Automobile Magazine Homepage Subscribe Now

EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK: 2008 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas, Day 1

EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK: 2008 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas, Day 1
Posted April 10 2008 02:01 PM by AutomobileStaff 
Filed under: Car Ramblings & Reviews, Sam Smith, Jaguar, Sedans

2008_jaguar_XJ_vanden_plas_front_view

Read Sam Smith's comments on driving the 2008 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas.


2008_jaguar_XJ_vanden_plas_front_grill

Wow. Haven't driven a true old-school Jag - for me, at least, the XK doesn't count - in years. What an eye-opener. No other luxury car makes you feel as important, makes driving as much of an occasion, or surrounds you with such a dignified atmosphere. Aside from a few chassis niggles - rebound damping is too soft for my tastes, causing a bit of unnecessary floating during bump recovery and high-speed cruising - things are largely perfect. It's a nice combination of driver's-car chassis and I'm-old-and-I-deserve-this refinement. Aging interior? Sure; it's saddled with a hideously outdated and slow touch-screen, not to mention a decidedly late-'90s feel to the controls. And I hate the styling refresh; it makes the car look like someone slapped an Elvis mask on Queen Elizabeth. But by and large, there are a great many luxury brands that could take a lesson from this car. Lexus? What the hell is that? Isn't that the name of a porn star?

Share This Share This

Add a Comment:   (Must Be Registered)
User Name
Not Registered?
Signup today
Password
Comment
User Name:
Password:
Join FREE Now!
Forgot Password?
Forgot User Name?
Remember Me
  • RSS Feed
    • Add to My Yahoo!
    • Add to Google
    • Subscribe on Bloglines
    • Subscribe on NewsGator
    • MyMSN
    • My AOL
    • Add to NetVibes
    • Add to Rojo
    • Add to NEWSBURST
    • Add to Technorati
    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOGS


Get Adobe Flash player