The Jaguar XF: A Modern Take on a Classic Design
For years, Jaguar sedans have been known for their retro flair, with designs that seem to have come straight out of the 1960s. However, this XF is something different. It's low-slung, sleek, and far from the bland sedan its predecessors were known for.
The XF is a sports sedan that is both athletic and satisfying to drive. The steering is well-weighted, communicating effectively with the driver as it tackles corners aggressively. On our test track, the car performed exceptionally well in an avoidance maneuver, despite the stability control kicking in somewhat late to control understeer. This didn't compromise the car's overall security or stability, however.
The XF's ride is not quite as cushy as some older Jaguars, with a noticeable firmness beneath its surface. Nevertheless, it remains reasonably compliant and offers a comfortable cruise on the highway, where wind and road noise are kept to a minimum. What does catch your attention, though, is the sound of the V8 engine – it's strong, willing, and gives great performance.
While the 300 horsepower V8 might not be as quick as some V6 models, it still delivers impressive acceleration. And, at an estimated 20 MPG gallon, that's not bad for a V8. One drawback to this engine is the Coupe-like styling, which limits rear visibility. The high rear deck and sloping roofline result in a small back window, making it difficult to see what's behind you when backing up. Fortunately, an optional rearview camera helps mitigate this issue.
When starting the engine, the shifter knob emerges from the console, accompanied by vents that pivot open for a stylish touch. Initially, this feature might impress, but it quickly becomes less exciting as familiarity sets in. Additionally, some drivers may grow tired of the shifter's different mode, which can be fussy when switching between drive and reverse in tight spaces.
A major frustration with the XF's infotainment system is its touch screen. While some cars have user-friendly touch screens, Jaguar's implementation falls short. With too many functions built into the screen, it becomes overwhelming to navigate – you're forced to go through a series of menus rather than using traditional buttons. The screen updates slowly, and the lettering is often small and difficult to read.
Getting into the glove box can be another challenge. A tiny dot is pressed to open it, but this mechanism doesn't always work as intended, leaving you wondering if you're doing something wrong. And, in a bizarre touch of irony, the owner's manual – which might offer some guidance – is locked inside the glove box. This design quirk is a minor but frustrating annoyance.
Despite these drawbacks, the XF's interior is a major highlight. It's more contemporary than its predecessors, with a lovely brown padded Stitch Dash top and big bands of metallic trim wood. The overall finish is superb, making it a standout in terms of quality and attention to detail. While dimensions-wise, the XF sits comfortably on both sides – there's enough headroom, but access can be restricted due to the sloping roofline.
Ultimately, if you're looking for a practical sedan, the Jaguar XF might not be the best choice. However, if you want something with distinctive styling that's enjoyable to drive, this car is definitely worth considering. It may not tick every box, but it offers an experience that's satisfying and memorable – one that will leave you feeling pleased, despite its quirks.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enfor years and years Jaguar sedans look like they came straight out of the 60s but this XF it's something different it's low it's Sleek this isn't your father's Jaguar the XF is a very athletic car to drive in fact it's a satisfying Sports sedan the steering it's well weighted it communicates well to you it tackles Corners aggressively it did really well being driven at speed on our track in the avoidance maneuver the stability control kicks in somewhat late to control under steer but the car remains secure and stable the XF ride it's not quite as cushy as those of some older Jaguars there's an underlying firmness here still the car is reasonably compliant and on the highway it's quite a comfortable Cruise there's not much wind or road noise in the Jaguar what you do hear is the sound of the V8 now it's not offensive when you're just putting around but when you step on it it sounds great the 300 horsepower v8 is strong and willing it gives great performance thing is some v6s they're just as quick if not quicker you still get 20 MP gallon though that's not bad out of a V8 the Jags Coupe like styling limits rear visibility the high rear deck sloping roof line it gives you a small back window not a lot of view to look out of when backing up though the optional rear view camera it works pretty pretty well so want to wow your friends and neighbors invite them into your Jaguar XF and start the engine the shifter knob comes up out of the console the vents pivot open it all looks cool well at least for the first couple times you see it then it gets kind of old another thing that some people got sick of instead of having a shifter lever you turn this dial it's different for