It just blew my middled aged socks off. I've no idea about the mechanics or anything, and really I'd always seen Jaguars as a slightly more sedate make of car, but the Jaguar XFR 5.0 (at least this flavour of it) is hugely exciting to drive. Amazing stuff. Hard to describe really as I don't know any of the Clarkson vocab, but all I know is that when I put my foot down is roars into action and zips off like nobody's business. I only very occasionally get the feeling that it might slip around a bit, and only when the conditions get really bad and I'm still driving stupidly. Apart from that it feels like I can do pretty much what I want.
I suppose all these are good reasons why it's in the top (or near top) insurance group, which is worth bearing in mind. Likewise the fuel economy is really rubbish. It says 22 mpg but I struggle to get that. Mind you I struggle not to treat it like a racing car so there's some connection there methinks.
Our Jaguar XFR does its share of boring driving though, and it manages all that very well. Jag haven't done away with style and comfort. The rear seats aren't quite big enough though. It's ok for two adults who don't mind their knees apart, but for three it might be a little cosy.
For those in the front though it's a different story. We both get fancy fully adjustable seats, and lovely comfy backs. For the driver, I love the little touches like the dials on the steering wheel for the stereo, real dials that you can push up and down, none of this up-down button nonsense. It feels so much higher quality. The dashboard itself is a good large size, although it's a little tiresome the way it slopes towards you, so it's tricky to actually keep anything on it. Before long it falls towards you. Mostly it's just a pleasure to be in though, these are just some little niggles.
It does really (or did really) bother me that the auto gearbox controls are on the flat surface of the central arm rest and storage space. So if you drop something, or put something down, you could knock the gears out. That seems a silly design really. I got used to it but I can't always guarantee my passengers will know not to put something down, or even that they'll never drop something there.
We've only just got the car really, just a few months, so I can't say much about reliability. It's been fine so far but that's not saying much. Jaguar have a good reputation though and the I see no reason why the XFR shouldn't carry that on. Fingers crossed...
We had meant for some time to try out a diesel car, given how they're supposed to be catching up with petrols in terms of performance, and also becoming less noisy dirty beasts. We sized up the Jaguar XF a couple of years ago and plunged in shortly after. We had a Jaguar back in the 70s which seems a lifetime ago and of course it is. Of course they've kept pace with all the latest gadgetry and bells and whistles, but you still notice the Jaguar touch. A lot of their old styling remains I think, although updated a bit. It's a good mix for an old timer like me.
We purchased the XF 3.0d itself through an independent middle man who did all the bargaining between the different dealers. For a small fee you can get a really significant discount. I think we saved about two thousand in the end, although there were some differences in the amount of extras we could get with different dealers. We did have to travel to pick up the car itself (or pay a bit more for delivery).
One little warning I would offer is that it is really quite surprisingly powerful. It is a diesel but that can be easy to forget. We take it on the motorways for weekend visits and trips, and it doesn't seem happy to stay anywhere near 70. You have to really concentrate. That sounds funny but it can be quite frustrating. You can use the cruise control of course, but it's already an automatic vehicle, I want to feel like I'm at least doing something other than steering (and on the motorway there isn't even much of that).
Another excellent little doodah in the Jaguar XF is the parking system with little cameras to show you how close you are to things, both front and back. As an ageing gent this did take me a good while to get my head around, and I think my wife still doesn't like it, but it is a must. The bonnet is quite long really, and the boot quite high, so it wouldn't be easy parking without them. Just make sure you're happy with them first.
Frankly we're a bit fed up with our Jaguar XF. It arrived late to begin with, which was always blamed on someone else whoever I spoke to about it. The car seemed fine when we first eventually got hold of it, but the faults started soon. The first thing was a persistent squeaking of some sort, which I think is coming from somewhere in the roof.
We've had two separate window seals replaced on the warranty, which really just makes me wonder if the car is even all that secure. I mean if the window isn't sealed properly then you could potentially jam something in there and get in. I don't suppose it's possible to actually move the car, but it makes me think twice about leaving anything in it, which I don't want to be wondering about really.
