My Supercharged XF is home - First Thoughts...
#1
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My Supercharged XF is home - First Thoughts...
XF Supercharged, heated Steering Wheel
Vapour Grey, Ivory/Oyster Interior, Oak Trim....
So far so good. I've had it for two days. This is my first Jaguar. I'm 33, live in the states and like powerful sedans. I traded in my 03 E500 for this vehicle.
I'll say this...it's a rocket ship compared to my E500. I was absolutely stunned at the performance difference. The handling is on another level. Compared to the adjustable suspension on my E500 this seems like your floating. Jaguar has a real winner with the CATS suspension. It’s so smooth and holds well in the corners. The suspension has to be one of my biggest surprises. This car is truly fun to drive; A LOT of fun. Like most buyers I ordered the vehicle without ever driving it.
Thanks to all you folks I settled on Vapour Grey without ever seeing it. I'm glad I did. Everyone LOVES the color. It gets the most comments by far. I was shocked at how many people flock to the car and immediately comment on the color. Navigation is very responsive and far superior to the XJ model. The 7" touch screen is just wonderful. There are several hidden ambient lights that are great at night. The sensor map lights are awesome. I can't say enough about how helpful and elegant this car looks at night on the inside.
My favorite item: The blue lighting at night. Just incredible. I've been in thousands of cars and I've never seen anything as attractive as this car at night.
Biggest Issue: Space and leg room. This is not a big person’s car. Unfortunately I'm 6' 1". It's a little tight in the headroom department and the back seat is TINY for a 6 footer. Fortunately I don't carry large crowds too often so I can make the sacrifice. I'm sure I'll get used to it soon.
Biggest Surprise: The comments from bystanders. People just gravitate to this car. They love it. I had one guy circle me in his automobile 4 times checking it out. I feel like I'm being stalked.
Other notes. Not the quietest cabin in the world but not the worst either. I'll call it above average. The 20" tires aren't nearly as rough as I'd thought they be. They do create some road noise. The sound system is very good but not great. The touch screen is great. The cooled seats work remarkably well. From 50 to 100 MPH this thing screams. Sport Mode is cool. Fit and finish are good but there’s room for improvement. The car is much more attractive in person than in any picture I've seen. Bluetooth works wonderfully.
I was surprised to find there isn’t heating or cooling controls for the rear passengers. The supercharger is not very loud and sounds sweet at high RPM's. Incredible transmission!!!! The gear shifts are effortless and incredible. Very surprised at how well this car drives. I've driven several BMW 5 series, E Class Benz’s, Audis and this drives as well if not better. The 20's really stick to the road. Rear headroom sucks as does rear leg room. I wish the digital read out between the tach and speedometer showed the actual speed. It shows the TIME (stupid!). It should show the speed in automatic mode and the gears in manual mode. Oh wow...the paddles work exceptionally well and they are VERY responsive.
The parking break is great. The start button is just as cool as everyone has said. Supposedly you can set the air vents to stay open but I've chosen to keep them in the flip mode. It's very entertaining when they open and close. The rear view camera is surprisingly VERY sharp. I've had two others and this camera smokes the other two. There are parking (proximity) sensors in both the rear and FRONT. Nice for parallel parking. The engine looks beautiful with the hood open. The lines on this car are awesome. Everyone keeps asking for the signature Jaguar hood icon. They should make that optional.
The oak veneer is superior to the burl walnut. The burl in this car is not nearly as nice as the XJ. Surprising... The straight grain oak looks great with the metal fascia on the dash.
The steering wheel is nice and useful, seats are tight but comfy; I wish the seats were wider; the dashboard controls are simple and compliment the touch screen nicely; there are several fun driving modes, and the blind spot monitor is very helpful.
Wish list: Wood steering wheel, XM, XM with traffic updates, rear AC controls, and digital speed readout.
Lastly, the pop up shifter is the bomb. It's so easy to use and catches everyone's attention. It's very creative and well thought out. Lots of cup holder space but the center console is TINY! I was pleasantly surprised to find out I could connect a USB stick into the center console to listen to my MP3's. You can also hook up an ipod or your blackberry.
All in all a great car. It’s distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack and gets lots of attention. A real show stopper…
If someone will show me how, I’ll upload some pictures….
Tex…
Vapour Grey, Ivory/Oyster Interior, Oak Trim....
So far so good. I've had it for two days. This is my first Jaguar. I'm 33, live in the states and like powerful sedans. I traded in my 03 E500 for this vehicle.
I'll say this...it's a rocket ship compared to my E500. I was absolutely stunned at the performance difference. The handling is on another level. Compared to the adjustable suspension on my E500 this seems like your floating. Jaguar has a real winner with the CATS suspension. It’s so smooth and holds well in the corners. The suspension has to be one of my biggest surprises. This car is truly fun to drive; A LOT of fun. Like most buyers I ordered the vehicle without ever driving it.
