Jag XF. How ruinous?

[eltax91]

Hi all

A potential new job offer looms and the car allowance rules stipulate that one must drive something 'suitable' for my position. The current octavia hack would not count, so, at the ripe old age of 29 I'm considering a Jag.

The XF, of around 2009 with the 2.7d engine keeps popping up in my search. Although at the prices they are there is not much left over from my car allowance as a contingency. I would buy from dealer with a short warranty which would cover the finance period so the contingency would be much better after year 1.

So, how ruinous will it be to maintain/fix/service such a machine?

[Fleckers]

i have a december 2007 s type so similar running gear

look at about £400 for a service, about 35+ mpg, tyres will be about £200 a corner

to be honest I am still not a fan of the XF whihc is why I still have the S type, but the XF estate is looking good to me, just want a year or 18 monther to come up

[V88Dicky]

Unless you do lots of mileage, I'd avoid the 2.7d. Far more problems than any of the petrol engines of that era.

Just my 2p.

[Rob P]

If they insist on a prestigious car then surely they should be paying you enough allowance to comfortably afford a nice Jag?

[eltax91]

Rob P said:

If they insist on a prestigious car then surely they should be paying you enough allowance to comfortably afford a nice Jag?

You make a fair point. They are not insisting on "prestiguos", more giving some restrictions around age and suggesting that "sheds" won't do. The XF came up as my favourite from a bunch of choices, I just need a change from the humdrum of VAG. They also are paying fairly handsomly, but my current position means the first car I buy will swallow all my allowance for the 1st year, then it will be paid off and run from the same generous allowance, I'm hoping this hsould give me a nice cash pot over the subsequent 2 years for me to build up to the next car. Please feel free to turn this into a what car and suggest something else.

I will be doing big mileages (30k a year), so will need to go for a comfortable Diesel.

[frosted]

A nice 3litre diesel Audi A6

[Fox-]

Rob P said:

If they insist on a prestigious car then surely they should be paying you enough allowance to comfortably afford a nice Jag?

Sadly most companies beleive 'prestigious' is a 61 plate Focus Econetic and 'Not prestigious' is an 'old car' like a 2004 E Class Mercedes on a private plate..

[Donatello]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3859766.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3600701.htm

Not sure if they are too expensive?

[MoonMonkey]

frosted said:

A nice 3litre diesel Audi A6

I've just bought one and would agree with that.

[FunBusMk2]

Donatello said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3859766.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3600701.htm

Not sure if they are too expensive?

A £48k 535d and a £43k 730d are considerably over budget I'd say. You can get a 2009 (the approximate year the OP is looking at) XF for less than half either of those.

[MoonMonkey]

The Crack Fox said:

I think some are confusing the XF for the X-type, and an Audi as being interesting

Who said anything about interesting

Seriously though the OP is thinking about an XF and I'm a big fan, really I am. However, he is obviously trying to work to a budget whilst securing something reliable, comfy and will look good in the corporate car park.

I've just (in the last few weeks) got myself an A6 3.0 tdi quattro that ticks all the above boxes yet cost me less than £9k...

[Dracoro]

Fleckers said:

i have a december 2007 s type so similar running gear

look at about £400 for a service, about 35+ mpg, tyres will be about £200 a corner

to be honest I am still not a fan of the XF whihc is why I still have the S type, but the XF estate is looking good to me, just want a year or 18 monther to come up

I think you're thinking of the X type, the OP is considering the XF which is a completely different car. (Unless they have released an estate XF, I'd like that!)

[BoostMonkey]

Dracoro said:

I think you're thinking of the X type, the OP is considering the XF which is a completely different car. (Unless they have released an estate XF, I'd like that!)

Have you been living in a cave? XF Sportsbreak, google it.

[Dracoro]

BoostMonkey said:

Dracoro said:

I think you're thinking of the X type, the OP is considering the XF which is a completely different car. (Unless they have released an estate XF, I'd like that!)

Have you been living in a cave? XF Sportsbreak, google it.

I'm aware of magazine "speculation" but nothing been released has it? Certainly not on Jags website, you can't go out an buy one now can you?

[excel monkey]

Dracoro said:

Certainly not on Jags website

http://www.jaguar.com/gl/en/xf_sportbrake/

[McSam]

BoostMonkey said:

Dracoro said:

I think you're thinking of the X type, the OP is considering the XF which is a completely different car. (Unless they have released an estate XF, I'd like that!)

Have you been living in a cave? XF Sportsbreak, google it.

You're unlikely to get much with that, but Sportbrake might work

[Dracoro]

excel monkey said:

Dracoro said:

Certainly not on Jags website

http://www.jaguar.com/gl/en/xf_sportbrake/

Well, call me blind and buy me some glasses I didn't even see it on their front page (I just clicked XF and thought I'd find it there )

They're not for sale yet though are they?

[monthefish]

frosted said:

A nice 3litre diesel Audi A6

(I'm sure it's a wonderful car etc etc etc)

[eltax91]

FunBusMk2 said:

Donatello said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3859766.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3600701.htm

Not sure if they are too expensive?

A £48k 535d and a £43k 730d are considerably over budget I'd say. You can get a 2009 (the approximate year the OP is looking at) XF for less than half either of those.

Yeah, that's about right. I'd be looking in the sub £16k bracket.
As I appear to have left it too open, here is the company allowance criteria:-

• £650 pcm (after tax)
• less than 5 years old
• 5 seats
• Must be "customer acceptable"

My Criteria:-

• Comfortable for the motorway
• Diesel (30k+ miles pa)

I treat the £600 per month as my budget to buy and maintain, fuel, insurance and tax is taken car of from my salary. I have no idea (yet) what "customer acceptable" means, apart from "not my current 54 plate Octavia shed". Whilst it's reliable and relatively low mileage, it's hardly the dicerning choice to take customers to the pub in.

So, I have about £8k ish to put down as a deposit and the rest on finance. My plan would be to spend this plus circa £8k on top which would then be paid off within the first year using my £650 pcm payment. Any servicing/ warranty would have to be negotiated into the price of the car for 1 year. Following that, I runit until it's 5 years old (or sneak a private plate on to it whilst it's still a "current" model), banking the £8k per year towards the deposit of the next car.

So, suggest away, I'm open to suggestion. The budget is very generous compared to my current allowance, but then this place has one criteria that the car must be reliable.

Ta

[fathomfive]

How about a Volvo S80 D5 as an alternative?