• Entry-level, rear-wheel-drive diesel the cheapest to run
• Mild hybrid tech on diesel only
• Both petrol engines require much deeper pockets

What are the running costs?

People don’t generally operate executive saloons for reasons of frugality, yet with Jaguar XF, running costs can be low – if you stick with the diesel engine.

The diesel has mild hybrid tech to improve efficiency in stop-start traffic conditions, and electrically assists the engine under certain periods of acceleration to remove some of the strain. This won’t make a huge difference in day-to-day driving, but this engine still commands the lowest running costs in the XF range, with fuel consumption figures ranging from 50.6-57.2mpg. This also achieves the lowest CO2 output with 130-146g/km.

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Opt for the all-wheel drive model and fuel consumption figures drop to 47.2-51.8mpg, while CO2 output rises to 143-157g/km. We averaged 36mpg during our time of testing, which mostly involved low-speed town and spirited country driving, so we’d expect to see this in the 40s if you cover motorways. Fuel tank capacity is 66 litres and should indicate nearly 500 miles to a tank.

The petrol variants, unsurprisingly, are the most costly to run, with the P250 claiming between 31.8-35.2mpg and emitting between 181-200g/km of CO2. The P300 is the least efficient, with fuel economy figures of 30.2-32.9mpg and CO2 output of 193-211g/km.

With our experience of these engines in other JLR products, we’d expect to see somewhere between the mid-to-high 20s in everyday driving, so fill-ups will be regular. If it’s any consolation, the larger 74 litre fuel tank helps negate some of the shortfall in range in between fill-ups.

Servicing and warranty

A three-year warranty is fairly typical amongst premium brands, although at least, like Mercedes, that’s unlimited mileage cover. Still, it’s some way behind the warranty you get with a Lexus ES which extends to 10 years if you get your car serviced at a dealer.

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Servicing costs can be spread out with 0% finance. That could be handy as it won’t be the cheapest thing to run.

Reliability

• Reliability issues are becoming less frequent
• There have been several recalls
• Engine range seems to be holding up

So far the XF has been subjected to a handful of recalls. These include some in 2019 relating to CO2 emissions and the airbag safety systems not performing as they should.

Previous recalls range from instrument cluster problems through to a handful of fuel delivery issues, which may cause the engine to cut out – or, in worst-case scenarios, cause a potential fire risk. Many of these recalls have been around for a few years now, so most used XFs should hopefully have been rectified. In any case, check with a dealer if you’re uncertain about a particular car you are looking at.

While they have improved a little, Jaguar are usually to be found at or near the bottom of new car reliability surveys, with BMW and Mercedes ranking higher. However, nobody can beat Lexus for dependability.