different sake and it gets a little fussy when you're going back and forth between drive and reverse in a tight spot one feature of the xf's interior that everyone got sick of is the touchcreen some cars have easy to use touch screens the Jaguars it isn't first off there's a lot of functions built in here that really shouldn't be instead of having buttons you've got to go through this screen also you change Pages it takes a long time for the screen to update a lot of the lettering really small to read it's just not a good implementation of this technology another annoyance getting into the glove box how hard can it be to get into into a glove box well it's not immediately obvious here what you do is you press on this little tiny dot thing is sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't and if you can't figure out how to get into it and you want to check it out in the owner's manual guess where the owner's manual is it's locked inside of the glove box good luck with that Jags are known for having wooden leather interiors but the XF it's more contemporary it's a lovely interior it's brown padded Stitch Dash top big band of metallic trim wood this is a very well-finished interior given the Jags exterior Dimensions it's on The Snug side in here there's just enough Headroom there's other sacrifices that are made because of the coupe like styling one of them is access because of this sloping roof line makes it tough to get in and out especially into the back seat that back seat it's on the cramp side not a lot of Headroom there let's face it if you're shopping for a practical sedan this Jaguar it's not going to be your first choice but if you want something with distinctive styling that's enjoyable to drive you'll find the XF it's quite satisfyingfor years and years Jaguar sedans look like they came straight out of the 60s but this XF it's something different it's low it's Sleek this isn't your father's Jaguar the XF is a very athletic car to drive in fact it's a satisfying Sports sedan the steering it's well weighted it communicates well to you it tackles Corners aggressively it did really well being driven at speed on our track in the avoidance maneuver the stability control kicks in somewhat late to control under steer but the car remains secure and stable the XF ride it's not quite as cushy as those of some older Jaguars there's an underlying firmness here still the car is reasonably compliant and on the highway it's quite a comfortable Cruise there's not much wind or road noise in the Jaguar what you do hear is the sound of the V8 now it's not offensive when you're just putting around but when you step on it it sounds great the 300 horsepower v8 is strong and willing it gives great performance thing is some v6s they're just as quick if not quicker you still get 20 MP gallon though that's not bad out of a V8 the Jags Coupe like styling limits rear visibility the high rear deck sloping roof line it gives you a small back window not a lot of view to look out of when backing up though the optional rear view camera it works pretty pretty well so want to wow your friends and neighbors invite them into your Jaguar XF and start the engine the shifter knob comes up out of the console the vents pivot open it all looks cool well at least for the first couple times you see it then it gets kind of old another thing that some people got sick of instead of having a shifter lever you turn this dial it's different for different sake and it gets a little fussy when you're going back and forth between drive and reverse in a tight spot one feature of the xf's interior that everyone got sick of is the touchcreen some cars have easy to use touch screens the Jaguars it isn't first off there's a lot of functions built in here that really shouldn't be instead of having buttons you've got to go through this screen also you change Pages it takes a long time for the screen to update a lot of the lettering really small to read it's just not a good implementation of this technology another annoyance getting into the glove box how hard can it be to get into into a glove box well it's not immediately obvious here what you do is you press on this little tiny dot thing is sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't and if you can't figure out how to get into it and you want to check it out in the owner's manual guess where the owner's manual is it's locked inside of the glove box good luck with that Jags are known for having wooden leather interiors but the XF it's more contemporary it's a lovely interior it's brown padded Stitch Dash top big band of metallic trim wood this is a very well-finished interior given the Jags exterior Dimensions it's on The Snug side in here there's just enough Headroom there's other sacrifices that are made because of the coupe like styling one of them is access because of this sloping roof line makes it tough to get in and out especially into the back seat that back seat it's on the cramp side not a lot of Headroom there let's face it if you're shopping for a practical sedan this Jaguar it's not going to be your first choice but if you want something with distinctive styling that's enjoyable to drive you'll find the XF it's quite satisfying\n"
