Executive - Jaguar XF

If you spend £25,000 on a car without your name being the first in the logbook, you’re bound to have high expectations. One suave saloon that’s sure to exceed them is the mighty XF.

While depreciation on this ultra-desirable Jag is far less painful than for its predecessors, our top price bracket is more than enough to buy into XF ownership. In fact, early models are now available for as little as £18,000. However, £25k will get you a gleaming executive vehicle that’s almost as fresh as the day it left the factory.

The choice on offer is vast. While 2008 3.0-litre petrol examples with the odometer reading little more than 10,000 will look very tempting to low-mileage drivers, diesel variants will hold more of their value in the long term and better suit the XF’s capable chassis. And with a more powerful 3.0-litre oil-burner tempting buyers of the 2.7 diesel to trade up, there are plenty of low-mileage 2008 models to be had on the used market. We came across a two-year-old variant in superbly equipped Premium Luxury spec with 38,000 miles on the clock, advertised at £24,995. It’s hard to find a car in any price bracket that merges desirability, sharp handling and great cruising ability quite like the XF does. That is why it was crowned Auto Express Car of the Year in 2008, and why it’s the smartest choice for anyone with a £25,000 nearly new budget.