Review
Specifically, the remote locking for the XJ6 stopped working, followed a couple of days later by the unlocking element packing up as well.
So I had to resort to the ignominy of actually having to poke a little piece of metal into the door to lock the car.
Now this might hardly seem the biggest inconvenience but when you have arms full of bags, life becomes just that little bit more complicated.
It would appear that I am not alone. Jaguar has been experiencing a problem with remote key fobs right across the range, from us executives in our stately XJs, right down to those reps in their X-types. Dodgy key fobs are no respecter of class or your (admittedly fabricated in my case) social position.
As a result there is a three- to four-week delay to have the fob replaced. Ours has been now, so I am back in the 21st century, locking-wise.
Other than that, the XJ is running faultlessly. Of particular note has been the air conditioning. If you have ever seen the disaster film The Day After Tomorrow, where the world enters a new ice age in the space of a day, you will have some notion of the biblical power of the XJ’s climate control.
On the rare sunny days we’ve had this summer, in a couple of minutes the XJ can turn a hot, stuffy cabin into somewhere you could store ice cream. It is fantastically powerful. Just remember to take a jumper.
Less good are the rather archaic digital readouts for the radio and climate controls, which appear to use the LCD technology from digital watches of the 1970s. They would be embarrassed by the slick modern graphics in an Audi or Mercedes-Benz.
There is also a noticeable amount of tyre roar, as our car is fitted with optional 19-inch alloys.
But I wouldn’t change them. For one, the car looks great – so much more lithe on those big wheels, and it handles beautifully for such a large saloon. Not only does it look light on its feet, it feels it too.
For a driver wanting an XJ6 with more comfort and less noise, and who is less concerned with the handling, the standard 18-inch wheels are the best choice.
I attempted to improve the fuel economy through a period of worthy restraint, but it lasted one trip and then I got bored – so I’m back to revving this glorious engine hard.
One day I will no longer have this car at my disposal, so tootling about trying to save fuel seems a waste of very valuable time.
If I could drag myself to do it, the XJ6 will do about 27mpg. But it is doing about 23mpg at the moment, and it doesn’t look like changing. Steve Moody
Model: Jaguar XJ6 3.0 V6 Executive
Price (OTR): £41,995 (£45,900 as tested)
Mileage: 11,549
CO2 emissions (g/km): 249
Company car tax bill (2005/6) 40% tax-payer: £464 a month
Insurance group: 15
Combined mpg: 27
Test mpg: 23.3
CAP Monitor residual value: £15,150/38%
Expenditure to date: Nil
Typical contract hire rate: £744
