2017 BMW 5 Series vs Jaguar XF

What's the difference?

Not all superheroes wear capes, and we're proud to report the 530e does its bit for green motoring without feeling the need to shout about it. And with no price or specification penalty, it's easier being green than ever before, and the pricing of this BMW really puts the cat amongst the canaries.

Stylish, quick and comfortable, the Jaguar XF S is a worthy addition to the XF line up. It's such a pity that it's destined to be overlooked...

Premium SUVs like Jaguar's F-Pace, and even sister brand Range Rover's Sport, have taken the shine off cars like the XF. No matter how good they are, sedans just are not in favour at the moment, which is a real shame. 

It's more comfortable, it handles a LOT better, and represents good value for money when compared to the SUVs, and a sporting sedan like the XF has to be driven to be appreciated. 

Don't fall for the luxury SUV trap if you don't have to. Make sure you sample the refined pleasures of something like Jaguar's XF S; you won't be disappointed.

Crucially, there's nothing weird about the way the 530e looks. While some green cars look like they've been designed by one of the kids from 3rd Rock from the Sun, the 530e looks much the same as the rest of the range, save a few tiny but telltale giveaways - like the e-drive badging outside, and what looks like a bonus fuel flap tucked in behind a front wheel that houses the whole plug-in bit.

And we really, really like it. It's elegant and statesman-like from every angle, and looked especially important in the deep-blue colour of our test vehicle. It's not over-designed, with body creases used sparingly, and the occasional glint of polished silver that rings the windows and the grille adds a final sense of shininess to an understated design. 

Inside, there's more going on than you might normally find in a BMW. The hugely complicated digital display screen now includes everything from battery charge, power usage to the usual assortment of speedometers and petrol readouts. 

It doesn't feel overdone or crazily festooned, but there's more at play here than in your usual BMW.

The dash is busy, too, with a wide screen emerging from a centre stack that also houses a CD player and a digital aircon setup, which in turn sits above a complex centre console from which you can alter driving settings, control the multimedia or cycle through electric modes. It doesn't feel overdone or crazily festooned, but there's more at play here than in your usual BMW.

Elsewhere inside, the seats are beautifully designed, with a quilted leather highlight through the middle, while the gloss-black strip that lines the dash hides a dual strip of ambient interior lights that also runs across all four doors.

The addition of the S on the badge means the XF scores a handsome body kit comprising lower front and rear aprons for the bumpers, rear skirts, and a small lip spoiler. The black grille and machined alloys finish off a subtle, smart, and arresting exterior.

Inside, the XF is just as special. Jag says the prow-like line that extends around the top of the cabin is reminiscent of an old power boat, and it's certainly a unique piece of interior sculpture. 

The dash top follows suit, although some of the lines around the head-up display module are a bit clunky. The integration of the dash-top tweeters and speakers, though, is excellent.

Even the way the climate control panel gently curves around at the edges to enclose the digital temperature readouts is a thing of beauty and class.

Two-tone black and white leather extends up the door cards and through the front and rear seats while the black headlining adds a sporty look.

A three dial digital dash and Jaguar Land Rover's new touchscreen multimedia system complement a simplified dash and console arrangement with minimal buttons to spoil the lines. Many of those controls have moved to the steering wheel, as well.

Obviously, there are many ways to spec a particular XF to your liking, and perhaps the cream leather isn't particularly practical in this case. But the overall feel and look is unique to the Jaguar and the XF.

As the world's motoring tastes shrink faster than a lap-banded Clive Palmer, it's easy to forget the joys of the full-size sedan, but the space for passengers and luggage in the 5 Series will have you questioning your downsizing ways.

Upfront, there's plenty of room between front-seat riders, who will also share two smallish cup holders, along with room in each front door for bottles. There's also a dedicated wireless charge pad (which, because of its tight design, is crazy difficult to actually remove your phone from), but you'll also get two USB points and a power outlet that's hidden in the sizeable centre storage bin as standard fit.

