Used Jaguar XF 2015-2024 review

Jaguar XF front three quarter lead
How to buy a sublime, sweet-handling Jaguar saloon for less than £4000

“A more mature all-round prospect, with class-leading dynamics.” That’s how we described the brilliant second-gen Jaguar XF when we first drove it 10 years ago.Jaguar axed its mid-size saloon and estate last year and embarked on an exuberant rebrand that only those living in Antarctica will have missed. In the meantime, prices for the XF have tumbled, and now you can bag this swish, left-field 5 Series alternative for as little as £4000.Of course, the cheapest XFs are leggy examples showing clear signs of hard use, but with a healthier budget of about £9000 you will easily find a well-maintained XF with a more palatable mileage. And that’s still a bargain for a smart-looking executive car that’s pleasant to ride around in and excellent to drive.Ditching its predecessor’s outdated Ford platform, the Mk2 XF is based around an aluminium-rich structure that’s both lighter and stronger. This well-conceived chassis, coupled with the XF’s weighty, intuitive steering, makes it a treat to thread down a B-road, offering plenty of rear-drive engagement.Yet it remains a comfortable cruiser, ironing out road irregularities with aplomb and cosseting passengers in an upmarket cabin.It’s not quite up to Audi A6 standards, but perceived quality is good. The ambience is enhanced by neat tricks like blue ambient lighting, and the second-gen car’s longer wheelbase means there’s more head and leg room in the back.The saloon also has a 540-litre boot, which trumps its BMW and Audi rivals, while the Sportbrake estate swallows 565 litres.You can choose from Prestige, Portfolio or the sportier R-Sport and S trims. Prestige has bi-xenon headlights, leather upholstery and heated front seats, but we would opt for the Portfolio’s posher Windsor leather, bigger 18in alloy wheels and reversing camera. A 70,000-mile Prestige costs around £8500, but Portfolios of a similar condition are no dearer.R-Sport receives a bodykit and firmer suspension, but the S versions get the bigger V6 engines and adaptive dampers. The 375bhp supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol sounds sweet and feels quick, but don’t discount the 296bhp twin-turbocharged diesel six-pot. Vast torque – 513lb ft – makes it punchier, it’s generally refined and it will do around 45mpg on the motorway.The 2.0-litre four-pot Ingenium diesels dominate the small ads, and you can choose between 161bhp and 178bhp variants. They are efficient but plagued by diesel particulate filter and timing chain issues (see ‘Buyer Beware’, right) so are best avoided, especially the twin-turbo 237bhp unit of 2017. Petrol four-pots came with 197bhp and 247bhp, but they’re rarer and cost more to tax.The facelifted XF, which landed in 2020 and brought in styling and interior upgrades, got mild-hybrid petrol and diesel four-cylinder engines.The interior is a cut above, with soft-touch materials, plush leather, tactile switchgear and massaging seats, plus an 11.4in Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system that’s graphically strong and pretty easy to operate.Needless to say, the Mk2 XF nails the executive saloon brief. If you need a plush motorway cruiser that’s dynamic, comfortable and premium-feeling, investing in this used Jag is money well spent.
Source: Autocar

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