Jaguar XF - the gentleman's car back from the dead

People who like Jaguar are people of taste, they don't buy Mercedes, Audi or BMW, not because they don't like the technology of the engineering, but because they think a Jaguar is better. While the German cars feel like they were designed to stick to the road, feel planted when you cruise along, have sixteen settings for the gearbox, well, while they have the lot to make you feel in control of the situation in upmost comfort, Jaguars are designed to take you home with a smile on your face.

The problem with Jaguars, however, was that while Mercedes gave you the S-class, Audi gave you the A8 and BMW put the 7-series, which are all subblime cars, Jaguar gave the world the best it can do, which was the S-type. It was fine as a car, but didn't feel better than the others, it didn't make you feel happy when you see a Merc on the street, and if a Jaguar doesn't put a smile on your face, what is it for ?

Things, however, changed in 2007 with the release of the XF, the replacement for the S-type. And at first look, it looks fabulous; they didn't loose the front grille but the headlamps are better styled, the back looks like the back of the superstar designed car of all times: the Aston Martin DB9, the body is big, it doesn't look too showy like a BMW 760, it's luxurious, you like people to see you in it but it can also be as discreet as a Corolla, only a Jaguar fan will spot it in the street. In brief, it's a proper Jaguar.

Engineering: it has a variety of petrol engines from a 3.0 liter V6 to two 4.2 liter V8, the fastest of which will get you from 0-100 km/h in only 5.1 seconds, which is only 0.2 seconds slower than the Bentley Flying Spur, the fastest foor-dour saloon in the world, when you think that the engine delivers only a few horsepower over 300! the top speed is limited to 155 mph, of course.

The interior is well defined, you still get wood and leather, and it's very hi-tech: when you push the start button everything in the dashboard and the central console shines in blue, the ac vents fold and you feel excited. When you press it again to start the engine, the gear change rises up from the central console, and then you're ten years old again ! I bet you can't get that in your 760li...

In conclusion, it's a very good car, it delivers luxury and it doesn't cost you Bentley money, it doesn't even exceed the BMW 7-series price tag. It's well refined, made out of perfect materials, it's descreet and it makes you happy. And it's a Jaguar, meaning it's reliable and , unlike the others, Jaguar customers are always happy with their dealer services.