i just replaced with my XF with an XJ.

i too had the same list of changes id make to the XF. it was a great car...but was really annoyed with the lack of refinements that should have been made.

 

The XF works for me because the back seat is wider then the XJ. When my kids are not in car seats anymore XJL Supersport!

 

bad kitty....http://www.madisonjaguar.com/preowned_find.html

I love the XJs, but don't know if i could give up the rotating vents. Yes, they are a MUST! (;

 

I'd change the dealers to ones that understand how to serve customers.

 

really? the vents got boring after 10 seconds. they're cool, but not worth bending over for

 

Xj must be good, since it got you to really bend over and make an exchange.

 

I have had a XFSC for about three weeks and spent 8 days of those 3 weeks driving 2011/2012 XJL Loaners.

I like the XFSC rotating vents but I like the XJL vents better.

Here are some of my other observations,

Most importantly for me the XFSC has a wider backseat 3 car seats fit over the seating surface and align with the seatbelts female end.
The steering wheel controls on the XJL are better.
The XJL has more leg room but not to the point yet of making it a better choice for me. The XJL back seat is not as wide as the XF by about 2 inches. The middle car seat female end is under the other car seat so it takes a little longer to get going in the morning.
The flip down rear seat tray is nice, but my kids want to play with it so at our house its an annoyance.
I also have all the kids take off their shoes before I let them into the XJL loaners because its not my car and I want to keep it nice for the next person so that takes a little time.
The nav is slightly faster on the XJL
The XJL has dual moon roofs and manual sun shades on the rear doors.
The XJL has front massage seats and heated and cooled rear seats.
The XFSC has a deeper trunk, which was a surprise. We deliver food to six Rwandan refugee families every week and all 6 food boxes fit in the XFSC trunk, two had to go in the backseat of the XJL. These are the large cardboard boxes you see grocery stores stalking produce from.

Looks wise its a toss up they both are amazingly beautiful cars. If my kids were older and out of car seats I would have bought a XJL Supersport. In 3 years when I am done with the XFSC I may end up trading it in on a XJL SS.

 

haha, yeah it was TOTALLY worth it. Ive always had XJ's (Vanden Plas models specifically)....and in 2009 when I was at the end of my lease, the X351's were not out yet....so i decided to grab an XF

dont get me wrong, i really enjoyed the XF (despite the few little things that annoyed me)...but over all i dont regret my purchase.......but I wouldnt classify the opening vents as a "must have or no deal" thing

once i got back into the XJ scene...you quickly feel the $30k difference

 

For $30K I should certainly hope so!

Cheers,

- Will

 

Very nice of you to be so considerate to the car. Nice to see there are still people around who "care".

Yes, I agree! It's not a necessity, half the time either i have it at open or close positions. It's a nice feature to have and it makes the car that much more lively, along with the Jaguardrive gear selector. That's what makes a Jaguar what it is today.

I do truly believe, if these features were in a MB or BMW, it would be a huge hype. When in reality, both of the Germans, are behind times in certain ways.

When i test drove the 2010 E550 while back, i found the column shifter very disappointing - didn't like it at all. I expect nothing but high standards and innovation from the Silver Star, but it wasn't in the E class.

I am actually very fond of the XJ. Certain ways, it's body styling is better than the XF. The only thing i am not crazy about is the strip going around the edge of the dashboard. Never know, might find myself in one few years down the road.

 

Personally I'd love to see the manual option, in fact it is the absence of manuals in most of the mid to larger sport sedans that has led me to Jag as an option. The newer car, aside from the M5 which is maddeningly electronic don't offer a manual...as a result...I'm left with manumatics and automatics to choose from. A manual would make an XF MORE of a hands down winner than it already is.

The crime for me is that when you buy a great car usually 50% of the choice is the engine...well, it has been for me. That's what has brought me to the Jag - that 5.0 rumble won't leave my head! In my experience a manual gives you an extra bit of enjoyment from an engine that a paddle or auto will never replace.

For me, the rate of the shift has nothing to do with my choice, I'm not racing.

 

Does anyone else think the trunk takes too much effort to close? It doesn't have a luxury feel when closing. My older Boxster S and last M3 were much better - even my wife's Mazda3 feels more solid when closing.

 

I got my XFSC back today!!! wow is it fast.

I have been in the trunk 3 times and while its not a bother to close it myself I do miss the push a button then walk away while it closes. I also miss the massage seats.

 

Trunk does feel somewhat heavy, but on my 2012, all i have to do is push it down where it just touches the latch and the rest closes by itself (electronically controlled)

 

Trunk lid is aluminum which makes setting the gas strut pressure tricky. Lid is too light so gas springs are proportionally stronger to release the latch if the lid is loaded with snow.

 

Thats the point, I would rather the car did not do everything, I will not put the headlights or wipers on auto. I will decide when they need to come on.

Its not fiddling if you truly enjoy shifting.

 

Without paddle shifters I would not have purchased the car, I love the car but it truly is terrible to drive in D left to do its own shifting.

The only way imho to enjoy driving this car to the max is Dynamic Mode on and shifter in S while shifting with your fingertips. Only then can I enjoy driving it as much as I like looking at the outside and inside, it really is beautifully designed in and out.

 

Larger gas tank. With the SC 333 miles between fillup comes pretty quick.

 

I have only had the car for about 3 months and still learning it's limits. When i engage dynamic mode in sport, it truely does turn the car into an animal. Extremely enjoyable to drive - i forget that i am in a 4000 pounds 4 door sedan.

Another reason i favor automatics over manual is, computer will always shift much faster than anyone can with a manual.

 

perfectly stated, I feel like I'm going to put my hand through the trunk rather then close it because the struts are so strong! Also it is seconds quicker to hit the button and have the truck close and latch itself while you walk to the drivers seat. Instead of closing the trunk all the way and then walking around the side of the car.

@09xfsuper

I drove a 5spd Toyota truck for about 200,000 miles when I was a service manager and 18-20. That really got the joy of shifting out of me. I enjoy it when I want to drive like a tool but my commute would be less enjoyable if I had a clutch to work.


@vapor trail
333 miles per tank wow your gentle with your car!