AUTO REVIEW: Bad kitty! Jaguar not like past cars
In 1951, I was in high school in Palm Springs, Calif. Yes, that is the place that the moviestars had discovered. A few of their children went to the same school as I. One beautiful girl three years older than I was in the 12th grade had been given a brand-new Jaguar. I fell in love with her, but more so her Jaguar. I never forgot that car and now I can’t even remember the girl’s name. The Jag was a white 120 Roadster.
Jaguar has always had the most elegantly styled models in the past, but sadly I can’t say that about the latest XF sedan model. Sure, it displays the latest slick profile that seems like every sedan I see also has. One thing I always liked about Jaguars in the past is that they did not look like VW’s or Mercedes-Benz. And, those Jaguar grilles; few car companies have achieved that sort of recognition. Known for perhaps the worst record for reliability in the past, it was the styling that saved many sales. Ford saved the classic company from closing, and now the old girl is being passed on to Tata company in India.
The 2010 Jaguar XF sedan is available with five engine choices: The former 4.2-liter V-8 is still available, a new 3-liter V-6 engine at 238 horsepower, a 5-liter V-8 at 385 horsepower, and a 5-liter supercharged with 510 horsepower. That will get you to 60 mph is just 4.7 seconds. Perhaps the most fun could be the turbo-charged 3-liter V-6 diesel. It is fast at zero to 60 in just 5.9 seconds, and you can get as much as 42 mpg. All use the standard ZF six-speed automatic transmissions. I count 10 XF equipment options from the base XF to the XF-R supercharged top-of-the-line model.
Jaguar cars have always been leaders in handling, and the 2010 XF keeps that tradition alive with all of the latest stability controls and sports car 19-inch performance tires. Twenty-inch wheels and tires are available. The huge 17-cubic-foot cargo area is deceptive from the outward appearance. Up front is where my most styling disappointment occurs with the bland grille. I do like the steel mesh, but the ho-hum shape is just not Jaguar-like. I liked the past year S-Style sedan that the XF has replaced better. I can’t blame Jaguar for not having the leaping Jaguar emblem on the hood; thanks to the nanny state laws it’s now gone.
Inside there is plenty to love with the rich materials and a sense that the Jaguar of old days is still alive. Jaguar still has some of the nicest leather in any luxury car. There is a tasteful use of brushed steel trim and a little wood band for accent. As a nod to contemporary ideas, when the start button is touched the air vents automatically open up and the engine comes to life. A large knob is turned to select the gear. I did not like that idea. It seemed gimmicky and out of place in a Jaguar.
I liked taking the XF for a hot lap or two into town. But this past winter, the Jaguar had to sit out the snow and ice. I could not even get to the end of a paved driveway due to the Dunlap 245/40x19 high performance tires. On a level ice covered driveway, the cat could barely move. It just sat there trying to get a grip even with the transmission set on the slippery conditions settings. A set of winter-type tires will become a necessity if you plan any icy road trips.
I had plenty of time to play with the sound system and navigation system. I soon found out that performing the basic requirements to select a function as simple as changing the temperature, or the heated seats, and almost every other type of change or adjustment, is frustrating. It is also unsafe if you’re not watching the road but looking at a poorly designed screen. In fairness, I would assume that the longer you drive the more comfortable and quicker you could manage the navigation-sound-climate systems. But, why make it so darn maddening?
The lack of logos or labels, it takes a lot of guessing to get them memorized. Just to add to the nonsense, the large gear shifter knob hides when the ignition is not on. It rises up once the start button is pressed. What’s the point? Just another thing to break, and will need a very expensive repair someday. The analog tachometer and speedometer are accompanied by a digital window for a fuel gauge and some other information. The entire package is uninspired and a considerable disappointment. I can only guess that the person in charge of the gauges had never seen a old classic Jaguar dashboard.
Pulling out on a dry highway from an icy side road will scare the pants off you and the approaching vehicles as the traction control limits forward movement until the rear drive wheels can get a solid grip. Once on a good stretch of road, the old cat came to life and delivered some nice acceleration. The steering and braking are up to Jaguar standards. For the $57,300 for this mostly base model XF, I would shop around for a used S-Type and pocket the difference.
