[Fraz]

Well I'm going round in circles thinking about this. Can't decide whether to go for the lower mileage luxury spec over the higher mileage Premium Luxury. The PL seems the superior car with, better leather and some useful additional features, it didn't appear as immaculate although it hadn't been valeted. I guess the timing belt would need doing on both cars fairly soon. But the luxury with just 44k on the clock seems a bargain. Wondering what people think should I go for, they are near exactly the same price?

 

[Fraz]

Thanks, I'll get some sleep and check back in the morning.

 

[Fraz]

In order to be of help, Fraz, maybe the following brief info. will help you along.
First of all, the 2010 xf benefited from several mods. which you can source via your local Jaguar dealer or probably on this site. 'Pekem' will help you if you have any difficulty here.
The 3 liter diesel engine is first class and also reliable. The mileage difference is really insignificant.

Thanks very much for that information Peter, that's really useful to know, especially about the mod's I'm not aware of these and the significance that might make?

Although I've put the holding money on the luxury one, I'm considering going back to view the higher mileage premium luxury car again today, as I'm really in two minds about which car to go for. I've been thinking about the pro's and con's of both. I'm also concerned about the timing belt as I hear that can cost a bit, but it maybe something that my local garage who I really trust can do for much less.

Just in relation to both cars, the below is what's going through my head at this current time. :

The Pro's / Con's of the Grey Luxury I viewed:

• 47k miles (This is an attractive selling point as the mileage is still lowish, same as my own car, so I feel it has plenty of life).
• Immaculate condition inside and out. The car really looked like it had been well kept, some minor marks but overall very lovely condition.
• Really love the grey exterior, this has to be my favorite exterior colour.
• Not quite as keen on the beige leather, a bit more classical rather then contemporary, but it is lovely nevertheless.
• But what happens when it comes to MOT time come August!! The car looks flawless with the condition and low miles, but I only have the verbal assurances of the sales guy but you never know.
• P-Zero Tyre's looked in really good shape, plenty of life left. Alloys looked good, I suppose 18 inch tyre's would come in cheaper then 19 inch in future.
• 3 months warranty so still some peace of mind.
• Overall this is the car that my head says to go with based on it's physical appearance and lower mileage.

vs

The Pro's / Con of the Silver Premium Luxury I viewed

• 70k Miles still gives me several years of motoring before the cam-belt should need doing. But in my mind I ideally wanted something with less then this, the other car seems more of a bargain on pure mileage.
• Slightly newer registration plate 2010 model, not yet sure of the difference this makes other then being a younger car?
• The warranty and inspection service seem superior - The car comes Sytner which is based within a large Guy Salmon Branch, Range Rover Main Dealer. It will have their complete inspection service within this establishment, anything like worn tyres and low pads will be put right. The car will have 6 month full warranty and they will do a full MOT which means, I can relax a little without any worries of unexpected worries.
• I still really like the silver, not as much as the grey but there's not much in it for me on the colour.
• I much prefer the black interior, think the family would prefer the black too. The leather all seemed good and the interior was tidy enough, but It wasn't as immaculate as the other car, the kick plates looked a bit scratched but nothing that couldn't be sorted. To be fair there sales guy explained they had only just received the car, so it hadn't had all the TLC and Sytner treatment yet. I did spot that one of the door window pillars had some small tears in the cloth, that was the only minor niggle but I suppose it could be fixed.
• The premium luxury setup is now attracting me a bit more know you get, better leather, heated seats, windscreen and folding mirrors. I'm not sure if the beige car had heated seats, it states it in the auto trader ad, but I'm not sure tbh.
• Overall this is the car my heart says go with, based on the higher spec, more contemporary interior and being from a bigger main dealer or luxury cars.

I know either car I go for will mean I'm getting a lot of car for the money, but it's a big investment for me, I'm basically putting the rest of the car £7 on finance over the next 5 years so what to make the right choice.

 

[Fraz]

I do about 10k miles a year so nothing to significant, mostly local miles to work and back and trips out with the family. I asked my wife for her opinion, not that she knows much about cars and her only comment was 'don't buy beige, it will be hard to clean!!', that could be telling but I think she prefers black. On test drive car the PL was averaging 33mpg and the L 28mpg, but could just be how it's been driven. I suspect I'll have to go back and see the Synter car again. I'm also still looking around but there doesn't seem to be any trade sales catching my eyes as much as these two deals.

 

[Fraz]

3 years ago i bought a 2009 XFL, and recently replaced it with a 2011 XFPL. The latter has a much higher spec . I'd go for the latter. If you buy the L, you'll like the car so much that you'll just start looking for the higher spec!!!

Now that's tempting me to go with the Premium Luxury.

 

[Fraz]

The only thing that always wears on the xf is the brakes. Particularly the rear brake pads should be looked at as well as the rest from underneath the car when you view it again. I've not heard anything negative regarding the belts to date.
You may have noticed that the 19 inch wheels make the car look lower because the side walls of the tyres are not so high! This can cause the wheel outer peripheries to become grazed when parking if one is a bit careless. However the wheels can be renovated, at a reasonable cost, if damaged.
The wipers are pretty useless when using the windscreen jets so one can have the jet system deactivated and then you use the jets at your own discretion.
Much of these sort of tips you can research on the technical section of this site forum.

