All hail the new Driver Power champ!

Congratulations to the XF, which has pushed mainstream cars aside as it scoops the most coveted gold medal in the motor industry.

As the reigning Auto Express Car of the Year, it’s no surprise the Jag has shot straight to the top of the Driver Power 100 in its debut year.

The Jaguar was top of the pile in two areas – ease of driving and braking, thanks to its unique gear selector dial, accurate steering plus strong stopping power.

Other highlights include sixth for the cosseting ride and seventh for performance. With more powerful diesels and petrols now here, the pace rating is only likely to improve.

Despite finishing in five top 10s, the XF has one blot on its copybook: a lowly 85th for reliability is a poor figure at this end of the overall chart, and reflects early teething troubles.

There’s no doubt Jaguar has hit on a winning formula – it will be a tough title holder to topple next year.

WINNER OF CATEGORY

Braking
Whether you’re pounding around a race track or pottering to work, brakes are the most important part of your car. There’s a huge difference between strong and weak stopping power – and you’ve delivered your verdict. Top is an executive saloon with the best stoppers in the business. The XF has great pedal feel and is able to halt sharply from any speed. The next three cars – the Mazda MX-5, Porsche 911 and Honda S2000 – are all designed to thrill, while the Mercedes E-Class records a fine fifth-place finish. Models at the bottom of the chart are much more mundane. The old Ford Focus is the worst with a lack of bite in the middle pedal, while question marks hang over Honda’s previous CR-V and the original Nissan X-Trail.

WINNER OF CATEGORY

Ease of Driving
While we all love the idea of an exciting driving experience, when most of us get into our cars after a hard day’s work, we don’t want to be challenged. The ease of driving category sorts the models that leave you with anxiety attacks from those that are a breeze to pilot. The winner in this field is also the overall Driver Power Top 100 champ – the Jaguar XF. Press the start button, and the automatic gear selector rises out of the centre console. Twist it into the Drive position, and you’re ready to enjoy the perfectly weighted steering and responsive pedals. Although it’s a sizeable saloon, it doesn’t feel unwieldy. Land Rover’s Discovery also poses no challenge to its owners – it’s sold almost exclusively with an auto box, which adds to the stress-free experience.

WINNER OF CLASS

Executive
Surprised the XF has topped the executive pile? We weren’t! Its 91.18 per cent score wins this class and the Top 100 – 0.81 points more than last year’s overall champ! With a top five made up of Jaguar, Mercedes and BMW models, there’s one notable omission – Audi. But its loss is Jag’s gain: the S-Type has also reached the podium and is proving a shrewd used buy. With a new E-Class just around the corner, the outgoing Mercedes is still impressing its owners; second is testament to the saloon and estate models’ engineering. While BMW has failed to make it on to the podium, it has managed to take both fourth and fifth positions in this class.

Your Quotes
“The XF is the best car I’ve ever owned. It’s beautifully designed inside and out, great to drive with strong performance and is as luxurious as they come.
Graham Hodgkin, Haywards Heath, West Sussex