The Jaguar XF Sportbrake V6 S Is *Almost* The Perfect Petrolhead Daily (Review) 

It saddens me greatly that crossovers and SUVs are killing the fast estate

I knew this was going to be a serious review once those driving gloves were present.

Interesting review. I've had the same car, same year from new and complained to the dealer about the engine/gearbox with criticism similar to yours shortly after buying it. They drove it and said it was normal! However it has just been in for a service so I mentioned it again. This time they updated the engine and gearbox software and it's like a different car. It's now the car it should have been 12 months ago.

Love the shape of this Estate XF

My 2.0 litre turbo 250PS XF Sportbrake is a hoot to drive. Faster & with more acceleration than I ever really need. And with all the luggage carrying practicality is truly is ‘an almost perfect car’. Love the fact that you rarely see another on the road unlike the German or Swedish equivalents. One of JLR’s best kept secrets.

Thanks for the videos this year James! Have really enjoyed seeing your channel excel this year. Have a good Christmas and look forward to seeing more in the new year!

Had 5 Supercharged XF 3.0's, superb, never any issues or missed a beat ever

Just a message to say Merry Christmas & Happy New Year James! And in my opinion your channel far eclipses Doug DeMuro's, You now have the right balance of exterior shots and talking about a cars 'quirks & features'. And rather than having 90% of your video focusing on that, and the remaining 10% on actually driving the car. You spend the majority of the time actually driving the car and talking with far greater insight and intelligence on the driving experience. Added to that, your knowledge of the car brands you review add so much to your videos as well. And you also have an extra bullet in the chamber with those shirts..:) And glad you gave the e39 M5 a favourable review as I have one and was pleased to see you liked it. :)

Love your videos. Just found them . Subbed. I have been an enthusiasts since I was 5. So I love the depth and length of your videos.

After watching every review of this jaguar yours is by far the most informative and fact driven review out there, seems most car journalists and U tube pod casts are scared to tell is there true thoughts and tip toe around as if there working for the car companies there reviewing, thank you for your great reviews especially those one as I'm on the look out for an estate and was considering this jaguar, not new but second hand, you've just saved me a night mare.

Great review as always! You should trail linking two of your other similar car reviews at the end of videos to encourage new viewers to watch your other rest reviews. Merry Christmas and I look forwards to another year of your content

subscribed. Been watching you for 2 vids straight and you have a new fan. Knowledgable + down to earth, and has a way better scoreboard then other vloggers, cheers man, keep on making awesome stuff! Have plenty to make up by missing your channel for so long :) Oh and also, lot of British stuff on channel makes me happy, and you being so honest and not a fanboy of British stuff is making me even happier, kudos once again.

Now driven 50k miles in my Sportbrake V6 Portfolio S. Never had axle tramp, and rarely spun the rear wheels. I drive mostly in winter mode which calms the gearbox down a bit and makes better use of the torque, performance is more than adequate in this mode. Switch to sport mode or manual if required for a quick get away or overtaking. It is both beautiful and awesome. The only thing missing is AWD.

This is "Top Gear", when that show was it´s best :-) So cool.

You drove the wrong one. Come for a ride in my supercharged S saloon - completely different animal.

Like the new review style. Listening to your viewers!

You're still with us! I thought the McLaren Illuminati might have got you after the last video I saw. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I've seen a few of your Jaguar reviews and to be honest, I don't think a Jaguar is the car for you. You seem to be constantly complaining about perceived issues that few owners have ever even mentioned. I think you're looking for perfection and you'll never find it. Each to their own but having driven everything else in it's class and owned a few, there's nothing that comes close to the XF. That's why I bought one, and I'm absolutely besotted with it - something I've never said about any other car I've owned in 45 years. My only regret is that I didn't buy one 10 years ago. I know not everyone will agree but I've noticed that one of the things about YT is that people seem to find it easier to go along with whatever a review says about a product. I'm not deliberately playing Devil's Advocate here and as I said, each to their own but I find that the constant criticism of what to me and many others is a fantastic car eventually becomes quite irritating. Nothing personal, just my opinion, but why bother?

