Layout 3 - San Diego Metropolitan

efficient than the E's much smaller, far less
powerful V-6. The Jag’s 385 hp V-8 rates 16
city, 23 highway — vs. 18 city, 25 highway for
the Benz’s 302 hp V-6.Hardly noticeable.
On The Road
The old S-Type — the XF's predecessor in
Jaguar’s lineup — leaned more toward softness,
quietness and smoothness. Those three attributes
used to be the most important criteria for
a luxury sedan, but as the target demographic
for cars of this type became more Gen X and
less Greatest Generation sharp handling and
reflexes became at least as important. The trick
is packaging all five attributes into one car
without dulling at least a couple of them in the
process.
Much of the XF's suspension is either based
on (or inspired by) what’s underneath the XK
coupe. Major pieces such as control arms are
made of lightweight aluminum, which helps
reduce unsprung mass. And both front and
rear suspension assemblies are mounted on
separate, bolt-on subframes, which helps isolate
road harshness and keep unwanted feedback
from reaching the passenger
compartment. With the car’s body structure already
being naturally very rigid, it was not necessary
to tighten up the suspension overmuch.
At The Curb
The shape of this car is slick and modern, no
2012 Jaguar XF
specifications:
Base price: $53,000; as tested $68,100
w/supercharged V-8)
Engine: 5.0 liter V-8, 385 hp
(470-510 hp w/supercharger)
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Length: 195.3 inches
Width: 73.9 inches
Wheelbase: 114.5 inches
Curb weight: 4,067 lbs.
Luggage capacity: 17.7 cubic feet
EPA fuel economy: 16 city/23 highway
Where assembled: Birmingham, England
faulting it on that score. But it’s also less distinctively
Jaguar than the old S-Type. This is
true of all current Jags, except the XK. Traditionalists
may or may not like the new look. But
the car seems to be selling well, even though it’s
now nearly three years old. So, Jaguar’s aesthetic
gamble appears to be paying off.
And there are still “Jaguar” touches that give the
car a unique personality. For example, the pushbutton
ignition backlighting that pulses like a
living creature’s heartbeat , and the swank rotary
knob gear changer that rises from the center
console to greet your right hand. Other unusual
touches include dash vents that rotate open in a
choreographed symphony, along with the rotary
knob’s rising, when you first key (well, push-button)
the XF to life.
The XF’s coupe-like styling is striking, but at a
cost. Interior room is a bit less than in more upright,
conventionally sedan-ish sedans like the
BMW 5 and the Benz E. For instance, the Jag
has about an inch less front seat headroom than
the Benz E — 37.1 inches vs. 37.9 for the E350
— and a much tighter backseat, headroom-wise,
with only 37.6 inches of noggin space vs. 38.2
for the Mercedes.
The Rest
It will be interesting to see what effect four (and
six cylinder) power has on the XF, and not just
fuel efficiency-wise. Will buyers be more inter-
A U T O
ested in a more economical XF? Does a 4-5
MPG improvement really matter all that much
to people who buy cars that start at $50K? I’d say
no. I’d say people who buy $50k cars are interested
in gas mileage as a fourth or fifth consideration,
if they're interested in it at all. They may
say they care, but if they really did care, then they
wouldn’t be spending $50k on a car in the first
place. They’d spend $25k on a 35 MPG Camry.
No, what they really want is prestige and power.
Not necessarily in that order, of course. But it
works out being the same thing. A V-8 is very
prestigious because only a handful of cars are still
available with them. Anyone can own a four or a
six. So even if said four or six manages to produce
V-8 levels of power through the assistance
of force-feeding (turbocharging or supercharging),
it is still just a four or a six when all is said
and done.
I personally miss the twelves that used to be a
Jaguar’s signature feature. But forget about that.
We’ll be lucky to see the V-8 survive.
Here's to hoping.
The Bottom Line
Get a V-8 ... before it’s too late.
Eric Peters is the author of Automotive Atrocities”
and “Road Hogs” and a former editorial
writer/columnist for The Washington
Times, a contributor to Cars.Com, The Car-
Connection. com and SD METRO.
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