Jaguar

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On paper the BMW 5 Series is a better car but the Jaguar XF looks better in the metal

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On paper, it would be fair to say the BMW 5 Series is a better all-rounder than the Jaguar XF. Accountants use a lot a paper – and look how boring they can be.

It’s when you see the latest XF in the metal that this luxury saloon will steal your heart. It’s ten times prettier than the Beemer and turns more heads than any offering from Audi or Mercedes too.

The new XF has better steering and ride qualities than key rivals and somehow – I don’t know how – but Jaguar has achieved a cooler image than anything from Germany too. Although you could argue Audi runs it close.

Day two of running the XF S and I already know this is going to be a fun week. Just as importantly, I love seeing the Jaguar parked on the drive. Which is far more important than anything you read on paper…

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Diesel bonkers – what about the Jaguar XF with a big petrol engine?

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Let’s be honest, not that many buyers will opt for the petrol XF. We’ve all gone diesel bonkers, despite the harm it is doing to our environment and paying more to fill the tank.

And that’s a terrible shame because with both 335bhp and 375bhp versions to choose from, this is one Jaguar that stuffs the best of BMW for driving dynamics in every department.

I’ve only driven the car a dozen miles but I can’t wait to find an excuse to climb in again. Not bad considering I have a 911 and a Harley-Davidson squeezed on the drive too.

There’s going to be a storming SVR model along soon with 550bhp on tap but I think our 375bhp test car has the balance just right. It’s an absolute belter of a car and the best Jaguar in years – including the F-Type.

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F-Type, 911 or R8 – which one would you choose?

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Jaguar F-Type convertible, Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Audi R8 soft-top – which one would you buy? There’s a big difference in prices and the Jag is the cheapest by far but is it way out of it’s depth in such company?

Having driven all three this summer, I’d opt for the practical, sensible and easiest-to-live-with 911. I don’t think the 911 is that inspiring to look at, it doesn’t set my pulse racing like the F-Type but it is the brilliant all-rounder.

I’v already talked about the F-Type having a heart and soul, although it’s a real shame the noisy tailpipes and uninspiring interior let the car down.

That might suggest the R8 is a great compromise but, well, it just looks a little rear heavy. I know the design is meant to exude true ‘supercar’ but quite frankly, despite the amazing handling, the Audi has a fat arse and that’s the end of it.

Which leads me to conclude this is a dead heat, only won by the Porsche because it does everything well. Such as shame it just conjures up images of flash bankers and little else…

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The F-Type is a Jaguar that roars too much – turn the noise down please!

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So I’ll tell you what’s wrong with the F-Type… Obviously it’s not the styling, the badge on the boot lid or the performance. We have five senses and the Jag lets us down on two of them.

First, it launches a full-scale attack on your eardrums. It’s rather entertaining at first, all that snap, crackle and pop when you ease off the throttle and blip down the gears.

Even with the acoustic exhaust system switched off, it’s way too loud but press the button in and, well, the sound levels are quite frankly silly. This is a Jaguar that roars too much and it soon becomes very tiring.

And then what about our sense of touch? The Jaguar has a leather steering wheel and smashing leather seats. Great – except the flappy paddles on the steering column are made of plastic borrowed from an Airfix toy model.

This saddens me because I firmly believe that a car costing £70k plus should feel and sound a lot better than it does. Time for a rethink Jaguar?

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The Jaguar F-Type offers more drama and beauty than anything made by BMW

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You don’t expect sunshine on a British Bank Holiday, right? Lashing it down here in the Cotswolds, forcing a man to open a bottle and watch an old episode of Top Gear (back when they looked like they were enjoying themselves).

Richard Hammond driving an F-Type Coupe R against JC in a BMW M4 proved interesting. Despite a massive advantage in horsepower, the Jaguar was stuffed by the M4’s superior handling.

These days, cars are so fast that I’m starting to subscribe to the philosophy that it’s not how fast a car goes, more how it goes when travelling fast.

We have the M4 coming soon to Car Couture in September but at present, I’d still opt for the Jaguar. Like the convertible on test this week, it looks way prettier and offers more drama than anything from the German stable.

Well, apart from the i8, which is really just a masterclass in technology rather than a true supercar…

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The Jaguar F-Type S isn’t the best premium convertible but it has heart and soul

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The all-wheel drive F-Type R has been claiming all the publicity so far this year but the mid-range, supercharged S is still an eye-catching car. You have to know your F-Types to spot the difference – the best clue is the fact the S has only two tailpipes instead of four.

