USA Today on Jaguar XF: "Thrill Seekers Should Look Elsewhere"

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

I suppose that's no big deal, right? I mean, a Jaguar is, ostensibly, a car that provides drivers with imperious wafting rather than ultimate driving. On the other hand, Caddy's CTS is working the European sports sedan thing for all it's worth, as are the Japanese luxury makes and European sports sedans. Strangely, Healey dismisses the Jag's sporting aspirations because of its super-smooth power delivery– rather than any handling deficit. ( TTAC's Justin Berkowitz described the XF as "Ali-light on its toes, whisking you around bends with enough neutral attitude and tarmac-clawing grip to satisfy all but the most suicidal driver.") Moving on, USA Today's resident car critic has a bigger nit [sic] to pick on the all-important build quality side of the equation: "Alas, the front edge of the driver's door panel creaked in the Supercharged, and the driver's door pillar in the Premium Luxury had a faint tapping or creaking." Oh dear. After Healey's usual debate with himself ("The rear fold-down armrest has only a cup holder, no storage for, say, a first-aid kit. Hey, rivals do the same things, Jag says. And next time your kid says, 'Everybody else does it,' you'll accept that excuse, right?), he delivers the usual generally positive summation: "Power, gorgeous body, tasteful interior, a few silly gadgets."

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Benders Benders on Apr 20, 2008

    Was that even a review? Sounds like he went to the dealer, sat in it for 7 minutes, and then wrote his review based on the pamphlet he got from the salesman.

  • Matthew Potena Matthew Potena on Apr 20, 2008

    "Based on the XK coupe" Isn't the XF based on the mechanicals of the S-Type?

  • Michael Karesh Michael Karesh on Apr 21, 2008

    It's a mix of S-Type body and XK suspension. I personally haven't found the handling of either the XF or the XK all that special.

  • Jamie1 (of Ford) Jamie1 (of Ford) on Apr 21, 2008
    Michael Karesh I personally haven’t found the handling of either the XF or the XK all that special. Michael - then I suggest (respectfully) that you don't know what you are doing! Both are outstanding not only for their class but in their own rights.
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