more about this model
Pros Stylistically distinct, luxurious ride and interior, quick and agile, not German or Japanese.
Cons A-pillars obstruct visibility, rotary shifter requires acclimatization.
Until recently, Jaguar products were like the permanent exhibits in the British Museum: identifiable and familiar bits of national heritage changing little over the decades. But the flagship 2011 Jaguar XJ sedan says good-bye to all that. The company's DNA remains within but it's a luxury sedan that looks forward, not back. With the XJ's introduction, the company's managing director, Mike Driscoll says, "Phase one of rebuilding Jaguar is complete." It's a phase you'll like, if you're in the market for a premium sedan.
When it debuted in the late 1960s, the XJ was viewed as a break with the past. The 2011 XJ is even more so. It arguably provides the best luxury/sporting balance in a segment dominated by impressive but cold German machines (Audi A8,BMW 7 Series,Mercedes-Benz S-Class) and Japan's more saccharine idea of luxury (Lexus LS 460). The XJ has all the contemporary technology you could want but it also has character, a vitally important trait in cars north of $70,000. From the curb, from behind the steering wheel and from the backseat, you understand what the XJ is and what it isn't, and that's a good thing.
There are a few stylistic flourishes inside and, most notably, outside that have been greeted with love-it or hate-it reactions. However, there is unlikely to be the same sort of polarization when it comes to driving and riding in the 2011 Jaguar XJ. It goes like a scalded cat but never leaves a scratch on comfort.
Performance Jaguar's new 5.0-liter V8 is the beating heart of the company's American offerings. In the XJ, it's available in 385-horsepower (380 pound-feet of torque) normally aspirated form, or with a supercharger, producing 470 or 510 hp. The three engine ratings serve to distinguish the base XJ from the XJ Supercharged and special-order XJ Supersport models. All three are available in standard-wheelbase (SWB) or long-wheelbase (LWB, 5.3 inches longer) trim.
The big cat launches hard but with decided smoothness. There's little suspension squat, and shifts through all six of the automatic's gears come positively as the engine spins to its 6,000-rpm limit. Selecting the Dynamic mode (one of three driving modes along with standard and winter) advances throttle response and firms up the suspension, while the Sport selection allows for automanual paddle-shifting and holds the transmission in the selected gear. It's also how you'll sprint to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds in the standard XJ, 4.9 seconds in the Supercharged and 4.7 seconds in the Supersport, according to Jaguar's testing.
The 2011 Jaguar XJ's predominantly aluminum chassis is more rigid than the outgoing car, allowing engineers to tune the suspension for improved ride and handling. Though 265 pounds heavier overall than the old XJ, the new car remains significantly lighter than its rivals, allowing Jaguar to trumpet an efficiency and performance advantage it has enjoyed for years. Indeed, the SWB and LWB XJ achieve a combined 19 and 18 mpg, respectively, according to the EPA. The Supercharged and Supersport get a combined 17 mpg.
In the corners, the standard SWB Jaguar takes a set on turn-in and arcs through nicely. You do notice the sedan's 3,870-pound curb weight, but body motions are well-controlled whether in Dynamic or Standard modes. With its softer setting, the latter is actually more effective when the road surface is not smooth. Steering is more precise than some of the XJ's competitors and the wheel itself is right-sized and feels good in your palms. The XJ doesn't feel like a sports car, but its torque and handling allow the driver to hustle it quite readily.
Comfort The balance that the 2011 Jaguar XJ seeks to strike pits dynamic driving excitement against opulence. These are the eternal, and contradictory, goals sought by many automakers. Performance demands favorable power-to-weight and high damping rates. Premium comfort requires more suspension travel and more weight in sound insulation, electronics, labor-saving electric motors and advanced safety devices. Modern technology allows the XJ to marry the two goals more successfully than ever.
Indeed, despite its dynamic capabilities, long-distance touring is still the Jag's forte, with ride quality sufficient to keep your head and whatever newspaper you may be reading in the backseat moving imperceptibly. As important as anything are the seats. Several hours-long stints in the driver, front passenger and rear seats confirmed a key impression. So satisfactory is seat comfort that one simply forgets about it.
Function Having two feet in modernity means providing the XJ customer with the interface contemporary consumers take for granted. Advanced display technology and iPod-influenced ergonomics are manifested in the XJ's 12.3-inch high-definition Virtual Instruments, which complement an innovative, dual-view technology 8-inch touchscreen that can project DVD movies to the passenger while the driver views vehicle functions or follows satellite navigation. It all works in the brightest of sunshine and can be figured out with a bit of intuitive fiddling.
The touchscreen interface is effective but it invariably gets smeared with greasy fingerprints and requires a longer glance than simple dials. Steering-wheel-mounted controls and a few console buttons/dials help you quickly issue simple commands. While we think the rotary gearshift shared with the XF and the XK is novel, its operation requires some getting used to. More than once when backing up, we inadvertently shifted the transmission into Sport mode rather than drive. A careless twiddle of the knob can also shift the tranny into neutral.
The leather-wrapped dash is dominated by twin center air vents reminiscent of the twin afterburners of a Navy Tomcat fighter jet. Door accents (wood or carbon-fiber) are pleasant to view and impart a nouveau-chic ambience. Interior storage nooks are generally well-placed and ample enough. The 18.4-cubic-foot trunk will swallow two large bags side by side, and you never feel too close to your fellow occupants. Airlinerlike seatback tray tables in the LWB model give the 2011 Jaguar XJ a biz-jet feel. Overall interior visibility is effective, with the cockpit brightened by a panoramic glass roof. However, like so many modern vehicles, the XJ has vision-blocking A-pillars, which can make it tough to look through a corner.