Our S is hardly tail happy but I can see the attraction of permanent all-wheel drive. It would make an exceptional responsive sports car even better, if that’s possible. The classic lines of the F-Type are still there – the back end is sculpted like a stylish violin.

The Jaguar goes head-to-head with the more expensive Porsche 911 Cabriolet and the ‘softer’ Mercedes SL. It’s prettier than both for my money but after just a day of living with the F-Type, I can tell you it’s more fun than the Merc but a less capable all-rounder than the 911.

And I say that with a heavy heart, having owned an E-Type in the past, I would love the Jaguar to stuff it to the Porsche. It doesn’t. But it does have great heart, style and passion, which will be more than enough for many people.

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Gok Wan Wants An Aston DB9 – And He’s Not Keen On The F-Type Either…

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Just back from interviewing Gok Wan. The king of style has a gorgeous little house in Hampstead and a cool little French Bulldog, called Dolly.

What’s on his driveway? – a Porsche Panamera. I didn’t expect His Gokness to like a sports car with four seats and room for luggage. No, I truly expected a Fiat 500, maybe a Mercedes ML, or a top spec Audi.

Gok wasn’t too keen on the Jaguar F-Type, mainly because the rear end was ‘too angular’. I can understand that. It might explain why he is longing to buy an Aston Martin DB9 too.

Today was the last day with the Jag. Land Rover is delivering a Defender tomorrow – perfect timing for the snow that is apparently due tonight.

I enjoyed the F-Type, although it does lack soul and character. I truly don’t believe it will ever be a classic like the E-Type but the Coupe is a genuine rival for the Porsche 911 and is much prettier on the eye too.

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The Jaguar F-Type S Is A Pain Over Uneven Surfaces And The Seats Squeak!

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Whenever I thing Jaguar, two things come to mind. One is my gorgeous, much-lamented E-Type – the other is some businessman in a big coat smoking a fat cigar.

I’m from that generation, you see. Somehow or other, the F-Type doesn’t really fit into either bracket. The E-Type was a nightmare to drive in anything but a straight line, and the fat-cat Jags were armchairs on wheels, with the bonus of an ash-tray.

The F-Type is beautiful but it isn’t iconic like the E-Type, or as comfortable as the old XJ. In fact, the S model I’m driving is seriously bumpy at low speed on uneven surfaces – it will make you wince in pain at times!

And then there are the two seats. They’re very hard and despite multiple electronic adjustments of every nature, you will get a numb arse after a while.

Oh and recline either to a certain distance and they squeak on the bulkhead too.

Beautiful to look at, even the F-Type would benefit from some comfortable refinement then..

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The F-Type Has Such A Competent Gearbox You Will Want To Use The Flappy Paddles!

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Four days in to driving the Jaguar F-Type and I’ve finally had a chance to cut loose on a decent, winding road.

It’s no ordinary bit of tarmac either – a stretch of road I used to commute when I first became a motoring writer 28 years ago.

The A40 between Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye is littered with speed cameras but there are some sections, near May Hill, where it’s like driving through an Alpine pass.

And it was here – not on the M40 or at a standing start from the traffic lights – that the eight-speed automatic gearbox won me over.

Using the steering column paddles, I flicked up and down the cogs smoothly like a man possessed. It was the single most exhilarating piece of driving I’ve enjoyed in years!

You can leave the Jaguar in standard auto and it’s still a great tool. But believe me, even if you aren’t used to paddle shift, the F-Type will win you over…

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It’s a lock out – what happens when you are frozen out of your Jaguar F-Type

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When was the last time you were frozen out of a car? In this age of heated seats, heated steering wheels and engines that start without a manual choke (remember those?) how bizarre that we haven’t invented something to ensure car doors don’t ice up in sub zero conditions.

This morning I woke to find the F-Type was sealed under what looked like a shaking of icing sugar over the top. The thermometer read -2 – which felt more like -10 in a slight breeze.

As I grasped the pop-up handle – very cool in the right way – the door refused to budge. It was stuck completely to the body work. What am I meant to do now?

In the old days, you would pour hot water over a frozen key lock but not sure that;s a good idea with a £70k F-Type. So what did I do? In the end, I took my old Land Rover out instead. Canvass roof, freezing inside but so simple to get in to!