2017 Jaguar XJ vs. Its Competition

Aaron Cole Managing Editor

The Jag's shape is its ace in the hole compared to others in its class.

All three German competitors offer similarly styled masterpieces, although they're all just a smidge smaller.

The Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS Class, and BMW 6-Series Gran Coupes are gorgeous shapes, but those may not be direct competitors to the Jaguar.

Instead, the A8, S Class, and 7-Series all square off against the XJ.

Each one occupies a distinct niche in the market: Audi has standard and very good all-wheel drive, Mercedes-Benz's S Class can be optioned all the way to more than $200,000 in Maybach trim, the 7-Series is a little more tech-centric and now available with a V-12.

Each can be the perfect tool for their own job, and the XJ is a bit of an outlier in that three-horse race.

The Lexus LS and Infiniti Q70 are also outliers, but neither have the cachet of the Jag.

The LS is meticulous in its details, and the Q70 has a hybrid powertrain, but both don't have the same presence on the road.