Jaguar XF

The 2012 Jaguar XF ranks 3 out of 15 Luxury Large Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 47 published reviews and test drives of the Jaguar XF, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

With an updated look, an interior filled with high-tech toys and standard V8 power, the 2012 Jaguar XF offers impressive performance, but lacks the comfort of some competing luxury large cars.

 As a result of its exterior facelift and some welcome interior updates, reviewers say that the 2012 Jaguar XF improves on an already-competitive model. Features such as the red, pulsating start button and stainless steel shift dial that rises from the center console remain, but the big interior updates include more-supportive front seats, a color information display in the gauge cluster and additional buttons which ease use of the XF’s touch screen interface.

However, these advances don’t make the XF perfect. Reviewers say that many functions still require you to work through a series of on-screen menus to access audio, navigation and climate control functions. This can require a little extra time and attention, but shoppers looking for value should appreciate that the XF comes standard with ample tech features such as navigation, Bluetooth and USB connections.

Interior space also remains an issue in the 2012 XF, which lacks a spacious back seat like those seen in competitors such as the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. However, the XF continues to excel with a powerful V8 engine as standard equipment. While the Mercedes E-Class starts at about $3,000 less than the base XF, you’d have to opt for a more powerful E550 to match the Jaguar in terms of power. Additionally, you’d have to add expensive option packages to match the XF’s technology-packed interior. In this respect, the XF presents itself as a bargain compared to most of the V8-powered competition.

Other Cars to Consider

It’s tough to match the Jaguar XF’s combination of V8 power, standard interior tech and value. However, if you’re looking for all-wheel drive, or a fuel-efficient engine, the XF comes up short. Rivals like the Infiniti M and the BMW 5-Series both have optional V8 power and all-wheel drive, but they’ll also cost significantly more.

A V8-equipped Infiniti M56 costs about $6,000 more than the base XF, which starts at $53,000. Additionally, adding all-wheel drive to the Infiniti takes the price up to $61,600, about $8,500 more than the Jaguar. A V8-powered BMW 550i is an even more expensive choice. Expect to pay $60,200 and $62,500 for rear- and all-wheel drive models, respectively.

However, if you’re willing to forgo V8 power, standard tech, like navigation and all-wheel drive, both the BMW 5-Series and the Infiniti M will significantly undercut the XF’s price and deliver better fuel economy. You can save more than $5,000 by opting for the Infiniti M37, while the base BMW 528i undercuts the Jaguar’s price by nearly $8,000. So while the Jaguar XF is a V8 bargain, it still prices itself out of the competition if you’re comparing base models.

Jaguar XF: The Details

The Jaguar XF is available in four trim levels: base, Portfolio, Supercharged and XFR. Both base and Portfolio trims receive a 385-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, while the Supercharged and the XFR offer 470 and 510 horsepower, respectively, with the help of a supercharger and the same 5.0-liter V8.

All XF models come standard with a 7-inch touch screen display which controls audio, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, climate control and navigation. Rear parking sensors, heated front seats and push-button ignition also come standard. Portfolio, Supercharged and XFR trims also come equipped with larger wheels, front parking sensors, heated and ventilated front seats, a backup camera and an upgraded, suede-like headliner.

Base models start at $53,000, while Portfolio models add $6,000 to the price tag. Opt for a supercharged powerplant, and the price will jump to roughly $68,000 for an XF Supercharged or $82,000 for an XFR.

Jaguar F-type

Few cars have been as eagerly anticipated as the Jaguar F-type, and this successor to the legendary E-type is now only months away from showrooms. Despite the choice of name – and the classic front-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout – the new F-type is a thoroughly modern car.

 Its lightweight aluminium body is seriously stiff, and Jaguar has even dispensed with the oval front grille that it's been putting on its sports cars for decades. The F-type will be launched as a convertible, but a coupe will follow later this year, with more hardcore versions also planned.We won't get to drive the car until April. However, we can tell you what it's like to ride in the passenger's seat, after being driven in pre-production cars which Jaguar says are dynamically representative.

The entry-level F-type has a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with 335bhp, but we went out in the two more powerful launch models: a 375bhp version of the V6 and a 488bhp V8.Both feel properly quick and make a glorious crackling noise on the overrun. Surprisingly, though, it's the V6 that sounds better under acceleration, and this engine's rev-hungry nature seems better suited to a sports car, too.What seems less fitting at first is the eight-speed automatic gearbox that's standard on every model (expect a manual to follow later), but it delivers super-quick shifts and can be controlled manually using steering wheel-mounted paddles.

Upshifts are smooth in the V8, no matter which setting the gearbox is in, but you feel them kick through the V6 car in Dynamic mode, adding to the sense of drama.Dynamic mode also speeds up shifts, sharpens the throttle responses and adds a bit of extra weight to the steering, although you can program it to affect only one or two of these areas if you prefer.Both of the models we went out in get adaptive dampers as standard (the entry-level V6 makes do with conventional dampers) and these help counteract pitch and roll. The result is a car that stays very flat in corners and seems beautifully controlled over high-speed dips and crests.

From the passenger's seat, at least, there are no obvious signs of body flex, and while the low-speed ride is firm, it's not overly punishing by sports car standards.A wind deflector that fits between the rear rollover hoops will be available, but even without it bluster isn't excessive.The cabin feels very driver focused thanks to deeply cowled instruments and a central grab handle that seems to fence the passenger off from the dashboard controls.

Jaguar has also tried to keep the overall design uncluttered; most functions are accessed through a touch-screen rather than conventional switchgear, while the central air vents rise out of the dash top only when required.Perceived quality is one area where Jaguar usually falls well short of its German rivals, but if the pre-production cars are anything to go by, the F-type will have one of the company's classiest interiors yet.The seats are more solid and supportive than those in the XF or XJ, and the cabin is smartly trimmed. Only minor details, such as the lightweight plastic gearshift paddles, let the side down.

There's plenty of space inside for a couple of six-footers, but they'll have to pack light because the boot is very shallow.At least you don't lose any space when the roof is down; Jaguar decided against fitting a folding metal roof, and has instead used a fabric hood that can be opened or closed electronically in just 12 seconds, at speeds of up to 30mph.

The entry-level V6 model looks overpriced; it costs £58,500, which is £11k more than a Porsche Boxster S equipped with a PDK twin-clutch gearbox, despite the fact the Porsche is both lighter and more powerful. By contrast, the 375bhp V6 F-type has a 30bhp advantage over a Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, while its £67,500 price makes it around £16,000 cheaper than the PDK version of the Porsche.

This mid-range version of the F-type also comes with desirable features that are missing from its less powerful sister car, including an active exhaust system and those clever adaptive dampers.If it feels as good from the driver's seat as it does from the passenger’s seat, this could well be the sports car to have in 2013.