We can’t help thinking that Jaguar should have done this a few years ago, perhaps when this second generation debuted in 2016. It could have been a keener contender. After all, the XF is stylish in its own way, has an aluminum-intensive construction, and drives beautifully.

Its main problem is that it competes in a category with some of the world’s best cars that aren’t in the super-rich bracket — rivals like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, and BMW 5 Series. But for anyone who finds those cars too commonplace, the XF could be a great alternative.

2021 Jaguar XF pricing

One of the changes for this model year involves lower prices. A base 2021 XF S with rear-wheel drive has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $43,995, which is $7,100 less than the entry-level 2020 XF.

A $1,150 destination charge brings the 2021 XF S to $45,145. All-wheel drive is another $3,000.

The 2021 XF range tops out with the all-wheel-drive R-Dynamic SE model, starting at $51,145. We clicked onto Jaguar’s online configurator and added all the options that looked attractive to us (so not the tire valve covers with Union Jack tops), and the final amount was almost $65k.

These prices put the XF way below the usual German rivals like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. More serious competition — price-wise, at least — is the Lexus ES (from $41k) and the new-for-2021 Genesis G80 (starting at $49k).

Before buying, check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area paid for their new XF. The resale value prize goes to the Lexus, with the silver medal going to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but the XF is still a few percentage points behind the BMW 5 Series.

Which model is right for me?

2021 Jaguar XF S

247-horsepower engine
LED headlights
18-inch alloy wheels
Leather seating surfaces
Dual-zone automatic climate control
11.4-inch infotainment touchscreen
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
12-speaker/400-watt Meridian sound system

2021 Jaguar XF SE

Keyless entry/ignition
19-inch alloy wheels
Automatic high beams
Power-adjustable steering column
Upgraded infotainment system

2021 Jaguar XF R-Dynamic SE

296-horsepower engine
All-wheel drive
Sport-tuned suspension

Driving the 2021 Jaguar XF

Looks are one thing, Jaguar cachet is another. But one of the main reasons for buying a new XF has to be the driving experience. The ride quality is comfortable and flowing, perfectly suitable for a luxury sedan.

Yet, the XF never loses its composure at higher speeds. It just flows at a faster rate. Other luxury cars have their own suspension talents, but this particular attribute of the XF is unmatched.

Steering feel dances on a similar line. It communicates what the front wheels are doing, but isn’t insistent. The driver can tune in to the tactility whenever the mood arises or merely waft along in a relaxed manner.

Let’s take a moment to mark the end of the supercharged V6’s reign at the top of the range. It was an ideal engine for a wonderfully immersive Jaguar experience of authoritative luxury.

The best choice now, although it doesn’t feel or sound the same, is the 296-horsepower 4-cylinder unit. The basic 247-horsepower engine often sounds as if it’s working too hard, and that doesn’t seem Jaguar-like at all.

Interior comfort

Jaguar cabins tend to feel enveloping in a good way. These are seats you sit in rather than on. They’re especially comfortable yet also supportive. And occupants are surrounded by high-class materials.

This year sees a redesign of the Jaguar XF’s interior. The previous rotary gear selector is replaced by a more conventional unit that manages to convey a certain Englishness with “cricket ball” stitching in the leather-wrapped palm piece.

There’s still a rotary control, though. It’s for the selectable driving modes and sinks into the center console when the engine is switched off. The most obvious addition, however, is the expansive 11.4-inch touchscreen — the nerve center for an all-new infotainment system — which is set into a magnesium frame.

Rear passenger space is more than adequate for a couple of adults. The sloping roof doesn’t encroach on headroom. Trunk space measures 17.8 cubic feet. And the rear seats split and fold in 40/20/40 fashion for some extra versatility. They also include a pass-through section for things like skis.

Check out: New World meets old world: The 2021 Genesis G90 vs. the Bentley Flying Spur V8

Exterior styling

Updates for the 2021 XF include changes to the front end. New, thin LED headlights “double J-blade” daytime running lights echo those on the F-Type sports car. The grille gains a new mesh design, which is flanked by larger and lower air intakes.

