What is the value of a Jaguar? It’s worth talking about more than the value proposition of their cars, even though the company is making a point of that by adding features and lowering prices of their 2016 models.

The designers at Jaguar pride themselves for design and appeal that’s a notch above the rivals’. And that has lately been reflected in pricing out of step with what the car offers on paper, leaving you to answer the question, “Why Jaguar?”

It’s a large question when it comes to this Jaguar XJ. At more than $87,000, it’s competing against formidable opponents among both sedans and high-lux SUVs. As a way of making a grand entrance, there are a lot of choices for this amount of coin.

It may have its quirks, but the XJ also has good values that have nothing to do with price.

The welcoming imposition

Four years on and the XJ’s lines remain as controversial as ever.

The L looks a little less right to me than the short wheelbase models, which hide some of the bulk of the design. Of course, the additional length makes the rear seat habitable for important figures. Judi Dench or whomever is playing M in James Bond now, for example. For four people (five is difficult because of the bulky transmission tunnel), there is just the right amount of space to feel comfortable, yet cosseted.

And from the outside, you can’t deny the Jag still sports a bold design with presence. Old XJs were low and sleek, with a gentle curve rising through the hood and ending gently at the back. Safety legislation may have killed that look, but compared to an Audi A8 or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Jag is significantly more athletic. The broad shoulders and upright mesh grille stand out, even going so far as to make the standard 19-inch wheels look somewhat smallish.

I drove a 2015 XJL 3.0 AWD, basically what everyone who buys an XJ in the U.S. gets. The 2016s get some revisions to the grille to bring the car in line with newer models like the XE and second-gen XF. Nothing significantly alters the look of the XJ, which is fine because it doesn’t actually look dated when compared to its contemporaries.

Same goes for the interior, where the dash that drops down around you continues to impress. Nothing about it looks sterile, even if materials range from the outstandingly weighted metal air vents to the parts bin JLR stuff and the too-Tron digital gauges.

The point, however, is that it all looks good and continues to look good even after being on the market for a few years. The ergonomics are quirky at first and the driver’s seat feels snug even if you’re not especially big. But you eventually feel comfortable and then connected to the Jag. And you soon embrace it for how it makes you feel.

That might make this a design classic, whether you like it yet or not.

Pound shortages

Most of the XJ’s good values land in the way it drives.

Even though it’s about 18 feet long and the low seating position makes it feel exceptionally enormous, the Jag does not at all act its size. Some of that comes down to its relatively low weight when compared to other large sedans, but it’s clearly tuned to be a sports sedan rather than a floaty barge for five adults – even in this Greenwich, Connecticut-spec 3.0 AWD trim.

From the second you sit behind the wheel, the mass of the car seems to vanish, only reappearing when you realize the XJL has a destroyer-grade turning circle. The 2016’s available surround view camera should help in this regard, but better to get used to a life of three-point turns if you don’t hire a driver.

Yet hiring a driver would be a shame in this car because he or she would get all of the fun. Even if it isn’t outright fast, the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 uses its 340 horses authoritatively, applying them to all four wheels in this form. The XJ doesn’t really feel like it’s being dragged down by the AWD gear.

Big Audis and Mercedes feel like quiet tanks barreling down the road. The Jag feels like a sports sedan that begs you to be more aggressive. Right there is reason enough for some people to pick the Jag over another $87,000 purchase.



 Always evocative of the past

Jaguar may be turning the tide on it being a far more expensive proposition than its German and Japanese rivals, but there are a few things it needs to address. The XJ’s technology is dated, and even some new driver assistance technologies for 2016 can’t entirely make up for the fact it’s playing catch-up in a class that always goes for the cutting edge of tech.

Jaguar also insists it’s not the company of old when it comes to dependability, always pointing to what their owners tell the J.D. Power surveys. And, yes, the Jaguar dealer near my house was very friendly when I took this 10,000-mile example in with a check engine light on and some kind of misfire happening under the hood. Granted, this XJ had seen 10,000 hard auto journalist miles.

But cast as the driver’s choice among imposing luxury cars, the Jaguar XJ shines very brightly. And in trying to become the driver’s luxury sedan bargain, Jaguar may have taken the biggest steps to returning the XJ to its initial role in life.

Yes, Jaguar is walking a precarious rope of having to gain some mass appeal while trying to stay more emotional than its German counterparts. And in trying to be a better value, buyers might find the real value in the emotion from cars like the XJ.

Photos: Zac Estrada/Carscoops

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