Jaguar XF

Brilliant sporty saloon that's great to drive, comfortable and luxurious

Auto Express Car Reviews

Rating:
Latest deal price: from £28,243 to £45,339
For : Stylish, sporty but comfortable drive, great engine range
Against : Tight in rear, diesel rivals cheaper to run, thirsty V8s

The Jaguar XF is something of a saviour for the firm. It’s a fantastic looking machine with a brilliant driving experience that combines sportiness with comfort. Latest 2.2 diesel is the pick of the line-up, while the 5.0-litre V8 is tempting if you have pockets deep enough to run it. There's lots of standard equipment and luxury throughout the range, even if rear space is a little tight, while the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 beat it on costs and interior quality.

Our pick: 2.2 Diesel Luxury

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Jaguar XF

Styling

Jaguar's last executive saloon, the S-Type, had retro looks, but the Jaguar XF is very modern indeed. It’s a great looking car, with a sweeping roofline and a bold grille at the front, and manages to be much more emotional than its cold, clinical Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series rivals. Latest models look the best thanks to redesigned headlights and taillights and new bumpers.

Interior

All Jaguar XF models get electrical adjustment for the seats and steering wheel, so it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. The cabin, like the exterior, is very modern, with cool blue lighting and a touchscreen central display. There are lots of neat touches, including a circular gear selector that rises up when the ignition is turned on, and air vents that automatically open. However, while there’s lots of wood, leather and metal surfaces, some materials feel a bit cheap and it’s sometimes hard to access the correct buttons on the touchscreen. Rear visibility isn’t great either. Equipment is good though, with all models getting climate control and Xenon headlights, cruise control and sat-nav as standard.

Driving and Performance

Jaguars have always been good to drive, but the XF takes things up a notch. Even standard models ride and handle beautifully, and those with optional adaptive dampers are even better, ironing out potholes and providing fantastic body control at high speed. Factor in smooth and accurate steering and great agility, and every journey will be a pleasure. There is more road noise than you get in a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class on the motorway, but the XF munches miles with ease. As for engines, the 190bhp 2.2-litre diesel isn't quite as punchy of the 3.0-litre V6 diesel, but it still has loads of torque and is very rapid indeed, doing 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds. It’s definitely the pick of the line-up, being smooth and quiet. The big 5.0-litre V8 is extremely rapid – especially in supercharged XFR form – and makes a lovely noise. Its six-speed auto is quite smooth, but the diesel cars’ new eight-speed auto is even better.

MPG and running costs

Business and private drivers' prayers have been answered by the firm’s new 2.2-litre diesel, which is by far the most economical engine in the range. It returns an excellent 52.3mpg and emits 149g/km of CO2 – compare that to the 44.8mpg and 169g/km of the V6 diesel and the 25.2mpg and 292g/km of the V8 to see how much of a difference the small but gutsy engine makes. However, a BMW 520d is still more economical and cheaper to run, sitting four tax bands lower. As for running costs, don’t expect servicing or insurance to be cheap, but the XF finished top in the 2010 Auto Express Driver Power customer service and satisfaction survey, indicating that owners are happy to put up with a few foibles.

Practicality

Jump in the back, and if you’re over six-foot tall, you’ll notice you don’t have a lot of headroom. That’s down to the sloping coupe-style roofline, which robs some space from passengers. However, most people will be fine, even though the wide transmission tunnel means there’s only really space for two in the back. As for the boot, it’s deep and, at 540 litres, large enough for a set of suitcases. You can also fold the rear seats down for longer items, extending this to over 900 litres.

Safety and reliability

While the Jaguar XF achieved only a four-star Euro NCAP crash rating, it is very safe indeed, with plenty of airbags, gizmos like automatic cruise control, standard traction and stability control and a pop-up bonnet to protect pedestrians in the event of a collision. Early owners reported poor reliability though – more than likely teething problems, which should be resolved by now.

For an alternative review of the latest Jaguar XF visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

What Next

For more breaking car news and reviews, subscribe to Auto Express magazine. We'll give you 6 issues for £1 and a free gift!

< Previous Next >

2 Comments

"particularly in 2011-model year facelifted form" - no, you're picturing and writing about the 2012 model

By ReRyRo on 11 August, 2011, 5:26pm

Sat nav isn't standard on the base model, and on the base the seats are only electrically adjustable for rake and height. Rear folding seats are a £300 option for the base model which is a rip off considering you only need 2 cables to make them operate.

By Madbadger61 on 27 February, 2012, 5:05pm

You need to register to post comments. Existing members can log in below to comment, otherwise click here to join.