GETTING into a Jaguar XJ is an occasion - like dinner, bed and breakfast in a top hotel with someone else paying the bill.

If I owned one of these wonderful machines, I would spend half my life out on the road just for the joy if it.

And since in 3.0-litre diesel form they can do an amazing 46 miles per gallon, it wouldn't cost too much.

You might think a 3.0-litre diesel in a big limo might be a bit puny but with 275 horses pulling away under the bonnet, it hits 62 miles an hour in just six seconds.

The engine is silky smooth and all but inaudible, but response is immediate and the eight speed auto gearbox always seems to be in the right gear.

The ride - this is an XJ after all - is sumptuous over all surfaces and the handling and roadholding are both superb, belying the car's size and weight.

This is one of the best executive cars on the market.

No Jaguar comes cheap, but the XJ Portfolio hits all the right spots, with heated and cooled electric front and rear seats, parking sensors all round, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and starting and sat nav.