2009 Jaguar XF Premium Luxury

The 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged in our long-term fleet has been nothing short of a staff favorite, rarely left for even a single evening down on Level G3 without a chaperone. And who could blame us? The force-fed 4.2L V-8 serves up a strong-handed 420 hp and sounds good doing it. The XF's Ian Callum-designed body with its Aston-esque taillights, sexy, fender-mounted, XK-style side vents, and '68 Jaguar XJ-inspired front grille causes many of the most jaded L.A. fashionistas to lower their Ferragamo shades and gawk. And the XF's road manners, with its cracking power delivery, powerful brakes, and direct, well-weighted steering, are a delight. What more could we ask for? Or, as the case may be, what less could we ask for?

That's because this ferocious feline is also available in nonsupercharged format. It still has a 4.2L V-8 ahead of the driver, but without a belt-driven impeller cramming fresh air down the throats of each famished cylinder, it makes do with 300 hp. But is that as bad as it sounds? Could we still love the XF with 120 fewer horses?

To find out, we secured the keys to a normally aspirated 2009 Jaguar XF and headed out to our testing facility. Our car came with the Premium Luxury package and the higher trim level of the two offered and was loaded to the hilt with features. In fact, when we compared the spec sheets, we found that besides the absence of a supercharger, our standard XF was down only two options to our XF Supercharged: Adaptive Cruise Control ($2200) and Jaguar's fantastic CATS Active Suspension (XF Supercharged standard equipment). Both cars feature the same six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and both roll on 20-in. wheels, though our XF Supercharged has 285-width rear Pirelli PZeros as opposed to the nonsupercharged XF's 255-width Dunlop SP Sport Maxx J tires. The XF Supercharged has an as-tested weight that was roughly 140 lb more than the nonsupercharged XF, and both were treated to a host of luxo-tech items, including an Advanced Vision Package, a fantastic Bowers and Wilkins premium stereo, navigation and rear backup camera, and panels trimmed with real aluminum and wood (rosewood in the XF Supercharged, burled walnut in the base car).

At the dragstip, the nonsupercharged XF laid down a 5.9-sec 0-to-60-mph sprint and posted a quarter-mile time of 14.4 sec at 97.7 mph. Respectable figures, yes, but each slower by exactly one second from our XF Supercharged's times. On the road, the difference was clear when getting on with it. Punch the throttle in the XF Supercharged, and the cat hunkers down on all fours, lets out a roar, and leaps forward much like the "leaper" emblem on its hood. Do the same in the atmospheric kitty, and it'll move with verve -- but not with the same ferocity as its sibling. Throw two or three passengers into the mix and the effects are multiplied. Still, the standard XF is no slouch, and offers more than enough punch for sensible driving.