XFR for young family with petrol-loving father?
Discussion
Hello.
My first time posting on the Jaguar forum, and I hope you can give me some great advice.
I'm considering buying a used XFR; I've been watching them for a little while, and over the last few months they's dropped from circa £40k to less than £30k for a Jag approved car. Which seems like a cracking deal for an elegant Q-car.
I've sorting out a test drive, but would appreciate some feedback from you all on what they're like to own and drive. I used to have a 997 Porsche, but this had to go upon the arrival of a baby-Endorphin, and although I'm not expecting 911-handling, I'd like something that the family can get in (with all the stuff we now need to take) and be fun to drive. Some key questions I have are: What is the gearbox like in paddle-mode? Is it responsive? Does it feel too sedate and calm? Any known issues to look out for when buying?
I'm not too bothered about fuel consumption (we have a Golf for pottering about in); I can assume that a supercharged 5l V8 is not exactly built for economy!
Any advice greatly welcomed.
Many thanks,
Endorphin
My first time posting on the Jaguar forum, and I hope you can give me some great advice.
I'm considering buying a used XFR; I've been watching them for a little while, and over the last few months they's dropped from circa £40k to less than £30k for a Jag approved car. Which seems like a cracking deal for an elegant Q-car.
I've sorting out a test drive, but would appreciate some feedback from you all on what they're like to own and drive. I used to have a 997 Porsche, but this had to go upon the arrival of a baby-Endorphin, and although I'm not expecting 911-handling, I'd like something that the family can get in (with all the stuff we now need to take) and be fun to drive. Some key questions I have are: What is the gearbox like in paddle-mode? Is it responsive? Does it feel too sedate and calm? Any known issues to look out for when buying?
I'm not too bothered about fuel consumption (we have a Golf for pottering about in); I can assume that a supercharged 5l V8 is not exactly built for economy!
Any advice greatly welcomed.
Many thanks,
Endorphin
There are only 2 things you need to know about the XFR.
This :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Kwccn9bqI
And this :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa5ivpJwmIQ
This :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Kwccn9bqI
And this :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa5ivpJwmIQ
Endorphin said:
Brilliant stuff. That second clip is amazing - what a noise. I really don't need persuading on that front, Lthough I can't let the other-half hear that as she'll think I'm buying some outrageous sportscar ;-)
You utter utter b
d. I never thought they were that cheap. I've just got an insurance quote too, and it comes inthe same as the Audi A5. I'm now trying not to justify it. 20k miles a year will see me using another £2k a year in fuel. Not massive. Oh god s
t fk bollux. Quality is superficial, build is not up to German standards, LSD is iffy, leather looks artificial, gearbox is all over the place for first 4 miles or so, brakes are grabby, sunroof can rattle.
I came into mine (brand new fac order) from a CLS55 and took a huge hit selling after a year but I hated it.
I came into mine (brand new fac order) from a CLS55 and took a huge hit selling after a year but I hated it.
I've still got mine after 2 and a bit years and still rate it as the perfect car for the job.
I sometimes forget how capable the handling is - just yesterday I was "making progress" with the family all on board (2 of them asleep) and the way the car flowed with the road made me say to the wife "wow this car is good" as we pulled on to the drive.
You can drive it like a normal comfy saloon most of the time (yes, I'm also getting old) but it really comes alive when you're in the mood.
I find the gearbox and paddles to be excellent.
I sometimes forget how capable the handling is - just yesterday I was "making progress" with the family all on board (2 of them asleep) and the way the car flowed with the road made me say to the wife "wow this car is good" as we pulled on to the drive.
You can drive it like a normal comfy saloon most of the time (yes, I'm also getting old) but it really comes alive when you're in the mood.
I find the gearbox and paddles to be excellent.
Had an XFR for 18 months. I would highly recommend it to you. It costs £350 per year for ordinary service, £1000 for a full set of tyres, £460 road tax and typical insurance for a top category car. Performance is impressive and comfort is excellent. I would recommend an aftermarket exhaust and be very specific of the spec prior to buying.
Look up what you could have had with it, if you had brought it new and think about which options you would like. Lots of cars have the basic spec, only a few had everything, I was lucky and found one with nearly the lot. Personally, I love heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise, 440W stereo, reversing camera and blind spot monitoring.
I have a baby seat in the back, tinted windows to reduce the sun glare and I am presently on the hunt for a G-suit for the little one to help with the cornering forces. Not necessary when the traction control (wife) is in the car however.
