How about a Jaguar XF? You won't regret it one bit.
20d trim comes with or without all-wheel-drive and a decent four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. 180Hp for many many not sound like much but it is enough for most buyers who desire luxury and also somewhat respectable running costs. The new 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 247hp is a sweet spot in the range. It has plenty of torque at low revs and feels so much more flexible when you want it the most. What's a Jag without the option of a six-cylinder engine? Well you get two of them to choose from, both 3-liter supercharged with 340hp and 380hp. Our tester car wasn't any of the gasoline engines, we had the diesel engine with all-wheel-drive and a R-Sport package. Exterior styling is great and well the larger alloys seem to compliment the XF style more. Driving the diesel engine in the XF isn't like what you'd expect because we surely expected a smoother engine. It's not all bad just not as smooth as it should be, but at relaxed speeds it's fine. Besides, most people aren't going to flat out flog it at every given opportunity and with the low running costs you get with this car it's a home run. Diesel fueling stations are hard to come by but if you find one and you desire this particular XF we'd say go for it. You won't find a Mercedes E-class diesel until 2018 and you also won't find a 5-series diesel anywhere either. Jaguar pretty much owns this segment.
Long gone are the days when you'd say Jags are for those who are more into luxury and very little sport. The new XF has steering feedback that was sent from the gods and the chassis can pretty much handle every twist and turn tossed at it. You'll appreciate that the diesel engine doesn't have much horsepower because you can really see what the car is capable of achieving without feeling like you're going to overpower each turn and flog it when it isn't needed. 319Lb-ft torque at only 1750rpm is a lot. Road noise is decently suppressed as well as wind noise. The engine does have more clatter than we'd like, but we still would choose this happily over the 2-liter turbo four.
The interior has a minimalistic feel to it. Most would feel there should be buttons where there are none at all and well we are fine with that. It makes you appreciate the space that you have around you and the attention to details is stellar. We just wish that it had a bit more spice to it, more refinement in certain areas where you'll be greeted with cheap plastics. They do feel sturdy and long lasting but for the price that our tester car had we were expecting a bit more. The front seats do offer decent comfort but some may find the seats are a bit narrow and the cabin is also feels narrower than a 5-series. The rear seat can seat four comfortably but a fifth person will find themselves straddling the center transmission hump and sharing out the foot space.
Out tester car came kitted with every single option that you could possibly ask for. Adaptive Xenon-headlamps, lane keep assist, 825 watt sound system and 20-inch alloy wheels. You'll have to pay extra for ventilated leather front seats, upgraded infotainment screen and 360 view camera. These features all came with our tester car and yes while it is nice, many of them we hadn't had the chance to try them due to time. One feature that our tester car didn't come kitted with was the Adaptive Dynamics Package which we did find a bit strange.
The Jaguar XF is a great sedan that you should short list if you aren't impressed with the latest Audi, BMW and Mercedes offerings. Driving dynamics are spot on excellent and you won't regret the diesel engine for it's low running costs. Everyone else will find the 2-liter turbo four offers good flexibility. Power hungry will be very satisfied with the supercharged six-cylinders offered. The only letdown that Jaguar still needs to work on is reliability.
Likes: The XF was sent from the gods. It's dynamically the best sedan we've ever driven. Classic British luxury inside out. Diesel engine has low running costs. There's an XF for everyone.
Dislikes: Jaguar isn't known for having reliable products. Resale value is a bit scary. Be careful with the options as it may induce sticker shock, our tester car certainly did.
20d AWD *** (We were finally able to test drive the XF with the 2-liter turbo-diesel engine option. While it was met with divided opinions, the XF 20d AWD certainly isn't a bad option for those who do worry about running costs, or do tons of highway miles. It's not the quickest diesel engine you'll encounter, but it does make a lot of financial sense for us if we were to option for this Jag. It has plenty of torque at low revs which helps it feel light on its toes, and while you'll wake up everyone in your neighborhood just turning on the thing. We love the charm that this car has that other German Rivals seem to lack.)
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