Jberks

If you don't have the switch, it's because you don't have front sensors. I'm afraid that whilst all XFs have rear sensors as standard, front ones were an option and quite a few people chose not to bother. Have a look at your bumper.

I'm a bit skeptical about manufacturers recommendations. I always wonder how much is technical evaluation and how much a financial and marketing arrangement. If a tyre manufacturer supplies a few thousand tyres cheap to a manufacturer then many people will replace with the same again as that's what the manufacturer approves. One cost sale generates hundreds of full price sales down the line. I'm sure jaguar wouldn't recommend or fit a bad tyre but that doesn't mean it's any better than the alternatives. Different people look for different characteristics in their tyres. So will tolerate more noise for greater grip. Others want a more pliant ride etc. no one size fits all. Hence, aside from a very few cheap brands, most tyres will be fine for most people and one mans wine etc. on pirellis, I had them on my first merc. So I replaced them with the same again. After all, whilst they didn't seem to last well, that's what merc fitted so that's what's best for the car. I then found the spare was a Dunlop. Someone had put pirellis on but clearly not the factory. After that I just chose what I liked and what fitted my budget.

Up norf is Newcastle and the wilds of Scotland., except when I'm in London when border shifts to the M25. As for daylight running lights - I quite like mine. You guys probably know what you're doing but the average donut doesn't drive a car. They're merely slightly involved passengers who are actually busy planning a shopping trip or doing work. For these people, reduced visibility is not a concept they're familiar with. Auto headlights are fine but don't cater for mist and haze. I for one find I can see these 'people' coming much more easily if their kias and Toyotas have DRLs.

Bit late I know but there's a lot of myth around tyres. I learned this a few years back. Money was a bit tight so I thought I'd experiment with cheaper tyres. Not cheap ditch finders and spent a lot of time checking reviews but not big brands. Put federals on my E270 Mercedes expecting they'd last no time and I'd have to adapt my driving style, I'd learn my lesson and return to continental. Never happened. Grip was the same and they lasted the same amount of time. I'm sure Hamilton or Alonso may have been able to tell the difference on a track but I couldn't on the M1. The only problem was that the Federals were a bit noisy. On recommendation, swapped to Khumo ku31s at the next Change and haven't looked back. Smooth, quiet and grippy. All tyres, be they continental,Bridgestone, federal or Khumo, all lasted around 20,000 miles. But then that's the thing. They were unknown at the time. As they've become more popular the price has gone up. When I got the first set, my tyre supplier frowned. Now they're considered mainstream and they recommend them. The first ones were £75 a corner. The last set I bought were £110. So I swapped to Gt Radial based on wet grip grading and noise, then price. They were fine too. My XF has Dunlops and the supplying dealer put new ones on the back for me but when I go to change them I won't be paying £240 a corner for the privilege. It's so much easier these days too, with these new gradings. Often the cheaper brands score better than the bigger ones. Just go on my tyres.com and order by wet grip scores. You'd be surprised. Went to put tyres on the last Freelander. Wanted a brand as it's for the wife and I won't take chances with her car. Set a fair budget and started the review trawl. Aside from Michelin which were out of my price range, everyone else got poor reviews. Carried on digging, going cheaper and came across General tire. Rave reviews. General is huge in the states but unknown here, so cheap. Bought a set and they were true to their reviews. Excellent. There are nasty tyres out there so caveat emptor, but a bit of common sense and effort and you can save considerable sums for no Discernible cost.

Not an expert but I have the 2012MY XF 3.0s premium luxury with lots of toys and extras and I don't have a dab radio. So I suspect it's always been an option.

The problem with offsets if the car isn't designed for them is that the diameter will differ slightly. This can cause traction and cruise systems to error if wide enough. I've heard of such issues simply by having worn tyres on one axle and new on the other. I must say, I've the standard 20s (255/35/20) on mine and sure it's a firmer ride and it wouldn't suit my dad but I find the ride surprisingly soft and comfortable. You can feel the grip and the road ( there's no mistaking that this is the sports model) but it's nowhere near as intrusive as I expected, even on rough roads. In fact the ride is much better than my previous E270 merc with 245/45/17s

Seen some dash dismantling videos on YouTube.

Seems to be a JLR thing. My Freelander is the same with the parking sensors. I have to say, things like this and some of the switch positions etc including the seat heat / cool settings etc are not very practical, especially compared to German rivals. I've always said that Mercedes have the best designs in a lot of these areas. Their cruise control / speed limiter stalk for example is a piece of perfect ergonomic design. Where I've now got a bank of buttons and wheels on the steering wheel plus another button on the console, I used to have a single column stalk. Not as pretty but much simpler. Much easier to use than almost every other manufacturer. Their parking sensor design is better too. An unobtrusive bank of LEDs that illuminate below 5 mph but remain silent until you're into the first red band so as not to bother you if there's nothing to be worried about. Information without the fuss. Then again, I know which car was the nicer to be in and drive so I figured I'd learn to get used to these things.

Only had mine in traffic so far. The 22 I'm seeing is rather disappointing but then I guess it's a bit early to judge. I'd be quite happy with 34!