Review: 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged
By
Gus Chyba, Author, March 6th, 2009 Gus Chyba March 6th, 2009
C’mon guys, admit it. We’ve all done it, haven’t we? You come up behind this person, perfect body, gorgeous hair, nice clothes. Until you look her in the face and realize it’s a him.
Ok, so maybe this happens more here in California than elsewhere, but the effect is one of shock and awe, a distrust of your own instincts for a while.
On this planet, perhaps the most stunning backside short of Angelina belongs to the Aston Martin. I say the brand name, because to me they all pretty much look alike, but one has to admit, those curvaceous hind lights are beautiful.
I used to think that Hyundai and Kia were the kings of copy, but the Jaguar XF sets a new standard where the back end is concerned. The split taillights are almost identically lifted from the Aston, which isn’t a bad thing, it looks amazing.
The front end, however, is another matter.
The headlights have been lifted from a Subaru or a Hyundai from a decade ago, and this is where the styling of this amazing car falls down harder than a drag queen in six-inch heels.
Does anyone remember the E-class from 1997 onward? They tried to emulate the old double round headlights of the 60’s cars, and only wound up alienating anyone that wasn’t old enough to remember those. I don’t know what the BMW Bangle-butts were trying to emulate, but those cars cost BMW a lot of sales as well.
If this car didn’t have the look of someone as surprised as a man discovering Angelina was really Andrew, it would be one of the most beautiful creations in the car world.
That said, everyone will have to make their own decision regarding the front. The grille is beautiful, spot on Jaguar, as is the hood, finely detailed and magnificent to look at, but oh, those lights. If I bought this car I would have a body shop lop off the top of the lights and bend the hood down, I really would.
Why am I so passionate about the awful headlights? Because the rest of the car, with a few exceptions, is brilliant.
This car is my first “super sedan”. My first luxury cars were a 1982, a 1987, and a 1990 Mercedes Benz. Back then everything was wallowing, heavy, carved from lead, and slow enough to be left for dead.
Not this car. A 420hp supercharged V8 makes sure that the punk in the Mustang GT next to won’t know what hit him. I know, I’m that punk. The Mustang is quicker off the line, but once the blower goes into full force around 20mph, the Jaguar leaps past the smaller, less powerful Ford. The rear tires are a massive 285/30ZR20, which puts that power down with authority. In turns, however, without a limited slip differential, it simply winds up spinning one of the expensive unidirectional Pirelli P-Zeros into a bald donut. I was surprised that a car of this might was not able to push its back end around, since an LSD is now standard on so many less expensive performance cars.
The front tires are smaller, at 235/35ZR20, and it shows. This car prefers understeer, which is the safe choice compared to end-swapping oversteer, but combining that trait with the inability to adjust the tail with the throttle (I’m sure it can be done with a ton of room and speed, but safety is paramount) and the car doesn’t inspire the confidence in real world twisty driving that the massive tires and wheels would suggest.
What is very surprising, and totally Jaguar, is the car’s ability to provide a smooth and luxurious ride even with those steamroller tires on Los Angeles’ notoriously lumpy freeways.
Flawless describes the transmission, which has six gears and can change them extremely fast. Using the paddles in sport mode the engine matches the revs on each downshift and holds the gear even if you push the car towards its redline. Those paddles, however, have a downside. At least 4 or 5 times a day I would inadvertently touch one while making a tight turn and be left in a gear that didn’t work for the speed I needed. If I were designing the system, the paddles would only work when the gear selector wheel was put into S for sport mode.
Gear selector wheel? Oh yes, and oh no. All Jaguars have quirks and this is no exception.
The inside of this car has so many wonderful things about it, I’ll create a list: the perforated leather seats, which blow hot or cold air into your clothes with enough vigor to make your unborn children shiver. The heated steering wheel, which warms up so quickly and with such power that you can’t imagine another car without it.
The infinitely adjustable seats, the two side airbags, both torso and head curtain. The A/C system, which is both easy to control and understand, and very powerful. The stereo, with its 14 speakers and 400+ watts, that sounds great with either Bach or Bon Jovi. The nav system, the Bluetooth, the steering wheel controls, the windows, the sunroof, the rear shade visor, the list goes on and on. All of these things work perfectly, as they should on a $70,000 car.
But there are other things here, that while they work, and are interesting, leave me asking “huh?”
