Last night I looked at an 09 SC it had 44k miles and they're asking $38.5k. Ive been on the fence about the XF since my first drive 2 or 3 weeks ago since Im pretty sold on the German brands but I figured the power of the SC would blow me away. Well not exactly...

First, this car was not in the condition Id expect for a car "hand picked" for Select Certification. There were a few spots in the interior, a fair amount of stone chips on the bumper and rockers and the paint....... oh the horror! Its a black car and it looked like a drunk chimpanzee tried to buff it out, it had horrible wheel marks over the entire vehicle. This car was supposedly detailed already.

But it was driving it that confused me, what is the car supposed to be? Im not trying to "troll" or stir the pot but I'm curious if this car had some issues? It had good power in a straight line, when it felt like choosing the right gear and if / when it decided to downshift. The ride / handling felt no different at all from the 11' XF I previous drive and other than it holding gears "forever" I felt no other difference when turning on the dynamic mode (forget the proper name). I think this car might not be the shining example of the breed? It was not aggressive but the throttle took just a nudge to really accelerate (and was hard to keep steady at speeds of 30-40 mph). Is it a luxury car, Sports sedan, GT car, cruiser, racer or ????

It seems the "base" car with 385hp is the sweet spot in terms of price, performance and comfort / handling. The throttle was much easier to modulate, the ride was the same, the trans seemed to be more in tune with the car and its mission. But I still have to decide if a car of that size with more luxury leanings is where I'm at right now. All in all its not a bad choice to "have" to make, I consider myself fortunate.

T this dealer they had an 09 XF w/66k miles for $30, this car for $38.5, a 10' XF w/22k miles for $37k and an 11' XK Sport (what makes it a sport besides the black grille, wheels and piano black trim?) with 7k miles for $43k and a 12' XF SC for $54 (more than I want to spend). Of these which is the best value? I think not the SC due to its condition.

 

Sounds like the 09 should be a no go - somethings wrong with it. Mine drove great - nothing like you describe. The 12 S/C is a heck of a buy unless its got 50k miles on the clock or its been in a crash. Those are going for $64K to $65K new. You should be able to get a new 12 XF Portfolio for the low 50s. Check truecar.com for prices of new and used.

 

Quite a dilemma. I'd be interested in the 10 w/22k only if it is a 5.0 and not a 4.2L. Nothing wrong with the 4.2's as they are great engines but the 5.0 in standard form is a fantastic engine. Also, many of the quirks from the 09's were worked out in '10. I would consider a 09 SC only if the deal was screaming in relation to condition and avoid early VIN cars altogether. R0xxxx to maybe R49999ish (hopefully I don't **** too many off with that one )

 

My 09 was ROO581 and other than a failed mirror motor, nothing was wrong with it through 38K miles. It also went like a bat out hell (I wore out three sets of tires). It was so good, the dealership bought it instead of sending it to auction. Originally, I was told that it was one especially built for dealership owner because I leased it with $4K miles on it.

 

Jerry, i agree there are plenty of good cars out there and it sounds like you had a good one. A rule of thumb for me and my advice is to let the other people get the early cars of ANY new model. The early XF's didn't have too many problems, the worst being the shifter. Infotainment issues still plague Jag and LR to some degree. As for someone looking at used cars, I still recommend passing on early cars of any model. I wouldn't necessarily think that "all the bugs" got worked out by the previous owner(s). They may have been ignored and so on. If I were in the market for a used XF, I would look at the early cars with the understanding that there may be glitches. I am a die hard Jag nut and will defend all the cars to the point of listening to a guy list three "electrical" issues as he was taking delivery of a new car. I told him frankly that these were not electrical issues as one (mirror folding) was not installed on the car. The salesman didn't even know what was installed on the car! All cars have good cars and all have built on Friday afternoon at 5 o'clock cars.