RE: PH Fleet Update: Jaguar XFR
Friday 26th March 2010
Good-byee, good-byee...Oh woe is us, etc. A bloke from Jaguar turned up yesterday demanding that we hand-over the keys to our long-term XFR test car. Of course we pretended not to be in at first, but the sound of garments being rent asunder gave the game away. (And no, we don't know why PHer Mr Will keeps doing that in the office...)
Wipe a tear, wipe a tear from your eye-eeOn top of all this, our Jag has provided the sort of emotional engagement you don't find in most mainstream executive cars these days, because it always meant something a bit special to say: "Let's take the Jag".
PH Fleet Update: Jaguar XFR
Here be wailing and gnashing of teeth - the PH Jag has gone back to Gaydon
Good-byee, good-byee...
We'll be running a worthy tribute to this magnificent machine when the period of official mourning has ended. Suffice to say for now, that six months or more with the XFR has reinforced our conviction that there isn't a better high-performance all-rounder available anywhere at anything like the money.
Since it was passed to our tender care, the XFR has more than proved its worth. It's done sterling service as a relaxed high-speed motorway express over serious distances, provided thrilling stints of boisterous B-road blasting, then doubled-up as practical everyday family runabout and even as a Christmas tree transporter.
Wipe a tear, wipe a tear from your eye-ee
So it's going to take something equally special to fill the XFR's space in the PistonHeads car park...
Discussion
I ran first a V8 then an R type S-Type, none of the looks of the XFR but from what ive read exactly the same level of emotional attachment. Mine wasnt perfect, had to go back to Jag for a month due to airbag issues but they loaned me an XJ for the period so I wasnt worried. I eventually swapped it for an E39 M5, a car I had always wanted but you know what, the Jag has much nicer steering, a better ride and build quality and a more responsive and wilder sounding engine. The M5 was a tad faster straight line and had better brakes (the Jag would fade on cross country twisties..shows how much fun I was having). The M5 was incidentally not without reliability issues. And at the end of the day I never look back and wish i still had the M5 (or the other 5 E39's that I owned in the past) but I do still look at the classifieds at R-types...still miss the ugly bugger!
leicesterboy15 said:
I want one! Been thinking about swapping my 540i for an XJR but this will definately be mine in 5 years! How was the reliability? Did anything break?
Nothing broke or went wrong at all, and it generally seemed really well screwed together. It did go back to Jaguar a couple of times to be checked out after they 'borrowed' it back for track day demos, which I mention only for transparency as it seemed to be more of an 'elf and safety' issue than anything else. (They only put brake pads and a set of tyres on it, I believe.)
Build quality, switchgear, fascia, everything just felt really solid.
, or rather Chris is. Of which more some other time...I love my S-Type. It might be diesel but it's properly refined, has a lovely interior and eats miles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gets me to the highlands from Northampton with still a good 1/4 tank of fuel left and c.38-40mpg on a run.
Done 30K in the last year tanking up and down to London and back and it just doesn't miss a beat. The great thing is, whenever i need to pull out of a junction or pass a parked car on a narrow street and someone is coming the other way.....they always give way or let me out. General public and other drivers stare as it drives by or passes traffic on the motorway.
You don't get that in a beemer!!
Done 30K in the last year tanking up and down to London and back and it just doesn't miss a beat. The great thing is, whenever i need to pull out of a junction or pass a parked car on a narrow street and someone is coming the other way.....they always give way or let me out. General public and other drivers stare as it drives by or passes traffic on the motorway.
You don't get that in a beemer!!
ScoobieWRX said:
I love my S-Type. It might be diesel but it's properly refined, has a lovely interior and eats miles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gets me to the highlands from Northampton with still a good 1/4 tank of fuel left and c.38-40mpg on a run.
Done 30K in the last year tanking up and down to London and back and it just doesn't miss a beat. The great thing is, whenever i need to pull out of a junction or pass a parked car on a narrow street and someone is coming the other way.....they always give way or let me out. General public and other drivers stare as it drives by or passes traffic on the motorway.
