2011 Jaguar XF

The 2011 Jaguar XF is made available in 4 trims- Sedan, Premium Sedan, Supercharged Sedan, and XFR Sedan. The base trim has a starting price of $52,500 and offers a lot of features including, leather interiors, dual-zone climate control, a 9-speaker audio system, 10-way power-adjustable front seats, and a lot more. The Supercharged Sedan, as the name suggests, gets a supercharged version of the base 5.0-liter V8 and combined it creates menacing power figures which are again bumped up with the top-of-the-line XFR trim. It also gets bigger 20-inch wheels and added electronics.

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The base trim would do everything you throw at it and now with the updated engine, it is more powerful. It also has pretty much all the luxury amenities that one can ask for at a price that does not seem outrageous.

Powering the XF is just one engine which is a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine which is now available on the base trim. It churns out an impressive 385 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. It comes mated with a super-smooth 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission and an RWD drivetrain. However, the higher trims get a supercharged version of this engine and make significantly higher power at 470 horses and a 424 pound-feet of torque kicking in around 2,500 RPM. 

If all these figures do not excite you enough then the XFR has got you covered with the highly-tuned supercharged engine that produces a whopping 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of hair-raising torque. The 2011 Jaguar XF is truly fast even with the base engine and does manage to put 60 mph on the speedo in around 5.5 seconds and completes a quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds. The speed maxes out at 155 mph. All the figures are pretty impressive and with the higher trims, the results are just mind-blowing.

The Jaguar and the Mercedes lead in the engine power and overall accelerations. However, the BMW and Audi do a good job when it comes to acceleration and holds up quite well while making a lot less engine power. Both the later cars feel slow at the top end as there is less horsepower on offer. The 5-series and A6 are also more affordable than the Jaguar, while the Mercedes E-Class is considerably pricier than all other sedans here. 

All that power does not translate well when it comes to real-world practicality and that includes fuel economy. But given the performance, the mileage figures are acceptable. The EPA rates the XF with 16 MPG for the city, 23 MPG for the highways, and a combined economy of 19 MPG. Combined with a smaller 18.4-gallon gas tank, the range suffers at just around 350 miles combined. The supercharged variants of the car deliver a slightly lower economy than what the standard variant does at 15/21/17 MPG for city/highway/combined, respectively.

Both the Jaguar and Mercedes with their mighty engines deliver quite low fuel economy figures than its peers. The BMW with its more efficient engine delivers best-in-class fuel economy with the Audi A6 being marginally less efficient than that. Mercedes has the highest fuel consumption in this comparison but employs a much larger gas tank which compensates in the driving range section. 

Like the other aspects of the 2011 Jaguar XF, one cannot deny that the insides are interesting too. Being a luxury performance sedan, the cabin features all the modern touches with opulence for the utmost comfort while you whoosh down the highways. The dashboard comes with leather and wood accents that look and feel supreme and are beautifully designed. There's a leather-wrapped steering wheel and multi-information instrument cluster for the driver’s convenience. 

The front gets bucket seats with power adjustability with heating and cooling functions. Both the front and rear seats are upholstered in leather with extensive cushioning. In terms of spaciousness, both the seating rows are quite comfortable with a seating capacity of up to 5 people with a good amount of head, shoulder, and legroom, at least at the front. The rear row is not terrible but it can be a problem for taller passengers, however, that would be the case for most of the sedans in the segment. The cargo capacity on offer is not the best but for the segment, it is pretty good with 17.7 cubic feet of space.

All four cars are somewhat similar when it comes to the front row with the BMW and Audi having a slightly better headroom than the rest. The same can be said for the rear, however, the E-Class and 5-series have slightly lower legroom. The XF offers a balanced front and rear row space while also offering the most amount of cargo space. The BMW 5-series has the most compact boot while both Mercedes and Audi offer identical cargo capacity. 

A few of the interior features that are worth mentioning are:

• Cruise control
• Keyless ignition
• Leather steering wheel with heating functions
• Leather and wood trim on the interior components
• Dual-zone climate control
• 18-way driver and 14-way passenger power-adjustable seats with multi-level heating and cooling systems
• Rearview camera

How intuitive is the 2011 Jaguar XF’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment system available in the XF is feature-filled but is tricky to use. A 7.0-inch touchscreen display comes as standard throughout the trims but is not the most smooth. There are minor lags and jitters but it is mostly operational and offers good viewing angles. A lot of features come bundled with the infotainment system like an optional premium sound system, navigation system, and satellite radio.

A few of the important infotainment features are:

• 7.0-inch touchscreen display
• 14-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system
• Satellite radio
• Navigation system
• USB connectivity
• Auxiliary audio input and control
• Voice integrated infotainment system

Since its launch two years ago, the XF stays the same for 2011 and still looks just as attractive. The front fascia is undoubtedly Jaguar and has cat-eye-like aggressive xenon headlamps with a mesh intake grille design. The sides have cuts and curves to make the car more aerodynamic and the same goes with the sloping roofline. The rear has a set of sleek taillights and dual exhaust outlets on each side. The car sits on 18-inch alloy wheels as standard and can be upgraded to 20 inches.

All four sedans share very similar dimensions with a few differences like the Audi has a slightly heavier curb weight but has a shorter wheelbase. The BMW has the longest wheelbase and higher ground clearance whereas both the Jaguar and Mercedes are quite similar in dimensions. That being said, the XF and E-Class both offer a lower stance limiting the ground clearance to a certain extent, while the BMW has the best ground clearance on offer. 

A few of the key exterior features are:

• Heated and powered release
• Power trunk release
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic headlamps
• Panoramic sunroof
• Rear defrost

As this is a luxury car with high value and low sales volume, none of the crash testing agencies have tested the Jaguar XF for the 2011 model year. But coming from a renowned brand like Jaguar, the build quality is excellent and there is no compromise made in terms of standard safety functions. As standard, the XF comes equipped with an active assistance package that includes loads of driver aids which comes highly recommended on the road. A few of them are as follows:

• 4-wheel ABS with traction control
• Emergency braking assist
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Electronic brakeforce distribution
• Blindspot warning accident avoidance system
• Passenger head restraint whiplash protection system
• Passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation
• Self-leveling headlamps

The 2011 Jaguar XF is the perfect luxury sedan with all the bits of excellence you would need from the segment. It has loads of electronics and safety features and also has a beautifully laid-out cabin filled with enough opulence to make you stop wondering about other cars in the competition. The performance too is pretty strong and is one of those sedans who does well in the corners and on broken tarmac. With the prices being very competitive as well, it does make a great alternative a luxury midsize German sedan.