Let’s start with the gear selector knob. When you first enter the car, as long as you have the fob in your pocket, the start button pulses with a red heartbeat. Funky yet cool. You step on the brake and hold the button down, the engine starts, and this 2 inch knob rises out of the console. With this knob you can select P, R, N, D or S (sport). All fine and good, but why?
The reason I ask is threefold; One, it probably cost good money to design and build this device, which is nothing more than an electronic selector switch that could have just as easily and (more) cleanly been done with 4 or 5 buttons. Two, if the little motor that brings it up ever fails, you are stuck. There is no way to turn the knob and put the car into gear without it rising from its hole. Three, it resides right next to the cup holder, so what are the odds, over the next few years, that some sticky and sugary soda might get spilled into it, doing who knows what to it’s insides?
Second on the Rube Goldberg list are the air vents. Someone at Jaguar must have said “I really think air vents are ug-ly, and I want them gone.” How do I describe this? They electrically open and close, but not in the way you might imagine. Think of the headlights on the older Corvettes from the late ‘80s. Remember how they flipped all the way around, rather than just popping up?
That’s what these air vents do every time you turn on the car, or turn off the A/C. All four of them. With electric motors. Which will surely never fail. Except one did, of course, but just once when I turned the vehicle off and then on again too quickly, leaving one vent half opened. I shudder to think what the cost would be to replace these mechanisms should they fail permanently. In all fairness, you can program the car to leave them open at all times, but still, was this really necessary?
Third on my “this is really silly” list is the way the glove box opens. Embedded into the lacquer of the plastic wood under the passenger airbag is a small, round metallic sensor. The idea is you touch this with your finger (no gloves, though!) and it activates a small electronic solenoid that allows the glove box to drop open. Honestly. Did the people from Q branch suddenly apply at Jaguar?
Not only did this mechanism fail to respond to my touch (and others as well, making sure it wasn’t just my dry skin causing the problem) 4 out of every 5 times, but the box comes down with a clunk when it does finally decide to open. Again, WHY? What is wrong with a simple handle/latch like very other car in the world? I can just see it now: “Just a second, officer, I have my papers in here, the car just won’t let me have them.”
Lastly is the adaptive cruise control. It is a marvel of modern driving, this. It was my first experience with an electronic device that will apply the brakes, very hard if necessary, when it senses the car in front of you slowing down or if someone cuts you off. It really does work, but it almost gave me a heart attack when I switched lanes from behind a truck to another lane behind an SUV right next to it. You see, the radar momentarily sensed the gap between the lanes and thought the road ahead was clear for an instant, and attempted, using all 420 horsepower, to go back to the 70mph speed which I had the cruise control set for.
I almost rear ended the SUV, and when the radar saw it and went from full throttle to full brakes, the driver behind me must have soiled his shorts. This system is great, but it should only be used cautiously, and not in dense traffic. You can adjust the gap, but anything less than the minimum gap will have you getting cut off and shot at every few seconds here in Los Angeles. I’d like to see Jaguar offer a collision avoidance mode, which would slam on the brakes or at least sound an alert if a preset gap is violated? Lesser cars have this feature, why not this one?
And finally, as I filled up the car with fuel, I notice that the fuel filler cap is not remotely activated or even locked. Here is where I would like some sort of tech, the kind that sprays an unsuspecting fuel thief with neon green dye while zapping him into next week, or something to that effect. Q, where are you when I actually need you?
That’s it then. This car is first rate, it really is. The shape is the best looking of any midsize sedan on the road. The power is incredible, the ride sublime, the fit and finish is stellar, and the features are interesting, if a bit on the “tech for tech’s sake” side of the design spectrum. Would I buy this over the E-class or 5 series? If they fixed those headlights, yes.
C’mon guys, admit it. We’ve all done it, haven’t we? You come up behind this person, perfect body, gorgeous hair, nice clothes. Until you look her in the face and realize it’s a him.
Ok, so maybe this happens more here in California than elsewhere, but the effect is one of shock and awe, a distrust of your own instincts for a while.
On this planet, perhaps the most stunning backside short of Angelina belongs to the Aston Martin. I say the brand name, because to me they all pretty much look alike, but one has to admit, those curvaceous hind lights are beautiful.
The XF's attractive rear quartersEnlarge PhotoI used to think that Hyundai and Kia were the kings of copy, but the Jaguar XF sets a new standard where the back end is concerned. The split taillights are almost identically lifted from the Aston, which isn’t a bad thing, it looks amazing.