Backseat riders get heaps of space, both in width and in leg room behind the front seats. And there's twin air-con temp controls and twin power outlets, too. But middle-seat passengers will be forced to sit with their legs on either side of the raised tunnel, which will definitely impact on comfort.

The boot's still sizeable, despite shrinking slightly to house the battery/fuel tank setup

Best to ditch the fifth passenger, then, and deploy the pull-down seat divider, which also houses two cup holders. Finally, there are three ISOFIX attachment points, one for each seat in the back.

The boot's still sizeable, despite shrinking slightly to house the battery/fuel tank setup (the tank has been moved further back to accomodate the batteries), and can be adjusted to be a flat load area if you'd like, offering up to 410 litres with the rear seats in place.

There’s plenty of room up front, especially in the driver's position. The powered seat also features an extendable base, which is nice for taller drivers. 

The steering wheel has a thick rim and is reasonably sized, but one small let down is the plastic-y feeling shift paddles behind the spokes.

The array of digital screens through the car give the XF a modern look, but the left dial on the dash that controls the majority of the car's functions can be fiddly to use, thanks to the plethora of buttons and menus that need to be negotiated in order to make changes.

There are two cup holders line astern in the front of the car, while the rear seat passengers also get two in the centre armrest. The XF isn't really set up for bottles in the doors, although a small water bottle can be dropped in at a pinch.

There's a comprehensive climate control panel and vents for rear seaters, along with back of seat storage nets and sun visors for the side rear windows, as part of the optional rear comfort pack.

Three ISOFIX mounts are present and correct across the rear seats which themselves are comfortable, deeply bolstered, with plenty of knee and headroom for even the tallest of passengers.

A long, wide boot space can take even large suitcases with ease and there's a ski port and folding seats.

The new multimedia system is fantastic and easy to use. Phone connection is quick and easy, and the navigation system is comprehensive, too.

One issue, though, with the large selection of materials in the cabin, there is quite a lot of glare and reflection on sunny days, thanks to the silver highlights and the light coloured carbon panels. The optional sunroof that only has an opaque cover fitted to it that exacerbates the brightness.

The XF S comes standard with auto lights and wipers, dual zone air conditioning, Jaguar’s 'InControl Touch Pro' multimedia system with Bluetooth streaming and digital radio, electric front seats with memory function, LED headlights, keyless entry, and leather trim. It retails for $129,065 before on-road costs.

Our test example was fitted with around $30,000 of extras, including an active safety pack which adds features including radar cruise, reverse traffic detection, and blind spot monitoring, plus our car scored a rear comfort pack that adds heated seats, four-zone climate control, and more.

We would like to see the active safety pack come standard on a car like the XF S. It seems stingy to keep it on the options list.

Drift around in pure EV mode and you'll be relying on the 530e's 83kW and 250Nm electric motor, which will provide what BMW refers to as "between 28 and 32 real-world kilometres".

Run out of range, or simply use too much throttle, and the 2.0-litre petrol engine comes into play, adding 135kW and 320Nm to the mix. All up, that's 185kW and 420Nm - respectable numbers by any measure, and enough to match the petrol-powered 530i's zero to 100km/h sprint of 6.2 seconds.

That power is fed through an eight-speed automatic transmission before being sent exclusively to the rear wheels, where it belongs.

Jag’s excellent 3.0-litre six-cylinder supercharged engine may lack the aural theatrics that it enjoys in the F-Type, but the 280kW/450Nm engine still feels strong and flexible even in this bigger car.

Sending its power via a limited slip diff and an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission to the rear wheels, the XF S also employs front-wheel brake-activated torque vectoring where needed.

Like a Facebook relationship status, it's complicated. The 530e will sip a claimed combined 2.3 litres per hundred kilometres on the claimed/combined cycle, which is amazing for a car this size. Better still, it seems genuinely achievable - at the vehicle's launch, our own Richard Berry recorded a stunning 2.0 litres per hundred kilometres on a short test route.

