50: Jaguar XF – a curate’s egg of a car

The XF is a bit of a car of two halves. Its styling can either be crisp, muscular, and appealing, or slightly bland and cleaving too close to the old model XF that came before it. It really kind of depends on the colour.

Then there's the interior, which is either clean and uncluttered and simple, or just a bit too dull and plastic-y for a car competing with the likes of the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. And the engines are a mixed bag too, from a basic four-cylinder diesel that's too noisy for its own good, to a pair of range-topping V6 engines that are just peachy.

Somewhere in the midst of all that is a really good car that’s struggling to find its niche in a marketplace full of star performers. The XF’s greatest asset is its chassis, but it needs an interior makeover if it’s going to start consistently challenging the Germans. New Sportbrake estate will be a minority interest, but a really good looking one.

Best model: 2.0d 180hp R-Sport