The front end, however, is another matter.
The headlights have been lifted from a Subaru or a Hyundai from a decade ago, and this is where the styling of this amazing car falls down harder than a drag queen in six-inch heels.
Does anyone remember the E-class from 1997 onward? They tried to emulate the old double round headlights of the 60’s cars, and only wound up alienating anyone that wasn’t old enough to remember those. I don’t know what the BMW Bangle-butts were trying to emulate, but those cars cost BMW a lot of sales as well.
If this car didn’t have the look of someone as surprised as a man discovering Angelina was really Andrew, it would be one of the most beautiful creations in the car world.
That said, everyone will have to make their own decision regarding the front. The grille is beautiful, spot on Jaguar, as is the hood, finely detailed and magnificent to look at, but oh, those lights. If I bought this car I would have a body shop lop off the top of the lights and bend the hood down, I really would.
What's going on here? These headlights just don't fit.Enlarge PhotoWhy am I so passionate about the awful headlights? Because the rest of the car, with a few exceptions, is brilliant.
This car is my first “super sedan”. My first luxury cars were a 1982, a 1987, and a 1990 Mercedes Benz. Back then everything was wallowing, heavy, carved from lead, and slow enough to be left for dead.
Not this car. A 420hp supercharged V8 makes sure that the punk in the Mustang GT next to won’t know what hit him. I know, I’m that punk. The Mustang is quicker off the line, but once the blower goes into full force around 20mph, the Jaguar leaps past the smaller, less powerful Ford. The rear tires are a massive 285/30ZR20, which puts that power down with authority. In turns, however, without a limited slip differential, it simply winds up spinning one of the expensive unidirectional Pirelli P-Zeros into a bald donut. I was surprised that a car of this might was not able to push its back end around, since an LSD is now standard on so many less expensive performance cars.
The front tires are smaller, at 235/35ZR20, and it shows. This car prefers understeer, which is the safe choice compared to end-swapping oversteer, but combining that trait with the inability to adjust the tail with the throttle (I’m sure it can be done with a ton of room and speed, but safety is paramount) and the car doesn’t inspire the confidence in real world twisty driving that the massive tires and wheels would suggest.
What is very surprising, and totally Jaguar, is the car’s ability to provide a smooth and luxurious ride even with those steamroller tires on Los Angeles’ notoriously lumpy freeways.
Flawless describes the transmission, which has six gears and can change them extremely fast. Using the paddles in sport mode the engine matches the revs on each downshift and holds the gear even if you push the car towards its redline. Those paddles, however, have a downside. At least 4 or 5 times a day I would inadvertently touch one while making a tight turn and be left in a gear that didn’t work for the speed I needed. If I were designing the system, the paddles would only work when the gear selector wheel was put into S for sport mode.
Gear selector wheel? Oh yes, and oh no. All Jaguars have quirks and this is no exception.
The inside of this car has so many wonderful things about it, I’ll create a list: the perforated leather seats, which blow hot or cold air into your clothes with enough vigor to make your unborn children shiver. The heated steering wheel, which warms up so quickly and with such power that you can’t imagine another car without it.
The infinitely adjustable seats, the two side airbags, both torso and head curtain. The A/C system, which is both easy to control and understand, and very powerful. The stereo, with its 14 speakers and 400+ watts, that sounds great with either Bach or Bon Jovi. The nav system, the Bluetooth, the steering wheel controls, the windows, the sunroof, the rear shade visor, the list goes on and on. All of these things work perfectly, as they should on a $70,000 car.
But there are other things here, that while they work, and are interesting, leave me asking “huh?”
The pop-up gear selector knob is James Bond stuff, but how durable is it?Enlarge PhotoLet’s start with the gear selector knob. When you first enter the car, as long as you have the fob in your pocket, the start button pulses with a red heartbeat. Funky yet cool. You step on the brake and hold the button down, the engine starts, and this 2 inch knob rises out of the console. With this knob you can select P, R, N, D or S (sport). All fine and good, but why?
The reason I ask is threefold; One, it probably cost good money to design and build this device, which is nothing more than an electronic selector switch that could have just as easily and (more) cleanly been done with 4 or 5 buttons. Two, if the little motor that brings it up ever fails, you are stuck. There is no way to turn the knob and put the car into gear without it rising from its hole. Three, it resides right next to the cup holder, so what are the odds, over the next few years, that some sticky and sugary soda might get spilled into it, doing who knows what to it’s insides?