An optional Black Exterior pack brings gloss black finishes to the grille, grille surround, air intake surrounds, side vents, window surrounds, and a few other places. The R-Dynamic SE has its own treatments for things like the grille, side vents, and badges.

A lot of aluminum is used in the XF’s construction, so producing its fluid lines is tricky. Overall, the 2021 XF looks arguably handsome, with short overhangs and well-judged proportions. Even the trunk, the largest in this class, integrates nicely with the rest of the body.

See: Cool and refined, the 2022 Volvo S90 is fun to drive, too

Favorite features

Activity Key
This is part of an optional Convenience pack for the top two trims. It’s like a smartwatch, waterproof and shockproof, and allows drivers to do outdoorsy things without having to store the car keys somewhere. They can be in the XF, and the wearer uses the Activity Key to lock, unlock, and/or start the car. This is now Version 2.0 that does actually include a watch and works for seven days before it needs a recharge.

Pivi Pro
The previous infotainment system in the Jaguar XF was not exactly popular. It was the same setup in most Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. Something needed to be done. And this is it, new for 2021. An entry-level Pivi setup is in the base S trim that still includes a generously sized 11.4-inch touchscreen. Pivi has its own power source for faster start-ups and enables over-the-air updates. The SE trim receives the Pivi Pro upgrade with navigation.

Also read: What is the ‘metaverse’ and how much will it be worth? Depends on whom you ask

Standard features

Lower prices don’t mean fewer features. The 2021 Jaguar XF S comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, heated/power-folding side mirrors with self-dimming on the driver’s side, heated/12-way power-adjustable front seats, leather seating surfaces, wireless charging, phone signal booster, and a powered trunk lid.

Safety equipment includes forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assistance, front/rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera system, and All Surface Progress Control (see the Safety Technology section).

The infotainment system (updated for 2021) has an 11.4-inch touchscreen, two USB ports, satellite radio, Apple
AAPL,
-0.32%
CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, and a 12-speaker/400-watt sound system from the highly regarded Meridian company.

Factory options

The two 2021 XF models with the 249-horsepower engine offer all-wheel drive as an option.

SE trim brings 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry/ignition, automatic high beams, heated/16-way power-adjustable front seats with memory settings, power-adjustable steering column, upgraded infotainment system, and road sign recognition with an adaptive speed limiter.

R-Dynamic SE comes with a 296-horsepower engine and all-wheel drive. Plus a sport-tuned suspension and its own exterior cosmetic treatment.

Both the SE and R-Dynamic SE models are eligible for an adaptive suspension, a new Clear Exit Monitor, soft-closing doors, heated steering wheel, a head-up display, digital rearview mirror, adaptive cruise control, rear window shade, Activity Key, Wi-Fi, and a 16-speaker/650-watt Meridian surround-sound system.

Also see: Keeping these things in your car will prepare you for almost any emergency

Engine and transmission

The 2021 Jaguar XF S and SE both have a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making 247 horsepower. The code for this unit is P250, kind of rounding up the power output.

An 8-speed automatic transmission (with paddle shifters mounted beneath the steering wheel) sends that output to the rear wheels (RWD) in standard form. All-wheel drive (AWD) is optional.

Also on MarketWatch: ‘Don’t give away loser shares’: It’s not too late to reduce your 2021 tax bill. Here’s how.

Codenamed P300, another turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine is in the R-Dynamic SE. It’s tuned to produce 296 horsepower, and that goes to a standard all-wheel-drive system through an 8-speed automatic transmission.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
247 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
269 lb-ft of torque @ 1,200-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (estimated): 25/33 mpg (RWD), 23/33 mpg (AWD)

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
296 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 1,200-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (estimated): 22/30 mpg (AWD)

This story originally ran on KBB.com. 

The travel industry has gone full speed on digital adoption since the pandemic. And that’s good news for you, enabling you to speed past everyone who hasn’t yet jumped on the tech train. The challenge: knowing what apps to download and how to use them.

Even if you’re not tech savvy, these websites and apps can help you avoid holiday travel crowds — and they’re surprisingly easy to use. Here’s how to incorporate tech into your trip to help make logistics a breeze.

