It’s early days, but I’m sensing anecdotal patriotic goodwill towards my XF, compared with that I’d be experienced if I were piloting a German premium executive rival such as the BMW 5-series or Mercedes E-class.
The XF gets a degree of positive reaction and warmth, either in being let out of junctions or talking to friends and colleagues, that I’m not sure its competitors would enjoy. There’s still that little Englander jealousy some of the smaller-minded motorists seem to be stuck with whenever they see any expensive car, but in general, people seem almost as fond of the XF as I am.
And I really am quite fond of it already, despite only being a couple of weeks into our partnership. Even an entire lap of the M25 between various appointments over the course of a day couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm, which probably says all you need to know.
It’s not perfect – the multimedia system’s touchscreen sometimes needs too much touching to make it perform simple tasks – but in terms of comfort, looks, kit and all-round competence, it’s proving well up to the task. And I also spotted my first fellow Carnelian Red XF one morning last week, proving that, despite colleague criticism, I’m not the only fan of the red shade.