Thanks to all you folks I settled on Vapour Grey without ever seeing it. I'm glad I did. Everyone LOVES the color. It gets the most comments by far. I was shocked at how many people flock to the car and immediately comment on the color. Navigation is very responsive and far superior to the XJ model. The 7" touch screen is just wonderful. There are several hidden ambient lights that are great at night. The sensor map lights are awesome. I can't say enough about how helpful and elegant this car looks at night on the inside.
My favorite item: The blue lighting at night. Just incredible. I've been in thousands of cars and I've never seen anything as attractive as this car at night.
Biggest Issue: Space and leg room. This is not a big person’s car. Unfortunately I'm 6' 1". It's a little tight in the headroom department and the back seat is TINY for a 6 footer. Fortunately I don't carry large crowds too often so I can make the sacrifice. I'm sure I'll get used to it soon.
Biggest Surprise: The comments from bystanders. People just gravitate to this car. They love it. I had one guy circle me in his automobile 4 times checking it out. I feel like I'm being stalked.
Other notes. Not the quietest cabin in the world but not the worst either. I'll call it above average. The 20" tires aren't nearly as rough as I'd thought they be. They do create some road noise. The sound system is very good but not great. The touch screen is great. The cooled seats work remarkably well. From 50 to 100 MPH this thing screams. Sport Mode is cool. Fit and finish are good but there’s room for improvement. The car is much more attractive in person than in any picture I've seen. Bluetooth works wonderfully.
I was surprised to find there isn’t heating or cooling controls for the rear passengers. The supercharger is not very loud and sounds sweet at high RPM's. Incredible transmission!!!! The gear shifts are effortless and incredible. Very surprised at how well this car drives. I've driven several BMW 5 series, E Class Benz’s, Audis and this drives as well if not better. The 20's really stick to the road. Rear headroom sucks as does rear leg room. I wish the digital read out between the tach and speedometer showed the actual speed. It shows the TIME (stupid!). It should show the speed in automatic mode and the gears in manual mode. Oh wow...the paddles work exceptionally well and they are VERY responsive.
The parking break is great. The start button is just as cool as everyone has said. Supposedly you can set the air vents to stay open but I've chosen to keep them in the flip mode. It's very entertaining when they open and close. The rear view camera is surprisingly VERY sharp. I've had two others and this camera smokes the other two. There are parking (proximity) sensors in both the rear and FRONT. Nice for parallel parking. The engine looks beautiful with the hood open. The lines on this car are awesome. Everyone keeps asking for the signature Jaguar hood icon. They should make that optional.
The oak veneer is superior to the burl walnut. The burl in this car is not nearly as nice as the XJ. Surprising... The straight grain oak looks great with the metal fascia on the dash.
The steering wheel is nice and useful, seats are tight but comfy; I wish the seats were wider; the dashboard controls are simple and compliment the touch screen nicely; there are several fun driving modes, and the blind spot monitor is very helpful.
Wish list: Wood steering wheel, XM, XM with traffic updates, rear AC controls, and digital speed readout.
Lastly, the pop up shifter is the bomb. It's so easy to use and catches everyone's attention. It's very creative and well thought out. Lots of cup holder space but the center console is TINY! I was pleasantly surprised to find out I could connect a USB stick into the center console to listen to my MP3's. You can also hook up an ipod or your blackberry.
All in all a great car. It’s distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack and gets lots of attention. A real show stopper…
If someone will show me how, I’ll upload some pictures….
Tex…
#4
#7
RE: My Supercharged XF is home - First Thoughts...
Hey Big Tex,
Welcome (although I'm new too). AND CONGRATS!! Nice pics & great color. I have to wait for mine (originally thought I wanted the premium luxury, then changed my mind and ordered the supercharged). Since you're one of the first to possess the XF, I have a question. I have a XF book (magazine) that says there is a "checkered flag" button on the dash to activate the dynamic mode. I haven't been able to identify it in any pictures. Where is it (or does it even exist)?
Also, I'm surprised that you complained about the legroom - I'm 6'2" and thought that there was plenty when I test drove the premium luxury. I didn't notice the headroom being an issue either. I do agree on the backseat, but when I drove the XF, the dealer sat directly behind me and he was as tall as I am (but I would have sacrificed the trunk space for more backseat room).
Continue to update on your XF experience so I don't have to keep reading the same material on the XF over and over again & hear my son ask me "Why are you reading that brochure again"?
Best,
Tommie
Welcome (although I'm new too). AND CONGRATS!! Nice pics & great color. I have to wait for mine (originally thought I wanted the premium luxury, then changed my mind and ordered the supercharged). Since you're one of the first to possess the XF, I have a question. I have a XF book (magazine) that says there is a "checkered flag" button on the dash to activate the dynamic mode. I haven't been able to identify it in any pictures. Where is it (or does it even exist)?
Also, I'm surprised that you complained about the legroom - I'm 6'2" and thought that there was plenty when I test drove the premium luxury. I didn't notice the headroom being an issue either. I do agree on the backseat, but when I drove the XF, the dealer sat directly behind me and he was as tall as I am (but I would have sacrificed the trunk space for more backseat room).