Lastly consider the depreciation. The value is falling like a stone at the moment, nearly £1000 per month. I am hoping that the XFR brand will stop at £20,000 and then slowly creep down.
Look up what you could have had with it, if you had brought it new and think about which options you would like. Lots of cars have the basic spec, only a few had everything, I was lucky and found one with nearly the lot. Personally, I love heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise, 440W stereo, reversing camera and blind spot monitoring.
I have a baby seat in the back, tinted windows to reduce the sun glare and I am presently on the hunt for a G-suit for the little one to help with the cornering forces. Not necessary when the traction control (wife) is in the car however.
Lastly consider the depreciation. The value is falling like a stone at the moment, nearly £1000 per month. I am hoping that the XFR brand will stop at £20,000 and then slowly creep down.
Edited by T0b1esH on Monday 30th January 11:47
We were in the same situation and shortlisted the XFR.
Yes, it can fit a large pram into boot with enough space to throw in other bits too. So that bit is resolved, now onto the important part, you, the driver.
The XFR introduced new features to the XF setup which were absent from the SV8 (4.2ltr) intro model. With the 5.0 V8 came 'dynamic mode' which raises Jags game in the 'sports car' world. Pressing the button, alters numerous settings, from throttle response, steering sensitivity, suspension adaption and gearbox liveliness. In short it turns the car from a lux-saloon into a fire breathing dragon. Having come from XKR's, I found the car to be an absolute giggle and tremendous fun to drive. It sounds great, has a awesome ride and most importantly is a very comfy place to sit. The seats are brill imho. I've been out in the car both on Jag track days and the open road and I can say I just loved it. The come fully kitted out, so just choose your colour.
One PH'er found the gearbox to be a bit black and white for his liking (to eager to drop a cog with small inputs of accelerator, bad?)
Anyway, let us know your thoughts after that test drive.
Yes, it can fit a large pram into boot with enough space to throw in other bits too. So that bit is resolved, now onto the important part, you, the driver.
The XFR introduced new features to the XF setup which were absent from the SV8 (4.2ltr) intro model. With the 5.0 V8 came 'dynamic mode' which raises Jags game in the 'sports car' world. Pressing the button, alters numerous settings, from throttle response, steering sensitivity, suspension adaption and gearbox liveliness. In short it turns the car from a lux-saloon into a fire breathing dragon. Having come from XKR's, I found the car to be an absolute giggle and tremendous fun to drive. It sounds great, has a awesome ride and most importantly is a very comfy place to sit. The seats are brill imho. I've been out in the car both on Jag track days and the open road and I can say I just loved it. The come fully kitted out, so just choose your colour.
One PH'er found the gearbox to be a bit black and white for his liking (to eager to drop a cog with small inputs of accelerator, bad?)
Anyway, let us know your thoughts after that test drive.
I should add I went on a superb Jag test day and the XFR I drove on that day was a different car, the XKRs was sublime and the XJ super sport wafty (but ugly back end) - I think mine just wasn't right - the new owner lost the rear diff soon after getting it and I'm told if failing it can present itself as a myriad of other driving faults.
Drive one and try it - best way.
Drive one and try it - best way.
Thank you for all the helpful and insightful responses - I am now really, really looking forward to the test drive. It all sounds very good and spot on for us.
And thanks for making me smile with the best definition of traction control I've heard in a while!
Will let you know what Ithbought after the test drive.
E
And thanks for making me smile with the best definition of traction control I've heard in a while!
Will let you know what I
E
I use one as my daily driver and we invariably use it when we go out as a family. It is plenty roomy enough and has the right attitude for all occasions - it is a superb comfy cruiser and fine in traffic yet I can scare myself every day in it. The quality is a bit down on other German stuff but I don't think you will find it far below a 997 in that respect. The gearbox is probably the best traditional auto available anywhere - it really isn't noticeably slower to change than a VW DSG and is a bit more relaxed. I certainly haven't found it too eager to kick down or hunt for the right gear. It isn't noisy enough for my liking and there are a few minor design and quality annoyances, but no more than in any car, in my experience. You won't regret it - go for it!
I tried one when looking for my current car.
Positives - performance was really strong and the interior had some lovely touches
Negatives - build quality didnt feel the best and had a slight softness to it, felt more at the comfort end of the sporting scale
The other thing that put me off was the residuals.
In the end I chose the M5 over this (and e63AMG) as the best character and balance between hardcore and living with it.
