. But if the engine is a second hand replacement engine you can reject the car outright because the dealer was under a legal obligation under the 2008 CPRs to disclose that to you. Law here: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/ The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations May 2008 (CPRs) contains a general prohibition against unfair commercial practices and, in particular prohibitions against misleading actions, misleading omissions and aggressive commercial practices. The Regulations are enforceable through the civil and criminal courts. This creates an offence of misleading omissions which would not previously have been an offence if the consumer had not asked the right questions. So if a salesman knows a car has, for example, been badly damaged and repaired and does not tell the customer, he could later be held liable if the customer subsequently discovered that the car had been damaged and repaired.
Answered by Honest John

What are my chances of claiming against the dealer who sold me a faulty Jaguar XJ?

"I bought a 2012 Jaguar XJ for £15,500 from a small dealer and it had done 111,000 miles. Took it for a service and cam belt (which I knew it would need) and was advised it needed a new gearbox! There was also some contamination in the radiator - which was assumed by the specialist to be one or both of the EGR valves. So total bill to repair in the region of £6000. There was also a gearbox leak and the mechanic topped it up because it was so low. Now, not being too knowledgeable with what I should and shouldn't do, I had the service and cam belt done but left the other issues. I did drive the car for a few hundred miles, before I did enough research to think the dealer might be responsible to repair it and stopped driving it. We had a bit of communication but the result is he has been to a solicitor (the letter is too good for him) and the crux of his argument is I have carried out works on the car - cam belt/oil top up - and I should have done nothing to it and called him. He also says as I have driven it for a little while knowing the issues that may have caused them/made them worse. To complicate matters a little further, I part exchanged a car which had an oil leak, which the dealer knew about. However, he said there were other issues and it cost him £2000 to repair and he is going to counter sue.So, my question is really what are my chances in the small claims court, because that is where it looks like it is heading. If it was an older/cheaper car then I think I could stomach it, but for £15,000 I expect a bit more. Any help greatly appreciated."
Yes, because the dealer could successfully blame the work you had done on the car for its other problems. And the dealer could argue that he was only ever liable to either fix the car or take it back and refund the money you paid him for it, and if he chose the refund route your case would exceed the Small Claims limit. I'm just telling you how it could pan out. I can't predict which way your case would go. There is a chance you would win.
Answered by Honest John

Buying a used Jaguar XJ - What should I look out for?

"I've recently parted with my 2006 Jaguar XJR. Phenomenal car but started to get costly to repair. I'm now looking at high mileage 2011/12 XJs with the 3.0 litre diesel engine. My budget gets me a car that will have done over 80k miles in just four or five years. Do you foresee any major issues with this engine and is there anything that may need replacing in the near future?"
At this mileage the 3.0 V6 diesel needs a timing belt, tensioner and waterpump change that is likely to cost £1000. Also needs a change of ATF (as would anything else with a six or more speed auto). More in the entry in http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

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