Devon wants to like the Jaguar XE (used)

Remember the Jaguar X-type? Well Jaguar hopes that you don't either and focus on the XE instead. It really is a breathe of fresh air in a segment dominated by Audi, BMW and Mercedes. But is it worth the consideration?

There's one diesel and three petrol engines available on the XE. The 2-liter turbo diesel engine offers decent flexibility and can be had with or without all-wheel-drive. This engine is our pick of the range because it offers decent running costs and also those who worry about all-wheel-drive can still have it with this engine choice. The only other engine you can have with all-wheel-drive is the 3-liter supercharged six-cylinder at the higher end of the range. If you don't mind paying the premium and the slight spike in running costs, it is a good engine as well. The 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder offered is pleasant as well but the 3-liter supercharged six-cylinder (listed above) is the sweet spot in the petrol range.

If you think that the XE isn't as fun to drive as the benchmark 3-series then you seriously haven't test driven an XE. The fact that the XE offers sharp steering and road holding manners similar to that of the 3-series means that Jaguar is on the right path with this vehicle. It seriously won't disappoint at all. Our tester car came equipped with R-Sport package which had 18-inch alloys and a Adaptive Dynamic Package which gave the XE a premium ride even though it costs nearly the same as BMW's Adaptive M Suspension and doesn't even come with the same adjustments that the BMW 3-series offers.

Here is where things began to go downhill for the Jaguar XE. The infotainment system which in our tester car suffered from many glitches. The Bluetooth and hands free calling system just completely failed as well as the navigation system which showed error message and took almost fifteen minutes to reboot. However, when the system was working many of the controls and menus were fiddly to use at best. We had high hopes of Jaguar/Land Rover fixing these electrical issues as we've experienced the same issue with vehicles we've previously tested from them. The auto-high beam headlights seemed to be the only feature that worked decently. The interior build quality is also iffy as well, with many plastic bits that make the XE feel way below par compared to the 3-series.

We understand that Jaguar is bouncing back and are on fire with their latest new products but we feel that they still have a long way to go before they will be considered superior to Audi and Mercedes, we feel that even Volvo has snatched some of that lime light from Jaguar with the S90/V90 and XC90.

Speaking of the interior, the cabin feels narrow and the front seats don't really offer the support that we were expecting. The rear seat offers okay legroom while headroom is somewhat tight. The boot offers decent space as well.

Standard XE trim comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, HD Radio and fully electric glass moonroof. XE Premium adds auto-dimming and power-folding exterior mirrors, 380watt Meridian sound system and a rear-view parking camera. XE Prestige offers keyless entry, navigation (SD Card) and interior mood lightning. R-Sport trim adds integrated body-kit, Xenon headlamps, lane keep assist and autonomous emergency braking.

The Jaguar XE is a great alternate to the Audi, BMW and Mercedes. But we have been let down by the electrical issues and of course the XE looks rather plain compared to the Mercedes C-class. Plus the long term quality issues really do cause a bit of concern.

Likes: It drives way better than a 3-series. The range of engines offered are all great, plus its the cheapest Jaguar of the range.

Dislikes: Quality issues during review. Interior is plain and some materials are questionable in quality. Halogen headlights are weak and shouldn't even be standard on three of four trims.

Overall: We enjoyed our time with the Jaguar XE. It was very engaging to drive and the engines all offer great flexibility. However, the electrical issues with the infotainment system were annoying and the fact that three of four trims for the XE come with halogen headlights instead of HID headlights seems very strange to us (yes we complained about this on Audi, BMW and Mercedes). You can find so many other options that are just as good but none of them feel as composed as the XE and that's where the charm lies. It's one of those vehicles you buy because everything else sucks but when you drive it. You'll instantly forget all about them.

We test drive a UK Jaguar XE

You’d be surprised that not everyone wants a saloon from Audi, BMW or Mercedes. And for those buyers, the Jaguar XE is just the saloon they are looking for. 

There’s two petrol and two diesel engines to choose form. All four come in the guise of a 2-liter four-cylinder. Entry-level diesel makes the most sense financially if you desire a nice blend between running costs and flexibility on the highway. The more powerful diesel makes the most sense if you are spending the most time on the highway and will be doing the miles. Both petrol engines are very flexible for both city and highway driving. However, you’ll have to pay a slight premium in running costs. Pick of the range goes to the entry-level diesel. It offers a nice blend of running costs and purchase price, all while giving you just enough oomph for everyday driving that most will be satisfied with. 