Overall the XF-R was just a little too soft in comparison.
S
Positives - performance was really strong and the interior had some lovely touches
Negatives - build quality didnt feel the best and had a slight softness to it, felt more at the comfort end of the sporting scale
The other thing that put me off was the residuals.
In the end I chose the M5 over this (and e63AMG) as the best character and balance between hardcore and living with it.
Overall the XF-R was just a little too soft in comparison.
S
DSLiverpool said:
Quality is superficial, build is not up to German standards, LSD is iffy, leather looks artificial, gearbox is all over the place for first 4 miles or so, brakes are grabby, sunroof can rattle.
I came into mine (brand new fac order) from a CLS55 and took a huge hit selling after a year but I hated it.
This was also my experience. Most unreliable car i have ever owned. Sold mine after 18 months after over 30 visits to the dealerI came into mine (brand new fac order) from a CLS55 and took a huge hit selling after a year but I hated it.
Best daily driver I have ever owned. It was a leap of faith for me, coming from a string of German cars, the last before the Jag being a V8 RS6. I have not been disappointed. I guess it depends what you value most - the build quality is not quite as good as the Germans (but still pretty decent), but the driving experience is a step up in my books. The XFR suspension strikes the best balance between comfort and performance, IMO. The journalists and hardcore brand supporters get carried away with performance numbers and tend to forget these are road cars.
As for reliability, there have been several issues: 2 recalls (both proactive for me, as neither item had gone wrong), the sunroof rattle, a rear blind rattle, and a defective (bent from day 1) wheel. Compare that with 2 broken suspensions (well known DRC defect), and a few minor electrical issues on the RS6, and it doesn't look bad! When taken all together, the German cars I've had were more reliable than the Jag, though.
See my other post here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
As for reliability, there have been several issues: 2 recalls (both proactive for me, as neither item had gone wrong), the sunroof rattle, a rear blind rattle, and a defective (bent from day 1) wheel. Compare that with 2 broken suspensions (well known DRC defect), and a few minor electrical issues on the RS6, and it doesn't look bad! When taken all together, the German cars I've had were more reliable than the Jag, though.
See my other post here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
So, I had a test drive of an XFR. Overall, it lives up to the picture you all helped to paint, but here's what struck me.
In the flesh, the XFR has a lovely subtle yet muscular stance, particularly around the front three-quarter view. Even the headlights are OK (they're balanced by the deeper front bumper).
Now, let's be honest. It's a big, grown-up saloon car, albeit one with the heart of a jet-fighter, and I was expecting a cavernous, detached feel to the cabin. So getting into a cabin with a cosy, intimate feel, primarily due to the piercing roofline, was a pleasant surprise. I had a poke around, and there's lovely leather on top of the dash and an elegant simplicity to the overall design, but it feels a little off in places; the touchscreen is too far away for my short arms to easily reach; the indicator stalks feel a little cheap; the dials could be more elegantly-simple and modern (I think they've done this on the facelift?); some of the switchgear feels a bit Akai stereo circa 1989 when pushed (a more positive action would be welcomed). But don't get me wrong, it's a nice place to be and that intimate feel is definitely more important.
And then you push the start button. Thankfully, the vents rotate and gear-dial rotate silently as the engine instantly, yet a little distantly, rumbles to life. I had to give the throttle a blip - as you any of you would - and that's the best bit. I've never owned a V8 and, to be honest, had always dismissed them as ever so slightly agricultural. How wrong I was. Gorgeous.
Turned the gear dial to D (later to S), off we go. I do think you can tell if a car's well set-up pretty quickly and the XFR felt good straight off. I actually thought it would feel more insulated from the road, but it felt nicely keyed-in and responsive, in a very comfortable, direct, cohesive way. No slack, just a well-balanced filtering by suspension and steering. It just felt good and I wanted to drive more, which is the ultimate criteria, surely.
Performance is adequate. For astronauts. For the rest of us it's a serious problem. It's such easy, refined performance that you could stray into territory that will make PC Plod call in air support of the Eurofighter kind. Not that I did, m'lud. Of course, it does the easy cruise with barely a toe on the throttle, which is also nice. But push on past 4500rpm and then you start to hear the engine and the whole experience begins to match the reality of your speed (apparently). Changing gear, the paddles work instantly, though in dynamic mode I found the down-changes occasionally a little less than smooth, which is at odds with the graceful power of the rest of the car. I'd love a manual, but as that's not an option, I won't fuss about it, and I don't feel to be missing out much with the auto, such is the poise of the chassis and steering - you still feel connected and involved.
