The styling is also an important factor. Yes its great to drive, the engine is superbly engineered for performance, economy, and environmental friendliness, but it looks fantastic. Ian Callum has designed a lot of great cars over his career, the Aston Martin DB7, DB9, and Vanquish, as well as the Jag F-Type and the current batch of follow-on cars (including the XE). I think this is the best looking sedan there is, and I love sitting inside it. Sure, the buttons aren't metal, but they're still nice to use. The layout is stylish, the controls are clean and easy to use (no fiddly switches or jog-dials like in the German cars) and the driving position is spot on. I've driven Audis and BMWs and I don't regret buying my XE at all.