Jaguar XF saloon

Drive

You’d expect a Jaguar to drive well, but the XF still manages to impress. The steering is sporty but reassuringly heavy, with the XF offering lots of grip when going round corners. If you opt for the adaptive dampers it gets even better, with potholes and bumps being well absorbed without sacrificing great control at high speeds. Both the 2.2-litre and 3.0-litre diesels offer comfortable rides and perform well on the motorway, with responsive rear-wheel drive and strong brakes. If you want speed, the 510bhp, supercharged XFR model does have amazing pace, but the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol will easily be fast enough for most people and uses significantly less fuel. The 190bhp 2.2-litre diesel will do 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds and is definitely the pick of the line-up in terms of balancing performance and economy. 

Comfort

Jaguar has combined driver enjoyment and comfortable suspension very well in the XF. A firm ride can be offset by the Adaptive Dynamics system, which makes constant small adjustments to the car settings to soak up any bumps in the road, while also boosting stability. It's an optional extra, but it does let you tackle winding roads with a bit more confidence. The interior only helps to make driving the XF even more special, with some neat little flourishes helping to make it an almost theatrical experience. Along with some cool blue lighting and a touchscreen display, when you turn on the ignition the barrel-shaped gear selector rises up from inside the centre console (and operates a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox that comes as standard in all models) and the air vents swivel dramatically into position. These kinds of touches do make the XF feel pretty special. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, even if the leg and headroom in the back seats could be better. 

Reliability

The Jaguar XF came a very impressive fifth in the 2012 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with Jaguar itself placing third, with BMW and Audi not even making the top 10. That's a sure fire indication that XF owners are a satisfied group and that the car itself is reliable. The car feels solid and is well built, and other than two minor recalls in 2008, has been running well since. All cars come fitted with traction and stability control as standard. In terms of safety, the XF only achieved four stars in the Euro NCAP crash safety tests, but is nonetheless a very safe car, packed with airbags and safety equipment, including automatic cruise control and a pop-up bonnet to provide pedestrian protection in event of a collision. 

Practicality

The XF replaced the more retro-looking S-Type and is much more practical than its predecessor, but is only average in comparison to its latest rivals. For instance, if you want to maximise the boot space, you’ll need to select the ‘space saving’ option that replaces the spare wheel with a can of tyre repair foam. However, the 50-litre boot is nice and deep, and expands to more than 900 litres when the rear seats are folded down. On the inside, there are lots of storage options, with a useful bin situated between the front seats. All models come fitted with electrically adjusting seats and steering wheel to make it easy to find a decent driving position. Unfortunately, mixed in among the leather and metal decorating the cabin are some cheap materials, rear visibility isn’t very good and some of the touchscreen buttons are hard to access. If you’re six foot tall you’ll struggle to find enough headroom in the back thanks to the sloping roofline, and a wide transmission tunnel means there's really only comfortable space for two passengers in the rear.

Value for money

Jaguar has stocked the XF with lots of standard equipment. All models come with xenon headlights, electric seats, cruise control, climate control, leather interior and touchscreen sat-nav as standard. Plus, you get nice touches like the gear stick that rises up when you turn on the ignition and air vents that open automatically. List prices are competitive for its class – updates in 2010 brought the Luxury specification's price down and upgraded a lot of the equipment - and resale values are pretty strong given Jaguar's resurgent brand profile. 

Running costs

The latest XF added a more efficient 2.2-litre diesel engine that considerably cut running costs and is far and away the most economical engine available. Capable of returning 52.3mpg and emitting 149g/km of CO2, it makes perfect sense for most drivers. Jaguar also says that it can cover 800 miles on only one tank of diesel. Compare it to the V6 diesel, which returns 44.8mpg and emits 169g/km, and the 30mpg and 224g/km of the V6 petrol and it's easy to see what a difference the smaller but still powerful 2.2-litre diesel makes to costs. The 3.0-litre petrol and turbodiesel V6 engines are efficient, but the petrol costs nearly as much to run as 5.0-litre V8 model – with its 26.8mpg economy and 249g/km emissions. Also, insurance and servicing won’t be cheap, but owner satisfaction is high, with the XF placing fifth in the 2012 Driver Power survey.