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Luxury Car
Review: Much has happened at Jaguar since I
last reviewed one of their cars. Tata, an automobile manufacturer based
in India, purchased Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford for about $2.3
billion dollars. Gasps and dropped teacups were evidenced all round the
English-speaking world.
Even though few people
outside of the automotive world had ever heard of Tata, they are a huge
and successful, automotive company. In addition they are definitely more
British than Ford ever was. Do not forget that India was an English
colony and part of the British Empire for far longer than the U.S.A.
Unfortunately the sale
of Jaguar overshadowed the introduction of the XF, Jaguar's new mid-size
sedan. The XF is a wonderful car, true to its heritage and thoroughly
modern. The XF replaces the S-Type in the Jaguar lineup. The XF at
195.3 inches long is 2.2 inches longer than the S-Type. Other dimensions
are very close to the S-Type.
Some people, me
included, were put off at first because the XF did not follow in the
S-Type's footsteps of mimicking a former Jag model. I got over it after
driving, and admiring the XF. The S-Type, which was a modern iteration
of the revered 3.8 and 4.2 Salon, has run its course. Although it was
handsome, and a true driver's car, rear seat room was very tight. And
really, how long can a car company continue to build and sell the same
old car?
So the XF looks
different, so what? The only parts I really do not like are the "gills"
just behind the front wheels. But the question you have to ask is, "How
will the XF age?" Other Jags have aged very well, and only time will
tell about the XF.
Inside the XF is pure
Jag, leather, wood veneer, wool carpets. Inside a Jag, any Jag, is a
wonderful place to be. Especially beloved by me as I age are the FULL
SIZE seats. Jaguar apparently realizes that not all its buyers are reed
slender and designs their seats accordingly.
The only engine and
transmission available in the U.S.A. is the 4.2-liter, DOHC V8 with a
six-speed automatic. There are two variants of this engine, the base and
the supercharged. I drove a supercharged XF, which produces 420
horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. The base V8 is rated at 300 hp and
310 lb-ft of torque. The extra 120 horsepower over the base engine does
hurt fuel economy - the base XF is rated at 16-city and 25-highway,
while the Supercharged is rated 15-city and 23-highway.
One area I think Jaguar
has gone overboard is the tires. The standard wheels and tires for the
XF are 18-inchers. The XF Supercharged uses 20-inch wheels with
steamroller wide 255/25ZR20 tires in front and 285/30ZR20s in the rear.
Not only are such low profile tires harsh riding, but also they leave
the beautiful aluminum wheels open to attack from curbs, and they can be
absurdly expensive. According to a well know Internet tire retailer the
original equipment 18-inch Pirelli tires list for $371 each. Someone at
Jag needs to get a grip (no pun intended) and get back to sensible
tires.
I have driven a lot of
cars over the years, and more than a few Jaguars. With the exception of
the X-Type, every Jaguar I drive blows me away. The XF is right up there
with the best. If you want to sedately cruise the boulevard, the XF is
at home. If you want to blast down the Interstate (at legal speeds of
course), the XF does so in style. And if you want to mix it up with some
kid in his "rice rocket", well the XF, especially the supercharged
model, will show that kid a thing or two.
The XF Jag is not
cheap, the base "Luxury" starts at $49,975, the "Premium Luxury" is
$55,975, and the “Super Luxury” XF Supercharged car is $64,475. The XF
is not quite as sexual, as say the XK, but that is as it should be, for
a four-door sedan. If you have a feeling for sensuous cars, then Jaguar
is the marque for you.
By Bruce Hotchkiss ©
AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Byline: Luxury Car
Review provided by Tony Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
Jaguar Home Page
Column Name: Jaguar
still builds sensuous cars
Topic: The 2008 Jaguar
XF
Word Count: 759
Photo Caption: The 2008
Jaguar XF
Photo Credits: Jaguar
XF Internet Media
Series #: 2008 - 64
Download
the Microsoft Word version here:
2008 Jaguar XF
Download the Original Image File here:
2008 Jaguar XF
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