JM - Sounds like you didn't have the traction control in winter mode - really needed for damp roads - 700Nm will spin up the wheels really easily. This is recommended in the driver's manual. Fantastic on a dry road - not on wet. You're driving the Sport option - when you hit the throttle - you want the gearbox to kickdown and get the revs and torque going. Otherwise - do as you said - give it a bit of throttle - and it will waft away, but it won't be fast. The gearbox does seem sluggish at first - especially if driven by Miss Daisy previously. Once the gearbox 'learns' your driving style - it is much much better. Take it out and thrash it for a few days. Trust me - then the engine and gearbox talk to each other. And yes - thats in eco mode too. Once that's done - the car is fine. HUD a bit blurred - heard of it - but mine is crystal clear to be honest. I like the digital dash - works for me. There are probably better out there - but I'm not driving a german cloned sheep - so no thanks. As much as I liked the 3.0D and the instantaneous torque - there was a bit of pedal lag. I've now managed to get myself a now discontinued (such a shame)3.0S/C XFS - and there is no lag whatsoever - it is also far more potent (and thisty, but I didn't buy it for its fuel economy). Will be looking forward to the upcoming XF SVR powered by a BMW Unit (again - shame it couldn't be a Jag 5.0 SC unit). Bean counters - who needs em, eh? lol.

Loved The Review Just Subscribed Thank You.

My 6 year old petrol V6 is so beautiful to drive I bought it back from the Middle East when I got back home to the UK. It's left hand drive, rear wheel driven, handles beautifully and smooth as silk. It also looks better with a full bonnet than the new ones with that horrid bumper line!

I have a 24 month old XE supercharged V6 380. I absolutely bloody loves it. Really stands out, sounds gorgeous and shifts! MPG is good too at 36 combined as a daily. To be honest the lack of choice in the 2020 face lift and engine choice is pushing me toward an RS4 when I buy again.

Hear a lot of people complain at the looks of modern jags but to me Ian callums designs are some of the best looking cars in modern history

I bought an ex-Demo XF R-Sport and so far no real issues and it performs extremely well without too much of a petrol bill so apart from keeping some fellow British workers in a job I am happy with experience so far. There appears to be a fashion to knock Jaguar all the time, but I know the German experience hasn't panned out well for some people. I know someone who total engine failure on his Audi A5 after less 9000 miles on the clock. Tata have in my opinion have done very well with the brand even after Ford did their best to destroy it. Tata are also assembling the XF in India for the Asian market so I don't think its a brand that will disappear soon as they have poured quite a bit of money into it.

Great video James on what is a great car from JLR, the V6 Diesel (originating from Ford PAG days) is smooth and rightly shines in Range Rovers, where the torque characteristics and the 4x4 drive works perfectly

I was tempted by one of these a few months ago. The JLR dealer were very keen to get us in one offering all sorts of incentives. The car just felt old, like a run out model waiting for replacement. As you suggest, on paper it should be brilliant.

Amazing. Your review differs dramatically from all the others I have seen.

Thanks for the honest Review. Was very interested in this Car for the great exterior and interior Looks. Just testdrove a XE Diesel and experienced the gearbox problems with the 4 cylibder reving up and starving, hoped the XF 6 cylinder engine solved that but seems like the gearbox needs to be at least reconfigured if not replaced. Such a shame :( anyhow enjoyed watching, Merry Christmas to you!

I am pleased to see someone building an estate car rather than another boring SUV!!... but some of the detailed points you called out are probably just a reflection of the troubled times Tata find themselves in and the smaller 4 pot engines are a clear indication that all these variant models will soon be available as hybrids. I don't expect to see anymore EV's in the Jaguar range other than the I-Pace for a while yet.... i.e. 5 years. Merry Christmas to you James and a prosperous 2020 to come... :-)

Good review. You are mostly right, in particular about the transmission behavior. I have this car and i always found it odd that it dropped into a gear that would put the revs into a range where there is limited power. I want the shove of where its at, not where its been. Therefore needs to be driven with the paddles for optimum shove (providing you know where it is) Rwd is better dynamically than awd. I had to have mines in to fix numerous rattles, quite painful but we got there in the end. Good car, we really like ours. Not built to the same standard as a german but is Absolutely more exclusive than any of the competition.

