RE: Jaguar XF S: Driven

[CambsBill]

kambites said:

Obviously there's a limit to what you can tell from pictures, but surely I can't be the only one thinking the Jaguar interior looks nice and the BMW one looks vile?

You're not. Why is it that BMW and MB both now think it's a good idea to instal satnavs that look like they're an afterthought?

[anonymous-user]

CambsBill said:

You're not. Why is it that BMW and MB both now think it's a good idea to instal satnavs that look like they're an afterthought?

They do it because the common man will wk until his balls go flat over something new and different that others can see is new and different. No point having a giant screen in your car if it's subtle and people might not notice it.

I always liked the Volvo screens that folded away or withdrew into the dash when not in use. I even liked the joystick on the back of the steering wheel to operate it, miles better than a touchscreen as you could see the screen itself from the corner of your eye and navigate menus entirely by touch.

[anonymous-user]

dme123 said:

100% with you on that. The BMW is rather "Aiwa Stereo circa 1995".

Sales don't lie I'm afraid, there's a reason why Jag are also-rans. It's not about us, the 'enthusiasts', it's about everyone else. Supply and demand.

[anonymous-user]

had ham said:

dme123 said:

100% with you on that. The BMW is rather "Aiwa Stereo circa 1995".

Sales don't lie I'm afraid, there's a reason why Jag are also-rans. It's not about us, the 'enthusiasts', it's about everyone else. Supply and demand.

Absolutely true, what is depressing is that historically there have been a few manufacturers serving the small population of people who are after more than gaudy baubels but have a budget of less than £250k. Now they are all chasing the tasteless masses. It's as if the only food options available were "Chicken Tonight" or a trip to somewhere with a Michelin star or three. Nothing whatsoever in the middle.

[Murphy16]

I really want to like Jaguar, but it's hard to want this over a well specced 340i that'd be cheaper aswel

[kambites]

had ham said:

dme123 said:

100% with you on that. The BMW is rather "Aiwa Stereo circa 1995".

Sales don't lie I'm afraid, there's a reason why Jag are also-rans. It's not about us, the 'enthusiasts', it's about everyone else. Supply and demand.

Indeed, clearly customers want vile interiors.

[Mike335i]

dme123 said:

kambites said:

Obviously there's a limit to what you can tell from pictures, but surely I can't be the only one thinking the Jaguar interior looks nice and the BMW one looks vile?

100% with you on that. The BMW is rather "Aiwa Stereo circa 1995".

That picture does make it look horrific, but in reality the new 5 is rather lovely inside. I had a midrange one for a few days and I really liked it inside. The tech that impressed the most was the full colour HUD that showed speed, phone menu and Sat nav instructions right in your eyeliner. The leather was their basic effort but was nice enough, the woodgrain was subtle and the quality felt really high. The nav screen could have been integrated better, but it is much better than and the Mercedes stick on effect.

On the flip side, exterior was bland, engine was coarse, gearbox sapped all the fun out driving it and the damn thing was longer than a generous Tesco parking bay.

[mighty badger]

sidesauce said:

That colour is stunning.

I'm obviously biased but I love the those kinda blues on fast jags. this is my XFR in Spectrum Blue; in sunlight it is much brighter, similar to the S in the article, and it has a superb chameleon thing going on

[2 GKC]

On the flip side, exterior was bland, engine was coarse, gearbox sapped all the fun out driving it and the damn thing was longer than a generous Tesco parking bay.
[/quote]

By coarse, do you mean diesel? That's not a criticism I've heard aimed at many BMW engines

[otolith]

had ham said:

Sales don't lie I'm afraid, there's a reason why Jag are also-rans. It's not about us, the 'enthusiasts', it's about everyone else. Supply and demand.

While that's true, it's also the case that sometimes a manufacturer can carve out a substantial niche by offering something different. They may not dominate the market with that approach, but it may be enough market share. Brands like Jaguar and Alfa should not be aping German aesthetics in their cabins, IMO.

[FN2TypeR]

dme123 said:

I want to like these. I personally don't give a st about the infotainment stuff so long as I can pair with bluetooth, the actual audio quality is excellent, and I can play from USB/iPhone through a cable to it charges at the same time. As such the somewhat noncompetitive toys don't bother me very much at all. What kills it for me is the disappointing design and even more disappointing quality of the interior, and what makes this worse is that this has always been a Jaguar strength. Even the interior colour choices are horrible, it's either black or really wky two tone seats.