I’ll give the folks that did any of the drivetrain engineering good marks. The people that did everything else on the XF get a big “F.”
Check out the Fast Eddie Cruisin’ Blog at theoaklandpress.com.
Jaguar has always had the most elegantly styled models in the past, but sadly I can’t say that about the latest XF sedan model. Sure, it displays the latest slick profile that seems like every sedan I see also has. One thing I always liked about Jaguars in the past is that they did not look like VW’s or Mercedes-Benz. And, those Jaguar grilles; few car companies have achieved that sort of recognition. Known for perhaps the worst record for reliability in the past, it was the styling that saved many sales. Ford saved the classic company from closing, and now the old girl is being passed on to Tata company in India.
The 2010 Jaguar XF sedan is available with five engine choices: The former 4.2-liter V-8 is still available, a new 3-liter V-6 engine at 238 horsepower, a 5-liter V-8 at 385 horsepower, and a 5-liter supercharged with 510 horsepower. That will get you to 60 mph is just 4.7 seconds. Perhaps the most fun could be the turbo-charged 3-liter V-6 diesel. It is fast at zero to 60 in just 5.9 seconds, and you can get as much as 42 mpg. All use the standard ZF six-speed automatic transmissions. I count 10 XF equipment options from the base XF to the XF-R supercharged top-of-the-line model.
Jaguar cars have always been leaders in handling, and the 2010 XF keeps that tradition alive with all of the latest stability controls and sports car 19-inch performance tires. Twenty-inch wheels and tires are available. The huge 17-cubic-foot cargo area is deceptive from the outward appearance. Up front is where my most styling disappointment occurs with the bland grille. I do like the steel mesh, but the ho-hum shape is just not Jaguar-like. I liked the past year S-Style sedan that the XF has replaced better. I can’t blame Jaguar for not having the leaping Jaguar emblem on the hood; thanks to the nanny state laws it’s now gone.
Inside there is plenty to love with the rich materials and a sense that the Jaguar of old days is still alive. Jaguar still has some of the nicest leather in any luxury car. There is a tasteful use of brushed steel trim and a little wood band for accent. As a nod to contemporary ideas, when the start button is touched the air vents automatically open up and the engine comes to life. A large knob is turned to select the gear. I did not like that idea. It seemed gimmicky and out of place in a Jaguar.
I liked taking the XF for a hot lap or two into town. But this past winter, the Jaguar had to sit out the snow and ice. I could not even get to the end of a paved driveway due to the Dunlap 245/40x19 high performance tires. On a level ice covered driveway, the cat could barely move. It just sat there trying to get a grip even with the transmission set on the slippery conditions settings. A set of winter-type tires will become a necessity if you plan any icy road trips.
I had plenty of time to play with the sound system and navigation system. I soon found out that performing the basic requirements to select a function as simple as changing the temperature, or the heated seats, and almost every other type of change or adjustment, is frustrating. It is also unsafe if you’re not watching the road but looking at a poorly designed screen. In fairness, I would assume that the longer you drive the more comfortable and quicker you could manage the navigation-sound-climate systems. But, why make it so darn maddening?
The lack of logos or labels, it takes a lot of guessing to get them memorized. Just to add to the nonsense, the large gear shifter knob hides when the ignition is not on. It rises up once the start button is pressed. What’s the point? Just another thing to break, and will need a very expensive repair someday. The analog tachometer and speedometer are accompanied by a digital window for a fuel gauge and some other information. The entire package is uninspired and a considerable disappointment. I can only guess that the person in charge of the gauges had never seen a old classic Jaguar dashboard.
Pulling out on a dry highway from an icy side road will scare the pants off you and the approaching vehicles as the traction control limits forward movement until the rear drive wheels can get a solid grip. Once on a good stretch of road, the old cat came to life and delivered some nice acceleration. The steering and braking are up to Jaguar standards. For the $57,300 for this mostly base model XF, I would shop around for a used S-Type and pocket the difference.
I’ll give the folks that did any of the drivetrain engineering good marks. The people that did everything else on the XF get a big “F.”
Check out the Fast Eddie Cruisin’ Blog at theoaklandpress.com.
posted by Edward Noble at
3:09 PM
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