Jay kind of reminds me of Chucky off Sons Of Anarchy with those gloves on.

Great video!

Enjoyed the video cheers

Top driving gloves! Great review, even at the age of 31, I really like Jag estates. On a seperate note, your comment about the gearbox, dropping down for higher rpms - my Audi A4 TDI does EXACTLY the same thing - drives me mental. Revs like it's a petrol, forgets about any torque. Great.

Another excellent piece . I currently have a similar but older version of this car. Mine has the six speed ZF box..Same issue!! The engine and gearbox have just been bolted to each other without any consideration to if they compliment each other

Brilliant review

Gon big jay Emm, gotta get em all lad

Love this epic ride!! 😎😎😎

I had one of these and it was excellent but the whole time I had it I really wanted an XFR so I only kept it a couple years before trading it in for the shouty, fast model.

Ironically, I have just taken delivery of a 5.0L XK. I mulled over an EV but as this is the last time I am likely to have a choice in the matter, I picked the type of car that (in my opinion) most people would prefer.....

Wishing you and your family a fantastic Christmas and a prosperous and healthy new year :-))))

Good review.

Great review, I agree about the dials, but a bit harsh on the heads up (not for me but I can see appeal ) was assuming the V6 S would be Supercharged petrol 😐

Tiff Needell has one of these, and loves it.

I've got the saloon X260 XFS 3.0 S/C petrol and I don't recognise any of the negative issues you hightlight so I agree that you are correct that it needs a bigger petrol unit. BTW I don't get the speed bump booming thing. Has the test car got some suspension issue?

Hopefully by the time I can afford a Jag XF they will bring out or work out what it deserves. Though I do question why Jaguar have acquired Bowler with a tight budget. However I'd hope that jaguar doesn't fall into bankruptcy at any point. Either way that was a great review, truley enjoyed watching it. Good job

Now if they produced an AWD petrol hybrid model it would certainly be on my list of possibles.

I have the previous model, albeit the saloon. with the same egine - but 272bhp rather than 300 - and I had the same wheel-spinning issue from the start. It had the original-fit Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres, and at the first change I put on Michellin Pilot Sport 4S. Transformed the grip. No better in any other way that I can discern, but they really stick the car to the road - wet or dry.

Alternative idea for practical fast 4wd 6 cylinder diesel... 435d Gran Coupe! (or a 335d estate of course). Mine is still available for you to try btw :)

This is possibly best video you have done. As car review its brilliant. Awesome camera work, awesome editing and you answer ALL the questions that need answers. Nice!

Fast estates have always been my love. Why I love volvos. Old e39 estates were sexy, sadly they are in short supply today

The late great John Bolster weekly road tester and technical editor of AUTOSPORT for many decades always chose something extraordinary for the Christmas edition a dustcart a road roller bulldozer tarmac laying machine double decker bus - you get the idea - and he applied all the same test criteria as normal.

Excellent Drive..

That activity key is genius.

6:56 I was laughing my head before you said that

Great video. Now do an Alpina D3

I have an XF S and it was really dangerous in the wet until I replaced the tyres with Michelin PS 4S and it made a huge difference. It’s fine now.

got a gearbox remap on mine, made it far better. Still only had the car 6 months, just didn't do what I wanted it to.

I'm thinking about one of these to replace my current Stage 2 tuned 981 Cayman S (come have a go of it, its insane). I reckon 3.0 V6 Diesel, Stage 2 tune with straight pipe will make it fun.

Surely if you put your foot to the floor then dropping a gear is the right thing to do? If you want a graceful acceleration then progressively use the pedal but just don't floor it.