Continue to update on your XF experience so I don't have to keep reading the same material on the XF over and over again & hear my son ask me "Why are you reading that brochure again"?
Best,
Tommie
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RE: My Supercharged XF is home - First Thoughts...
very nice, i like the avg mpg of 8.6 i want a leaper and front fog lights!!!!! i like how the carpet is dark to contrast yet has the piping to compliment! i was thinking about some contrasting grey mats with black piping and black emb. of my intials to match mine, prob wont do it though
#14
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RE: My Supercharged XF is home - First Thoughts...
Jag. The B&W System is good...not great. I personally prefer the Lexus and Mercedes systems. The speakers sound good at low to medium volume but things get a little distorted at higher levels. It's their first system so it's not perfect. With that said it still sounds better than 95% of the systems available.
AI, what the PCD? What does PCD stand for?
Caddy, I LOVE the leather console. It's very attractive....
Skanoski, it does come equipped for sat. The only service supported is Sirius, which isn't awful...it's just not XM which I have at home and in my other car. I'm an XM fan although I get my football from Sirius.
Tommie, I loved Farley and that's one of my favorite movies all time. I make all my new hires watch it. I'm in high tech sales... No I didn't eat paint chips as a kid... Yes, the racing flag (Dynamic Mode) exists. It's really cool. There are 6 different modes the car can be operated in. They're a mix of Drive, Sport, Traction (DSC Full), Mild Traction (TracDSC), No Traction (No DSC) and Winter. In Flag (Dynamic Mode) the car can be operated in Drive or Sport and it automatically engages TracDSC which gives the driver more control of the car while disabling some of the DSC features. It "Optimises vehicle systems to deliver a more involved driving experience." The one time I tried it I felt like I did have more control and could spin the tires more in the corners. It's located in front of the parking brake switch.
The legroom is an issue but not nearly as bad as the headroom. I have a long torso and short legs so it's worse for me. Legroom is fine for me, it's my rear passenger that suffers. Like in most sedans. The rear headroom is a major problem and I'd check it out. I'm surprised the dealer squeezed in behind you. He must have been screaming inside of pain. He's a trooper... There's no doubt the leg and headroom in the XF are less than the E500 and M45. But the styling is far supierior to those vehicles and that's the sacrafice you make the get the coupe look.
Thanks for all the compliments guys. She's doing well and it's a ton of fun to drive....
AI, what the PCD? What does PCD stand for?
Caddy, I LOVE the leather console. It's very attractive....
Skanoski, it does come equipped for sat. The only service supported is Sirius, which isn't awful...it's just not XM which I have at home and in my other car. I'm an XM fan although I get my football from Sirius.
Tommie, I loved Farley and that's one of my favorite movies all time. I make all my new hires watch it. I'm in high tech sales... No I didn't eat paint chips as a kid... Yes, the racing flag (Dynamic Mode) exists. It's really cool. There are 6 different modes the car can be operated in. They're a mix of Drive, Sport, Traction (DSC Full), Mild Traction (TracDSC), No Traction (No DSC) and Winter. In Flag (Dynamic Mode) the car can be operated in Drive or Sport and it automatically engages TracDSC which gives the driver more control of the car while disabling some of the DSC features. It "Optimises vehicle systems to deliver a more involved driving experience." The one time I tried it I felt like I did have more control and could spin the tires more in the corners. It's located in front of the parking brake switch.
The legroom is an issue but not nearly as bad as the headroom. I have a long torso and short legs so it's worse for me. Legroom is fine for me, it's my rear passenger that suffers. Like in most sedans. The rear headroom is a major problem and I'd check it out. I'm surprised the dealer squeezed in behind you. He must have been screaming inside of pain. He's a trooper... There's no doubt the leg and headroom in the XF are less than the E500 and M45. But the styling is far supierior to those vehicles and that's the sacrafice you make the get the coupe look.
Thanks for all the compliments guys. She's doing well and it's a ton of fun to drive....
#15
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Glasgow, Scotland UK
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RE: My Supercharged XF is home - First Thoughts...
Hey big tex..............sounds like sooo much fun to drive mate............I'm envious!
I was at the dealer today and again drooled over one in the flesh so to speak, chatted with the salesman who sold me my car and he has one as his demonstrator at the moment and just loves it.....so powerful and yet smooth too.
Well, we've got the XF section opened up now so you can post away till your hearst content mate....check it out.
Cheers
Jim
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#19
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RE: My Supercharged XF is home - First Thoughts...
I thought you might like to see how it looks at night. Now Jim needs to move the message to the XF boards... Enjoy...
This was very hard to do. I had to hold the camera for up to 45 second while the camera filled in the exposure. I'm not the best with the camera and night pictures with low light are tough. I think you get the idea. It's truly a different experience. It's awesome....
Tex
This was very hard to do. I had to hold the camera for up to 45 second while the camera filled in the exposure. I'm not the best with the camera and night pictures with low light are tough. I think you get the idea. It's truly a different experience. It's awesome....
Tex