The new Jaguar XF, replacement for the S-Type, has hit dealers, and I had some free time so I decided to swing by and give it a spin.

Model Driven: Normally Aspirated (300hp) Premium Luxury XF. MSRP was about $58,000

Initial thoughts on the exterior:
Great design, sleek flowing lines, much better in person than in a lot of the pictures I've seen. It's also quite larger than I expected. Very close, if not bigger than a GS. The panel gaps all seem small and lots of nice touches outside. Nice chrome trim around the door windows and the grille, and rear trunk has a nice flat "leaper" logo on it.

Interior:
This is where I felt I was let down a bit. While the overall design was sharp, and cool touches like pressure sensitive lighting controls (you just tap on the light and it'll turn on, but the light doesn't actually click or move). Same pressure sensitive type switch to open the glove compartment. A little gimmicky, and worries me with a company with the electrical reliability of Jaguar. It was a cool sequence to push the "beating" start/stop button, and have the vents flip open and the Jaguar Drive Selector rise up from the console. The radio/nav touchscreen seemed a bit small in size by todays standards, and I felt it should've been and inch or 2 bigger diagonally. The radio and climate control switches all felt nice and reminded me of a Motorola Razr phone, which was said to be the design inspiration. Steering wheel was nice and comfortable with a thick rim. Sound system, Bowers and Wilkin, was also impressive. Good clarity and good sound levels all around. Ipod and USB connectivity in the center armrest were very nice. Nice leather covered dashboard. The trunk is immense and well finished, but with a temp type spare under the floor.

The parts of the interior that weren't as impressive were the cupholder lids down on the center console, made of the wood trim. They weren't smooth in their opening/closing operation at all, and were squeaky. Didn't feel substantial. The mirror controls/window controls/seat memory controls also looked like they were ripped out of a Lincoln. Definitely not parts that belong in a near $60K car. The rear seat is a big flat bench, not a lot of bucketing for the side passengers (this can be a plus or minus depending on if you want a center passenger).


The Drive:
The 300HP V8 and 6 speed automatic transmission made for a very smooth combination with plenty of power to move the sedan around. There is also a supercharged version with 420 HP (they said it would be about $4-5K more), and then a future XF-R will come out soon with possibly closer to 500HP. Nice, controlled suspension, firm yet comfortable, like many european sedans. Handles corners very well for such a large sedan. Plenty of pick up with a nice subtle roar of the V8 audible inside the cabin when you floor it. Also has paddle shifters for the automatic if you want to play around with the gears.


Overall:
I think Jaguar did a remarkable job with the XF. It is light years past what the S-Type was, and bodes well for the upcoming XJ replacement. The XF has a great style to it, one of the best looking sedans I've seen. People everywhere were stopping and staring and pointing during the test drive. Super composed on the road, and most of the latest technology goodies are either standard or available. The only let down for me was in the little details inside the car with the switchgear quality, and some of the trim pieces. But also in the end, I thought it felt quite similar to the new Cadillac CTS, which is also, a stellar sedan. Lots of the similar drive feel, stylish sedan, etc. The CTS is at a much lower price point than the XF however. I think if Jaguar dropped the price about $5K across the board, it would seem more fitting. However, I think the market has still spoken, with many orders already placed for the XF.

 

Thanks so much for sharing your impressions! Sounds like a GREAT car - I really hope it does well.

 

Thanks for the nice review!

 

Thanks for the review.

So, how do you like it compared to its competitors, such as the GS350 or 535i?

 

only thing i dont like is that it has a striking resemblance to a 2007 ford mondeo :-(




jag


this will hurt its european sales.. both cars look simular .. the jag looks like a fleet special

 

i dont really see the resemblance...cause the jag still looks gorgeous, but we dont get the modeo in america, so i guess it doesnt affect american sales.

 

I've seen both the XF and the new Mondeo on the road and I they look nothing like each other. The Mondeo looks good in photos but appears akwardly styled on the road - particularly round the rear end.

 

Thanks for the write-up.

So you thought it was way ahead of the the S-series. Why? Yes, I grant you the S-series had its share of quality-control and assembly-line goofs (one I looked at had a loose door handle that almost fell off, and a number of trim parts didn't fit right). But, as a nice luxury car, it was hard to beat its silky, quiet, ride and the traditional Jag wood and leather........unless you went up to the Lexus LS series or its own big brother Jaguar XJ sedan. I, for one, will be sorry to see the S-series go.

 

i think the S-Type...

was too cheaply and hurriedly made to fill the gap in Jaguar's lineup.

and it looked ugly as sin. I really tried to like it. I really did. I spent some influential years of my life in Australia where Jags held a certain air of prestige--but I still couldn't grow to like it.

I thought about the S-Type as perhaps a used bargain, but again, I couldn't get over the overly cheap and Ford-y interior bits, the ugliness of its face, and just its general air of it born in the wrong generation.




I think by far, the new XF is leaps and bounds ahead of the current Jag lineup (obviously minus the XK), and if they can keep it up by keeping the reliability and build quality in check, Tata may be able to make a winner out of a loser.

 

I think the XF will have a much broader appeal than the S-Type ever had. The S-Type was a very non-descript sedan, that didn't really have a strength over any of its competitors. The XF has a sleek, sophisticated, modern design. In person it really looks like a 4 Door XK which, to me, is a good thing.

The XF is a great step for Jaguar. I would think that anyone considering a Lexus GS, Mercedes E, Infiniti M, BMW 5, Audi A6 would do right to look at the Jaguar. But I still think the quality of the smaller details items will take away from of the luster of the XF. For the price point they're targeting I think they really needed to finish it off a little better. But that's just my opinion. The design of the car, inside and out, is phenomenal.

 

Love the exterior design of the XF (seen a few TV commercials now) but don't care for the cold interior.