Second on the Rube Goldberg list are the air vents. Someone at Jaguar must have said “I really think air vents are ug-ly, and I want them gone.” How do I describe this? They electrically open and close, but not in the way you might imagine. Think of the headlights on the older Corvettes from the late ‘80s. Remember how they flipped all the way around, rather than just popping up?
That’s what these air vents do every time you turn on the car, or turn off the A/C. All four of them. With electric motors. Which will surely never fail. Except one did, of course, but just once when I turned the vehicle off and then on again too quickly, leaving one vent half opened. I shudder to think what the cost would be to replace these mechanisms should they fail permanently. In all fairness, you can program the car to leave them open at all times, but still, was this really necessary?
Third on my “this is really silly” list is the way the glove box opens. Embedded into the lacquer of the plastic wood under the passenger airbag is a small, round metallic sensor. The idea is you touch this with your finger (no gloves, though!) and it activates a small electronic solenoid that allows the glove box to drop open. Honestly. Did the people from Q branch suddenly apply at Jaguar?
Not only did this mechanism fail to respond to my touch (and others as well, making sure it wasn’t just my dry skin causing the problem) 4 out of every 5 times, but the box comes down with a clunk when it does finally decide to open. Again, WHY? What is wrong with a simple handle/latch like very other car in the world? I can just see it now: “Just a second, officer, I have my papers in here, the car just won’t let me have them.”
Air vents (on either side of the nav screen) in their closed positionEnlarge PhotoLastly is the adaptive cruise control. It is a marvel of modern driving, this. It was my first experience with an electronic device that will apply the brakes, very hard if necessary, when it senses the car in front of you slowing down or if someone cuts you off. It really does work, but it almost gave me a heart attack when I switched lanes from behind a truck to another lane behind an SUV right next to it. You see, the radar momentarily sensed the gap between the lanes and thought the road ahead was clear for an instant, and attempted, using all 420 horsepower, to go back to the 70mph speed which I had the cruise control set for.
I almost rear ended the SUV, and when the radar saw it and went from full throttle to full brakes, the driver behind me must have soiled his shorts. This system is great, but it should only be used cautiously, and not in dense traffic. You can adjust the gap, but anything less than the minimum gap will have you getting cut off and shot at every few seconds here in Los Angeles. I’d like to see Jaguar offer a collision avoidance mode, which would slam on the brakes or at least sound an alert if a preset gap is violated? Lesser cars have this feature, why not this one?
And finally, as I filled up the car with fuel, I notice that the fuel filler cap is not remotely activated or even locked. Here is where I would like some sort of tech, the kind that sprays an unsuspecting fuel thief with neon green dye while zapping him into next week, or something to that effect. Q, where are you when I actually need you?
That’s it then. This car is first rate, it really is. The shape is the best looking of any midsize sedan on the road. The power is incredible, the ride sublime, the fit and finish is stellar, and the features are interesting, if a bit on the “tech for tech’s sake” side of the design spectrum. Would I buy this over the E-class or 5 series? If they fixed those headlights, yes.2009 Jaguar XF SuperchargedGallery
Ok, so maybe this happens more here in California than elsewhere, but the effect is one of shock and awe, a distrust of your own instincts for a while.
On this planet, perhaps the most stunning backside short of Angelina belongs to the Aston Martin. I say the brand name, because to me they all pretty much look alike, but one has to admit, those curvaceous hind lights are beautiful.
I used to think that Hyundai and Kia were the kings of copy, but the Jaguar XF sets a new standard where the back end is concerned. The split taillights are almost identically lifted from the Aston, which isn’t a bad thing, it looks amazing.
The front end, however, is another matter.
The headlights have been lifted from a Subaru or a Hyundai from a decade ago, and this is where the styling of this amazing car falls down harder than a drag queen in six-inch heels.
Does anyone remember the E-class from 1997 onward? They tried to emulate the old double round headlights of the 60’s cars, and only wound up alienating anyone that wasn’t old enough to remember those. I don’t know what the BMW Bangle-butts were trying to emulate, but those cars cost BMW a lot of sales as well.
If this car didn’t have the look of someone as surprised as a man discovering Angelina was really Andrew, it would be one of the most beautiful creations in the car world.
That said, everyone will have to make their own decision regarding the front. The grille is beautiful, spot on Jaguar, as is the hood, finely detailed and magnificent to look at, but oh, those lights. If I bought this car I would have a body shop lop off the top of the lights and bend the hood down, I really would.
