Like Corned and some others, I have also defected to the Jaguar XF camp -a Saloon for me though rather than Estate.
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I've had two W211 E Class, both of which suffered some rather disappointing reliability / quality issues which I won't drone on about here (rattling good cars though....). A pity, as the exterior and interior styling of the W211 made it one of the best looking Mercs of all to my eyes. I know some people have had marvellous service from their W211's, but I'm not one of them. I did consider another E Class but I've never been much taken by the interior of recent iterations and the rather more blingy appearance of the exterior. The artificial 'Pleather' seat coverings which seem to feature in the majority of models available on the 2nd-hand market were a real deal-breaker for me. Nae leather, nae use as far as I'm concerned. No so-called luxury car should have seats covered with anything other than leather sourced from a cow.
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Like Corned, I opted for Jaguar's 'Portfolio' trim specification. As is the norm for end of life models, the manufacturer tends to throw lots of kit at them and consequently mine has most of the goodies fitted as standard. That said, all the toys in the world don't make up for a flawed chassis, but thankfully Jaguar seem to have got the comfort / handling balance quite well sorted. I have the 240 BHP version of the V6 rather than Corned's top trumps 275 BHP model. I think the difference between the two cars is similar to the W211 280 CDI / 320 CDI. Both are pretty damn good but more power never hurts does it? . I have to say that 240 BHP / 500Nm is plenty to keep me happy.
Corned's quick summary of his XF driving experience is completely accurate and there is nothing with which I'd take issue. I wanted to love this Jaguar and was slightly worried that the ride might be rather too firm at low speeds over pockmarked urban road surfaces. The XF ride is certainly firm(ish) and it is definitely not as plush / 'wafty' as the W211. Definitely a try before you buy type car, but the ride is still composed enough for me. When I bought my W211 Avantgarde, I swapped the OE 17" wheels for 16" rims to get taller sidewalls and a more comfy ride. I suspect I'll upgrade the Jaguar from its OE 19" wheels to a set of 17" for (hopefully) a similar effect.
Things I'll miss from the W211: The wonderful brake 'hold' feature - absolutely loved that. I also liked the cruise control of the W211 which applies the brakes if they are required to maintain the set speed. The XF has this after a fashion, but you have to select either a speed limiter or cruise control. As far as I can work out, you can't have both at the same time.
Things I like about the XF: Far too many to list! A 'Business Class' interior with burr walnut veneer and proper leather seats is a good start - it is a Jaguar after all. The engine / transmission match really is excellent. For me, there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from simply watching a well-sorted automatic going about its business. In this respect, the 8 speed ZF gearbox is a peach, certainly a big improvement over the Mercedes 7G Clunktronic. The Jag V6 engine is also far quieter and less agricultural than the OM642. Oh, as it doesn't look like a minicab, drunks don't attempt to get into the back when you are stopped at the lights .
Things I don't like about the XF: The engine is better than the OM642, but it is still a diesel - I couldn't stretch to the petrol V8 engine the car really deserves
Thankfully, the completely pointless swivelling air-vent 'performance' can be permanently switched off by the driver, but the LED daytime running lights can only be disabled via Jaguar's equivalent of STAR, so will need a trip to the dealer to sort. It has no temperature gauge - I'd still like one in addition to a dashboard warning message.
I've had two W211 E Class, both of which suffered some rather disappointing reliability / quality issues which I won't drone on about here (rattling good cars though....). A pity, as the exterior and interior styling of the W211 made it one of the best looking Mercs of all to my eyes. I know some people have had marvellous service from their W211's, but I'm not one of them. I did consider another E Class but I've never been much taken by the interior of recent iterations and the rather more blingy appearance of the exterior. The artificial 'Pleather' seat coverings which seem to feature in the majority of models available on the 2nd-hand market were a real deal-breaker for me. Nae leather, nae use as far as I'm concerned. No so-called luxury car should have seats covered with anything other than leather sourced from a cow.
Like Corned, I opted for Jaguar's 'Portfolio' trim specification. As is the norm for end of life models, the manufacturer tends to throw lots of kit at them and consequently mine has most of the goodies fitted as standard. That said, all the toys in the world don't make up for a flawed chassis, but thankfully Jaguar seem to have got the comfort / handling balance quite well sorted. I have the 240 BHP version of the V6 rather than Corned's top trumps 275 BHP model. I think the difference between the two cars is similar to the W211 280 CDI / 320 CDI. Both are pretty damn good but more power never hurts does it? . I have to say that 240 BHP / 500Nm is plenty to keep me happy.
Corned's quick summary of his XF driving experience is completely accurate and there is nothing with which I'd take issue. I wanted to love this Jaguar and was slightly worried that the ride might be rather too firm at low speeds over pockmarked urban road surfaces. The XF ride is certainly firm(ish) and it is definitely not as plush / 'wafty' as the W211. Definitely a try before you buy type car, but the ride is still composed enough for me. When I bought my W211 Avantgarde, I swapped the OE 17" wheels for 16" rims to get taller sidewalls and a more comfy ride. I suspect I'll upgrade the Jaguar from its OE 19" wheels to a set of 17" for (hopefully) a similar effect.
Things I'll miss from the W211: The wonderful brake 'hold' feature - absolutely loved that. I also liked the cruise control of the W211 which applies the brakes if they are required to maintain the set speed. The XF has this after a fashion, but you have to select either a speed limiter or cruise control. As far as I can work out, you can't have both at the same time.
Things I like about the XF: Far too many to list! A 'Business Class' interior with burr walnut veneer and proper leather seats is a good start - it is a Jaguar after all. The engine / transmission match really is excellent. For me, there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from simply watching a well-sorted automatic going about its business. In this respect, the 8 speed ZF gearbox is a peach, certainly a big improvement over the Mercedes 7G Clunktronic. The Jag V6 engine is also far quieter and less agricultural than the OM642. Oh, as it doesn't look like a minicab, drunks don't attempt to get into the back when you are stopped at the lights .
Things I don't like about the XF: The engine is better than the OM642, but it is still a diesel - I couldn't stretch to the petrol V8 engine the car really deserves
Thankfully, the completely pointless swivelling air-vent 'performance' can be permanently switched off by the driver, but the LED daytime running lights can only be disabled via Jaguar's equivalent of STAR, so will need a trip to the dealer to sort. It has no temperature gauge - I'd still like one in addition to a dashboard warning message.