The words stodgy, country-clubby, and hoity-toity have always been words I’ve used to describe Jaguars (pronounced Jag-YOU-ar, Darling). I like to believe it’s a common occurrence, so you can imagine my surprise at the 2010 XF that pulled up in my driveway. It didn’t look Jaguary at all. In fact, I liked it so much I can’t pronounce it jag-WAR anymore.
Click HERE to get a second opinion and watch a video review of the normally aspirated Premium XF.
It’s a shame my test drive of the 2010 Jaguar XF only lasted a week. The XF is a vehicle that just kept getting better and better the more I drove it. At first it was a little unassuming in it’s grey paint job. But it too just got better the more I looked at it. At some moments it looked almost gold, at other times silvery gray, depending on the light.
Of course I mean it looked unassuming in a luxury car sort of way, which is not that unassuming. It’s more understated than some of its competitors, yet it does look beautiful. Not garish. Thoughtful, not overdone. And as much as I love the looks, I love how the car treats me. Like I imagine an attentive butler with an incredible exhaust note would be.
But don’t be fooled into believing the XF will do everything for you. Even though it will open the vents and raise the shift knob when you turn the car on, it won’t tell you when to shift if you don’t want it to. When the XF is placed into Sport mode, it won’t shift for you if you’ve stopped paying attention or want the rpm’s to go a little (or a lot) higher than the car thinks they should. This was something I’ve not experienced in other vehicles’ sport modes and I was fascinated by the car giving itself over to me.
I can also adjust the feel of the car if I’m not satisfied with its standard behavior (which I was). JaguarDrive Control offers “driver selectable modes for different driving conditions and moods.” Moods? Oh Jaguar, no wonder the ladies love you.
And well, with a supercharged V8 with 470 hp, you better believe I tested the XF’s faithfulness. It consistently responded with enormous power that delivered instantly. Not unexpectedly, the Jaguar consumed gas like crazy.
The EPA estimates for the XF are 15/21. I did like the steering and suspension, as it wasn’t too stiff. Road feel, yes. Road hammering, no.
While I was busy not getting my ass kicked by every concrete seam and washboard road, the seats hugged me and kept me comfortable. The summer heat was negated by ventilated seats, just like the winter cold would be negated with the heat option. I love that everything is within my reach. I liked this particularly because the car still felt roomy, not crammed. Comfortable, catered to.
Even the back seat didn’t feel crammed. If I were taller, like, over 6 feet tall, there may be a headroom issue, but I don’t sit in the back too often. Kids in boosters were fine, but you’re not going to put your kids in boosters back there, are you? I mean, I know you might, just keep a towel down under them, will you?
One thing I don’t want you to keep down is the stereo.
People, I don’t know how much you care about a stereo system’s speakers, ease of use, and general fabulousness. But I kinda care. And the XF is phenomenal. With a Bowers & Wilkins audio system that includes surround sound and HD radio, you are never happier listening to whatever may happen to be playing. It’s pure, crystalline sound comes courtesy of 14 speakers throughout the cabin, all culminating in an auditory fantasy in your ears.
What surprised me most was the price tag. I mean, I know it’s a luxury car and it’s expensive anyway, blah blah blah. But this mean cat came in at $68,000 with as many bells and whistles and beautiful accompaniments as a girl could want. If you’ve got that kind of cash to buy a car, I give you the go–ahead.
On our TFLcar recommendation scale of:
– Buy it
– Lease it
– Rent it or
– Forget it
I say…
Growing up in Colorado Sara Lacey was always kind to her cars. These
days however, she spends her time punishing automobiles with the help of
her children. Reviewing cars from the unique perspective of a woman
and mom, Sara also writes for MotherProof.com and Cars.com. In addition, she sits on the board of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association.
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