They said they'd swap the pads at Sytner if there is any issues with the wear at all. That makes sense regarding the 19 inch alloy's one of two of them did need a refurb but they said they'd take care of. Gosh this is a hard decision to make.

 

[Fraz]

Well I've just heard back from Sainsbury's Finance and I've had my £7500 approved at 3%, so I'm getting there. I've also seen a 3.0 Premium Luxury S, the 275 BHP version in 2010 plate with 54k miles. I'm wondering if I can wangle a deal as it's about £1000 more then the other 2 cars. I've run the insurance quote and comes back about £100 more expensive, but I'm tempted for the extra bhp!! Getting carried away now LOL

 

[Fraz]

Well I'm wondering how much these dealers may come down on this car. I've seen a couple of Premium Luxury S, 3.0's with lowish mileage for £11999 and £11500. I'm hoping I've asked for a few call backs. I know they are having to factor in PX on my car, but I doesn't hurt to try and be cheeky.

 

[Fraz]

You may achieve a better deal if you let the dealer arrange the finance. Some have said it is possible to avail yourself of their funding and then replace it within the cooling off period.
Don't know if that works, no doubt others will have a view or even experience.
In the end it will depend on the costs of finance and any improvement in car deal cost.

Yes Sytner sounded a bit off, that I'd already arranged finance, I think I'd given them the impression I'd go with Black Horse. I don't think the S models are possible, I've done some bargaining over the phone and it seems like there's not a lot of make up in these cars for the dealers, think they are looking at about £500 on each car. I'm probably looking at the Luxury or Premium Luxury!! I'll put the petrol head idea of the 275 Bhp to rest LOL but was worth seeing how much they could come down.

 

[Fraz]

Well I've taken the leap and opted to go for the higher mileage XF Premium Luxury, I hope I've made the right decision, only time will tell.

So I went to view this car again today and I could tell I preferred it, it ticks the boxes, PL spec, black leather, overall condition seems great to the naked eye, no valet or body work had been done, so I could see the car for what it is, warts and all. There are one or two minor cosmetics issues but no eye sores and it should scrub up nicely.

The only minor doubt was the higher mileage, 70k instead of 44k but as some have mentioned this seems insignificant and I suppose the reg is a year newer, so not sure if that counts for much. The car has been fully jaguar serviced 7 or 8 stamps and I'm trusting that these cars appear to be very well made or bullet proof as some have stated.

The dealer will address any minor cosmetics in the bodywork and fully valet the car, refurbish the alloys and change the front two Tyre's that were wearing low. They will MOT the car so I know it's good for 12 months. Their car inspection seems comprehensive. They also upgraded my mechanical and electrical warranty to a full 12 months to sweeten the deal, including labour of up to £75 an hour.I'm hoping the body work and valet will be done to a high standard given it's part of a Guy Salmon range rover dealers and the fact that the jag was one of the cheaper cars there in among, the Porsche's, Nissan GT's and Bentley's .

The only thing that I noticed was at first the air cooler vents weren't moving as the car turned on, but after a quick bit of playing about they seemed to kick into action, I think they might have been left on the permanent open option for a long time, but they seem fine once we got them going.

So all in all I'm paying about £7500 for the car with the trade in on mine, so it seems like a lot of car for the money. I'm not 100% sure I've made the right decision but I feel I've chosen the car I prefer for its colour and spec and my wife doesn't like beige. I did return to the other dealer to get my £59 back on that so saw the other car again, it looked in lovelier condition but then again it had clearly been valeted, polished and waxed so it is hard to compare on that basis. Thanks for everyone's help, I'll let you know how it goes, I should collect the car in a weeks time.

 

[Fraz]

The air vents going up and down have been deactivated on my car and I don't miss that function at all, quite frankly. If you look into the section regarding "my modified Xf" or words to that effect, you will see why I had that done. I had the dash and doors laminated with a wood film to enhance the appearance and felt that the peripheral edges could get rub or catch or rub and hinder the vent movements.
I think your decision is the one I would also have taken, Fraz.

Thanks yes I just wanted to check it was working ok, as if it had one fault there are likely to be more. I can see why people would deactivate it, was just worried the motor had gone or something, but seemed ok.

I'm in two minds as to whether I made the right decision on the car I felt for. I definitely like the car I've purchased based on the interior and the higher spec, but the sensible part of me thinks I should have gone for the lower miles and based on the overall eye test. Both cars drove very well, I couldn't detect any flaws in the ride, transmission or handling.

