Reference Auto

List price from £29,945 Lease price from £355 The verdict 7 

Jaguar XF review. The Jaguar XF is an executive saloon with a real feel-good factor. Grace, space and pace: the three things a Jaguar should offer according to the company's founder, Sir William Lyons. Today, though, Jaguar's rivals are so good that simply being gracious, spacious and... ahem... pacious... isn't enough. Fortunately, the XF saloon was designed with this in mind. When it was launched in 2008 it was better than anything you could buy from Audi, BMW or Mercedes. And it remains a strong contender, thanks to its eye-catching interior, strong diesel engines and entertaining drive.

Practical boot, but a bit tight in the back

There’s plenty of space in the front of the XF, but its swooping roofline means you have to be careful not to bang your head when climbing in and out of the rear. Also, while adults do fit back there, they can’t stretch their legs out like they can in the Audi A6, BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class. In-car storage and boot space are harder to fault. And the XF’s rear seats fold down so you can enlarge the luggage area, a handy feature that Mercedes charges extra for. 

The faster you go, the better it gets

The suspension isn’t particularly good at dealing with bumps in the road when you’re driving around town. However, things improve significantly with speed, making the XF a relaxing cruiser. True, it lets in a bit more wind noise than a BMW 5-series, but the 2.2-litre diesel engine is reasonably smooth and the 3.0-litre diesel exceptionally so. The front seats adjust electrically, too, to help you find a good driving position, but the seats themselves aren’t especially supportive. 

Looks great, but touchscreen control system is fiddly

The XF’s interior has a real sense of occasion to it. The vents in the dashboard automatically open when you start the engine, while tasteful slivers of wood and aluminium combine with blue backlighting to create an ambience more akin to a cosmopolitan cocktail bar than a car interior. Sadly, when you look a little closer you see that some of the plastics in the XF aren’t as classy as those in its German rivals.To make matters worse, most functions are controlled through a touchscreen that’s fiddly to use and slow to respond. 

Effortless on the move; tricky to park

An automatic gearbox is standard across the range, and this combines with gutsy engines to make driving the XF about as taxing as sitting in your favourite chair. Sadly, parking it isn’t quite so simple due to a small rear window that means you can’t see much out the back. You’re very reliant on the parking sensors. 

A real joy on a challenging road

If your commute to work includes a fast A-road or a tricky B-road, you’ll be glad you chose an XF.It combines precise, involving steering with loads of grip and an ability to glide over dips and crests, making even the most basic model deeply satisfying to drive quickly. Alternatively, if it’s not quite entertaining enough for you in standard form, the XFR and XFR-S versions offer a truly brutal turn of speed and an even more exhilarating driving experience. 

Jaguar has an excellent customer satisfaction record these days

This is clearly an XF strength because it finished third out of 116 cars in the 2013 JD Power customer satisfaction survey, whereas the Mercedes E-class was 13th, the BMW 5-series 25th and the Audi A6 68th. Like these rivals it comes with a three-year warranty, although you do have to pay extra for breakdown assistance; Mercedes gives you four years of cover as standard. 

Not bad, but not the best

The most fuel-efficient version of the XF uses a 2.2-litre diesel engine that averages 57.7mpg, a figure that would have been seriously impressive a few years ago. However, you can now buy versions of the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class that manage more than 60mpg. The 3.0-litre diesel XF is more competitive, matching the 47.9mpg that you get from the equivalent E-class engine, but it’s still beaten by the 3.0-litre diesel 5-series. 

Prices are a mixed bag; good residuals, though

The XF has higher CO2 emissions than some other executive saloons, which means it will cost you slightly more to run as a company car. However, leasing rates are competitive, so if you’re prepared to pay the extra, the company accountants are unlikely to have a problem with you choosing an XF. Resale values are strong, too, which is good news for private buyers. And the higher up the range you go, the better value the XF looks compared with rivals; the XF 3.0 diesel R-Sport, for example, costs a lot less than the Audi A6 3.0 TDI S-line, the BMW 530d M Sport or the Mercedes E350 Bluetec AMG Sport. 

Crash test score is disappointing

The XF comes with a host of features that are designed to make it a safe place to be, including six airbags and systems that increase braking force in an emergency and help to control skids.Sadly, the XF still scored only four stars when it was crash tested by car safety specialist Euro NCAP, whereas all its key rivals achieved the maximum five-star rating. This doesn’t mean the XF is unsafe – indeed, this sort of score would have been acceptable a few years ago – but it is below par for a modern car. 

Pretty good, but basic versions are missing some key things

It would be unfair to call Jaguar stingy, because every XF comes with alloy wheels, climate control, Xenon headlights and satellite-navigation. However, while rivals such as the Audi A6 and BMW 5-series give you leather upholstery and heated front seats as standard, Jaguar charges extra for leather on SE and R-Sport models, and only provides heated seats as standard on the pricey Premium Luxury and Portfolio models. The best way around this is to go for the Luxury spec and add the Comfort Pack, which includes heated front seats and a heated windscreen. 

Our favourite version 

3.0 V6 Diesel 240 Luxury, list price £35,865 

Options you should add 

Metallic Paint (£650) and Winter Comfort Pack (£570)

Source : telegraph.co.uk