1. Use a mobile boarding pass

The airport check-in counter is still there, but the lines may be long. If you’re not checking bags, you can likely skip the counter entirely with online check-in.

Many airlines allow you to check in online 24 hours before your flight, at which time you enter a phone number or email address to get your boarding pass texted or emailed to you. Most of these boarding passes can be saved to your phone in Apple
AAPL,
-0.32%
Wallet or Google
GOOGL,
-0.60%
Pay, and some can also be saved to Windows phones. Sometimes you can also display your boarding pass on the airline’s app.

• On Apple devices: To save, open your digital boarding pass and tap the “Add to Apple Wallet” button on the upper right corner of the screen. You’ll likely need iOS version 8 or higher.

• On Android devices: Open your boarding pass and tap the “Save to Phone” button located near the top of the page. You’ll likely need Android version 6.0 or higher. You can also save your mobile boarding pass to your photo gallery by tapping on the camera icon in the upper right corner.

By saving to your smartphone’s mobile payment app, you eliminate your reliance on a paper ticket, which can easily be lost. When saved to your digital wallet, your boarding pass is still accessible, even when you don’t have internet access.

2. Check your flight status online — and subscribe to text alerts

A simple web search for your route will typically return real-time flight updates, which can be useful in getting alerted to flight delays or cancellations — sometimes even before your airline alerts you.

For a more passive approach, subscribe to flight status notifications. Most major airlines allow you to subscribe to an individual flight’s status, which the airline sends by email or text.

Watch: Money lessons from the pandemic: how to prepare for the next crisis

3. Join Clear to skip airport lines

Most people have seen the TSA PreCheck lane, which allows you to be screened through an expedited process where you won’t have to remove your shoes or laptop. But consider going one step further and skipping the line, too.

You can sign up for Clear, a trusted traveler program that can be joined for typically $179 a year. Rather than waiting in a security line to have a staff member manually check your photo identification, you’ll head to a Clear kiosk, where you’ll verify your identity with a fingerprint or iris scan. Then it’s straight to the head of the screening line for you.

There’s no special line for Clear, but you do get to go to the front of the regular screening line. Clear is available in about 50 airports nationwide.

4. Use an app as the key to your hotel

Most large hotel chains, including Hyatt
H,
-1.19%,
Marriott
MAR,
-3.43%
and Hilton
HLT,
-3.78%,
offer free apps for booking, which can be helpful in getting a last-minute room on the go, requesting items like fresh towels, or using real-time chat to solve issues both before and after you get there.

Most of these apps also allow for digital check-in. One perk is the ability to pick out your room number. Get that corner room far from the elevator if you prefer peace, or pick one nearby if you prefer easy access to the main floor.

And you likely don’t even need to visit the front desk for a key. Most apps have digital keys, so you can wave your phone in front of the door without needing a physical key card. Hilton recently launched Digital Key Share, which removes frustrations for larger groups by allowing more than one guest to have access to their room’s digital key.

If you’re pining for an upgrade, you’d also typically have to ask in person. But this October, Hilton announced that Hilton Honors members with Gold and Diamond elite status will be notified of space-available upgrades 72 hours prior to arrival and can choose their upgraded room on the Hilton Honors app.

5. Pack a digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccination

You almost certainly need proof of COVID-19 vaccination for most international travel, but you might not want to risk packing (and potentially losing) your vaccination card on a domestic trip. Still, you may need to show proof of vaccination to enter tourist venues in some cities like San Francisco and New York City, and individual businesses in other cities can also choose to require proof to enter. Luckily, digital proof will usually suffice.

Some states have issued their own digital passes to provide proof of vaccination or negative test results, like New York’s Excelsior Pass and California’s Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record. Then, there are privately run apps, like Clear, that let you store a digital vaccine card. Sometimes, a simple photo of your vaccine card saved to your phone is good enough.

If you’re vaccinated, it doesn’t hurt to save proof to your phone in case you arrive at a restaurant or other business that demands it.

Also see: How to travel overseas safely post-pandemic

6. Order food online

Many restaurants seem busier than ever. If you’re looking to grab food to eat in your room, or maybe you want to skip waiter service to eat in a park, take advantage of mobile ordering.

