Jaguar XF 2.2d: month three

On fleet since: July 2012
Total mileage: 19,500 miles
Official combined mpg/CO2: 52.3/149
Actual mpg: 39.7mpg
Costs: none

Pros: brilliant heating system, refinement
Cons: still not getting the best economy - blame my journey

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Where have I been?

Brrrrrrrr. There's a definite chill in the air now. But the Jaguar XF has been my saving grace on these cold mornings: its toasty heated seats warm up my derriere in minutes and by the time I've driven from my house to the dual carriageway - a whole five minutes - I need to turn the dial down from its top setting for fear of a boxer short fire.

What do I like?

Setting off for work at 6:30am, the XF is a very relaxed habitat in which to propel myself gradually into the day ahead. The leather seats - standard in Premium Luxury trim - are soft and supportive and the driving position is easy to adjust thanks to electric adjustment for the steering wheel and seat. Turn the lovely pop-up gearlever into 'D' and off I go with the car doing most of the hard work.

I mentioned last month about the stop-start system, which sporadically cuts in and out when driving in London traffic. A Jaguar spokesperson was quickly on the case and said: "One is the air conditioning performance. If you have your air con/heating set on automatic and the outside temperature experiences a change, this could cause the system to start the engine in order to regulate the temperature inside the cabin. Alternatively, if the system logs that the battery is at risk of running low, it'll start the engine. For example, if the car has been static overnight and the stop/start has been used regularly in the morning." Sounds like a plausible explanation to me, setting off on a cold battery every morning and running the lights and heating at full whack.

What don't I like?

I drove a car recently with DAB radio and found myself quickly getting in to Radio 6 Music: I tend to bore quickly of listening to the same station every morning. I'm surprised the Jaguar doesn't come with a digital radio since it has nearly every other gizmo as standard and an optional TV. Unsurprisingly, I'm not big on watching TV in the car, so I'd much rather have a digital radio than the chance to watch rubbish like the X Factor or Made in Chelsea.

What's next for the Jaguar XF?

By my rudimentary calculations I reckon the XF 2.2d should average more than 600 miles on a full tank. My haphazard journey through London means I never see anywhere near that, so I'm planning an epic trip with our video team to put its fuel economy to the ultimate test.

Need to know
Trim: Premium Luxury
Performance: 0-62 in 8.0 seconds/ 140mph top speed (limited)
Power/torque: 190hp @ 3,500 / 332lb ft @ 2,000rpm
List price: £37,200
Options fitted: digital television (£700)
Price as tested: £37,900

Jaguar XF: arrival
Jaguar XF: month two
Jaguar XF: month three - this one
Read more long-term test reports
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