So what this car needs is that new straight six or the v8 and 4wd. Spectacular colour btw!

I have a Portfolio Sportbrake with the 250bhp petrol which is a really decent unit for a 4-pot. It works pretty well with the ZF, which is low geared enough in the first 4 gears to hide some of the turbo lag. It loves being revved out and even sounds quite good when doing so. I find the chassis and steering odd though on the 18” wheels. The front is responsive and hooks up really well, but the rear just doesn’t seem quite connected and seems to take longer to settle. Weird. I was expecting better. The build quality is oddly poor in places as per the video’s comments. I love the looks, it drives pretty well and the build quality is quirky. Overall just a bit strange, but there is something alluring about it. Still, at £330 p/m on a 2 year lease I don’t really care!

This reminds me of the original Top Gear with that Quentin guy

You keep on making comments regarding the XE in the video. Is that the old XE or the new 2020 one? Having sat in both the new XEs interior and infotainment is considerably better than the XF. XF seems the most neglected car in the line up to me. The outgoing XJ still had the best quality interior in my opinion. Great vid none the less!

Awesome colour though.... 👏

I'd be really curious what your opinion would be on modern Volvos. Bar probably the T5 versions, they aren't that sporty, but they seem nice.

Hi Jay, interested to hear your comments on this car as I have a 2008 XJ diesel with basically the same engine. My car has the previous 6 speed ZF and it works pretty-much perfectly with the low down torque of the diesel. However, when the XF came out with the 8 speeder and diesel motor I test drove one and found it to be a complete mismatch. All the time it was changing gear or multiple gears, so it never felt settled. So my vote for a better XF would be a reprogramming of the auto-box software.

I have the same issue with golf dsg diesel. I don't want the revs to shoot up when the torque peeks around 2k

I test drove this car, and experienced the same problem with the gearbox setup. Trying to nip onto a busy roundabout, nothing, nothing, and then wham - the car is almost over the roundabout and I'm frantically hitting the brakes. Also, driving along a fast A Road, and any prod of the throttle results in a kickdown and needlessly high revs. Various people have posted that either (a) the gearbox will adapt to your driving style or (b) you can ask a Jaguar garage to update or reset the software, but this is the main aspect I need some confidence with before potentially acquiring what is otherwise a fairly compelling car.

I really want to like this car so much - alas...There's very little available for people who need 4 doors and some measure of practicality like you say. The X5M etc. leave me cold personally. anyway, GREAT outro.

Xf the best ever power confort and very dynamic cars

wish it was a petrol, wish there was an xe estate, wish there was a giulia estate...

This is the sort of review I like, information which you want to hear and lots of detail. . Although, I think I disagree a little with the whole torque argument because your revs, being a factor of work done, surely has a large influence on your power - especially as they are all related? power = torque x rpm / 5252 ? . Even with diesels, peak power is always higher up in the rev range and whilst torque is great for shove/pull, you still need the power. I'm not an expert in all this but I have the XF 3.0d diesel and you can easily test it in the real world as you can with any car. Pop it in manual and get the revs to about 2000rpm and accelerate. Compare it to accelerating from the same speed with the revs at around 4000rpm and you'll see that this has much better acceleration.

I hope your gloves get better soon James 😃

Lovely Jubbly, but, I can't imagine JLR lending you anymore cars in the future, no car is perfect?

Take it to Courtenay Sport for a remap and it's a different animal, gearbox map is phenomenal.

The four cylinder 300ps 4wd version sounds up my street, if it is also lighter.

I have one of these, and cannot agree with you more - the drivetrain setup completely ruins it. If it’s even a tiny bit wet, I just cannot get away from the lights without spinning up the rear wheels. And the gearbox is hopeless. I’ve been back to the dealer and asked if there is a software update for the gearbox. They looked at me like I was from Mars. The only way I can get it to behave is to use the snow / winter mode. The only problem with that, is that it then starts in 2nd gear every time. It feels as though Jag just doesn’t quite have the money to do all the development and testing that is needed to put it all together. Which is a shame really, since the rest of the car is great.