I'm currently liking the Volvo S90/V90 but they don't drive nearly as well and the engines options are hopeless. I want the interior from the Volvo with the chassis and powertrain of the Jaguar!

That would be a smashing pairing, true. Those Volvo interiors are streets ahead of anything the Germans are putting out at the moment IMO

[FN2TypeR]

Wills2 said:

Limpet said:

The interior is a big step back from the original, IMO.

I'm sorry but that looks bloody awful, a dated mess of materials and finishes.

The current XF is a good looking car but the interior needs to be more like this:

Edited by Wills2 on Thursday 10th August 21:18

That is fking ghastly

[RS Grant]

Say what you want about the interior, at least it 'grips good and composure very nice' when you make use of the 380bhp.

Cheers,
Grant

[Dragon1972]

I've had BMWs for the last 10 years but switched to an XF in March as I fancied a change. I agree that the interior quality isn't quite up to BMW standards and the electrics are still a little dodgy, but the infotainment system isn't far off BMW Professional standards as long as you upgrade to the PRO package. The basic system is shockingly slow and unresponsive. If my budget hadn't allowed me to upgrade to the PRO system I would have stayed with BMW. My XF is a heavily optioned 2.0D RSport and it is a lovely place to cover a lot of miles in. In my opinion one of the best things about the car is the handling. If you want to make an MSport BMW handle properly you have to pay a fortune for optional suspension packages, even then the ride is harsh. The RSport XF handles rides and handles beautifully as standard. BMW seats are better though, even the 14 way electric seats in my XF are not as comfy as the manual sports seats in my last BMW.
A colleague got his new 5 series the same time I got the XF. His car is lovely, but I prefer my Jag.

[Matt Bird]

otolith said:

The latter two are fairly objective - what aspects of the perceived quality did you think let it down?

A few of the plastics lower down, the feel of a few buttons, that sort of thing. Just from experience of the Mercedes and BMW I would say the Jaguar isn't quite as good.

[Mike335i]

2 GKC said:

By coarse, do you mean diesel? That's not a criticism I've heard aimed at many BMW engines

Yeah it was a gravelly diesel. The sport mode on the box made it rev out to the redline when pushed which was rather pointless and noisy.

Maybe I'm just spoilt by the 6 pot petrol and by rarely having to use diesels anymore, but it just sounded so strained. I can imagine the 540i being lovely, just a shame about that flipping gearbox though.

[otolith]

Matt Bird said:

otolith said:

The latter two are fairly objective - what aspects of the perceived quality did you think let it down?

A few of the plastics lower down, the feel of a few buttons, that sort of thing. Just from experience of the Mercedes and BMW I would say the Jaguar isn't quite as good.

OK. Yes, that might concern some people.

[BenjiS]

otolith said:

had ham said:

Sales don't lie I'm afraid, there's a reason why Jag are also-rans. It's not about us, the 'enthusiasts', it's about everyone else. Supply and demand.

While that's true, it's also the case that sometimes a manufacturer can carve out a substantial niche by offering something different. They may not dominate the market with that approach, but it may be enough market share. Brands like Jaguar and Alfa should not be aping German aesthetics in their cabins, IMO.

I don't believe Jaguar are particularly interested in dominating the market either. BMW build and sell more 3 series than Jaguar sell across their whole range. BMW are able to do this, as they're massively bigger than Jaguar. Jaguar sell every single car they can physically make, there's even hefty waiting lists for some.

And to an extent I agree with other posters about the blandness, but once you live with one, you realise actually is elegant simplicity. There is no more than you need in the interior, and what's there is just right. Nothing like the German who festoon the cars with buttons, and don't get me start on the sodding orange lights in BMWs.

[BenjiS]

Murphy16 said:

I really want to like Jaguar, but it's hard to want this over a well specced 340i that'd be cheaper aswel

You're comparing cars from different segments. Compare the 3 series to the XE, and the 5 to the XF.

A 540i of a similar spec is a similar price to the Jag.

[sonnenschein3000]

Wills2 said:

dme123 said:

The BMW is rather "Aiwa Stereo circa 1995".

Oh my, you're right.

Edited by sonnenschein3000 on Friday 11th August 21:41