As Jaguar rebuilds its brand under Indian ownership it's in the rare position of being a major automaker only making three cars. All of them wonderful in some way.
I bring this up after reviewing a photo of the XFR shot by the talented Kevin McCauley I never published. Think about it. They'll build a smaller, 3-series rival. It could be great. It could be crap. And an SUV or crossover may not be far off.
The XK/XKR is getting old but remains effortless, sexy fun in the classic Jag style. The XJ is so hot my postman asked me to take him for a ride in it. And the XFR? A pleasant mix of performance, comfort, and luxury without the compromise.
The story about my postman isn't a fib. He's into cars and I told him whenever he was interested in something I'd be more than happy to show him. Then one day, knock knock. "Tell me about the Jag." I've never gotten a reaction to a sedan like the one I got in the Jaguar XJ. It's a great value, because it costs about $80K but makes you look like a $1 million and you can say "I drive a Jaaaaaaaaag."
This doesn't mean one won't leave you stranded on the side of the road trying to figure out how to get it into neutral, but it's historically significant.
Non-niche car companies rarely have a model lineup where every car is desirable. There are a few mid-'80s BMW years and, you could argue, late '60s Mercedes. Maybe Pontiac 1968. So when it happens don't take it for granted.
Photo Credit: Kevin McCauley, Sam Smith, Zerin Dube/S:S:L