The XF is much more aerodynamic and beautifully styled than the cars it competes with – the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series. It’s a true four-door sedan that has more in common with the M-B CLS 500. Enter the XF and you’re immediately struck with a problem. How do you drive the thing? First, there’s a pushbutton start/stop button that senses the presence of the key fob in your pocket.
But there’s no gearshift lever anywhere. All there is, is a BMW iDrive-style rotary dial sitting on the console that rises out of the console when the engine starts. But wait! The labels around this dial read PRNDL. This is the “gear lever.” It’s the first practical change to lever-style shifting since the Edsel’s pushbutton drive. And it’s so practical, even though I still had to think every time I wanted to shift at the end of our test week.