The XE has always been dynamically better to drive than the BMW 3-series, and with this refresh nothing has really changed much in that aspect. What we love the most is how smooth and fluid the steering feedback is. It’s not heavy and doesn’t feel overly light around town either. The ride comfort is superior to the BMW 3-series as it handles the lumps and bumps of city driving nicely, all while being relaxing to drive on the highway. Wind and road noise won’t be much of an issue with the XE, unless you count the slight wind whistle from the wing mirrors. However, that’s just nitpicking at best. 

The interior of the XE is lightyears better than the previous years. The new touch screen infotainment system is much nicer looking and much of the interior bits and materials used are much improved. However, the user friendliness of the infotainment system is still not there. Some menus take some getting used to and the response times is still lackluster at best. However, it’s slightly improved over the ones we’ve sampled in the past, so any improvement here is a welcome.  

The XE offers plenty of space for four across the board. A third person in the rear seat maybe pushing it a bit in terms of hip and legroom. The boot space is decent, it may not be as spacious as some of its keen rivals. However, for most buyers it’s plenty. 

Standard kit includes LED headlights, power-folding wing mirrors, auto-dimming interior mirror, Bluetooth connectivity and leather seats. You’ll have to step up to the premium packs to get wood grain interior trim and ventilated leather seats. Rain-sensing windscreen wipers and handsfree boot operation are both standard across the range. 

The Jaguar XE is the saloon for anyone desiring a non-German option. It’s stylish, rewarding to drive and generous in standard kit. However, Jaguar needs to improve reliability. 

Likes: Engaging to drive and easy to live with. Both exterior and interior are much improved. Standard kit list is very generous.

Dislikes: Jaguar needs to improve reliability record. We’re going to miss the six-cylinder petrol/diesel engines. 

US vs UK (Part one) Entry-level engines

Have you ever wondered what an entry-level Volkswagen Golf looks like in UK vs what we get here in the US? Well fret not here is our blog focusing on entry-level engines offered in UK vs US.



Volkswagen Golf (U.S. vs U.K.)
Golf S (U.S.) 1.8t 170hp ($19,895)
Golf S (U.K.) 1.0t 83hp ($23,743)

The 1-liter turbocharged three-cylinder sold in Europe has 129lb-ft torque at low revs. It has diesel like torque which should help it feel flexible around town and on the highway. This engine only comes with a five-speed manual gearbox which is the proper way to go with this engine. We find it quite interesting that despite it being more expensive than the U.S. version, this engine has really low running costs and still seems decently kitted.



BMW 3-series Sedan (U.S. vs U.K.)
320i (U.S.) 2.0t 180hp ($33,450)
318i (U.K.) 1.5t 136hp ($33,124)

The 318i sedan uses the same engine from the Cooper trim that’s sold here. It’s a 1.5 turbo three-cylinder which is great in the Mini Cooper Hardtop 5-door. It’s an interesting option for the entry-level 3-series considering that it’s a larger vehicle, but the rear-wheel-drive platform should make it more fun to drive.



Mercedes CLA (US vs UK)
CLA 250 (US) 2.0t 208hp ($32,700)
CLA 180 (UK) 1.6t 122hp ($32,577)

We do complain about how Europe gets better product than us, but with an engine like this and a price tag as steep as ours. We should be happy this CLA 180 stayed in Europe, however with stricter emissions standards coming. We too could be seeing less is more aspect of new engines. The turbo really does give low-end torque so it shouldn’t feel too weak but a 86hp drop won’t go unnoticed.



Toyota Yaris
L (US) 1.5-liter 106hp ($16,375)
Active (UK) 1-liter 69hp ($16,079)

The Yaris sold here gets 37hp for $296 more than the UK version which has only 69hp. The standard 5-speed manual gearbox should help make it feel peppy around town. Running costs on the Euro version should be way lower than the US version in theory, but if we had this engine here. You’ll have to really thrash it to keep up with traffic and that means that you won’t be driving it as economically as it should be driven.



Jaguar XE
25t (US) 2.0t 247hp ($35,725)
20d (UK) 2.0d (diesel) 163hp ($36,412)

Jaguar already offers a fantastic diesel engine here for about $2-3k more than the 2-liter turbo. The diesel engine we get is also a 2-liter but pumps out 180hp instead of the more efficient 163hp found in this example here and it also is the base engine for those in the UK. We loved the 2-liter diesel engine that was offered in the Passat here because it had such high torque at low revs and never felt underpowered. The XE here may not be to everyone’s taste considering that it’s near $40k with only 163hp but with such a premium feeling interior and the looks of a Jaguar. It’s basically a win – win when you think about it.



Honda Civic Hatch
LX (US) 1.5T 174hp ($19,700)
SE (UK) 1.0T 127hp ($24,021)

The trend we are starting to notice here is that turbocharged three-cylinders are starting to make a comeback in Europe. The 1-liter turbo three cylinder offered in UK could serve as a great engine option in the Honda Fit to rival the Ford Fiesta Ecoboost three-cylinder engine. Also, it would be quite an interesting option against the Focus here as well. We know that the 2-liter is plenty efficient, but if Honda ever did decide to bring the Civic Hybrid back. This engine coupled with an electric motor would be a great start.



