Jaguar XJ12: A dream come true for the well-heeled

Britain's Princess of Wales lists one as her official vehicle. Diana's estranged husband, Prince Charles, also owns one. A different one, one would assume. It is Jaguar's consummate luxury sedan, the XJ12.

With a price tag just a crumpet under $80,000, it is a vehicle of which we commoners can only dream. And dreamlike may well be the most appropriate word for this delightful example of conspicuous consumption.

The interior is like a trip into one of the world's finest furniture emporiums. Burlwood fittings adorn not only the dashboard, console area and door panels, but petite fold-down tables of the same material drop from the back of the front seat, providing work or dining space for the rear-seat passengers. The quality of the finish is one the finest furniture makers would envy.

Sumptuous inadequately describes the leather used on all seats. Butter cream may be a better choice. Whatever word you choose, the XJ12's accommodations far exceed those of the vast majority of vehicles. Of course, all seating surfaces front and rear are heated. While the British may tolerate drafty castles, they obviously require more pleasant amenities in their motorcars.

The XJ12's list of standard equipment is extensive: four-speed automatic transmission; speed-sensitive steering; four-wheel disc brakes; tilt-and-slide sunroof; three-position memory for the driver's seat, steering wheel and door mirrors (one for the prince, the princess and perhaps the chauffeur); sound system with CD; air bags; anti-lock brakes; front and rear fog lamps; traction control; security system with remote; and roadside assistance.

But most impressive of all is the XJ12's 6.0-liter 12- cylinder engine. In a time of engine downsizing and de-contenting of many passenger vehicles, the XJ12 is proudly unaffected.

The bank teller at the drive-through commented when she saw me playing princess in a test vehicle, "Nice car! Bet it has nice payments!" She's right.

Putting down the typical 10 percent, with Jaguar's current 4.9 percent financing, means that payments on an $80,000 car financed for 60 months run about $1,500 a month. If you lease it for 24 months, allowing 10,000 miles a year and an initial payment of about $8,000, monthly payments are $1,050.

But what about insurance costs? I called my agent. "Calm down," I said, assuring her I was only looking for information. For an over-30 female driver with a fairly clean driving record, the least expensive quote was just over $1,200 annually; the most expensive, $6,000. And there's the federal $3,700 gas-guzzler tax.

Bottom line: It's all academic. If you can afford the car, you don't care about cost of insurance, gasoline or maintenance.

This is not a car for the masses or marginal buyer. Most of us will drive the XJ12 only in our dreams.

Copyright 1996
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