Jaguar XF vs Audi A7 [2011-2015]

5 Ratings

2 Ratings

Exhilaration has a new name

I was looking to buy my first luxury car and considered the obvious German manufacturers, Mercedes Benz E Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. While all these are very competent cars with their own strengths, it was the Jaguar XF that caught my eye and I ended up buying it. Firstly on sheer looks the Jaguar XF is in a different league - quite distinctive and looks quite like the cat it is named after. On performance, it is nothing short of exhilarating. One tap in the Sports mode and the car lunges forward with a speed that is unmatched by the Germans. On interiors, it is tasteful - not quite as overdone like the Mercedes or very staid like the BMW. On drivability, the car feels quite at ease in the city as on the highways. I think the Jaguar XF is very underrated in the luxury segment and something that more car aficionados should consider.

Like a Limo !

<p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Exterior</strong> Its really cool. It has a structure like a limo. The alloys look good when on a drive. But its tough to park in small spaces as it is lengthy. The Ride feels a bit average. It looks elegant. <span id="lblDetails">It&rsquo;s something you&rsquo;d love to look at every day and feel happy you bought it. It looks better than the BMW 5 series GT.<br /></span></p> <p><strong>Interior (Features, Space &amp; Comfort)</strong> The space and comfort is awesome in A7. The boot space is more but in looks is average. Overall the car's interior features are beyond awesome. Simply Superb! It has more space as comparred to BMW 5 series GT.</p> <p><strong>Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox</strong><span id="lblDetails"> Audi has launched the A7 with two engines, both are 3-litre V6 engines, but one&rsquo;s a diesel with 245bhp and 500Nm of torque and the other is a supercharged petrol. The petrol makes 296bhp and can complete the 0-100kmph run in about 5.6 seconds. Top speed as is with most German cars with performance packed engines, is limited to 250kmph.</span> The A7 on our fuel runs returned just short of 9kmpl in the city and about 14.5kmpl on the highway.</p> <p>The engine is coupled to a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. So, instead of a conventional torque convertor, the &lsquo;box uses two clutches to speed up the gear shifts. And gear shifts on the A7 in manual mode, it must be said, are very quick, both while shifting up or down.</p> <p><strong>Ride Quality &amp; Handling </strong><span id="lblDetails">Yes, the A7 is unbelievably well insulated on the inside. I have the diesel version of the car here, but unless you sit at 4000rpm all day, there&rsquo;s hardly any noise that filters through.</span></p> <p>It&rsquo;s calm and serene. The same is reflected in the way the car rides. One doesn&rsquo;t exactly waft in the A7, so one can feel the suspension working thanks to a hint of jiggle, some muted noise and tiny bit of vibrations, but the ride is always pliant. It never gets to you or makes you uncomfortable even when driven in the firmer Dynamic mode. All the suspension does underneath is remind you that you have a component that&rsquo;s working, and working well.&nbsp;</p> <p>But the best bit for me, has to be the way the A7 handles. It&rsquo;s still inclined more towards comfort than sportiness, but even so, with the Quattro system in place, the levels of grip are simply outstanding. So much so that one can get on the power sooner and harder around a corner, and instead of getting all nervous, the A7 seems to revel in it. It also responds to steering inputs with litheness and accuracy.</p> <p><strong>Final Words </strong><span id="lblDetails">It&rsquo;s very difficult to fault the A7. Unlike some of its competition, it doesn&rsquo;t look quirky and it doesn&rsquo;t try too hard to be something it isn&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s a luxury car that rides well, has comfortable seats, is easy to drive and live with and is built with precision. That it handles exceedingly well or has a bomb for a diesel engine only makes it that much more eligible. It&rsquo;s not perfect, of course &ndash; the steering, even in the sporty Dynamic mode lacks required feel and it has a shallow boot, which isn&rsquo;t the most practical. But to me these shortcomings can easily be overlooked because for what the car is and what it offers, it&rsquo;s brilliant.<br /></span></p> <p><strong>Areas of improvement</strong> The Boot space should be improved and the Ride Quality.</p>Ride Quality, Comfort, HandlingSteering Feel, Boot Space