Road Test: 2004 Audi A8 L, BMW 745i, Jaguar Vanden Plas, Lexus LS 430, Mercedes-Benz S430, and Volkswagen Phaeton V8
"Despite the 'Ford-ification' of Jaguar," noted one entry, "this car retains a lot of British character--inside and out." No question, the Jaguar has a stately look and feel. The bodywork is classically handsome. Ride quality is composed and unruffled, and control inputs are fluid--it's easy to drive the Jag as smoothly as a good chauffeur would. As speeds rise, however, the Jaguar feels less happy than its German rivals. "The least pleasant to drive above 100 mph," wrote one editor. "Tends to wander in its lane a bit and feels the least stable of the group." Wrote another: "Terribly soft and willowy, especially after the Audi."
"Is it sexist to say that the Jaguar feels like a woman's car?" wrote the only female editor in our group. "I feel an emotional attachment to the Jaguar--nothing I can explain, just an overall elegance that I love."
For some, that's the very definition of luxury.
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