BMW 3-Series Touring F31 vs. Jaguar XF Sportbrake

This is the all new 2013 BMW 3-Series Touring F31...

2013 BMW 3 Series Touring

...and this is the all new 2013 Jaguar XF Sportbrake.

2013 Jaguar XF Sportbrake

Both of them are from Europe, both of them are tourers, both of them are good for everyday uses, and both of them have bigger space on the back which sounds perfect on your next grocery shopping, unless you went out with several reusable bags on your next grocery trip. But what differs them is their characteristics. Sure, it's the battle of Britain once again but which of these is my pick?

2013 BMW 3 Series Touring interior

Sure, the BMW F31 has the same features as the F30 sedan, the same choice of either a Modern Line, Sport Line, or Luxury Line, same eccentric front end that feels like...well, I don't what to say but like an alien predator waiting to kill me, and now has a bigger boot at the back. At the start, the available variants for the 3 Series Touring were the 320d, 328i, and 330d. Other models will follow shortly. First off, the the 320d Touring will cost about 37,100 Euros (about 29,380 British Pounds Sterling) and this comes with the 2.0L diesel engine that takes about 184PS of power. The 328i though, this costs about 39,150 Euros or  30,400 British Pounds Sterling and this comes with the 2.0L petrol engine that generates about 245PS of power. My choice for now is the top of the line 330d Touring, which costs about 46,150 Euros or 34,700 British Pounds Sterling. The 330d though, this comes with the 3.0L turbodiesel engine that generates about 258PS of power. With all that power, the the 330d Touring can go about 0-100kph in 5.6 seconds and the top speed is electronically limited to 250kph, most common to other European cars within this magnitude.

It's all typical BMW interior on this model and seems that the satellite navigation system's too far from my eyes. Because it is rear-wheel drive, I can still respect the German carmaker's Freude am Fahren slogan. It's sharper, it's sleeker, and surprising comfortable. It kinda feels like sipping a cup of delicious 3-in-1 coffee, mmmm....good! With all that German common sense, the Touring version of the new 3 Series feels a bit the same as the normal F30 sedan version with the added space for my groceries.

So...what about the XF Sportbrake?

2013 Jaguar XF Sportbrake interior

Last year, I examined the facelifted version of the XF sedan and with that new "2.2 LITRE i4 DIESEL" engine introduced, the XF's getting a bit more...well I was gonna say eco-conscious but never mind. Unlike the normal XF sedan, the all new Sportbrake doesn't have the fire-breathing V8 engine as well as its hotter version until further notice. That seems to be disappointing because the all new XF Sportbrake is available diesel-only. Much like other Korean SUVs I knew that they're available diesel-only, the XF Sportbrake comes with the 2.2L diesel and the 3.0L V6 diesel engine. The base model though, the 2.2 litre i4 163 Turbocharged Diesel SE, it costs 31,940 British Pounds Sterling, while the most expensive version, which is the 3.0 litre V6 275 Turbocharged Diesel Portfolio, that costs them 51,505 British Pounds Sterling.

Amazingly though, it's more pricey than the F31 BMW 320d Touring but you do get a lot of luxury features and the Bowers & Wilkins audio system of other Jaguars. Also, it may have the same 8-speed AT as the F31 BMW 3 Series Touring and like other Jaguars and Land Rovers, there's no gear lever because what I can only find was a knob that when you twist it clockwise or counter-clockwise, you can set it in either P, R, N, D, or S. It is a very complicating way but I don't care. That complicating knob is not the least of our problems because the handling is a bit too rough and it really bites. No wonder this XF Sportbrake was used   as a support vehicle for Team Sky as they compete in the Tour of Britain. Well, I'm not on Team Sky's side because I don't watch too much Sky and I'm all BBC and no Channel 5 (the one with Fifth Gear on it, which is still the car magazine program I REALLY HATE). He he he he....

The new F31 3 Series Touring is all about keeping yourself cool because the 3 Series is being the yuppie icon of all time but for the XF Sportbrake, this is not the car for the yuppies. This is for those who are a bunch of geography teachers, brokers working for stock exchange, and those who ain't BOVERED. Sorry, if I have to get that Lauren Cooper dialog Ms. Catherine Tate, but anyway, this Jag is a bit more dramatic, a bit more tenacious, not quite a sleeping dog that you can bring it on a dogfighting pen. I would rather bet this car for a winning dog at the pen and take it away when I lost the bet but that's not quite an ideal option if you don't like the XF Sportbrake.

2013 Jaguar XF Sportbrake

2013 BMW 3 Series Touring

Well, I guess this ends here and to sum this up, the BMW 3 Series is a better wagon while the XF Sportbrake is a pricey break that keeps me disappointed why this one has no petrol variants as the normal sedan variant. Sure, both of them might be different from their sedan counterparts but the real ending for this review is simple; best not to buy the Sportbrake until Jaguar decided to put petrol variants on it but because of today's economy, well probably because of the ongoing crisis in the European economy, might be best not to buy either of these until you are ready.

Photo: BMW AG, Jaguar