Dema

I was participating in marketing research today which goal was to figure out why Jaguar XF has slow sales. It was interesting that most people do not aware of existence of the car. All people know Jaguar, but most people mind translates it as an exotic expensive car of elderly wealthy people. I could take a close look at XF again, and can tell that I do not regret that got W212. Certainly Benz did great job in improvement cabin and make it more spacious, better organized. Even having leather covered dashboards doesn’t give Jaguar the feel of luxury which Mercedes has. I doubt that Tata ownership will improve Jaguar in anyway. It can become just a cheap brand from my opinion.

scfishnman

I looked briefly. Was not impressed and thought it was overpriced for what I saw. Wasn't even interested in a test drive.

Dema

Yes, it was a similar reason why I didn't drive XF when did a shopping for a new car. Low resale value and as result high lease rates. I also consider that its predecessor looked better, classier with good inheritance of original Jaguar style. Mercedes and BMW do good job for keeping car distinctive and easy recognizable. Although XF is appealing somewhere, it is still hard to tell that it is Jaguar until you can see badge.

Barry O

I looked at the Jag but was very underwhelmed. At a quick glance it could have been any generic sedan without heritage or identity.

K-A

I think it's a great car. But the allure blanded out on me rather quickly. It's one part exotic, beautiful, and dynamic, and another part bloated, "Ford-ish/Volvo-ish Mom Car", and kind of bland. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Interior is stylish, very "tech-y", and will get dated and tiresome fast. I prefer the German, more Teutonic approach, and even though the XF has fancier materials, like Dema said, it doesn't give off the confident, and Luxurious feeling of the Benz IMO.

On top of that, Jag's quality is unproven, and I don't trust Tata until they prove their worth.

The reason why the XF doesn't sell though, has nothing to do with the design. The design is more than great enough to be a major player in this segment. It's due to the badge, as Jag's name has been ransacked during the last decade +. Nobody really trusts the brand right now, and it's lost some cache.

I like the new Jag's, and think that a solid English Luxury brand is needed, to mix things up (under Rolls/Bentley). However, I'd like to see Jag mix their new "we're cool too" modern styling, with harkening back to their rich heritage. As M-B, and BMW, etc. always do.

hyperion667

Jaguar's are NOT Jaguars anymore (to me) I've been a Jaguar lover since I was 8!!!
NO BS! It's the car I thought I'd buy brand new, but of course the year I'm ready for something right out of the box, Jaguar has to go and completely change their look!!!!
That is what is going on, the sales...........nobody wants the first new gen of Jag.......
frankly, it's quite unappealing looking to me.........although they say the Jags have excellent braking systems and a nice wrap around piece of wood on the dash.......
I too didn't even bother to drive one..........
Just knew that it didn't look good enough for me to drive everyday.....
I would someday like to get an old xjs V12......1975-1996......very beautiful cars........

hyperion667

good comments as usual K-A......

K-A

GuyFawkes

I went to the showroom to look at the BMW 550i x-drive.

Then I went on the internet to locate the nearest Jaguar dealership to look at the XF...

But then I saw a photo and threw up in my mouth a little and decided not to. hahaha

haha no but seriously though... I did manage to see one in a temporary showroom they setup in a shopping mall, and the Jaguar's styling doesn't seem like it's going to age well. The interior was nothing to shout about, and my previous test drive on the former XJ left me so unimpressed I swore I'd never drive one again.

E-Class FTW

hyperion667

But then I saw a photo and threw up in my mouth a little and decided not to. hahaha

GuyFawkes


LOL man, I love that expression, hehe

sosh

I looked and walked away. Not even a test drive. Too much Ford left in it and Tata who now owns it has never built a luxury car before and their reputation is for cheap throwaway junk.

Tjdehya

I too didn't test drive. The only thing that seemed to impress me was the pop up electronic shifter. The exterior looks good but there was no "Wow" factor to it. IMO the XJ has the "wow" factor but I wasn't looking at that price range.
I don't think the car is overpriced considering that you can get 385hp for less than the price of a E350.

GuyFawkes

The one thing that Mercedes could possibly take away from that whole set up is how the vents "fold away" when you turn the car off. I would like that purely for the sake of keeping the vents dust-free for longer in between interior cleans. However I don't actually know if it'll keep it clean... if it doesn't, then that's as useless a gimmick as the Starter-Button on BMW's lol.

ltgfrk

I drive my wife's '09 supercharged XF once and a while (actually anytime we take her car, it's a fear of dying thing) and while it's definitely a much different ride than my E550 there are things that I like better about hers and some I like better about mine. What I like most about hers is that it has a lot more power than mine and it handles better. Oh, and her review camera is much better than mine.

BenzE350

I think it is a great car too!

For the same price (or less) than the E350 you get a 385HP V8 - that sounds and performs great. I have taken several test drives and IMO the XF easily outhandles the Benz.

Looks are subjective so I won't comment much except to say that I like it, and the Jag's soft premium leather is a real treat.

You also see far fewer XF's on the road than dime a dozen E's.

However, there are a few things that kept me from purchasing it:

1. I live in Boston and need 4-matic or similar. Not an option on the XF.
2. The expected depreciation hit (as evidenced by the lease rates)

BenzE350

2 pretty important aspects.

park423

My friend really likes this car so I took a look and as most have stated already, there is nothing that appealing about this car. I really care about the interior and although a big deal was made about the XF interior when it first came out, it already looks dated (on a separate note, the new XJ interior looks great). As for the exterior, everyone also has the same expression... when you look at an E or 5 series, you instantly know it's an MB or BMW, with the XF, not at all. With the style heritage Jaguar has, it's a shame they cannot build on that.

Also MB does a good job with incentives to keep us renewing with MB when our lease nears the end so even though the XF is a better value on paper, it evens out in the end.

Dema

It is really interesting. If not going to particular dimensions, Jag looks smaller for me, so it can explain that it is more nibble and outperform Benz. Does Jag have smaller dash display, or it is just my impression? I think it should be positioned higher, like E class has. I agree that rearview camera is very basic for Benz, no any sign of actual distance to obstructions.
What about trunk size? It looked smaller for Jag, although actual capacity is 17 cu ft comparing to 15 cu ft Benz has.
Did you ever compare fuel consumption? 16/23 MPG on paper for supercharged Jaguar looks good, but what is reality?

csquared

If you are talking about the E550, then the XJ would be a more suitable competitor. It's just that the XJ has an ugly rear end that resembles a Citroen and does not suit the agressive front end. Interior is too futuristic and lacks any sort of cohesion. In terms of driveablity, the E550 wins with its superior handling and dynamics.

FraKctured

For the most part, if you don't see the badge, they look like a Grand Am. Is that the best they can do?

hyperion667

whoh, this is the worst Jaguar insult ever!!! LOL

RNBRAD

That's what I thought, looked like a cheap chevy product to me or just another everyday car that blends in with everything else on the road.