No going back now though, but it's probably just me worrying as I've had some higher mileage cars in the past (my 2004 730D in particular), that were money pits. Any reassurances at this stage are welcome, a family member has been quick to point out to me that I could have purchased a nearly new or new car for similar money, but I've always dreamed of owning the XF. Just hope the one I've chose will be reliable but I have the warranty for a year, so any issues that need to be addressed will hopefully crop up. The car had two owners and the last one had it for 4 years but the other car had only been owned for 5 months so maybe that is a good indicator.

I should stop worrying and start getting excited.

 

[Fraz]

Guessing you've gone for the PL as the advert is no longer running.

Good luck, you'll love it and wonder why you didn't buy one years ago!

Don't forget to post some pics when you get it!

Yes the spec got the better of me!! Definitely more of a purchase made with my heart, rather then my head!!

 

[Fraz]

hi and welcome. what can I say - you won't be disappointed. neither with car nor guy salmon/sytner dealership - I've bought from them and can't fault. stop worrying about higher mileage - as it was mentioned before - minor difference comparing to 44k as these seem to be bullet proof indeed. just sit back and relax. you can enjoy your dream car now

Thanks Bik3rz, I think I needed to hear that, I'll stop worrying and start looking forward to the car!! Buying a car should be a pleasurable experience and I've probably been sounding like a miserable git!! Hoping to collect the car on Friday, so already very excited!!

 

[Fraz]

I agree with Bik. Just relax and enjoy the car. These are incredible cars and you will not stop grinning once you get behind the wheel. Welcome to the forum and I look forward to you telling us in a few weeks time that you agree with us and love your Jag!!

Thanks Vernon, I don't think I'll get that much sleep this week, starting to get very excited, just sorted the insurance for Friday so it's happening. I'm surprised to see that its less then £100 difference with my existing policy, so well pleased.

I actually thought of one I wanted to ask, can the kick plates be swapped easily on these cars, the ones on it are ok for now but a bit scratches which is to be expected. I'd probably look at doing this in the future.

 

[Fraz]

that's the spirit! so, few more sleepless nights to come...ah, bit of an advice - start to practice 'big grin' to let your face get used to it as you will be doing it A LOT now

It's hard to get my head around owning an XF, for me its a dream realized. I've always loved Jags, since being a young lad, I grew up around a lovely XJS, a car which is still a head turner. When I started to look at eventually owning one it was in the days of the S-type which I didn't like, X-Type was nicer but still seemed just a bit of a step up from a Rover 75. The XF seems huge step up from the last two models, it felt as even nicer to drive then my E65 730D and I love both the interior and exterior. I honestly can't wait.

 

[Fraz]

same here, dream realized, I thought I would stop here...but no...now I want more - V8 XFR

Wow, that's definitely a beast, if ever there was one I'll be interested to hear if you get one.

About 10 years ago, I also used to own a ZT 260 with the 4.6 V8 mustang antiquated stone lump. With a super charger it was capable of 580 odd BHP. As you can imagine the fuel consumption caused me to sell it!! To be honest though, I was more then happy with the 3.0 V6 on test drive, I tried it in the sports mode and it pulls very well, it doesn't give me the butterflies but it made me smile and I loved the feel. It's not all about scaring the hell out of yourself, but I must admit I did try and push for an S model and in the back of my mind I'm already wondering if the standard 3.0 can be mapped, or tuned to S spec, because if I'm honest I'm still a petrol head at heart??

 

[Fraz]

so it already began yes, 3.0 can be mapped to S level as it's exactly the same engine with only difference being mapping only (as I understand it). regarding V8...doubt it very much I will get there (there's TOWMBO in the way), but who knows

Had to look up TOWMBO. Ha The One Who Must Be Obeyed :-D

 

[Fraz]

Had to look up TOWMBO. Ha The One Who Must Be Obeyed :


In my case TOWMBO (or SWMBO as I like to say) agrees with me that the magic of a Jaguar is not so much raw power (although raw power is good) but the ability to waft smoothly and gracefully along knowing the power is there on tap if you need it

The wafting is what I'm looking forward to the most!!

I must admit I've already had a quick ganders about the remapping, it seems that the car can be mapped to 290 BHP!! I'll more then likely be tempted to do this at some stage.

Well just had call from Sytner, car has past it's MOT with no advisories, also past their inspection with just one thing to put right (something very minor, some sort of interior cap cover missing). Two new tyres fitted to the front, the brand are Nexen, who I've never heard of, but I'm hoping there not total ditch finders, he said these are not far off Hancooks. Alloy's being refurbed tomorrow, then valet and the bodywork. Will be ready to collect on Friday.

 

[Fraz]

I've had my XF nearly two years now and I still sometimes find it hard to believe. Spent most of Saturday cleaning it inside and out, used a clay bar on the paintwork and had planned on giving it a really good polish on Sunday, but I hadn't checked the forecast :-(

Get an extra bit of old carpet for the front window as you'll find yourself staring out on your cat on the drive and then making up the most ridiculous excuses for taking a drive in it.

Remember the photo's when you get it so you can share your pride and joy with the rest of us!

Ha, I can just see me doing that. Yes will share pictures, Friday is looking like the big day, can't wait.