Advice Please! XF or E Class

swillsy · 17 Oct 2016 at 21:55

Hi Guys, I'm struggling with my options at the moment - the budget is roughly 16k and I'm considering a 2012 Jag XF saloon or a E Class 2012/2013 Estate.

I'm currently driving a 2008 BMW 320d and either car looks awesome. Ideally I would grab an estate version of the XF however it's out of my reach in terms of budget where as I can grab an E class estate for the same bunse.

Which one would you guys advise getting? I like to play golf and would appreciate the extra space of the estate however still fancy getting a jag.

[TW]Fox · 17 Oct 2016 at 22:46

The 5 Series is better than both but out of these two easily the E Class.

The XF was a good car but it was released back when the E60 5 Series and the 2002-2009 E Class were the class leaders and it shows.

energy · 18 Oct 2016 at 01:04

F10>W212>XF. The interior on the XF spoils everything else good about it. The F10 has the best interior, exterior, and driving characteristics. The ZF 8 speed is an excellent box too. Have you deliberately left it off the list?

Uther · 18 Oct 2016 at 08:23

E Class. If you want an estate, but don't get one you'll regret it.

Steedie · 18 Oct 2016 at 09:50

Avoid the XF, great cars when they work but a lot goes wrong especially electrical. I've gone through two and both had similar problems, and I wouldn't ever get one again. Two people at work have also replaced theirs due to multiple issues, one of which has a very similar list to mine.

Sure they are reliable for some but not in my experience

Axeboy · 18 Oct 2016 at 09:56

Yep agree with above, I had loads of issues with an early XF so at that age I would avoid.

Wasn't too impressed with Jaguar customer services either to be honest.

5 series would be my choice for this size/budget/age

wozzizname · 18 Oct 2016 at 11:36

I've had two XF's now, and not had any trouble with them - I think they're damn good cars.

Having said that, I'm now considering moving to an F10 530D as I think the latest XF and XE's have seen a drop in the quality of materials, and prices aren't competitive at the moment.

swillsy · 18 Oct 2016 at 20:43

Awesome, this has definitely swayed me to the E class. Thanks All.

I went to look at an XF on Sunday but the battery was flat so may be that was anther omen to stay away.

The 5 series is tempting however I fancy a change. Pics to follow!

[TW]Fox · 18 Oct 2016 at 20:53

swillsy said:
The 5 series is tempting however I fancy a change.

The F11 5 Series is a completely different car to the E90 3 Series.

Don't buy an inferior car for a reason like that - at least look at it.

This is the interior of a 2015 E Class v a 2015 5 Series. You'll be looking a bit older but fundamentally they are the same:

Steedie · 19 Oct 2016 at 10:23

That E Class

They've really turned it around with the new one

Rilot · 19 Oct 2016 at 10:46

I had a brand new E-Class as a rental last month with the new interior, and felt the interior wasn't very nice at all. The tech was excellent but the UI wasn't very easy to navigate and everything felt a little clunky to me. Apple Car Play was nice though. I'd much rather have an F10 5-Series even over the latest E-Class, let alone the previous generation.

xs2man · 19 Oct 2016 at 10:57

Rilot said:
I had a brand new E-Class as a rental last month with the new interior, and felt the interior wasn't very nice at all. The tech was excellent but the UI wasn't very easy to navigate and everything felt a little clunky to me. Apple Car Play was nice though. I'd much rather have an F10 5-Series even over the latest E-Class, let alone the previous generation.

I didn't get a drive of the new E-Class, but this was the initial impression I got from a brief "play" inside the one I looked at.

Rilot · 19 Oct 2016 at 11:10

What foxed me is that there are three separate controls to navigate the UI, all of which perform the same function. The i-drive style knob in the centre, the touch sensitive arch above the knob (seems to do the same thing but with the addition of the ability to write letters), and the touch sensitive pads on the steering wheel. I can understand the pads on the wheel but I don't understand why they need both the arch and the knob when the arch on its own would do everything the knob does and is literally 1cm above it.

This thing:

Plus it felt really cheap in that it's quite clearly a hinged clicker rather than a scissor mechanism for the presses (you can't click everywhere, you have to press it in the right place - can't remember whether it was the front or back)