Hey guys

First post, love reading all the info on this forum, hoping to get some insight from the experts!!

About to pull the trigger on the 2013 AWD XF. I live in London Ontario, will not be using car for long commutes in the winter.

? 19 vs 20 inch rims (not winter tires)... Lots of opinions out there on sizing, but from your experience (20 inch users), will I be unhappy with the ride quality/ potential repairs going with 20inches? 20" Hydra Alloy Wheels look sharp...
?heated steering wheel and window option ... unnecessary for a guy like me who uses garage?

thanks for any insight

 

I have a 2011 xf SC with 20 inch wheels. I do not have driving experience with 19's so hard to comment, but I prefer the look of the 20's. I like the ride of my car even with dedicated winter 20 inch tires. I did not get the windshield due to potential visibility issues with glare and at night and when raining. If you garage the car it helps when leaving your home, but not from outdoor parking away from home. Same for heated steering. I park inside at work but not at home. I would get the heated steering again.I don't believe we have any 2013 awd owners on the forum yet so look forward to your joining.

 

For Canada forget the 20's. The sidewalls are so skimpy you'll be buying new wheels every spring. You could buy a set of 18 or 19 with winter tires and run 20's for summer but I wouldn't. I run two sets of 18s. The handling is sublime and the ride is great on the small wheels.

However, I also wouldn't bother with the awd except you can't get the non blown V8 anymore. I now see that Canada gets only the V6 with awd or the XFR. WOW, bad decision by Jaguar. I didn't think the V6 is available without the awd but if it were then I would get it without awd, much quicker car. Jaguar is just plumb crazy to offer the XF with a turbo four gasoline engine as the base model. Who's going to buy one of those? If you can find the dough get an XFR instead!

The Jaguar awd is a great system but overkill for where you are. It adds about 200 lbs of deadweight. Bear in mind that it is only occasional awd, the drive to the front only operates if rear wheelspin is detected. Jaguar wants you to think it is "intelligent" and "anticipates" wheelspin but that is marketing bs. You won't know when the awd activates as it is seamless but I guarantee you it won't be often enough to justify buying it and taking the performance hit. Ironically, Jaguar fitted this system because they know awd trashes the handling. So, to preserve that exquisite handling the awd is just idling along 99% of the time. They don't even offer awd in Audi mad Britain!

Also, if you do go for awd remember that it is the stopping that causes all winter driving problems. Getting going just is not important. If you can't get going, you can't stop either. I have all types: fwd, awd and my rwd Jag. My Audi is my least favourite for winter driving. Odd but true.

Yes, get the heated steering wheel. If I were prime minister I'd make heated steering wheels mandatory in Canada, forget DRL and mandate that heat. Until you have one you have no idea. My garage kept car at both ends of my commute has the full winter package. I hardly ever actually wear a coat or gloves while driving. I just switch on the heated seats and wheel and drive. I wish these had an automatic setting like my SAAB or Audi seats.

Heated windshield is part of the same winter package which also includes a nifty factory installed block heater you'll never need. The heated windshield is useful but I would not pay for one if I could just get the heated seats and steering wheel. But you have to buy them all as a package.

Just BTW, all Canadian spec 2009 XF came with the full winter package as a mandatory "option". Even the base model which I bought has headlight washers on the then base halogen headlights, just for Canada. You will not know how much you will miss the winter package if you don't get it but I will!

 

Welcome to the forum!

XF on the 20s still rides very smooth, but it is a little more choppy than on the 19s. Drive two different ones see what you like.

 

welcome along!

id say stick with the 19's....what you heard is correct, the larger the wheel the harsher the ride. if you lived somewhere with constant flat road it wouldnt be a big deal, but canada has its share of bumps.

absolutely do NOT skip on the heated steering wheel. picture this.....you're out to dinner on a cold winter night...its freezing outside....you get back in your car and everything is ice cold...your body is cold and your hands are even colder......now the heated steering wheel kicks in and you're HAPPY.

trust me on this one

 

^ I have to agree!
There are many mornings where i say to myself, it would be nice to have my hands on a warm steering wheel.

 

I agree with Carzaddict, heated steering wheel is KEY!
I actually wouldn't opt for the heated windshield but it came as a package. I don't love the lines in the windshield but I'm getting used to it now. But it's well worth the minor annoyance for the heated steering.

I have the 20' Hydras but only drove them for a couple days before switching over to snow tires. I didn't notice anything bad about them... besides being Bad A$$ 20' Rims! lol

Although some don't like AWD, I would have likely opted for AWD if it was an option for 2012. It snowed hard yesterday and it wasn't the easiest going uphill after a turn, even with winter mode and snow tires. FWIW.

Good luck with the purchase!

 

I don't even drive my XF SC much if at all in the winter, but when I do I wish it had a heated steering wheel. Once you use it you'll love it for those cold days.

 

Thanks very much for the replys everyone, much appreciated!
Will check out the 2013 inventory hopefully next couple of weeks, likely will go with the 19inch, see if the windshield is annoying. You mentioned the XFR, thankfully dealer did not have a 2012 (i test drove their XKR), otherwise may have bought it on the spot. I promised my wife I would not buy the XFR for now (insert sobbing here). Thus, planning on leasing the AWD XF to get a taste of Jaguar... then wait in the bush for an unsuspecting XFR! I believe Jag is planning at new XF look in 2014-15, will wait and see.

cheers!

 

Leasing is good. If the car is not to your liking you only paid for what you used. Rumor is the XF might switch to aluminum construction and move upmarket a bit to make room for a baby Jaguar underneath the existing model lineup. The F Type is set to attract sportscar lovers for whom the XK is a tad too big and the new 3 series sized baby Jag is to do the same for the sedan range. Plus, cafe performance requires Jaguar to build a smaller, volume selling car.

 

Heated seats, wheel, screen and mirrors: All worth it in Norway so my guess is it would be worthwhile in all of Canada as well. And although DCS (icl. antispin) is very good I miss AWD for winter. Until about about 10 years ago I used a Jensen FF pretty much as a daily driver during winter. With a block heater and garage at home plus 230V at work it worked very well indeed. Old and simple in most ways but a seriously sophisticated AWD + ABS anno 1968, it pretty much left everything else for dead. I use my current '69 FF for the odd challenge rally
No question but I would still outdrive the XF on the slippery slopes.

 

Having seen some more recent performance numbers I see there is very little penalty to the awd version. The supercharged V6 is noticably quicker than my 4.2 V8, even the awd version. I doubt anyone would notice the official 0.2 second difference in 0-60 time and so I see now why Jaguar offers only the awd V6 in Canada, nobody would buy the four or the non-awd V6. If you want ballzout power, get the XFR. Otherwise the V6 awd makes perfect sense.

Now if Jaguar could just be persuaded to bring the Sportback into North America with awd....that would be on my list.