Jaguar XF 20d AWD

You've suddenly outgrown your BMW 3-series and well the next step logically would be to climb into the 5-series. However, what if the new promotion allows you to sort of treat yourself to something even nicer. You'd think a nice 7-series would tickle your fancy?

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.) 

It's still classy but some rivals are even classier. (used)

You'll be surprised that not everyone will find the BMW 5-series entertaining and the Mercedes E-class a bit too boring for their taste. What else could one consider? Well the Audi A6 certainly has the looks and the charm, but is that enough of a reason to buy one?

The standard 2-liter turbo four-cylinder offers decent flexibility around town and on the highway. It never feels short on pull thanks to loads of torque at low revs. You can option for a 3-liter supercharged six-cylinder that has all-wheel-drive fitted standard. Pick of the range goes to the 2-liter turbo with all-wheel-drive. Audi is known for it's Quattro all-wheel-drive system so it only makes sense to option for one with it, and of course that 2-liter turbo does such a good job that the 3-liter supercharged six-cylinder seems a tad bit pointless in our books. However, if you are willing to pay the premium for it then by all means go ahead because it is such a lovely engine.

The A6 doesn't feel as sharp to drive as the 5-series. It does handle quite nicely but you're constantly reminded that this is a front-wheel-drive chassis unlike the 5-series and E-class. You won't be tossed about as much on rough surfaces as the A6 ride comfort is smooth, the only other car that has the A6 beat on that aspect is the S90. You won't have too much to complain about with wind and road noise, as both are well hushed thanks to a well insulated cabin.

The interior feels classy and well sorted. The only car that may have the Audi sleepless at night is the Volvo S90 which has a far classier approach to its overall interior layout. The infotainment screen swings out of the dashboard and all the controls and dials fall right into your hand. The quality of them are top notch. You shouldn't expect anything less from Audi, especially at this price point. The front seats are comfortable and offer plenty of support, while those in the back may feel a bit shortchanged on foot room due to the large transmission tunnel. The boot space is decent but nothing really compares to a traditional wagon when it comes to versatility.

Premium Trim gets a navigation system, rearview parking camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as a 7-inch driver information system. You'll have to step up to the Premium Plus trim to get Full LED headlights, power tilt and telescopic adjustable steering column and four-zone automatic climate control. Top of the range Prestige gets the 3-liter supercharged six-cylinder engine, head-up display, power trunk open & close, and surround view parking camera. Our tester car was the middle of the range Premium Plus trim which had an amazing Bose surround sound system and also large 20-inch alloy wheels. The overall package did seem a tad bit expensive considering there are so many options that are more compelling to look at and to drive.

You'll love the A6 as it is comfortable to drive and easy to live with. The styling is a bit on the boring side and the interior is lavishly designed with top notch build quality. It's hard trying to find fault in the A6 but it certainly is hard to find anything to like about it, especially when you look at rivals from Volvo and Jaguar. The A6 is a good car but we just expected a little more from it considering how far ahead some of its keen rivals have leaped. It's still a great choice but for how much longer?

Likes: Both engines are silky smooth, and the all-wheel-drive helps the A6 live up to the reputation Audi is known for. The interior is top notch and elegant. We love those LED headlights.

Dislikes: You're constantly reminded that it's front-wheel-drive bias. The exterior styling is a tad bit too dull when you look at the Jaguar XF and Volvo S90.

Jaguar XF is a great Jag

You've suddenly outgrown your BMW 3-series and well the next step logically would be to climb into the 5-series. However, what if the new promotion allows you to sort of treat yourself to something even nicer. You'd think a nice 7-series would tickle your fancy? 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.

US vs UK (Part two) Entry-level engines

We take a look at entry-level engines that's offered in UK vs US to see who gets the better engine choices.



Mercedes E-class
E200D SE (UK) 2-liter (turbo-diesel) 150hp ($44,019)
E300 (US) 2-liter turbo 241hp ($52,150)

We would gladly choose the 2-liter turbo-diesel offered in Europe with an AMG package. You get everything you love about the E-class with the running costs and the range of a small hatchback. It kind of sucks when you think about it, we associate luxury with engine size. If it doesn't get from zero to sixty quicker than a VW Golf then it's clearly not luxurious! (Sigh!)



Audi A6
SE Executive (UK) 2-liter (turbo-diesel) 187hp ($42,334)
Premium (US) 2-liter turbo 252hp ($47,600)

We really do miss the TDI engine options that we used to get here, but due to the emissions scandal we won't be seeing them anymore here. This is also quite interesting that both the A6 in UK and here are evenly kitted but the engine is what makes ours more expensive at $5,266. How many of you would pick the diesel over the gasoline engine? We certainly would.



BMW 5-series
520d SE (UK) 2-liter (turbo-diesel) 188hp ($46,695)
530i (US) 2-liter turbo 248hp ($51,400)

The previous generation of the 5-series used to come with a silky smooth 3-liter turbo-diesel which we loved. Sadly, it hasn't made it in the newest generation yet. The 3-series diesel has the same engine but with 8hp less and we love it despite the diesel clatter at idle. It would be nice to see this engine offered here in the US as luxury shouldn't be all about size and horsepower figures.



Lexus GS
GS 300h Executive Edition (UK) 2.5-liter 181hp ($46,192)
GS Turbo (US) 2-liter turbo 241hp ($46,310)

We aren't huge fans of hybrids and well to be frank, the hybrid offered in the UK version of the GS can stay there. It took us by surprise that Lexus even offered a turbo four-cylinder in the first place. The GS hybrid makes more sense as a company car buy and for anyone who drives tons of miles in the city and some on the highway. You'll have to do tons of driving to make up for what you paid for it in the hybrid premium. The turbo is way better, trust us on this one!



Volvo S90
Momentum D4 Automatic (UK) 2-liter (turbo-diesel) 187hp ($43,395)
T5 FWD (US) 2-liter turbo 250hp ($48,100)

We have yet to see a diesel Volvo sold here. It would be an interesting alternative to the T5 and the fact that it has nearly 300lb-ft torque means that it has tons of low-end torque. You can't really complain about the torque figures especially considering that most who will buy the S90 won't drive it like hooligans anyway. Low running costs and sexy Swede styling. Volvo would have a real winner on its hands.



Jaguar XF
Prestige (UK) 2-liter (turbo-diesel) 163hp ($41,635)
XF 25t (US) 2-liter turbo 247hp ($47,775)

We do get a 2-liter turbo-diesel here with 180hp but it is almost $6k more expensive than this entry-level diesel offered in the UK. Manual gearboxes aren't as common as they used to be in the US and it is a little sad too because we would be getting so many efficient and intelligent engines here. We do have a weird perception on luxury and well horsepower isn't everything. This XF is clear proof.