We've also had some bother with the handbrake sort of sticking and misbehaving. It doesn't jam on whilst you're driving or anything, but it gets into a huff sometimes and just sort of sticks (all whilst at a standstill). Here again the Jaguar XF is not filling me with longer term confidence.
There were some other warranty repairs under the bonnet. I really forget what these were, some sort of seals or electrical problems or some such. It was fixed reasonably quickly, and we got a courtesy car, but that isn't the point. We paid over forty thousand for this stupid thing and I don't expect it to be heading back to Jaguar so often to get the latest problem fixed.
When it is working, the Jaguar XF is certainly a good car to be driving. I especially like the computer panel thing in the front which has multiple uses, including the satnav and parking cameras and so on. But it's all sort of overshadowed by the problems. I know a lot of owners sing the praises of Jaguar, but we've been sourly disappointed by the XF.
I am not usually easily impressed, and I am easily disappointed. I went for Jaguar knowing them to be a trustworthy and reliable make, and that they didn't needlessly experiment with little gizmos and half baked technology.
The Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 was a good mix of affordability and style, and for that reason we felt able to go a bit higher up in their range. I was a little annoyed that I couldn't find a manual gearbox in one of them. That's always been quite important to me, I just find automatic driving a little boring really, I prefer to know what the car is doing a bit more. Still it is very good indeed to drive. I haven't had any trouble at all so far and the driving experience is excellent, much better than the bumpy old Honda we traded in.
One little nasty surprise was how it guzzles petrol. I have to say that did pass me by a bit when we first had the car, and we seldom do long trips so it took a while before it really sunk in, but the Jaguar XF is really not an economical vehicle. For that reason the tax is quite high.
But you get what you pay for, and I don't regret anything about our purchase. My husband and I both enjoy a bit of 'adventurous' driving now and then, and the Jaguar XF has every bit of power and control you could want. I don't suppose we'd beat anyone round a race track, but we like to take it for a good rough spin round country roads now and then, and it just never runs out of oomph, and always sticks to the road. That's why we got it, and it always delivers.
There are lots of other little nice bits inside, like the wireless phone connection whatever it's called, and the windscreen wipers that seem to know automatically whether it's raining. All sorts of other goodies like that, but nothing that you think is going to break, as if it's not ready yet.
I suppose a diesel version might have been wiser in terms of economy, but that's not too much of a concern for us.
Jaguar has always been a prestigous car marque, but in the early and mid-2000s, they lost their way a little. That was until they released the XF. This car changed the way we thought about Jaguar, and I decided to take the plunge and buy one.
It's a very modern car, is the XF. It's full of technology and clever bits of kit that makes owning a car just a bit nicer. The usual suspects are there: leather, wood and comfort. But it's not all about the luxuries, it's all about how the car drives. This is the first Jaguar I've ever driven that feels superb to drive. Sure, it's comfortable, but the XF actually holds the road like you'd hope it would.
Outside, it's a Jag that can easily take on BMW and Audi. It looks like a 21st century car, which is surprising when you consider Jag were building the S-Type just a few years ago.
We'll be keeping it for a good few years to come yet, so I'd happily recommend one!
Jag really has re-invented the wheel with the XF. It's taken the boring S-Type and turned it on its head with a big ass shot of adrenline and youthfullness. The XF 3.0 V6 is one of the company's finest efforts as it drags the company into the 21st century.
I love how everything is cool blue. The lights, the interior bulbs, everything is lit up in lovely blue. It really does look, as the kids say, cool. Inside you're given plenty of room, lots of kit and a whole host of exciting gizmos. It'll keep the kids happy for hours - just don't let them ruin the leather!
Outside is where everything gets all sexual, though, thanks to an aggressive styling concept. It finally looks like this Jag could take on any BMW and win. It's a Jag that you'd want to own, and for under £35k, you can!
Just a perfect car for anyone who needs a big saloon in their life.