Hi, I'm looking to buy a second-hand Jaguar XF in the new year and had a couple of questions.

- Just wondering how the headlights are on this model if the car does not have Xenon's? I currently have Xenon's on my Audi and find them highly useful on the country and semi-rural roads in our area. I read a review when the XF first came out, and the headlights were singled out as being fairly weak.

- Is the reversing camera a standard feature on the XF after a particular year? i.e; i notice that it is not listed on some of the earlier models but it appears to be an inclusion on most of the second hand listed vehicles from 2009 onward. It's sometimes hard to tell from the ads whether all vehicles have the camera and that it's simply not mentioned - or that the camera is simply an optional extra.

- Lastly, is there a preference in terms of year model? I read that some changes and fixes were made to the 2009 model, but is there a compelling reason that i should consider a 2010 or if the budget allows; a 2011 model?

Thanks for your time,

Scott.

 

Standard headlights are fine for North American driving. Xenons are highly overrated and very expensive to repair. Xenons are intended for very high speed night driving which is very foolish in most of North America due to the high rate of large animal strikes at night. Standard halogen high beams are more than adequate up to at least 80 mph.

Xenons often only operate on dipped beam anyway with high beam bulbs standard halogen. Bi-xenons have a xenon high beam also and are really expensive to replace. I am not sure which type is fitted to US spec XF.

As for model year the 5.0 V8 in later models gives a useful boost in performance with modest fuel consumption increase.

 

The utility of xenons is almost directly proportional to a person's age. The older you get, the more light you need to see well at night. On balance, and certainly within limits, it's better to have brighter lights than not, even if they are not strictly needed.

 

For the 2010 model year the Luxury model had halogen lights and the Premium and above (XFR) have the Bi Xenon lights. I consider the Xenon lights to be essential. They are brighter and the beam pattern is better defined. We have a lot of deer in our area and I need to see them well in time. The halogen lamps on the testers I drove were not adequate and were rather dim. Xenon's are more expensive to replace but they last a lot longer than halogens. Also the Xenon assemblies come with headlight washer's built in.

I cannot confirm the reversing camera. My 2010 Premium has one and the 2010 tester Luxury did not, but I am not sure whether this was an option on the Luxury. The Premium had it as standard along with the blind spot detection system in the door mounted rear view mirrors (which are really useful!!).

The base 2009 models had the 4.2 Litre engine without supercharger (it is supercharged in the next model up, I think it was called the Premium Luxury for 2009). The 2010 Luxury (base model) is 4.2 Litres and the Premium is 5.0 litres. The 5.0 litre is a newer and more powerful and efficient engine. (385 bhp for 5.0 litre and 300 bhp for the 4.2 litre). The supercharged 4.2 litre is slightly more powerful than the standard 5.0 litre with torque coming in at lower engine revs. There is not a lot of driving difference between the 2010 Premium with its 5 litre engine and the 2009 Premium Luxury with its 4.2 litre supercharged engine, although some may disagree.

Given that later years tend to get the bugs ironed out, the 2010 model Premium would seem like a good place to start with its 5.0 litre engine and a good set of standard features including Bi Xenon headlights and rear view camera. Watch out for the sound system. The B & W premium audio is an option and it is, in my opinion, far superior to the standard system.

 

As of 2011 & 12, backup camera is not standard. However, the standard model has a proximity sensor which I feel is sufficient. Namely, when you shift into reverse, the computer screen at the center of the dash shows a bird's-eye view of the vehicle. If the rear or side-read corners get close to an object, a red bar appears in the vicinity of the car on the display and the speakers start to beep. As you get closer, the bar appears closer and the beeping increases in frequency.

If you back into something with the standard sensor, then you're probably deaf and blind.

If you want to know the factory components on a particular Jag, you can call Jaguar's customer service number listed on their web page. You need the VIN. Give the agent the VIN and ask them for the factory components. I did that recently when trying to figure out what a used XF had on it. The car lot had a different opinion than Jaguar, meaning they listed something that wasn't really there to begin with. Not that a used car dealer would lie or anything. ;-)

 

2009 came in three models. Two were naturally aspirated 4.2 liter V8 engines and the top model was supercharged. Luxury was the base model and the best value. Premium luxury was next up. SC was the top model.

Headlight washers were available on the base halogen headlight and standard on Canadian cars as were the heated seats, steering wheel and windshield.

 

Hi Guys, thank you for all the replies. i should've mentioned that Im based in Australia (or posted in the Aus section of the forum) It's more than likely that the inclusions will be different for the Aussie market.

mtravis - thanks for suggesting to ring Jaguar direct with the VIN number, that's a great idea.

I'm friendly with the dealer who sold my Audi, im going there on Tuesday to drive the 6 and 8 cylinder petrol engines plus the 6 cylinder 3.0 ltr diesel. Should give me a good idea of what's on offer.

Cheers,

Scott.

 

Hi Scott,
I have just bought a 2011 xf , base model X250, with the 3 lit diesel.
The standard lights are OK, the rear view cam is not standard and cant be fitted by dealers after..... although I am talking to a company that makes a module that will display an after market cam on the dash screen.. ill let you know how it goes..( get the rear cam if you can, the back is quite high when backing or parking)
The diesel is a great car, heaps of power and cheap to run... im verrry happy..

Len

 

Cool, happy driving

 

Hi Len, thanks for letting me know and congrats on your purchase!

Please do let me know how you get on with the reversing camera.

Cheers,

Scott.

 

Hi Scott,
Did Len ever get back to you about the reversing camera ? as I would also be interested in getting one, Althought the rear sensors are good I would like the extra peace of mind that goes with seeing where you are going as the back is quite high and vis is poor

Cheers Peter

 

Did anyone find out about adding the backup(reversing) camera on the XF?

 

Hi Lew,
I found a company that would fit an after market camera that integrates with the display for $1600. But am in Western Australia,no use to you I guess sorry
Peter

 

If you don't get the Premium edition, make sure you never sit in a Premium. The leather is that much better, it will make you sad.