Permission to gush!
What a great car the XF is. I've done over 1,000 miles now and really enjoyed driving this car. I've driven the car on all sorts of roads at all sorts of (legal) speeds. The car just gets better and better with every mile.
Dealer Experience
Overall I wasn't impressed with my dealer. During the sales process I had to do most of the chasing. The PDI was okay but the tyre pressures were set incorrectly. To be fair to Jaguar, my dealer experience with Porsche had been even worse. But Jaguar lags a long, long way behind BMW for customer service (in my experience). I found the lack of knowledge on the XF most disturbing. Dealer Experience: 5/10
Paintwork
Firstly, the paintwork is in pretty good condition - a couple of specks of stonechips here and there. One very light parking ding but not really noticeable unless you look for it. The glass is in perfect condition. I'm hoping for the summer when the XF will get a clay and wax treatment so the paintwork should be protected a bit more, but it's still very good for 1,000 miles with around half of that on the motorway. Paintwork: 9/10
Wheels
The wheels (19" Carelias) are in okay condition. I seriously wonder if they have a lacquer coat as they don't look or feel as if they do. I'll be coating them with a wheel sealant when I get time but the wheels on my previous Porsche were of a much higher quality. There are a few specks of brake dust that are quite stubborn to get rid of at the moment. Wheels: 7/10
Glass
No permanent markings on the glass, despite a few tiny stones hitting the windscreen on the motorway and several hours of wiper use over the last few weeks. All the glass is in excellent condition. Glass: 9/10
Seats
The leather is in perfect condition. No marks on it, despite it being Ivory. Very soft and supple and the seat squabs and sides show no signs of creasing even though i've regularly had passengers in the car and a child seat. Seats: 10/10
Interior Trim
Totally unmarked, although I have taken good care of it. Again, I have the Ivory trim and there are no markings on it whatsoever. The dashboard and centre console are in perfect cndition as is the LCD screen - no scratches or chips so far. The stitching on the leather is still in good condition with no frayed threads. However, the carpet mats are of very poor quality so pull the score for the interior down. I'm also getting some wind noise from the drivers side window trim. It is annoying at motorway speeds as that's the only thing I can hear! I'll probably get the dealer to look at it when I have some spare time. Interior Trim: 9/10
Steering
The accuracy of the steering is fairly good but my benchmark is a Porsche so it would be impossible for the XF to compete. I do find myself correcting the steering on motorways quite a bit as the car drifts slightly. Thus, the steering is a little woolly. Parking the car is great as it's very easy to turn the steering wheel from lock to lock. My wife really likes it too as she doesn't have to use too much force. Steering: 7/10
Ride Quality
Quite simply: terrific. I have a close family member who has a Merc S-Class and the ride on the XF is as good as the S-Class! The XF glides with a liquid smoothness that is truly astonishing. Ride Quality: 10/10
Handling
I haven't really pushed the XF too much but I can sense that it is planted fairly well and the entry into a corner and exit from a corner is assured and inspiring. However, it is a big, heavy car and there is a fair amount of body roll which takes points away from the handling ability of the XF. Handling: 7/10
Engine
The engine is surprisingly smooth for a diesel. From inside the cabin you'd be hard pushed to tell it was a diesel. But from the outside you can hear the diesel clatter quite easily. It is sluggish at slow speeds and very low revs and i'm quite disappointed with the fuel economy from it so far (averaging 29.5mpg over 1,000 miles). But, it's a quiet and refined cruiser so, on balance, I am happy with the engine. Engine: 8/10
Faults
Only a 'DSC not availabe' warning so far, that hasn't reoccured. No other faults to speak of. Faults: 8/10
Desirability
It's almost embarrassing how people slow down to look at the car. I get thumbs up from kids every now and then. Yetserday I had a Porsche 911 Turbo driver slow down to have a look! Even my own manager (who drives a 5-Series) had a good poke around it and is considering buying one now. My wife loves it and she drives it a lot too. My parents love the car and friends think it's great. One of my neighbours has a new Merc CLS and he's seriously impressed with it too! But for me, the most telling factor of how desirable the XF is, is when BMW 5-Series drivers slow down to have a look and you can almost see the look on their faces that says, "I wish I had bought an XF instead of the 5-Series"! Even the most negative aspect of the XF's looks, the nose, have started to grow on me. Desirability: 10/10
Overall
What a great choice the purchase of the XF has been. I'm mightily impressed with this car. I hope that the reliability of the XF will be good as this is the only thing that will ruin the XF. Overall: 9/10
Please could others do 1,000 mile reports too as it would be good to see more views, warts and all. You can use the above as a template if you wish.