Why am I so passionate about the awful headlights? Because the rest of the car, with a few exceptions, is brilliant.
This car is my first “super sedan”. My first luxury cars were a 1982, a 1987, and a 1990 Mercedes Benz. Back then everything was wallowing, heavy, carved from lead, and slow enough to be left for dead.
Not this car. A 420hp supercharged V8 makes sure that the punk in the Mustang GT next to won’t know what hit him. I know, I’m that punk. The Mustang is quicker off the line, but once the blower goes into full force around 20mph, the Jaguar leaps past the smaller, less powerful Ford. The rear tires are a massive 285/30ZR20, which puts that power down with authority. In turns, however, without a limited slip differential, it simply winds up spinning one of the expensive unidirectional Pirelli P-Zeros into a bald donut. I was surprised that a car of this might was not able to push its back end around, since an LSD is now standard on so many less expensive performance cars.
The front tires are smaller, at 235/35ZR20, and it shows. This car prefers understeer, which is the safe choice compared to end-swapping oversteer, but combining that trait with the inability to adjust the tail with the throttle (I’m sure it can be done with a ton of room and speed, but safety is paramount) and the car doesn’t inspire the confidence in real world twisty driving that the massive tires and wheels would suggest.
What is very surprising, and totally Jaguar, is the car’s ability to provide a smooth and luxurious ride even with those steamroller tires on Los Angeles’ notoriously lumpy freeways.
Flawless describes the transmission, which has six gears and can change them extremely fast. Using the paddles in sport mode the engine matches the revs on each downshift and holds the gear even if you push the car towards its redline. Those paddles, however, have a downside. At least 4 or 5 times a day I would inadvertently touch one while making a tight turn and be left in a gear that didn’t work for the speed I needed. If I were designing the system, the paddles would only work when the gear selector wheel was put into S for sport mode.
Gear selector wheel? Oh yes, and oh no. All Jaguars have quirks and this is no exception.
The inside of this car has so many wonderful things about it, I’ll create a list: the perforated leather seats, which blow hot or cold air into your clothes with enough vigor to make your unborn children shiver. The heated steering wheel, which warms up so quickly and with such power that you can’t imagine another car without it.
The infinitely adjustable seats, the two side airbags, both torso and head curtain. The A/C system, which is both easy to control and understand, and very powerful. The stereo, with its 14 speakers and 400+ watts, that sounds great with either Bach or Bon Jovi. The nav system, the Bluetooth, the steering wheel controls, the windows, the sunroof, the rear shade visor, the list goes on and on. All of these things work perfectly, as they should on a $70,000 car.
But there are other things here, that while they work, and are interesting, leave me asking “huh?”
Let’s start with the gear selector knob. When you first enter the car, as long as you have the fob in your pocket, the start button pulses with a red heartbeat. Funky yet cool. You step on the brake and hold the button down, the engine starts, and this 2 inch knob rises out of the console. With this knob you can select P, R, N, D or S (sport). All fine and good, but why?
The reason I ask is threefold; One, it probably cost good money to design and build this device, which is nothing more than an electronic selector switch that could have just as easily and (more) cleanly been done with 4 or 5 buttons. Two, if the little motor that brings it up ever fails, you are stuck. There is no way to turn the knob and put the car into gear without it rising from its hole. Three, it resides right next to the cup holder, so what are the odds, over the next few years, that some sticky and sugary soda might get spilled into it, doing who knows what to it’s insides?
Second on the Rube Goldberg list are the air vents. Someone at Jaguar must have said “I really think air vents are ug-ly, and I want them gone.” How do I describe this? They electrically open and close, but not in the way you might imagine. Think of the headlights on the older Corvettes from the late ‘80s. Remember how they flipped all the way around, rather than just popping up?
That’s what these air vents do every time you turn on the car, or turn off the A/C. All four of them. With electric motors. Which will surely never fail. Except one did, of course, but just once when I turned the vehicle off and then on again too quickly, leaving one vent half opened. I shudder to think what the cost would be to replace these mechanisms should they fail permanently. In all fairness, you can program the car to leave them open at all times, but still, was this really necessary?
Third on my “this is really silly” list is the way the glove box opens. Embedded into the lacquer of the plastic wood under the passenger airbag is a small, round metallic sensor. The idea is you touch this with your finger (no gloves, though!) and it activates a small electronic solenoid that allows the glove box to drop open. Honestly. Did the people from Q branch suddenly apply at Jaguar?
