Jaguar XF - Jag XF - update from private owner after 2.5 yrs

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Fri 16 Oct 2015 14:14
Jaguar XF - Jag XF - update from private owner after 2.5 yrs - The Gingerous One

Hi all,

Just thought I would give a quick update on my 5 yr old XF 3L petrol. I bought it at 2.5 yrs old in March '13 and it had done 28k .

2.5 yrs later it's on 57k, only issue has been one door lock has stopped joining in the central locking party (a bit like an old Rover SD1).

Running Shell Nitro+ UL, urban tootling I see 22mpg (i.e. on the way to/from work plus a drop off at school, includes a bit of m/way) and long runs on m-ways it's settling down about 32mpg @ an indicated ~80mph (speedos overrread of course..). I can still sometimes get 34mpg that I reported a couple of years ago, but that's really in summer with A/C off and doing ~75mph.

If I use normal UL then around town drops to 20mpg and long runs struggle to reach 30mpg.

annual services are £200 for an oil & filter change plus a stamp, but the air and pollen filters I did myself last year.

New pads & disks fitted all round this year - parts from motor factors were ~£180 (they are the same as the S-type it turns out) and a few hours of my time in the summer evenings. Even eleccy handbrake still worked afterwards!

Upcoming costs are spark plug change (the inlet manifold has to come off to access 1 bank of cyls) and considering changing the anti-freeze as its' been in there 5 years.

So, still going well, still enjoying it, kids prefer going in it compared to wife's Qashqai and so I should be ok until the kids grow up enough and their bikes no longer fit in the boot of the XF.

If JLR did a XF Sportbrake with a sensible petrol engine then I'd buy one, but they don't so I won't be. And the F-Pace's 340bhp petrol engine doesn't count as 'sensible' either!

cheers

Stu

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Fri 16 Oct 2015 16:11
Jaguar XF - Jag XF - update from private owner after 2.5 yrs - Snakey

I've always fancied a XF petrol and that report does make me even more tempted!

One thing I was concerned about was how it would cope in slush/frost/snow etc as where I live is appallingly bad for gritting. I have a few neighbours who have given up with their 3 series and mercs because of similar problems.

Winter tyres would be a big help I guess, but have you have any experiences in the wintery conditions in the jag?

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Fri 16 Oct 2015 17:53
Jaguar XF - Jag XF - update from private owner after 2.5 yrs - csgmart

Winter tyres would be a big help I guess, but have you have any experiences in the wintery conditions in the jag?

Well, I can tell you from personal experience that the XF in snow is not great. I had a diesel version (3 litre) and in snow and ice it was pretty incapable of being driven up hills and inclines. Couldn't cope with the small slope to my drive from the road (very minor incline). I didn't have winter tyres fitted so no doubt that might have made a difference but I personally doubt it would have transformed it that much.

XF's are great cars (in fact it was the best car by far I've ever owned) but not for snow and ice.

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Wed 21 Oct 2015 13:44
Jaguar XF - Jag XF - update from private owner after 2.5 yrs - The Gingerous One

>Winter tyres would be a big help I guess, but have you have any experiences in the wintery conditions in the jag?

Yes, but then I do indeed have a set of winter tyres and wheels.

(large) RWD cars don't fair terribly well in the snow & ice as we know, and nor do I have a very good previous history with relatively powerful RWD cars (owned 1 before & binned it, so 100% success rate of crashing RWD cars prior to buying XF).

So I bought 5x17" alloys from e-bay for <£500 (all pretty much as new & boxed) and then Nokian AR3 tyres to fit (c.£100ea). There was no spare but now I have one :-)

Unfortunately, there hasn't been much snow in the past 2 winters, but on the the couple of times there has, I immediately pressed the snowflake button and headed straight up the snowy hillside to check it out and everything was good. The car didn't slide or swerve.

Also tried doing emergency stops @ 30 mph on freshly-fallen hail (it had totally covered the ground) and again, no problem. Car pulled up straight and swiftly.

Hope that helps ?

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Thu 22 Oct 2015 13:47
Jaguar XF - Jag XF - update from private owner after 2.5 yrs - The Gingerous One

>I've always fancied a XF petrol and that report does make me even more tempted!

Good, but don't forget the (almost) £500/yr VED, but on the plus side you can pay it in instalments now via direct debit, or up front on an (interest-free) credit card.

The credit card payment will incur a £2.50 fee but in proportion to the VED cost it is 0.5% of it, which is an acceptable.

Or you could use a cash-back credit card to buy it, assuming you would get more than£2.50 back... :-)

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Thu 26 May 2016 13:35
Jaguar XF - Jag XF - update from private owner after 2.5 yrs - The Gingerous One

Update on the Jaaaaag :

rear off-side door lock stopped joining the central locking party so had that fixed at same time as it was serviced 6 months ago. "Strangely" Jag dealer had the part in stock, so service and door lock done for a shade under £500.

Then in Feb, the JaguarDrive Selector (i.e. the gearknob) got stuck in P after I reversed off the drive for the school run. Replacement of Gear Selector Module (GSM) was a shade over £500 (part + 1.5hrs labour).

Car now 6 years old and at 62k. So other than the above, everything still ok.

Spark plugs not due until c.70k.

cheers

Stu

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