What a great car the XF is. I've done over 1,000 miles now and really enjoyed driving this car. I've driven the car on all sorts of roads at all sorts of (legal) speeds. The car just gets better and better with every mile.
Dealer Experience
Overall I wasn't impressed with my dealer. During the sales process I had to do most of the chasing. The PDI was okay but the tyre pressures were set incorrectly. To be fair to Jaguar, my dealer experience with Porsche had been even worse. But Jaguar lags a long, long way behind BMW for customer service (in my experience). I found the lack of knowledge on the XF most disturbing. Dealer Experience: 5/10
Paintwork
Firstly, the paintwork is in pretty good condition - a couple of specks of stonechips here and there. One very light parking ding but not really noticeable unless you look for it. The glass is in perfect condition. I'm hoping for the summer when the XF will get a clay and wax treatment so the paintwork should be protected a bit more, but it's still very good for 1,000 miles with around half of that on the motorway. Paintwork: 9/10
Wheels
The wheels (19" Carelias) are in okay condition. I seriously wonder if they have a lacquer coat as they don't look or feel as if they do. I'll be coating them with a wheel sealant when I get time but the wheels on my previous Porsche were of a much higher quality. There are a few specks of brake dust that are quite stubborn to get rid of at the moment. Wheels: 7/10
Glass
No permanent markings on the glass, despite a few tiny stones hitting the windscreen on the motorway and several hours of wiper use over the last few weeks. All the glass is in excellent condition. Glass: 9/10
Seats
The leather is in perfect condition. No marks on it, despite it being Ivory. Very soft and supple and the seat squabs and sides show no signs of creasing even though i've regularly had passengers in the car and a child seat. Seats: 10/10
Interior Trim
Totally unmarked, although I have taken good care of it. Again, I have the Ivory trim and there are no markings on it whatsoever. The dashboard and centre console are in perfect cndition as is the LCD screen - no scratches or chips so far. The stitching on the leather is still in good condition with no frayed threads. However, the carpet mats are of very poor quality so pull the score for the interior down. I'm also getting some wind noise from the drivers side window trim. It is annoying at motorway speeds as that's the only thing I can hear! I'll probably get the dealer to look at it when I have some spare time. Interior Trim: 9/10
Steering
The accuracy of the steering is fairly good but my benchmark is a Porsche so it would be impossible for the XF to compete. I do find myself correcting the steering on motorways quite a bit as the car drifts slightly. Thus, the steering is a little woolly. Parking the car is great as it's very easy to turn the steering wheel from lock to lock. My wife really likes it too as she doesn't have to use too much force. Steering: 7/10
Ride Quality
Quite simply: terrific. I have a close family member who has a Merc S-Class and the ride on the XF is as good as the S-Class! The XF glides with a liquid smoothness that is truly astonishing. Ride Quality: 10/10
Handling
I haven't really pushed the XF too much but I can sense that it is planted fairly well and the entry into a corner and exit from a corner is assured and inspiring. However, it is a big, heavy car and there is a fair amount of body roll which takes points away from the handling ability of the XF. Handling: 7/10
Engine
The engine is surprisingly smooth for a diesel. From inside the cabin you'd be hard pushed to tell it was a diesel. But from the outside you can hear the diesel clatter quite easily. It is sluggish at slow speeds and very low revs and i'm quite disappointed with the fuel economy from it so far (averaging 29.5mpg over 1,000 miles). But, it's a quiet and refined cruiser so, on balance, I am happy with the engine. Engine: 8/10
Faults
Only a 'DSC not availabe' warning so far, that hasn't reoccured. No other faults to speak of. Faults: 8/10
Desirability
It's almost embarrassing how people slow down to look at the car. I get thumbs up from kids every now and then. Yetserday I had a Porsche 911 Turbo driver slow down to have a look! Even my own manager (who drives a 5-Series) had a good poke around it and is considering buying one now. My wife loves it and she drives it a lot too. My parents love the car and friends think it's great. One of my neighbours has a new Merc CLS and he's seriously impressed with it too! But for me, the most telling factor of how desirable the XF is, is when BMW 5-Series drivers slow down to have a look and you can almost see the look on their faces that says, "I wish I had bought an XF instead of the 5-Series"! Even the most negative aspect of the XF's looks, the nose, have started to grow on me. Desirability: 10/10
Overall
What a great choice the purchase of the XF has been. I'm mightily impressed with this car. I hope that the reliability of the XF will be good as this is the only thing that will ruin the XF. Overall: 9/10
Please could others do 1,000 mile reports too as it would be good to see more views, warts and all. You can use the above as a template if you wish.
