New to Forum and Jaguar. Owned several prior 3 and 5 series BMW. Just bought XF S/C. I love the jag style, interior, engine, and brakes. Engine, transmission, and braking combo one of the best out there for money.

Handling under 60 mph great, perhaps a little too much steering assist, but easy car to drive soft with the family or hard by yourself. However, over 60 mph, car seems jittery, doesnt have the poise at high speeds that some of my prior cars had. Is this normal tradeoff for ride quality or do i have a problem? Also seems to have significantly more body roll. I haven't found anyone talking about suspension changes or issues much on this car.

last car was 2003 bmw 540 msport...so fantastic handling car, difficult to beat...

 

I noticed the same thing coming out of a CTS-V Cadillac... although I like the lower end handling, the Cadillac gave me much more confidence at higher MPH's or accelerating into a corner than my '09 S/C

 

I have only had my 2011 XF XC for a few weeks and up to about 75 mph. Mostly in Sport or Dynamic mode on highway. I have not noticed anything I could call jittery. Do you notice this in all modes, and always above 60 mph? The previous gen 5 series was well respected car. Have you driven the new 5 series and compared it to the XF? Agree on the steering assist at lower speeds. Tightens up at higher speeds though.

 

My 2011 XF NA....no high speed handling issues.....I have run it up to 115+ mph on four occasions.... solid and very stable, seems like it is better as speed increases. Michelin Primacy MXV4 245-45-18.

• However, you may want to check tire pressures to make sure front and rears are the same pressure because it will make a difference at high speed, especially if the fronts are higher than the rears (oversteer).
• Have a wheel alignment done at the dealership......its free up to 12 months 12,000 miles.......on my factory fresh XF the rear was out of alignment, but the front was fine.

 

As jaguny says, put the car into Dynamic+Sport mode if you plan on racing around, it makes a big difference in the feel of the suspension, reduced body roll, etc.

 

In normal driving mode, I find the suspension on the 2012 S/C feels stiffer than my 2009 S/C. The body roll is much less than the 09 unless the 09 was in dynamic. I think the active suspension in the 2012 is setup for more aggressive handling than the CATS suspension in the 2009 was. The car feels glued to the road, but I have become aware of somewhat sharper jolts on highway cracks, joints, ripples, etc. I haven't tried it yet, but the dynamic mode must be like riding on a plank. There is a 20 mile stretch of I-90 west of Syracuse, NY that they just replaced with concrete in the last couple of years. The unit they used to lay the lanes created the worst set of large ripples that I have ever seen. Riding on them in the 09 at 70 to 75 mph, you were well aware of them being there. In the 2012, your eyeballs jitter and teeth rattle unless you clamp your mouth shut. The difference is quite noticable and I am using the same tires and wheels that were on the 09. I am almost tempted to see if the dealer can determine whether the 2012 suspension is erroneously operating in dynamic mode all the time. If mine is working correctly, yours may have a problem.

 

I've had my '09 up to 125-130 a couple times now and it felt solid as can be. 90 mph was so stable I am ready to write letters to my senator appealing for an autobahn to be created. Other cars I've ridden that I can compare the jag to are a Mercedes S550 (too loose and bouncy at high speeds for me), BMW 335, BMW M3 and BMW M5 (both like slot cars, especially the M3), and my ever so boring and crappy, yet free, company-issued Chevrolet Impala.

 

I have driven in normal mode, sport, dynamic, and dynamic + sport.

Dynamic and sport modes definitely tighten up suspension with higher revs, and both combined even more so.

Fast, smooth road, and straight no problem.

Curves too much body roll but does stay glued on track.

Even minor rough highway and fast is unsettling. over bridges, dips, changing lanes, around curves over 70 is not stable.

Same roads I have driven hard for years in bmws.



Have played around with tire pressures a lot.

4000 miles...maybe I should look into dealer alignment and balance?

I'm not sure the 09 to 11 and NA models can be compared as it's my understanding the 2012 supercharged ( and xfr) have very different cats tuning...is it possible my software's control of the suspension is off?...sensors to dampening rates, etc

 

You could bring it in to your dealer to look at, and also drive another 2012 SC to see if it exhibits the same behavior. Was there any signs of this behavior when you test drove the vehicle?

 

I have to say my 10 SC is confidence inspiring at all speeds in all modes. Came from a BMW 335i which was wonderful to drive as well.

 

According to the sales brochure, the 2012 S/C and R have adaptive dynamics that is supposed to provide optimum balance between low speed ride comfort and high speed handling precision. It analyzes body movement, steering, and road wheel inputs up to 500 time a scond and continuously adjusts the suspension settings through electronically controlled dampers. Of course they didn't define what is considered as low or high speed. I don't think the older cats system was that sophisicated. Unfortunately, I don't think mine may be adjusting for low speed driving.