The lights are the matrix LEDs on that car,

I've got one and haven't noticed hardly any of these so called issues. Went from a BMW to the Jag and it's better in 99% of ways. The only thing I can say which I've also noticed, is it does drop down a gear when you put your foot down, but it still goes like a rocket. The gearbox does learn your driving style and can be reset. Or you can drive it hard for a few days, and it will learn your new driving style and adapt accordingly.

@JayEmm, do you think the older version (2013) is still worthy of consideration and a good cheaper alternative to the newer one you review here?

can you do more cam views of the cabin ..cam stuck inside the car windows and pov view instead of the cam stuck outside the car..you see more of the surroundings with cam outside than you do of the car

Yep put a straight six in it and supercharge it that's something jaguar are good at.

JM score of quirks and features

I still fail to understand why people choose to drive SUVs that not only look like blobby vans with windows, but handle like them too: a car is superior in almost every way. You might get slightly more carrying capacity, but the reasons most people give - seeing over hedgerows, easier to get in and out of - don't really wash (are that many people affected by those two things to an extent that they are the biggest issues in choosing a car?). I think it mostly comes down to 'big is better' and 'I like being high up'. I've no doubt that some people actually have some need for an SUV, but not the vast majority - it's just a fashion thing.

How do you feel about the 2020, which got a v6 petrol with awd?

RU-vid algorithm brought me here. The posch accept kept me through to the end 🤷

The 3.0 V6 Diesel is a Ford engine - which kinda surprised me when I found out. Goes well though!.

is the gear selecting part of the process for getting better economy/co2 emissions, i.e it keeps trying to be as quickly into the most efficient gear rather than the best driving gear...presume it also starts in 2nd gear

Out of all the reviews I've watched about estates, this is the only one that mentions lack of grip at the back, I took it for granted the 3.0 would be 4 wheel drive (I live up a mile long rough track and am into camping and fishing) Oh well, Audi A6 allroad it is then.

The Jaguars off later has really impressed me styling wise. Literally everything after those gasthly uggly s and x types. If there only would be any manuals for sale it would be perfect. Supercharged engines that actually sound decent and rwd. Perfect for one looking on the used matket If only there wouldn't fucking be for those autocraps 😠 guess I'm stuck with the 90s and early 2000s cars,

Good review and like the way the bloke doesn't give a score but just gives his thoughts. I have one of these cars in Oz and for me the engine gearbox combo is the reason I bought the car, I was after a strong towing wagon. I didn't want to buy a typical bogan dual cab 4WD that most people buy here in Oz, most are gutless and average to drive on road compared to the Jag V6 diesel. I'm surprised by his view on the how it drives but I think he is use to driving petrol cars and the way they respond. I'm use to the way the diesel turbo likes to be used, ie 1/4 to 1/3 rd pedal is all you need. I also like the fuel economy of the diesel compared to petrol. If I had the choice again, I would buy this car again no problem and this fact also made me laugh, its quite a bit cheaper to service each year than my wife's Subaru outback.

i am wondering if the engine gearbox problem applies to the pre facelift model...

Hi I do think you have to use manual on country roads.

Why does everyone hate SUVs? I have had fast sedans (540i 6 Speed), Chevy Tahoe, Opel Astra Wagon and now a Sportage. I love the high riding position of an SUV. I don't miss anything, except a V8.

To make it worse the new XE has the dual infotainment screen like in range rovers now.

Driving a 5 year old XF Saloon with the 3.0 petrol. I love driving that car... but that has to do with the drivetrain. Baring that, it isn’t a luxury car at all. Nice car, I like the simple interior, quality is ok... but only the experience of driving it makes it stand out from dozens of competitors.

Not sure we get that model in the U.S. .

Someone I know bought an XK S wagon for like $70k here in New York. Only one I've ever seen

You said that this car has some traction issues but does your has winter tires or 4 seasons, I think it's better in rwd because 4wd is boring