You don't get that in a beemer!!
But I do get 48-50 mpg in my 5-series on the motorway Done 30K in the last year tanking up and down to London and back and it just doesn't miss a beat. The great thing is, whenever i need to pull out of a junction or pass a parked car on a narrow street and someone is coming the other way.....they always give way or let me out. General public and other drivers stare as it drives by or passes traffic on the motorway.
You don't get that in a beemer!!
I so wanted S-Type, but when my last contract hire finished they had stopped selling the S-Type and the XF was just too pricey for the spec compared with the 5, gutted (no S) and gutted (no XF). I now console myself with mpg's 
MPG isn't everything although nowadays it's a damn site more important than it ever was.
The MPG i quoted is at a steady 85-90mph with the missus and a bootful of junk for the outlaws in Scotland on the way up. On the way back i've seen 41-42 with an empty boot.
I have to say though i think the S Type looks much better than a 5 series. The last good looking beemer i ever owned was a white 1974 2002 Tii, and that was 23yrs ago
The MPG i quoted is at a steady 85-90mph with the missus and a bootful of junk for the outlaws in Scotland on the way up. On the way back i've seen 41-42 with an empty boot.
I have to say though i think the S Type looks much better than a 5 series. The last good looking beemer i ever owned was a white 1974 2002 Tii, and that was 23yrs ago
I have a S type R 2002 (68K, FJSH)with some performance upgrades and with 420bhp on tap its a proper powerhouse and all wrapped up in leather and wood!!
I had a XJR before this and that got lots of looks.....well it would of because it was in a mean and moody black with black leather combo.
Both brilliant cars and surprisingly reliable..never had jags before these 2 (mainly a big engine BMW driver) but i cant really fault them. They also provide incredible value as well as trying to source a similarly specced BM/Merc?audi would cost more, although a lot of top end Mercs are also great value as well...but nowhere as charismatic as the Jag.
I will be selling my beloved STR very soon as a house sale will force me to sell, but it will cause huge upset as the kids love the car too.
The "R" version of the big cats are wonderful, relentless power delivery and value for money. I will hate selling mine but then again someone else will get the pleasure of owning one of these bruisers
I had a XJR before this and that got lots of looks.....well it would of because it was in a mean and moody black with black leather combo.
Both brilliant cars and surprisingly reliable..never had jags before these 2 (mainly a big engine BMW driver) but i cant really fault them. They also provide incredible value as well as trying to source a similarly specced BM/Merc?audi would cost more, although a lot of top end Mercs are also great value as well...but nowhere as charismatic as the Jag.
I will be selling my beloved STR very soon as a house sale will force me to sell, but it will cause huge upset as the kids love the car too.
The "R" version of the big cats are wonderful, relentless power delivery and value for money. I will hate selling mine but then again someone else will get the pleasure of owning one of these bruisers
Took an XFR for a test drive today...used to have a RS4 B7 and currently have a GT-R. I miss the V8 for sure so was interested in the XFR. Overall impressions are it's a lovely car. Very smooth and comfortable and no doubt an effortless cruiser. Far too quiet as standard - surely if you buy a V8 you want to hear it? I felt the steering was a bit detached and woolly but that's my impression. I thought it was quick enough and a nice looking car too.
So, would I have one over my GT-R? Hmm, not sure. With the GT-R it's just so capable in every department but not such a comfortable ride obviously. But they are two different animals and I'm kind of done with the speed thing that seems to rule the GT-R. Maybe it's my age but I'm tempted Imust admit. Ideally if I could test drive one over a weekend maybe that would provide the answer.
Thoughts welcome
So, would I have one over my GT-R? Hmm, not sure. With the GT-R it's just so capable in every department but not such a comfortable ride obviously. But they are two different animals and I'm kind of done with the speed thing that seems to rule the GT-R. Maybe it's my age but I'm tempted Imust admit. Ideally if I could test drive one over a weekend maybe that would provide the answer.
Thoughts welcome
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