I could go on about boot space for kid's stuff etc, but I'd rather not. That's a given. The fact is, I thought it was a great car. It feels smooth, it feels connected to the road, it's fun to drive hard, easy to drive in a relaxed manner. Yes, there's a few details I'd change, but what car doesn't have those? This is a lovely, nimble, deceptively fast, and cool motorcar. It's cool because it's not the widely known entity that is an M5; because it's subtle, understated, and ruthlessly capable when you want it to be. And, if the price is right (they've dropped below £30k in some cases), it's maybe the sophisticated, grown-up performance bargain of the moment.
Now, off to start negotiations.
E
In the flesh, the XFR has a lovely subtle yet muscular stance, particularly around the front three-quarter view. Even the headlights are OK (they're balanced by the deeper front bumper).
Now, let's be honest. It's a big, grown-up saloon car, albeit one with the heart of a jet-fighter, and I was expecting a cavernous, detached feel to the cabin. So getting into a cabin with a cosy, intimate feel, primarily due to the piercing roofline, was a pleasant surprise. I had a poke around, and there's lovely leather on top of the dash and an elegant simplicity to the overall design, but it feels a little off in places; the touchscreen is too far away for my short arms to easily reach; the indicator stalks feel a little cheap; the dials could be more elegantly-simple and modern (I think they've done this on the facelift?); some of the switchgear feels a bit Akai stereo circa 1989 when pushed (a more positive action would be welcomed). But don't get me wrong, it's a nice place to be and that intimate feel is definitely more important.
And then you push the start button. Thankfully, the vents rotate and gear-dial rotate silently as the engine instantly, yet a little distantly, rumbles to life. I had to give the throttle a blip - as you any of you would - and that's the best bit. I've never owned a V8 and, to be honest, had always dismissed them as ever so slightly agricultural. How wrong I was. Gorgeous.
Turned the gear dial to D (later to S), off we go. I do think you can tell if a car's well set-up pretty quickly and the XFR felt good straight off. I actually thought it would feel more insulated from the road, but it felt nicely keyed-in and responsive, in a very comfortable, direct, cohesive way. No slack, just a well-balanced filtering by suspension and steering. It just felt good and I wanted to drive more, which is the ultimate criteria, surely.
Performance is adequate. For astronauts. For the rest of us it's a serious problem. It's such easy, refined performance that you could stray into territory that will make PC Plod call in air support of the Eurofighter kind. Not that I did, m'lud. Of course, it does the easy cruise with barely a toe on the throttle, which is also nice. But push on past 4500rpm and then you start to hear the engine and the whole experience begins to match the reality of your speed (apparently). Changing gear, the paddles work instantly, though in dynamic mode I found the down-changes occasionally a little less than smooth, which is at odds with the graceful power of the rest of the car. I'd love a manual, but as that's not an option, I won't fuss about it, and I don't feel to be missing out much with the auto, such is the poise of the chassis and steering - you still feel connected and involved.
I could go on about boot space for kid's stuff etc, but I'd rather not. That's a given. The fact is, I thought it was a great car. It feels smooth, it feels connected to the road, it's fun to drive hard, easy to drive in a relaxed manner. Yes, there's a few details I'd change, but what car doesn't have those? This is a lovely, nimble, deceptively fast, and cool motorcar. It's cool because it's not the widely known entity that is an M5; because it's subtle, understated, and ruthlessly capable when you want it to be. And, if the price is right (they've dropped below £30k in some cases), it's maybe the sophisticated, grown-up performance bargain of the moment.
Now, off to start negotiations.
E
Endorphin said:
Performance is adequate. For astronauts. For the rest of us it's a serious problem. It's such easy, refined performance that you could stray into territory that will make PC Plod call in air support of the Eurofighter kind.
I like this bit and will shamelessly steal it as my own in future discussions about the XFR.A good review and very fair - matches my own opinion on the XFR. It has a certain "wobbliness" in quality that might be endearing if it wasn't so easy to have avoided in the first place. The switchgear feel is a good example - poor quality of interactive experience with a function that is perfectly good quality (all the features work great and are well thought out) - and is similar to the B&W stereo. The slow and clunky interface is only worth bearing with because the quality of the sound is so damned good when you are done selecting what you wanted to hear!
It isn't a perfect car, but it is perfect in all the ways that should really matter to an enthusiastic driver. Good luck with the buying!
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