30 Days Of 2013 Ram 1500: Gas Mileage, So Far
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FEATURES | 9 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
...Makes the competitive German products look positively Amish...
Wall Street Journal
...The 1,200-watt (15-channel) Bowers & Wilkins upgrade with 20 yellow-cone Kevlar speakers sprinkled throughout the cabin will surely send you straight to the otologist – yes, it sounds as good as it reads on paper.
Autoblog
The central touch screen is painfully slow; I have no programming training whatsoever, and I could teach myself to write code in Farsi in the time it takes to adjust the stereo volume.
Jalopnik
Why not give the driver several gauge cluster designs to toggle among?
Car and Driver
...Ingenious, engaging and informative, advantages that more than make up for its faint aura of cheapness.
Inside Line
With base prices starting at $74,075, the 2013 Jaguar XJ offers the features virtually required from a sedan of its price and prestige. That means not only power features, dual-zone climate control, and pushbutton start, but also navigation with voice control; an AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3/HD/Sirius/30GB hard drive audio system; Bluetooth and a USB port; and a panoramic sunroof. All-wheel drive adds $3,500.
Minor functional differences distinguish the nine models in the XJ lineup. Heated front and rear seats are standard on the base model, and ventilated seats are offered as an option, while they're standard on all other models. Four-zone climate control is standard on all versions except the base car.
Jaguar has dropped its former 1200-watt Bowers & Wilkins audiophile system in favor of a new range of Meridian audio systems, and to our ears, they're purer, less punchy in sound--and better dynamically than in the new Range Rover. The basic setup is a 380-watt package with what Jaguar says is output that rivals its old 600-watt base system; an 825-watt system is standard on supercharged cars, and puts out as much power as the former B&O system and uses less power.
To keep the richest buyers coddled, the top versions of the XJ offer new luxury packs with massaging rear seats, power rear seatbacks, heated and ventilated rear seats, and distinctive leather trim. Meanwhile, enthusiasts will be pleased with new Speed and Sport & Speed packs that add red brake calipers, new 20-inch wheels, and adjust the speed limiter to allow a top speed of 174 mph.
The most distinctive version is the $155,875 Ultimate. Only 30 copies will be sold in the U.S., and all will come in supercharged, long-wheelbase form. Each has a full-length center console and a rear-table/beverage chiller package with two Jaguar champage flutes; a pair of Apple iPad 3 tablets and wireless keyboards, fitted in leather docking stations; and a leather and wood heated steering wheel.
The most important feature offered with the latest Jaguar XJ may be its new premium owner care. The company pays for everything you'll use except gas and tires for the first five years or 50,000 miles--and extends the same coverage to buyers of other new Jaguars, too.
Conclusion
Jaguar's fussy navigation system has been streamlined, and its luxury touches have been given an Ultimate spin.