But that's with a full load of battery charge on board. For our week with the 530e we were unable to actually plug it in (living in Sydney, I can't afford a garage), so once the initial battery charge had been used we were back to mostly petrol power. Unlike some other plug-in hybrids we've driven, we found it very difficult to recharge the battery to any meaningful level using regenerative braking, so once we were flat we stayed flat. If we had plugged it in, it would have been a two-hour recharge using a specialised wall unit, or about four hours using a normal plug.

As a result, though, our fuel use was closer to 7.0 litres per hundred kilometres after some considerable real-world testing.

Jaguar claims the XF S returns 8.3 litres per 100km on the combined fuel economy cycle. Over a shortened test distance of 280km, we saw a dash figure of 9.7L/100km.

There's so much to like about the way the 530e sets about saving the world, and that's mostly because it doesn't shout about it, either to the driver or the outside world.

It's very much an underpants inside its pants superhero, which makes us like it even more. Set off in EV mode, and the 530e will drift silently away from the curb, burning battery power over fuel for as many as 30(ish) kilometres. But equally important, the shift from green to gas is largely imperceptible, with the petrol engine joining in willingly when you ask it to - usual via a prod of your right foot.

It is so effortlessly smooth that you need to really pay attention to notice the eight-speed 'box changing gears at city speeds, and it's commendably quiet, whichever drive mode you're in.

Downsides? Well, it doesn't feel quite as sharp as it's conventional-engined siblings. The batteries add around 230kg in weight, which never helps, and it all feels a little softer and a little less dynamic, even with Sport mode engaged. BMW assures us the adaptive suspension setup and tune is identical, but the 530e feels noticeably softer when you tackle a twisting back road. And that encourages you to use your right foot a little more, which in turn negates the whole electric thing in the first place.

One of the great joys of BMWs has always been their ability to transform from cosseting comfort to rear-drive rocket when you want them to, and you can't help but notice the 530e isn't quite up to that challenge. But if your intentions are mostly city- and freeway-based, then this plug-in BMW is almost indiscernible from its petrol-powered sibling.

The XF S comes with a supercharged six cylinder engine which is ultra responsive under the right foot, and it sounds the part, to boot. It's not as wild and uncouth as it is in the F-Type, but it's still a little bit special.

It's backed by a traditional torque converter eight speed automatic which can be controlled via the paddles behind the wheel.

It's a classic big rear drive sedan with manners to suit, and a ride and handling compromise that straddles that line right between comfort and sportiness. While the steering is light and easy to use, there's still a lot of feel under your fingertips - although a little more weight in sport mode would give the car more credo.

The XF's ride over broken tarmac borders on exemplary. It refuses to send shocks back through the cabin, even on sharp edged bumps, and there's just a feeling of deep composure throughout the suspension movement. 

The brake feel is brilliant, too, with a high, well-modulated and confident feel underfoot. The ZF gearbox works beautifully with the torquey motor, too, reeling off shifts quickly and efficiently as needed.

The big XF corners like a much smaller car with excellent roll control and ride quality, and it's possible to feel the car all the way in and through the other side of the corner. 

It's obviously not meant to take on a track day, but in terms of a balance between a luxurious limo, a grand tourer, and a sporting four-door, the XF hits exactly the right note.

There are a couple of small negatives: the plastic paddles to shift gears behind the wheel are not in keeping with the rest of the car's quality and design, and the front collision warning system is far too sensitive, howling and flashing red lights at the slightest provocation. This leads to a tendency to turn the system off, which kind of defeats the purpose. 

The Bluetooth system on our tester, too, continually threw the connection out the window in the middle of calls, which was pretty irritating in a $130k car.

The Jaguar XF S has the maximum five-star ANCAP rating. It’s equipped with six airbags, though others in the category have up to nine. AEB and lane departure warning is standard across the XF line.

There are three ISOFIX mounts across the back row for child seats.

Like the rest of the 5 Series range, the 530e falls under BMW's three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. There are no set service intervals, either, with BMW using what it calls 'condition-based' servicing. In other words, the car will tell you when it requires a trip to the service centre.

The batteries are covered by a separate warranty covering six years or 100,000km.

The XF S is covered by Jaguar’s three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is recommended at 12-month or 16,000km intervals, and is capped at $1350 in total over five years.