Not only did this mechanism fail to respond to my touch (and others as well, making sure it wasn’t just my dry skin causing the problem) 4 out of every 5 times, but the box comes down with a clunk when it does finally decide to open. Again, WHY? What is wrong with a simple handle/latch like very other car in the world? I can just see it now: “Just a second, officer, I have my papers in here, the car just won’t let me have them.”
Lastly is the adaptive cruise control. It is a marvel of modern driving, this. It was my first experience with an electronic device that will apply the brakes, very hard if necessary, when it senses the car in front of you slowing down or if someone cuts you off. It really does work, but it almost gave me a heart attack when I switched lanes from behind a truck to another lane behind an SUV right next to it. You see, the radar momentarily sensed the gap between the lanes and thought the road ahead was clear for an instant, and attempted, using all 420 horsepower, to go back to the 70mph speed which I had the cruise control set for.
I almost rear ended the SUV, and when the radar saw it and went from full throttle to full brakes, the driver behind me must have soiled his shorts. This system is great, but it should only be used cautiously, and not in dense traffic. You can adjust the gap, but anything less than the minimum gap will have you getting cut off and shot at every few seconds here in Los Angeles. I’d like to see Jaguar offer a collision avoidance mode, which would slam on the brakes or at least sound an alert if a preset gap is violated? Lesser cars have this feature, why not this one?
And finally, as I filled up the car with fuel, I notice that the fuel filler cap is not remotely activated or even locked. Here is where I would like some sort of tech, the kind that sprays an unsuspecting fuel thief with neon green dye while zapping him into next week, or something to that effect. Q, where are you when I actually need you?
That’s it then. This car is first rate, it really is. The shape is the best looking of any midsize sedan on the road. The power is incredible, the ride sublime, the fit and finish is stellar, and the features are interesting, if a bit on the “tech for tech’s sake” side of the design spectrum. Would I buy this over the E-class or 5 series? If they fixed those headlights, yes.
2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged
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Comments (19 total)
Meet the top commenters on the LeaderboardI told you it would it be a good car (major bias on my part). Although you failed to mention that you most likely used all of this cars technology without having to open up the owners manual. Something you can't even remotely attempt with its Barvarian counterparts....
Love the tranny in heels joke!!!!
Hey Gus! Great to see you're back.
Great review, as good as the Tesla one. I definitely agree with you on the headlights. They do seem a bit out of place. The lights that were used on the XF concept would've been a lot more fitting.
I also agree about the 'tech for tech sake' argument you made, but with that said, its still very nice to see Jaguar trying something new for a change rather then recycling last century's technology just for the sake of being on the safe side.
If I personally was in the market for such a car, this would definitely be near the top of my list. Not sure if it would be higher then the 5 Series, but it beats the E-Class easily - at-least the old one, my mind still isn't made up about the new model.
Again as I said, great review. Looking forward to more!
Gus on furthther thought- I forwarded your review onto some people in the know.
The logic behind the gear knob was to give the car an animated effect or when you step into the car you are waking it up. Also inregards to tech for tech sake, lets face it if Jaguar did not put it in the car the press would clearly state "Here's another dinosaur from Jaguar"!
Yes they are last to the party on tech but lets not beat them up for it. Rather lets greet them with praise for at least its tech even the ham fisted can use...
True, and thanks for the comments!
Maybe three buttons, P, R and D, where P also sets the parking brake. That's all you really need, right? Maybe a special button somewhere to put it in neutral (like a button marked "vehicle towing" under the dash somewhere), but who really needs neutral these days on a fancy automatic? But yes, like I said, it was very cool to watch, just how long will it last? Maybe forever, but how does that line from Murphy go?...
As far as the lights, here is a Photoshop of how I think they should look:
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/chybagus/3627.jpg
Looks like a luxury Evo, doesn't it? I think they look cool like this, and would make this car the best looking in it's segment, by far...
As far as the lights, here is a Photoshop of how I think they should look:
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/chybagus/3627.jpg
Looks like a luxury Evo, doesn't it? I think they look cool like this, and would make this car the best looking in it's segment, by far...
