Used Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2016-present review

The original 2012-2015 Jaguar XF Sportbrake looked like a million dollars but thankfully cost a lot less.

This second-generation 2016-onwards XF Sportbrake improved the looks even further, and under the svelte bodywork, several tweaks made sure it had the performance, handling and refinement to match those looks. The Sportbrake in this generation is a fine-handling, well-equipped and practical estate car, and it's now available for some very tempting prices on the used market.

Engines: As for what’s under the elegant bonnet, there's a choice of six engines, with most fuelled by diesel. The petrols on offer are 247bhp and 298bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder units. Propping up the diesel range are 161bhp and 178bhp 2.0-litre units, while a twin-turbocharged version produces 237bhp. Topping the range is a silky-smooth twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6.

Trims and equipment: As for trim levels, there are five to choose from: Prestige, Portfolio, R-Sport, S and First Edition. Prestige models come with 17in alloy wheels and self-levelling air suspension at the rear, as well as leather upholstery, heated front seats, rear parking sensors and Jaguar’s InControl infotainment system complete with an 8.0in touchscreen, sat-nav, a DAB radio and a wi-fi hotspot.

Upgrade to Portfolio and you get 18in alloys, Windsor leather upholstery, split-folding rear seats, a heated front windscreen, front parking sensors, a rear-view camera, keyless entry and a 380-watt Meridian sound system. The R-Sport comes with an aggressive-looking body kit, sports suspension and gloss black exterior detailing. S gets you an even beefier body kit, 19in alloys, aluminium interior trim and adaptive suspension, while those looking for a little more exclusivity can opt for the tech-heavy First Edition.

Later models, from 2019 onwards, trimmed the range down, with just 2.0-litre engines being sold. These were the 2.0 247bhp P250 and 296bhp P300 petrol-engined cars, and the 201bhp D200 diesel-engined model. The most recent upgrade in 2020 introduced a heavily revised interior (developed in conjunction with the F-Pace SUV), an 11.4in touchscreen infotainment system, a mild-hybrid diesel engine and a rationalisation of the trim line-up.

The new entry-level R-Dynamic S-grade cars have 12-way electrically adjustable leather seats, cruise control, automatic LED headlights and wipers, LED daytime running lights, a powered tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, and the 11.4in Pivi Pro infotainment we mentioned earlier, all fitted as standard.

Next-up SE-grade car gets you some useful additional kit for a relatively small jump up in price from the base trim, including 19in alloy wheels, keyless entry, 16-way electrically adjustable seats, digital dials, directional indicators and additional safety kit. You can also get the SE in R-Dynamic form.

Range-topping R-Dynamic HSE trim gets luxuries such as 20in alloy wheels, sport seats with Windsor leather, a fantastic 400W Meridian Sound System and adaptive cruise control with steering assistance.

Ride and handling: Unlike the XF saloon, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake comes with self-levelling air suspension at the rear as standard. This doesn’t upset the car's wonderfully innate sense of balance and composure, even on the roughest of surfaces, so threading it down a twisty road is a positive pleasure. Indeed, it’s one of the sweetest-handling estates you can buy, with quick, well-weighted steering and plenty of grip.

The car keeps you comfortable as well. Larger road irregularities pass beneath the car with minimal fuss, while its body stays well controlled over dips and crests.

Interior and practicality: It’s nearly as impressive inside. The driving position is low and adjustable and really rather excellent, with reasonable visibility. The dashboard is logically laid out and modern and crisp in feel, with Jaguar's trademark rising gear selector and revolving air vents. The interior looks good, even if perceived quality falls well behind its rivals from Audi and BMW.

As far as kit goes, an 8.0in infotainment touchscreen with sat-nav comes as standard. However, we would advise you to upgrade to the optional 10.2in InControl Touch Pro system. The standard unit is slow to respond and the graphics are dull, although even the upgraded system isn’t as sharp or easy to use as BMW’s iDrive or Audi’s MMI systems.

The Jaguar XF Sportbrake has plenty of interior space, too, with room for six-footers both up front and in the rear. Its boot is larger than some of rivals' and smaller than one or two others, but the load bay is usefully flat, and it’s easy to load and unload large objects.

If you're interested in finding a used Jaguar XF Sportbrake or any of the other estate cars mentioned here, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages.

Early cars with an average mileage for the year and a full service history can be bought for around £12,000. Spend between £14,000 and £18,000 on a good 2017 or 2018 car, depending on trim, £15,000 to £22,000 on a 2019 or 2020 model, £25,000 and upwards on a 2021 XF and in excess of £28,000 on a 2022 or 2023 one.

To get a handle on whether the XF you’re looking at is really worth the price being asked, try our free What Car? Valuations tool.

Find a used Jaguar XF Sportbrake for sale here

MPG

The most economical is the 2.0d 160, which in some trims achieves an average fuel consumption figure of 54.3mpg. The higher-powered 2.0d 180 isn't far off this at 52.3mpg, although the four-wheel-drive 240 version drops down to 46.3mpg, which is actually pretty close to the much faster and more refined 3.0-litre model's 45.6mpg.

The petrol 2.0i 250 and 300 have very similar overall figures of 37.7mpg and 37.2mpg, respectively.

Under the later WLTP tests the P250 averages 34.3mpg, the P300 31.8mpg and the diesel-engined D200 52.8mpg.

Road tax

All examples will have been registered after 1 April 2017 and be charged the current flat-rate fee, plus an additional cost for cars that cost more than £40,000 when new. This applies from the second year of registration until the vehicle is six years old, at which point it reverts back to the standard flat rate fee. Current fees are £180 a year and £390 a year for the luxury tax. To find out more about the current road tax costs, click here.

Servicing

Servicing costs are a little pricier than those of rivals from the likes of Audi, even with Jaguar’s fixed-price servicing scheme for cars over three years old.

Insurance groups

Insurance for a Jaguar XF Sportbrake should be less than you'd pay for the equivalent BMW, Audi, or Mercedes, because the 2.0-litre diesel starts off in group 25, while the 2.0-litre petrol is in group 32 and the top-spec 3.0-litre diesel in group 42.

Engine

In earlier, pre-facelift models, the entry-level diesel feels rather underpowered, so we’d recommend upgrading to the 2.0d 180. This provides enough performance for everyday motoring and returns impressive fuel economy. If you're splashing out on one of the later cars then the D200 is our favourite.

Specification

As far as trim levels go, we’d look for entry-level Prestige in earlier cars, which comes handsomely equipped and should keep the purchase price down, or SE in later models, which doesn't cost a huge premium to buy on the used car forecourts.

Our favourite Jaguar XF Sportbrake: 2.0d 180 Prestige

The BMW 5 Series Touring is comfortable and spacious. It has sharp handling, too, and offers outstanding refinement. The only thing we’d say is that it’d be better to track down a car that’s had the adaptive dampers option specified, because this improves the ride and handling.

The Mercedes E-Class Estate has a huge boot – the biggest in the class – and a spacious and stylish interior. It’s good to drive, too, and its ride is nicely composed.

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If you're interested in finding a used Jaguar XF Sportbrake or any of the other estate cars mentioned here, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages.