Hugo_za
Well-known member
I owned a Jaguar S-Type at the time the original XF was introduced to the market. The S-Type had it's flaws but overall it was a decent luxury car, and the XF at the time was a big step-up in terms of just about everything. Inside and out the XF felt like a modern luxury car with quality materials and new tech just about everywhere. Very few items were carried over from the S-Type which it replaced.
Fast forward to the new 2016 XF which I test-drove two weeks ago. The model in question was the base R780,000 25t petrol Prestige model. I am not a motoring journo but I am a car fanatic. I have owned a great many luxury cars from several brands, and this review should be considered as an average Joe's view from the cockpit.
The new XF is a very pleasing vehicle to look at, and the interior looks good too, but therein lies the problem. In my opinion the quality extends only as far as the visual. The armrest storage lid, for example, feels flimsy and squeaked when opening and closing. Overall the interior quality is still lacking behind that of it's German rivals. Jaguar also did away with some nice touches like the "sense" button for the glove box and also the rotating center air vents (the outer ones still rotate when starting the car). The base model I drove had 8-way semi-powered seats (ridiculous for a R780,000 car), employing a ratchet handle to move the seat up and down and motors to move back and forward. To my dismay pressing the button to move the seat backwards saw the entire switch-pack pop out of the plastic seat surround! I also found the passenger room in the rear to be cramped for this segment.
I drove the car off the showroom floor and proceeded onto the road. Almost immediately there were rattles from the dashboard and wood trim. The gearbox was in plain drive mode and was constantly hunting for gears, resulting in long revs and a jerky ride. Switching to "race" mode saw it smooth out with improved throttle response, but the fuel economy suffered as a result. The climate control was rather loud and had to be turned all the way down to provide sufficient cooling. Seat comfort was mediocre at best with the seat base feeling very flat and offering little by way of bolstering. On the plus side the steering provided good feedback. Road noise insulation was average and the suspension did an OK job of filtering out surface imperfections. Ride quality was good, but when you are spending close to R800,000 on a car then you have to wonder if "good" is good enough.
Technology and equipment levels again are OK, but when compared to equipment levels offered in mass-market models from some of the Korean brands one feels that Jaguar could have added more to the entry level XF to make it stand out. I did not fiddle with the touch-screen infotainment system as the afternoon sun was causing glare on it but I did find the sound quality from the factory system to be acceptable. Why we are still paying up to R25,000 for built-in satellite navigation in cars these days is also beyond me.
Overall I walked away from the experience very disappointed. Just two weeks prior I had driven a 2011 XJ 3.0 diesel which left me mightily impressed. Everything about that car screamed quality and the drive was sublime. Yes, I know that it's like comparing a BMW 5-series to a 7-series, but given the age of the XJ and Land Rover-Jaguar's recent advances in quality and value I got into the XF expecting a similar feeling. Instead what I got was an impression that the new car is a step down from the model it replaced. Considering the price when compared to the competition, and not even talking about slightly pre-loved larger models like the XJ or BMW 7-series I feel that the XF is a hard sell.
Maybe the car I drove was a "Monday" or "Friday" car...just my 2c worth.
Fast forward to the new 2016 XF which I test-drove two weeks ago. The model in question was the base R780,000 25t petrol Prestige model. I am not a motoring journo but I am a car fanatic. I have owned a great many luxury cars from several brands, and this review should be considered as an average Joe's view from the cockpit.
The new XF is a very pleasing vehicle to look at, and the interior looks good too, but therein lies the problem. In my opinion the quality extends only as far as the visual. The armrest storage lid, for example, feels flimsy and squeaked when opening and closing. Overall the interior quality is still lacking behind that of it's German rivals. Jaguar also did away with some nice touches like the "sense" button for the glove box and also the rotating center air vents (the outer ones still rotate when starting the car). The base model I drove had 8-way semi-powered seats (ridiculous for a R780,000 car), employing a ratchet handle to move the seat up and down and motors to move back and forward. To my dismay pressing the button to move the seat backwards saw the entire switch-pack pop out of the plastic seat surround! I also found the passenger room in the rear to be cramped for this segment.
I drove the car off the showroom floor and proceeded onto the road. Almost immediately there were rattles from the dashboard and wood trim. The gearbox was in plain drive mode and was constantly hunting for gears, resulting in long revs and a jerky ride. Switching to "race" mode saw it smooth out with improved throttle response, but the fuel economy suffered as a result. The climate control was rather loud and had to be turned all the way down to provide sufficient cooling. Seat comfort was mediocre at best with the seat base feeling very flat and offering little by way of bolstering. On the plus side the steering provided good feedback. Road noise insulation was average and the suspension did an OK job of filtering out surface imperfections. Ride quality was good, but when you are spending close to R800,000 on a car then you have to wonder if "good" is good enough.
Technology and equipment levels again are OK, but when compared to equipment levels offered in mass-market models from some of the Korean brands one feels that Jaguar could have added more to the entry level XF to make it stand out. I did not fiddle with the touch-screen infotainment system as the afternoon sun was causing glare on it but I did find the sound quality from the factory system to be acceptable. Why we are still paying up to R25,000 for built-in satellite navigation in cars these days is also beyond me.
Overall I walked away from the experience very disappointed. Just two weeks prior I had driven a 2011 XJ 3.0 diesel which left me mightily impressed. Everything about that car screamed quality and the drive was sublime. Yes, I know that it's like comparing a BMW 5-series to a 7-series, but given the age of the XJ and Land Rover-Jaguar's recent advances in quality and value I got into the XF expecting a similar feeling. Instead what I got was an impression that the new car is a step down from the model it replaced. Considering the price when compared to the competition, and not even talking about slightly pre-loved larger models like the XJ or BMW 7-series I feel that the XF is a hard sell.
Maybe the car I drove was a "Monday" or "Friday" car...just my 2c worth.
