Hi there - I live 50/50 between Seattle and Chicago - anyway, I have a dilemma - I test drove a 2011 XFR in Chicago - awesome car- I currently have a 2010 BMW 335 (Turbos tweaked) so I'm currently doing about 350whp/400tq - the XFR didn't didn't have the 'kick in the pants' take-off or perhaps it was just smoother in execution?- so, here's my question - I'm sure many made the move from BMW to the XFR - would you do it again? The steering felt really tight - but does it have the 'road feel' like a BMW?
I'm getting a decent trade - overall looks like a sweet deal - just looking for real life experiences with the XFR before I pull the trigger...the 335 was my 8th consecutive BMW...
One gripe, which is trivial in the realm of things - why no LED DDL's?
Anyway, thanks in advance for any input...
//M

 

I traded a 911 for the XFR. Straight line acceleration of the Jag is better than the Porsche. It's the only car I've ever owned where I felt my head slammed into the headrest on acceleration. Handling wise (not surprisingly) victory goes in the other direction.

I've personally never been very impressed with steering feel or road feel on any BMW I've driven - M3's and M5's included - they've always felt very underwhelming to me. My money would go to the Jag rather than BMW. As to LED's if you want to look like a ricer then they're a nice addition, but frankly they're an irrelevance when it comes to actual driving.

 

I agree. I have "nearly bought" a number of BMW but always conclude that they are less car for your money than they ought to be. The M's are the only ones really worth considering. The runflat equipped cars handle in a very unfortunate manner and ride harshly.

The Jaguar is a completely different kind of car, despite the Germanification of the ride, and rewards the driver in a completely different way. Briefly put, the Jaguar is extremely easy to drive very hard and very fast. For example, I recall driving my X Type at over 160 km/hr through some fast sweepers and thinking nothing of reaching over to tune the radio.....

This leads some to conclude the Jaguar doesn't engage the driver but nothing could be further from the truth. The Jaguar assists the driver in ways the Germans do not understand let alone build.

 

Thanks for the responses - Le Chef - I have an 07 997 Turbo in Seattle - the Jag will be in Chi - funny comment about the DDL's, so whats the bet the '12 XFR will have LED's similar to the XJ? I'm gonna do it - think I need a change...
ps - I'm in River North - perhaps we should sync up when I do get it...

 

I got mine from Imperial up in Lake Bluff - a bit far to go but they take care of you.

 

Because I run through Canada fairly often, I had the low-beams and other running lights activated by the dealer and so that they are on anytime the car is operating in order to comply with Canadian laws. You may want to check with your dealer to see if they can be activated on your model if you want daylight running lights.

 

DRL's are horrible and dangerous. They only function on headlights not tail lights. The number of times I've seen numbskies driving along thinking they have all lights on with DRL's but wonder why they get flashed from behind - it's because they nearly got rear-ended. They should be banned or have all 4 corners lit.

 

Maybe because I am getting older but the BMW's are a bit more tiring to drive. My M's always seemed unhappy when I'm not thrashing them. For daily use I wanted something a bit more comfortable and less "on edge".
I agree with the comments above about the LED DDL's... Not necessary atleast for me but they will most likely be part of the facelift for MY2012.

 

Maybe true for other cars but when the XF DRLs are activated, all four corners are lit