Most restaurants offer mobile ordering these days, whether it’s on their own website or through a food delivery app. Many of these apps offer pickup as an option too, and it’s typically far cheaper than delivery because you avoid service fees. Download apps such as Uber
UBER,
-5.21%
Eats, DoorDash
DASH,
-9.59%
or Grubhub.

Some credit cards offer discounts for using food delivery apps, too.

7. Download multiple ridesharing apps (and not just the major ones)

There’s been a shortage of drivers for the big ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft
LYFT,
-5.89%
lately, which can make it stressful trying to book a ride for a flight.

Don’t overlook smaller ridesharing companies that might have a strong regional presence. Many taxi companies have apps that allow you to request a cab from your phone, and sometimes they’re among the cheapest options. For example, you can book a cab from anywhere in San Francisco to San Francisco International Airport for a flat rate of $35 on the YoTaxi SF app, while Ubers can sometimes run north of $70 on the same route, depending on the time of day.

Give your travels a tech upgrade

Between keyless hotel room entry via smartphone app, mobile ordering and sometimes even showing digital proof of vaccination, technology is crucial to traveling these days.

Read next: Will we ever move past the age of COVID? With the latest variant threat, it seems like we’ll forever be on guard

Luckily, you can make the most of tech when you travel this holiday season, even if you don’t consider yourself tech savvy. The apps are easy to use — you just want to download them ahead of time. And once you’re on the road with your phone in hand, there’s just one more thing you need: a portable smartphone charger.

More From NerdWallet

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.

Some Next Avenue readers took issue with this, emphatically, on the Next Avenue Facebook page. So, I’d like to explain what I meant.

This $500,000 inflection point is an amalgamation of my extensive surveys of retirees and near-retirees. It also relates to my 1,000-Bucks-a-Month Rule, which stipulates that for every $1,000 in monthly income you want in retirement, you need to have saved $240,000.

The math behind that formula: $240,000 x 5% (your annual withdrawal rate from your retirement savings) = $12,000. Then, divide that by 12 months to reach the $1,000 for the month. Doubling that for breathing room, and giving folks $2,000 a month, brought the total to roughly $500,000.

Read: 75% of Americans think the government should help them save for retirement

What Next Avenue readers said

Judging by some of the Facebook comments, quite a few people felt $500,000 was too lofty a goal.

Juliet posted (I presume sarcastically): “Terrific advice: Just get hold of half a million if you want to be happy.”

Mary wasn’t having it either: “Well duh!! Who wouldn’t be happy with $500,000?”

Delores was defiantly confident: “I surely intend to find happiness in retired life without having $500,000 at my fingertips…Jeez.”

Rather than disagree, I want to use this as an opportunity to tell Juliet, Mary, and Delores that I hear what they are saying. I know it’s not easy to save $500,000. Roughly half of all U.S. workers and 36% of retirees have less than $10,000 in household savings and investments, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. But I do believe $500,000 is more attainable than some people think.

Running the numbers

The first step toward reaching this goal is to create a pre-retirement budget.

For three months, be very intentional about tracking your spending. I recommend what I call the TSL (Taxes, Savings, Life) budget. With this technique, approximately 30% of your income is allocated for taxes, 20% for savings and investments and 50% for life (all the necessities and fun!).

To keep the numbers in perspective, it’s important to understand what I call the Rich Ratio: my system of making sure you’re living within your means. The Rich Ratio is a straightforward way to measure the amount of money you have in relation to the amount of money you spend.

To get this number, first calculate your total monthly income. If you’re still working and looking for the ratio you’ll likely have during retirement, use projected values. Remember to consider all possible retirement income streams — paychecks from part-time work, Social Security, any pension benefits, rental income, miscellaneous sources and the amount your investments should produce. Make sure to adjust this number for taxes, so you have “net income.”

Also see: Your retirement plan can’t deliver financial certainty — here’s how to think about the big risk factors

Next, calculate your needs using your projected monthly retirement budget. With these two numbers, your equation looks like this: Have ÷ Need = Rich Ratio. A Rich Ratio greater than 1 is fantastic. Anything under that means there’s room for improvement.

