2010 Jaguar XF vs. 2010 Mercedes E-Class and 2010 BMW 5 Series: Which could become the best buy?
With an all-new range of engine from V6 to V8, hi-tech adaptive damping and a special limited slip differential, the Jag certainly has all the ingredients for high-performance success. However, the XF doesn’t shout about its potentials in the same way as some of its class competitors. In fact, it even has a resemblance with […]
With an all-new range of engine from V6 to V8, hi-tech adaptive damping and a special limited slip differential, the Jag certainly has all the ingredients for high-performance success.
However, the XF doesn’t shout about its potentials in the same way as some of its class competitors. In fact, it even has a resemblance with Lexus GS. But the interior still remains very British in looks and style. Just pressing the start button reminds you of the reason why you paid for an XF. There is instant opening of the air vent, rising of the rotary gear dial and a multi-media interactive touch screen- which we don’t want to comment on.
Against the Mercedes E-Class and the2010 BMW 5 series Sport Pack what are the odds? To know how it will do, we have to test these models together. Unfortunately, we can’t because it takes a lot to do that. So we will speculate. But this time we are basing it on collective reviews internationally.
In this sector of the motor industry the cars in question are not chauffeur drive cars. They are meant to be driven by their owners as everyday cars. In Nigeria, most times I see these cars driven by chauffeurs while cars like the Honda Accord or VW Passat are seen as an everyday car-especially here in Abuja. Really, it’s a shame that the first thing that comes to the minds of Nigerians is the money factor –that is to say, the running expense. Well, that may not be a problem if we can wait for most of these cars in the tokunbo market or if you have perhaps from N11 million you could bargain for an XF premium. For a Mercedes with an AMG Sports Package, you may need an average of N15 million- not even for a premium version but at least a decent V6 – V8. While a BMW 5 series may struggle with the XF on price- the XF will knock it out in comfort according to Chris Harris, EVO magazine. In somewhere like Abuja, these are the cars we need to see on the road signifies wealth rather exposing our porous condition. It brands Nigeria.
From the styling, the XF has a high exterior profile while the BMW follows it behind aggressively. As for the E-Class, it still looks very conservative as the makers have decided to refer to the old blue print of what the E-Class used to be between the mid 80s and the mid 90s. So the Jag would win. With the interior, the Jag will still win because it has been tailored for modern comfort but is not as comfortable as the Mercedes E-class which would come as second place with Edmunds.com rating. The 2010 BMW 5 series is in fact becoming outdated with harsh ride and outdated technologies as many foreign editors have claimed.
As a BMW fan the 5 series still remains the king in sports handling. On a slalom test for twisty roads it’s the best while Mercedes is the worst but it’s the quickest on straight roads. When it comes to braking distance, the Jag turns out to be the best. All these are based on Edmund test reviews on proper test tracks. In Nigeria, there may be some slight difference in the results. But we can be sure of one thing the E-Class will still remain the most comfortable and the BMW 5 series the fastest.
Which of them would turn out to be the best buy? On paper, the Jag may win for being the most practical and affordable luxury car with sporting capability that could almost match the best. This could mean it has a higher chance of selling more than the other two. But Mercedes could pull away for being the most economical and the most comfortable ride to reduce stress in this sector- thanks to their Blue Efficiency engines. We are yet to see anybody proving us wrong practically on a real test on Nigerian soil. The real deal though is what people will think of you on your choice.