| Original Message |
patrick_y (no login)
Posted Apr 29, 2009 5:54 PM
The Jaguar XF is extremely good! I drove the Jaguar 4.2 XF (naturally aspirated).
The highs:
1. The Transmission is the best thing on this car. The ZF transmission has six gears, all excellent ratios that keep you in the torque range (and the constable in your rearview mirror). The best part is the "S" sport mode with the paddle shifting. The response of the paddle shifting is both clear and precise. Torque converter flex is minimal as the torque converter seems to lock up relatively well in all the gears.
2. Steering, excellent steering ratio, abundant in precision, with a decent amount of feedback through the steering wheel. The steering wheel itself is a good size and good thickness.
3. Handling; the biggest problem of the S-Type Jaguar (the model prior to the XF) was the handling. Despite its rear wheel drive, independent suspension, etc. the handling was sloppy, unprecise, and exhibited a huge amount of body lean. The XF has cured all of this and now features a relatively flat ride that isn't overly stiff.
4. Bowers Wilkins Audio system
The Low:
The interior has some faults. The door panels are made with leather and wood elements that are mounted onto a plastic carrier. Look closely at where this plastic carrier meets the metal portion of the door in the door jam area. You will see poorly trimmed plastic, wrong sizing, and inconsistencies between the right and left door (I noticed these with my personal eyes). The rear bench seat is also undefined, overly flat, and sacrificing in comfort. The high-tech interior is a novel concept, but will probably grow old as neon blue mood lighting actually arouse the senses than the ambiance of amber that actually calms senses.
It's a great car, in many ways better than Mercedes and BMW (especially transmission-wise). But, I'm not sure that I would switch if I was already a client with Mercedes or BMW since I perceive that I would have high switching costs. |
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