Dingdongler

Saw my first one in the flesh the other day and what can I say? The most boring nondescript box I have ever seen. Actually looks worse than the photos.

Now don't get me wrong I actually like understated cars but this thing seems to lack any sort of design flare. It just looks like a box.

Vanilla BM's often look like that and the M sport body kit and some nice M wheels often transform the car into something quite nice, but on this car I'm not quite sure that is possible.

From what I've read in standard form (unless you tick some optional suspension/wheel stuff) it doesn't ride/handle that well either!

As a 5 series owner I find this really disappointing as I was looking to the new 5 as my new car. Not sure at all now.....

Petem95

I didn't like it at all at first, but having seen a few on the road it's starting to grow on me!

Agree what you say about the M-Sports as well - they do tend to look significantly better, so I'll be interested to see how the M-Sport version of the new 5 looks.

bighead

iTrader: (1)

look too much like a seven series ...but the interior is pretty good though

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I am predicting a very early facelift and with new suspension.

Even real BMW fanboy mags are not being kind to this one. evo gave it 3/5 stars and recommended an XF S.

The standard suspension is being slated.

stilover

Probably just a ploy by BMW to make sure more people tick the expensive suspension option on the order form.

Audi have started doing it as well. Started with Magnetic ride and now the all new Drive-Select (£1290 on an S4)

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Here's the thing - BMW options come to about £4,500.

The Jaguar XF is brilliant as standard and the active suspension is no where near as expensive at the Beemer (and to my mind the Jag is worse at anything below 7/10ths with the suspension options!!)

Dingdongler

The problem with the Jags is they lack space compared to the equivalent MB, BMW etc. Rear head height, legroom and boot space are all worst in class.

I'm at that point in life (small kids etc) that I need as much space as possible whilst still having a saloon (rather than some ridiculous contraption like a Q7). Jags don't really provide that compared to what the same money buys you from the Germans.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I am surprised at your comments regarding the Jag. The XF has excellent space in the back and a huge boot that is within a few litres of the new 5.

The XF Premium also has all the toys of the new 5 as standard so not sure I agree with your comments there either.

I was looking very closely at buying both and they were both very competitive (in the end we decided to keep the current 530 for another year).

Dingdongler

Isn't the XF quite headroom restricted in the back compared to say an E Class or 5 series?

dpb

Surely the design breif woould require it to look 'middle aged' !

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Interesting point one may want to note; the front suspension of the outgoing 5 series hasn't really changed in design since the e28. Its akin to BMW like the IRS rear axle was to Jaguars of the 60s/70s/80s/90s.

Infact, the current 3 series now uses the same design (and its alot better for it too). Older 3 series BMs just used a humdrum single piece lower arm, like pretty much every other car on the road.

And now they've dumped it for the F10 5 series for something else, it seems they may have got something wrong. Or maybe not; If its anything like the old suspension, its mains issues with ride and handling was due to the bushings, the compliance/stiffness of which is very much reliant on the right tyre/wheel combinations (a difficult compromise given the amount of sizes in the options list). The old outgoing design also didn't bode too well when it started to wear/age (which given the state of our roads, does cause premature wear). Combined with a heavier car, used on rougher roads, its understandable that maybe a more heavier-duty setup is required. I foresee active dampening the as way forward (and onto the options list at a costly £2K+ ) as well as binning the run-flats.

The XF should have been a hatchback/liftback IMO (like the 5 series GT - only less ugly ) - As it seems silly to design a car to such lengths with a fastback styled rear end with a large(ish) boot, then make the boot useless by having such a tiny opening.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression Jaguar was trying to broaden its market appeal, not reduce it BMW has both saloon, estate, hatchback and SUV derivatives of the 5 series. As well as Auto or pure Manual options. The XF? Just a Saloon. Auto only.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Interesting points.

And BMW are expecting 90% of the 5 series to be a diesel and I bet the only ones that are not autos will be the poverty spec where they could not afford the upgrade.

One thing about the XF, I agree, but making it a hatch would 'probably' have added a lot more weight. Easier to keep it rigid AND light as a saloon.

urban

iTrader: (1)

I tend to agree with the boring comments

MD has one - its silver too, funnily enough its mostly silver 5 series BMW's that I see on the road here.

Inside - we'll lets just say its got nothing to shout home about as far as I'm concerned.