Digestible Collectible: 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged
Imagine if Lucas, Prince of Darkness were still supplying electrics to the British car industry. A Lucas navigation system would make Apple Maps look like a good choice. Lucas telematics would require a Whitworth wrench to access.
I kid because I love. I’ve spent more hours under the hood of British sports cars than just about anything else in my life, though not at all in the last decade or so. Even then, I still have MG shop manuals under my bathroom sink, ready for the restoration of the car I don’t yet own.
I’m closing out the year (and my fortnight of V-8 family sedans) with an Ian Callum stunner: the 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged. There seem to be a good number of these in the $15,000-$20,000 range. I chose this one primarily because it wasn’t silver, and the photos aren’t awful.
I have nothing against silver cars specifically. It just isn’t my favorite shade on this Jag.
Save for the X and S-types of the early Ford era, I can’t think of any Jaguar that wasn’t magnificently styled. The XF is no different. The interior looks quite pleasant, though some materials may not have worn well. The steering wheel appears to be a GM-esque parts-bin item, which is hardly unusual considering Jaguar’s history.
Reliability is always a concern with any British car. I’ve been searching and I can’t seem to find any overwhelmingly consistent problems with the XF. Electrics dominate the problem list, naturally, though most don’t seem more than an annoyance. I’m sure I’ll be corrected by a reader who watched their own XF go up in flames.
This is very appealing. I’m swayed both by the wonderful styling and power, and by the Britishness. The Germans are the leaders in this segment for a reason, but I enjoy being different.
Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.
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I will throw my lot in with the rousing chorus praising Ian Callum. It can't be denied that he was the naz with a pencil and Ford was so lucky to have him in the fold and his drawings in the locker. Hard to say why he can design a beautiful carriage and some others can't. There are others I think off up there with him like Henrick Fisker and Ralph Gilles who "get it." Others for sure. But Ian Callum really does stand out. I just don't know why there are not more gorgeous cars. I don't know who designs Chevrolets. And I probably don't know because there has been a parade of mediocre designs for the last 35 years. Sure the Vette and the Cruze are nice, but what stand-out designs can you point too. Don't say Camaro, it's ergonomically flawed. (Good runners, nothing wrong inside.) I do remember the very day I first saw this Jag. It was white. Outside of a hospital in Ohio. Parked right against a brick wall near the entrance. Distinctive. Expensive looking. Beautiful. That's all I can say.
The Jaguar XF has caught my eye lately as well. I keep reading vague references to horrific maintenance costs, yet I can't find a single specific example of what allegedly fails so often. I read that TrueDelta reported a much higher frequency of repair than competing models, but I can't find any numbers on that sight to back that claim up; XFs are exactly average for the class, maybe even better than competitors. The previously mentioned coolant hoses are the only thing remotely close to a problem. For this class of car, if an $1,800 repair is all you have to worry about, you are in good shape. Also, the later 5.0 NA engines are almost as strong as the '09 supercharged 4.2, and don't suffer the coolant hose issue.