I understand the comment that if I'd driven an XF, this thread wouldn't be necessary.

Yes, and no. I could have joined this forum, then looked through the 'archives', and most likely found the majority of the answers and comments to which I've asked about.

However, I also wanted to test the waters as far as to the degree of enthusiasm in 2013 for the cars. Had I received a few posts that said something along the lines of, "I love the car, but it is getting to the point that I can't afford to keep up with the repairs that are necessary", I might then be wondering if it is wise to continue with the idea of owning a XF.

Meaning, while I realize you responders to this thread perhaps have an extra measure of enthusiasm, I feel more confident about pursing the idea of - hopefully fairly soon - owning one.

Though I'm interested in any additional comments you might feel that are helpful.

I enjoyed the comments regarding the differences between the SRT6 and Limited. Yes, I remain an Alfa guy, but it somewhat reminded me of the Alfetta GT (I have a '75, my daily driver) and the GTV6. The latter being more powerful, but also heavier.