Land Rover Discovery
SE (US) 3-liter supercharged 340hp ($49,990)
S (UK) 2-liter Sd4 240hp ($60,539)

It really doesn't surprise us that the Discovery is far more expensive in the UK than in the US considering the vast number of stringent fuel economy and emissions standards. What we would love to see here is that 2-liter turbo-diesel engine. We've had the opportunity to drive on in the Velar and it is a great engine and should be optional on at least the Disco Sport.

Pathological drives the benchmark 3-series (340Xi)

The old argument of young wine vs old wine certainly doesn’t apply to the BMW 3-series. Whether it’s young or aged, the 3-series sedan really is the crème de la crème of the luxury sport sedan segment. The only car that has come close to beating it is the Jaguar XE.

The 3-series offers several engine options. We are only going to focus on the mainstream forms. 320 trim gets a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumping out the least powerful 180hp. 328d uses a 2-liter turbo diesel pumping out 180hp. Our favorite 330 trim uses an updated 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumping out 248hp. The 330e hybrid uses the same 2-liter turbo engine with an electric motor to pump out 248hp. Top of the range 340 trim gets a silky smooth 3-liter turbocharged six-cylinder pumping out 320hp. We managed to test drive both the 330 and 328d engines on the 3-series touring which we loved very much so on this 3-series sedan we managed to get our hands on the 340 trim which came with all-wheel-drive and the M-sport package.

It’s hard to fault the 340 driving dynamics as it is sheer perfection. Steering feedback is communicative and the chassis blends comfort and agility so well that it can shame some expensive key rivals. We do however wish that it didn’t come at a cost, the Adaptive M Suspension (which our tester car came kitted with) is only optional kit and well at this price point it should be at least standard. You can adjust the suspension however way you’d want it. We had ours in comfort mode because well the ride is just way too harsh in sport mode but the tradeoff is that it handles superbly and with such finesse. The only other car that would leave it shaking in its boots would be of course the Jaguar XE.

The 340 interior is typical BMW minimalistic. It’s not as plain as the XE but you’ll appreciate the British understatement that the Jag has over the BMW. However, the Jag infotainment system is a complete and utter disaster while the BMW’s iDrive is so much easier to navigate through. The controls and dials don’t feel as fiddly to use and the overall quality feels a step up over the Jag. The interior doesn’t feel as narrow either with plenty of space for four, while a fifth person could fit abreast in the rear seat, it does feel like it would be a bit of a squeeze. The boot space is about the same as in the XE.

Our 340 came equipped with heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats. Adaptive full-LED headlights, automatic high beams, Harman Kardon surround sound system, rain sensing windshield wipers and dual-zone climate control. This and the XE are pretty much tied when it comes to standard kit. We were surprised however that we found a 340 on the dealer lot with a manual gearbox which seems to be a class rarity these days.

The 340 is probably one of the best sedans you can buy and the only other rival is the XE which does give the 340 a real run for its money. You’ll have to really want a 3-series to overlook all the rivals that offer similar performance for way less money, but not many of them hold their residuals as well and not many of them are as poised as the 3-series. The only other car that can even come close is the XE and that’s it.

Likes: The turbo six-cylinder engine is silky smooth and the driving experience is simply superb.

Dislikes: The best engine is the most expensive. Plus our tester car which was kitted out had a price tag that induced sticker shock.

The best and the worst.

Our favorites and least favorite cars we’ve driven.

Favorites:

Sedan: The BMW 3-series for the longest was one of my favorite sedans but the Jaguar XE is literally out for blood. This sedan is not only as dynamically great as the 3-series it is also so much better than the 3-series at the highest end of the range. We love the turbo-diesel engine you can get with this sedan and we also love the 3-liter supercharged six-cylinder that sits at the top of the range. It’s just the best engine choice of the XE range, if you’re willing to spend the cash that is. We’ve driven several sedans over the years and well the Jaguar XE has to be far my favorite. I just wish that Jaguar improved the infotainment system it is just a complete and utter disaster, also the cabin is quite narrow too.

Wagon: The BMW 3-series touring is a real gem but the Saab 9-5 wagon is what really stole my heart. I remember when I first test drove one in 2006, which was the facelifted version. It also came equipped with the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumping out 260hp. I loved this engine as it had so much torque at low revs and was also the better option compared to the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class. I surely wish that Saab was still around as they would be wildly popular now that automakers are shifting to turbocharged four-cylinders.

