2008 Jaguar XJ - Safety Review and Crash Test Ratings

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The 2008 Jaguar XJ boasts some impressive safety features, but it has not yet been crash tested.

Though it hasn’t been crashed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2008 Jaguar XJ has a complete list of standard safety gear. Cars.com says every XJ contains very sophisticated equipment: "Side impact bars, 4 door curb lights, illuminated entry, traction control, anti-skid system, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), driver and passenger airbags, driver side impact airbags, passenger side impact airbags, curtain 1st and 2nd row overhead airbags, occupancy sensor, front and rear seatbelt pre-tensioners, ignition disable, panic alarm, security system, and low tire pressure warning."

Although how much safer the "4 door curb lights" make the occupants of a Jaguar XJ is debatable, airbag technology has improved by leaps and bounds since it was first introduced. As Edmunds observes, the 2008 Jaguar's airbag system "monitors the positions and weight of the front seat passengers to determine how and when to deploy the various airbags."

The sleek shape of the 2008 Jaguar XJ has its drawbacks. “Visibility to the rear is compromised by a tall trunklid," writes ConsumerGuide. Of course, many of today’s luxury cars include front and rear obstacle sensors as standard equipment, and the Jaguar XJ is no exception. However, ConsumerGuide also reports, “The front and rear obstacle detection system was overly sensitive” on one Jaguar XJ test car. As with many other cars, though, the 2008 Jaguar allows its driver to disable the system if an annoying false alarm persists.