Let’s say you’ll generate $4,000 a month (after taxes) and only need $2,000 to meet your obligations, giving you a Rich Ratio of 2. Fantastic!

Conversely, if Jeff Bezos generates $80 million a month (after taxes) and needs $160 million to pay his bills, his Rich Ratio would be 0.5. Yikes! Forget joy riding through space, he might not even be able to afford an Amazon
AMZN,
-1.81%
Prime membership.

Another useful method is my Fill the Gap (FTG) strategy. Here, you figure out your income and your monthly spending to find your gap. Then, use the 1,000-Bucks-a-Month Rule to fill that gap.

How much will you need?

While $500,000 is a great number to have in retirement, its importance really depends on how much you’ll need. For instance, if you’re able to continue working part time in retirement, you won’t need as much saved before you get there.

The happiest retirees, according to my surveys, find a way to make part-time work an additional income stream and an activity they’re passionate about.

Think of money as a river, not a reservoir. The more tributaries, the stronger the flow.

In the same article and podcast that got me in trouble, financial adviser and author Tony Hixon told Next Avenue Managing Editor Richard Eisenberg that retirement is not just about checking quantitative boxes. It’s also, he said, about “ensuring not only that they (retirees) have enough money to sleep at night, but enough purpose to get up in the morning.”

Related: The 4% rule is being debated — again — but here’s what you should do

I agree. In my surveys and book, I note that the happiest retirees have a number of things beyond $500,000 or more in liquid assets: core pursuits (hobbies on steroids), a healthy marriage (if they’re married), faith, a commitment to charity, social connections, good physical health, smart housing decisions, a calm investor behavior and smart spending habits. All of these create the purpose Hixon talks about.

Spoiler alert, no one is going to check every box in retirement. I agree with Tony Hixon that the ultimate goal is happiness. I’m just saying that the less money you have, the harder you might have to work to get there.

See: This couple retired 2 years ago on about $27,000 a year. Here’s how that’s going

The vast majority of the happiest retirees I studied don’t have millions upon millions in retirement savings. But they were still able to stop working full time and live joyful, fulfilling lives. I hope you can, too.

If you haven’t yet begun saving, don’t let it get you down. There’s no time like the present, so even if you start small, just start. That’s how healthy retirement accounts are built—with time, patience, and intention.

Disclosure: This information in this article is strictly an opinion and provided for informational purposes. It is not to be viewed as investment advice or recommendations. Always consult your own legal, tax, or investment adviser before making any investment/tax/estate/financial planning considerations or decisions. 

Wes Moss is a Certified Financial Planner and author of “What the Happiest Retirees Know; 10 Habits for a Healthy, Secure, and Joyful Life.” He is a managing partner and chief investment strategist for Capital Investment Advisors in Atlanta. 

This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org, © 2021 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. All rights reserved.

More from Next Avenue:

What’s driving markets

Market sentiment soured Wednesday after the confirmation of the first U.S. omicron variant case, which sent the S&P 500 below its 50-day moving average for the first time since Oct. 13.

“It seems that investors’ main concern remains the uncertainty surrounding the omicron coronavirus variant and the implications any new restrictions could have to the global economy,” said Charalambos Pissouros, head of research at JFD Group.

It also came as Fed Chair Jerome Powell, for a second day, brought up the prospect of a quicker taper, which in turn sets the stage for more, and faster, interest-rate hikes.

“It is not about covid; it is about the Fed and what they plan to do. This selling will grow much worse; this will become about how much pain the Fed can endure,” said Michael Kramer, chief executive of Mott Capital Management.

What’s clear is that once traquil markets are now increasingly volatile. Analysts at Bespoke Investment Group found 17 instances since 1928 in which there were three drops of at least 1%, and one gain of at least 1%, in the four days preceding a close below the 50-day average. The median gain in a year’s time was 16%, though there were drops of 40% in 2007 and 23% in 1934.

Four Fed officials are due to speak Thursday, as the latest jobless claims report gets released. The OPEC+ grouping also will be debating production policy in response to the virus.