While you're at it, lets add 20" rims w/ spinners, a huge spoiler and some more bling all around :D
HOLLIIIIIEEEEE ITS GUS!
my oh my.. am i ever glad i happened to catch this article considering how little time i spend here these days.
gus, as always, we see eye to eye. but ink put it best.. jag is doing a cadillac right now.. try to scare off the old farts with patches on their tweed jackets. and toys really are the only way to get younger people into a car of this money. it sounds cheap but some one my age really will say "for 70 grand i want air vents that are hidden by a powered door,.. and YES i want that cool nob that lifts up out of the dash" i know its a jag, and its a shame to say it, but im sure a majority of people buying this car really dont give a damn if the toys break. they expect them not to, but even if they do.. it will be 7 or 8 years from now and theyll just use it as justification to get the 2016 XF :p
but yes.. the STUPID head lamps are a huge mistake. this car was supposed to be more aggressive. and yes if i had 70 grand to buy it, id go down to the local body shop and have them do some patch work for another grand or two.
as always, MA is presenting good reading, while being potentially insulting but who the hell cares. its less subjective than top gear and in many ways, just as funny.
I WANT MORE GUS REVIEWS!!!
and SID,.. if you ever want some cold weather reviews.. you know how to get a hold of me!
Ink, that's classic. I have a brother-in law that would actually dig that... :)
Thanks, Chris, I had fun writing it...
my oh my.. am i ever glad i happened to catch this article considering how little time i spend here these days.
*cough*come by more often then* ;)
"I WANT MORE GUS REVIEWS!!!"
A little birdie told me there will in fact be more, very soon... :)
Ink, that's classic. I have a brother-in law that would actually dig that... :)
Thanks, Chris, I had fun writing it...
I wouldn't mind it either as long as its not too over-whored and over-blinged with no taste at all... :)
yeah i would but things are kind of busy in the real world for me right around now. im too preoccupied designing cars to read about them :p
ok thats a bit of a stretch... im too busy designing hybrid drive trains.
but yes i certainly look forward to more gus reviews. i hadnt read more than two paragraphs of this review before i said "wait a minute.. i know this person... is.... is this... no.. it couldnt be"
Alas, it is.
Now, if I could only get my own car show... :)
Chris, you could join me. We'd have to have Hector on as well yelling about red blinkers...
Alas, it is.
Now, if I could only get my own car show... :)
Chris, you could join me. We'd have to have Hector on as well yelling about red blinkers...
And thus the beginning of 'MotorGear". The brand new motoring show starting this fall exclusively on BBC America!
I never understood Hector's issue with red blinkers!!!
Hector is VERY adamant that having blinkers which are not yellow is cheap and cheesy. He has declared that there is a definite link between companies that do this and the quality of their vehicles, as it is a sign they skimped, and thus are likely to skimp elsewhere. Both my Mustang and the Lamborghini Murcielago fall into this category. Many, if not most new cars I see are doing this. Maybe it's a cost cutting measure, but I'm thinking it might be an issue with people getting confused seing more than one color from the rear of the vehicle, I'm not sure.
It's like my obsession with folding hardtops. I hate that they take up all the trunk space, meaning you cannot carry luggage AND have the top down at the same time (see 335i for the most glaring example).
We just all have our quirks here...:)
ahhh, mine would be those who bash Jagaurs. Although the reason they still use a soft top is because of people like yourself and the expense of develolping a hard top convertible.
Thanks for clearing that up.
P.S. I believe Lamborghini produces the best quality product ever in their companies history, no?
Hector is VERY adamant that having blinkers which are not yellow is cheap and cheesy. He has declared that there is a definite link between companies that do this and the quality of their vehicles, as it is a sign they skimped, and thus are likely to skimp elsewhere. Both my Mustang and the Lamborghini Murcielago fall into this category. Many, if not most new cars I see are doing this. Maybe it's a cost cutting measure, but I'm thinking it might be an issue with people getting confused seing more than one color from the rear of the vehicle, I'm not sure.
Ah! Well... I agree with him. I prefer yellow/orange blinkers to red ones. All red just looks... boring to me... Plus yellow is alot more visible then red.
i dont like the way this car looks maybe if you paint it a navy blue it would look better
I'm a sucker for dark, cherry metallic reds.
My favorite is the dark, metallic "merlot" color they have on Toyota/Lexus products...
But that siad, the paint quality on this Jag was 100%.
I'm a sucker for dark, cherry metallic reds.
My favorite is the dark, metallic "merlot" color they have on Toyota/Lexus products...
But that said, the paint quality on this Jag was 100%.
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