2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged

Only a Jaguar could do this to us. What other car could sweep us off our collective feet with its power, comfort, and elegance, then malfunction repeatedly, and yet remain so beguiling as to make us feel sorry when it leaves? It's not the story we wanted - nor expected - to tell, but it is indeed the bittersweet tale of our Four Seasons Jaguar XF Supercharged.

The irony is that when our liquid silver XF first arrived, one of our biggest concerns was whether it retained enough classic Jaguar character. After all, the XF was designed when the company was part of Ford and is being produced under the control of Tata, an Indian company known best for its $2500 car. And even though it rides on the same basic platform as the S-type that preceded it, the XF clearly represents a clean-sheet approach for Jaguar, an attempt to shake off the brand's old-world cobwebs and compete toe-to-toe with the best modern luxury cars. Early on, some editors wondered if Jaguar had gone too far. Several complained that the styling evoked Lexus more than the heritage of Sir William Lyons, and design editor Robert Cumberford concluded that it was "absolutely generic" from certain angles.

But any concerns about this sedan's identity melted as soon as we had a chance to spend some time behind the wheel. "The XF may look like a Lexus, but the suspension tuning is pure Jaguar," marveled contributor Sam Smith. "It rides more comfortably than a BMW or a Mercedes-Benz, and yet it has almost all of those cars' high-speed poise and refinement." And getting up to high speeds was never a challenge, thanks to the car's silky 4.2-liter V-8, which, despite its supercharger and positively brutal 420-hp output, never felt harsh or out of character for a $65,000 luxury sedan. It was even reasonably efficient, netting 20 mpg over the year. We were also mostly impressed with the thoroughly modern yet inviting cabin. Senior editor Joe Lorio found its combination of brick red leather, dark wood, and aluminum "stunning" and was happy to see no traces of stuffy English traditionalism. "With the XF, Jaguar has landed with both feet firmly in the twenty-first century. Bravo." Although some of us found the overabundance of technology - including the sensor-activated overhead lights, rotating air-conditioner vents, and rotary gear selector - frivolous, we appreciated the car's useful and user-friendly features. "The easy-to-set-up hands-free calling and nicely calibrated adaptive cruise control make the XF a great commuter car," executive editor Joe DeMatio reported. On longer journeys, DeMatio and others discovered, to their chagrin, that there's no apparent way to switch cruise control into a more conventional mode, a problem in heavy traffic or when rain and snow confused the XF's radar sensors. But neither that oversight nor the somewhat cramped back seat prevented the XF from becoming a popular choice for long road trips. Its heated and cooled seats, crisp Bowers & Wilkins stereo, and easily configurable, if somewhat slow, navigation interface helped the miles fly by - which they often did at criminal speeds.