Design/Fit and Finish The 2011 XJ's exterior hasn't grown on everyone just yet. Airflow (the XJ is the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever, the company claims) and the application of computational fluid dynamics contributed to designer Ian Callum's shape that successfully blends muscularity with an elegant roof line. However, while the front of the XJ looks like a modern Jaguar, the rear seems vaguely French. It's a slightly confusing visual.
Jaguar's new flagship is beautifully built, though. Panel gaps and sheet metal profiles are tidy and light-catching. The interior is sophisticated, with a decided "money" feel about it and a Bowers & Wilkins sound system that does Beethoven proud. What the exterior and interior highlight most, however, is difference. The XJ is manifestly different from its predecessors and its rivals. Its distinctiveness is perhaps its most salient selling point.
Who should consider this vehicle High-end luxury sedan buyers want it both ways. They want to be noticed but they only want so much attention. The XJ will appeal on both fronts but add a third. It should attract independent thinkers, folks who want style with driving brio in a package that evokes greater warmth than most of its European rivals and greater dynamism than its Far East counterparts. For them, the 2011 Jaguar XJ is an appropriate vessel with which to say good-bye to all that.
Others To Consider
Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Used 2011 Jaguar XJ listings and inventory:
Shop Edmunds' used car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million pre-owned vehicles to find a cheap used and certified pre-owned (CPO) 2011 Jaguar XJs for sale near Ashburn VA. There are currently 48 used and CPO 2011 XJs listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as 22,547 and mileage as low as 64,500. Simply research the type of used car, SUV, or truck you're interested in and then select a vehicle from our massive database to find cheap pre-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the used 2011 Jaguar XJ. Then select Edmunds' special offers, perks, deals, and incentives to contact the dealer of your choice and save up to 300 on a used or CPO 2011 XJ available from one of 2,632 dealerships in your area.
What's a good price on a used 2011 Jaguar XJ ?
Save up to $300 on one of 6 used 2011 Jaguar XJs for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $22547 as of Apr 22, 2018, based on data from 6 dealers and 83 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 3.5 to 5 out of 5 stars.
Price comparisons for used 2011 Jaguar XJ trim styles:
The used 2011 Jaguar XJ XJL is priced around $23488 with average odometer reading of 69836 miles.
The used 2011 Jaguar XJ XJL Supercharged is priced around $26966 with average odometer reading of 65051 miles.
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What options are available on the 2011 Jaguar XJ?
Available Jaguar XJ 2011 Submodel Types: Sedan, XJR
Available Jaguar XJ 2011 Trims: XJL Portfolio, Base, R-Sport, XJL, Supercharged, XJ8, XJL Supercharged, XJR
Exterior Colors: Polaris White, Dark Sapphire Metallic, Rhodium Silver Metallic, Storm Grey Premium, Ammonite Grey Metallic, British Racing Green Metallic, Corris Grey Metallic, Ingot Premium, Loire Blue Metallic, Santorini Black Metallic, Stratus Grey Metallic, Azurite Blue Metallic, Carnelian Red Metallic, Caviar Metallic, Ebony, Firenze Red Metallic, Glacier White Metallic, Indigo Blue Metallic, Italian Racing Red Metallic, Liquid Silver Metallic, Lunar Grey, Porcelain, Tempest Grey Premium, Ultimate Black Metallic, Vapour Grey Metallic
Interior Colors: Cashew leather, Jet w/Ivory Stitching leather, Jet w/Ivory Stitching premium leather, London Tan premium leather, London Tan w/Jet Stitching leather, Cashew w/Truffle Stitching premium leather, London Tan w/Ebony Stitching premium leather, London Tan leather, Cashew w/Truffle Stitching leather, Ivory leather, Ivory w/Jet Stitching premium leather, Jet leather, Jet premium leather, London Tan w/Jet Stitching premium leather, Champagne premium leather, Cirrus leather, Ebony w/Ivory Stitching premium leather, Ivory w/Ebony Stitching premium leather, Ivory w/Oyster Stitching premium leather, Jet w/Red Stitching leather, London Tan w/Ebony Stitching leather, London Tan w/Navy Stitching leather, Navy leather
Popular Features: AWD/4WD, Keyless Entry/Start, Mobile Internet, 360-degree camera, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Alarm, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Auto Climate Control, Aux Audio Inputs, Back-up camera, Blind Spot Monitoring, Bluetooth, Cooled Seats, Electronic Folding Mirrors, Heated seats, Leather Seats, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Navigation, Parking sensors, Power Driver Seat, Power Liftgate/Trunk, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Sunroof/Moonroof, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, USB Inputs, Upgraded Headlights, Upgraded Stereo, Rear Entertainment System
Engine/Mechanics: 6, 8 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC
Fuel Types: premium unleaded (required), flex-fuel (premium unleaded required/E85)
Drivetrains: all wheel drive, rear wheel drive
Used 2011 Jaguar XJ Overview
The used 2011 Jaguar XJ is offered in the following submodels: XJL Supersport, Sedan, Supersport. Available styles include 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 6A), XJL 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 6A), and Supercharged 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl S/C 6A). Pre-owned XJ models are available with a 0-liter gas engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2011 XJ comes with rear wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 6-speed shiftable automatic.