Convertible: The Mazda Miata is one of those vehicles you have to drive before you die. No seriously! It is one of the best roadsters money can buy. The engine may not have much in terms of horsepower but the Miata is lightweight which means that it doesn’t really need much horsepower to get this thing going. You can toss it around sharp corners and bends with confidence thanks to precise steering and sharp handling. I loved my time in the Miata and if I were looking for this type of vehicle I would’ve bought one in a heartbeat.

Hatchback: The GTI is the best hot hatch money can buy. It offers a thumping turbo engine rated at 210-220hp. It’s inexpensive and yet it feels classy and refined. We know you can buy a Ford Focus ST for similar money, but for some reason the GTI just felt so much more fun to drive than the Focus. Maybe because the GTI can balance it’s horsepower while remaining agile. The Focus ST did remind us of the 9-3 Viggen which had suffered from torque steer. The Focus ST isn’t as bad as the 9-3 in terms of torque steer and the chassis being overwhelmed by the amount of horsepower the engine is producing.



SUV: The best crossover we have ever driven is the Volvo XC90. The first generation of the XC90 was also a particular favorite of mine. I loved the eight-cylinder engine that Volvo offered in it for a short period of time. It was the most efficient eight-cylinder engine at the time. Secondly, the redesigned version that appeared two years ago was and still is the crème de la crème of the SUV segment. It carries the style so well. The driving position is superb and the overall quality of the new XC90 has been dramatically improved to the point it made us put it on our top list. You want something refreshingly not German well this is the best of the best here. The 2-liter turbocharged/supercharged four-cylinder pumping out 315hp is the best engine to go for in the range. The entry T5 is okay and the T8 Hybrid can get quite expensive.

Least favorites:
Sedan: The Chevy Cobalt is probably one of the worst sedans I’ve ever driven. It was cheap in every literal since of the word. The 2.2-liter four-cylinder offered decent flexibility but was bogged down by an ancient four-speed auto gearbox. The interior was just rubbish and the overall driving impressions were just ‘meh’ at best. You could quite literally go get a Toyota Corolla and have a dependable appliance that was much better to look at and easier to live with. The only reason people bought this is because it came with deep discounts, and well that’s should be the only reason you’d consider one. Everyone else please look elsewhere!



Wagon: The Suzuki Forenza Wagon was supposed to be the new vehicles from Suzuki that helped it gain more traction in the U.S. against cars like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. However, this car didn’t gain the traction that Suzuki needed as they ended up discontinuing it. The Forenza Wagon looks like a decent buy on paper as it is cheap, plenty of space and supposedly had low running costs. However, in reality the Forenza was none of these things except for having a spacious boot. The engine was weak and running costs were particularly high for a low output engine. Maybe it was because when you drive it, majority of the time you’d be driving with your foot completely down to keep up with faster paced traffic. Suzuki no longer builds cars in the U.S. and well if you were thinking about this, we strongly suggest looking elsewhere as this one is not a vehicle you’d want to waste money on.

Convertible: The Chevy Cavalier Convertible has to be the worst convertible I had ever driven. The looks and the price alone is what made this a popular option. The Chevy Camaro was better to drive, hell even the VW Cabrio was better to drive. The only redeeming feature the Cavalier Convertible had was it had a roomier backseat. The chassis felt like it was made out of cardboard while the engines were actually gutsy and very durable. We still wonder what the hell happened when Chevy brought the Cobalt along. It would’ve been cool to see a SS version of the Cavalier, we know that it would’ve stepped on the Camaro toes, but still a SS version would’ve been awesome.



Hatchback: The Daewoo Lanos used the same platform as the Suzuki Reno. The Reno was a slightly better car to drive but that wasn’t saying much. I loathed the way the Lanos looked and it felt like a cheap car. The interior was an absolute joke in terms of quality and well the Lanos only came with a three-door version as you’d have to venture to Suzuki to get the five-door version. Daewoo was short lived here in the U.S. before it was bought out by Chevy and eventually became Chevy in Europe. I think that Daewoo could’ve survived as an automaker if they actually took the time to make their interior better and also didn’t use crappy engines. The 1.6 in the Lanos was terrible.

SUV: Saab is a special brand that was way ahead of its time. However, when the 9-7x was first launched I was truly disappointed with Saab. The styling wasn’t what made me disappointed. It was the engine choices, instead of offering the unique turbocharged four-cylinders that Saab was known for. Saab decided to go with the GM derived engines from the Trailblazer and they were god awful engines. Saab could’ve put a 2.8-turbo six-cylinder from the 9-3 at least and pumped it up to 300hp, with a twin-turbo version pumping out at least 400hp for the Aero. I don’t understand why Saab took the lazy route with this crossover. It had such potential that was just wasted away.