[not Steve] Trac

My mom just got a new XJR and I drove it all weekend and did some comparisons to my Dad's car, the A8L.

Acceleration: From a dead stop, the XJR is really fast. Those superchargers spool up really fast and get the car moving really quickly through the first three gears. The Jag is a 5-speed automatic. However, the car is really heavy, so it's not as fast off the line as I expected it to be. For a rolling start, I had problems getting the XJR to utilize its full potential. I think Jaguar gave this car very wimpy gearing and a soft shifting program. Let's say you were doing 30mph and just cruising. The Jag chooses 4th gear for this. When you stomp down, and I mean STOMP, the Jag engages 3rd gear at low/mid RPM's before going down to 2nd at high RPM's. I used the J-gate shifter a little bit to try to pick my own gears, but felt that I was just longing for a clutch and gearbox. So, I guess that the Jag's automatic transmission just isn't as smart as I thought it should be for a car with 380hp. The A8, however, chose its gears very wisely and I found it did so much faster than the Jag. Edge: The XJR would win the drag race, but the A8 might be just as fast around town.

Suspension: The Jag is a boat, albeit a fast boat. You can get going really fast, but don't head into the curves like you would in a sports car or you'll end up in the trees. The suspension was stiffer than other Jags I've driven, but not nearly stiff enough to handle the cars weight in the corners. Jaguar clearly chose to keep this aspect of the car on the luxury side of the spectrum. I think that the A8 is sportier through the curves than the Jag and without compromising a comfortable ride. Edge: Audi.

Steering: The Jag was Numb. An inch or two of play in the wheel before the car turns. Steers like a luxury car, not a sport sedan. The A8 steered like a german car should, although not quite like my dad's old 740. Edge: Audi

Interior: The Jaguar is gorgeous. The fit and finish of this Jag is superior to any other Jag I've seen (my folks have owned 5 over the years). The ergonomics are OK, but the leather is just first class. And the wood trim and 60's style gauges are really brilliant too. On the other hand, nothing looks better at night than the Audi interior, all lit up in red. Also, the Jaguar sport seats are awesome. They were much more comfortable than the S4 seats in my car, and kept me in place better as well. However, the Audi has some useful gadgets that the Jag does not. Edge: Jaguar, just for the higher level of luxury.

Exterior: No brainer here. The Jaguar, with it's metallic black paint, sloped hood and classic lines, is about the best looking sedan I've ever seen. Edge: Jag.

Sound: The superchargers were very loud. They are a bit lower pitched than Audi's turbos in my S4, but much more audible. I found this contradictory to some of the other decisions Jaguar made on the sport/luxury spectrum. Why go for luxuriously numb steering but make the superchargers so loud that you can't hear the radio over them? Didn't make sense. The A8 makes highway speeds in near silence. But, you can also step down really far if you want to hear the 8 cylinders rev. Edge: Audi.

Anyway, you all might find this useless, but I thought I'd type it up anyway.

ryoung

... in the S4 forum. Seems like you have some awfully nice cars in the family, and thanks for the comparisons.

April

Thought of you.

[not Steve] Trac

Yeah, my Mom's been driving Jag's for years. This is her fourth. My dad has had BMWs, Caddy's, and a Jag XK8 in recent years. I went from a Ford Probe in college to the Audi A4 after I graduated law school. I loved the A4 so much, I convinced my Dad to get the A8L for his next car. He has not been disappointed.