Jaguar XE
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Often overlooked against the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C Class and Audi A4 – It’s a matter of fact that the Jaguar XE has been lagging in its sales behind the usual German suspects in this small and medium sedan segment. Mercedes, BMW and Audi are the familiar brands to head to when buying a smart-looking sedan with a splash of luxury. The C-Class, 3 Series and A4 have all been smart options for a reliable and upmarket… Read more
option for the best blend of business and casual use.
Jaguar launched the smaller XE sedan in 2015, and has been tweaking this sedan to find the ideal model to take on these usual suspects.
I believe the latest iteration of the XE has finally been perfected. From its price, build quality, ride and post-purchase care, it’s now peaking my interest the most in this segment.
To be honest, the build quality of the current generation C-Class felt lacking for a brand that’s renowned for its high standards. Meaning, the high bar set by the new XE felt like an obvious step above what most brands are offering in this segment.
Whether it was the embossed Jaguar logos on the headrests, the ‘Made in Coventry’ labels on the seats, the high-quality screens or tight shut lines between panels, I was utterly impressed.
To my legitimate surprise, pricing for this exact model starts from $64,704 before on-road costs. This one had a ‘Technology Pack’, consisting of a wireless charger, smart rear view mirror (a camera feed replacing your rear view vision mirror), a heads-up display and a 10” touch pro duo screen. On top of that, it had a sliding panoramic glass roof, privacy glass, and strangely a 40:20:40 folding rear seat option. With all this, you’re out the door at $69,874 before on-road costs.
For under $80,000, you’re getting an AWD sedan with a relatively punchy four-cylinder, producing 221kW and 400Nm and capable of hitting 100km/h in 5.9 seconds. Not to mention that this is one of the better looking sedans you can buy too. It’s certainly more visually appealing than the non-sporty trims of the German alternatives.
Jaguar and Land Rover finally realised that they need to reassure new and existing customers that they are committed to long-term ownership of their vehicles.
It’s no secret that the British marque isn’t known for long-lasting reliability. However, just last year, the warranty period had finally been upped to 5 years/unlimited kilometres and 5 years of Roadside Assist.
Add on that you can prepay for 5 services up to 102,000kms for a fairly reasonable $1950, and there isn’t a solid reason as to why the Jaguar, now, would be a worse long-term purchase than its competitors. It’s actually a better offering than BMW’s measly 3-year warranty.
Spending extended periods of time in the XE was certainly a relaxing experience. Although, if you’re chasing a little bit of Jaguar engine sound, you won’t really find it here.
The Meridian speaker system is a very welcome upgrade in the XE, adding plenty of power and clarity to your sound. It makes music and phone calls as clear as they should be.
Dynamic driving in the XE was certainly supported by a capable set of brakes. Measuring in at 355mm and 325mm for the front and rear brakes respectively, there wasn’t a moment where the XE felt heavy under braking.
Weighing in at just under 1700kg, this is not a lightweight sedan, but it’s far from being overweight.
0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds isn’t blisteringly quick, but it’s more than capable for daily driving and a bit of back road fun.
This 2.0L turbocharged petrol four cylinder, producing 221kW at 5,500rpm and 400Nm at 1,500-4,500rpm, is very reminiscent of a high powered hot-hatch power plant.
There’s a wider torque band here, but this still means you start dropping down the torque range while chasing peak power as that rev needle climbs higher.
However, thanks to a longitudinal, set-back placement and an AWD system, this Jag feels brisk getting up to speed.
The 8-speed automatic transmission in the Jag is just as good as you’d find it across Jaguar/Land Rovers latest range of cars.
I found that lagging shifts and holding gears weren’t a problem for this sedan.
Instead, it offered the best change between luxury and dynamic driving. For day-to-day driving, the buttery smooth shifts offered by this 8-speed allow you to relax and focus on other things like that meeting you’re probably driving to in the XE.
When you need to engage those gorgeous true-aluminium shifter paddles on the steering wheel, you are met with re-assuring shifts that help liven up this daily-driver.
Low-down weight distribution, all-wheel drive and weighing in at a reasonable 1690kg - it’s a formula for success when it comes to Jaguar XE’s handling.
Under dynamic settings, the car does a fantastic job at feeling cohesive through corners. The longer wheelbase compared to a fast hatch gives you a preferable driving characteristic under pressure.
Additionally, the longitudinal engine placement helps with a proper weight distribution on the nose.
Even in the wet, the XE inspired confidence via the AWD system. Despite all four wheels being powered, I never hit an obvious moment of understeer.
The obvious advantage of having a four cylinder petrol motor is the reduced fuel consumption figures.
With a claimed 6.8L/100km figure and a real world 11L/100km figure as tested by yours truly, it’s not going to be terribly expensive to fuel up.
A two-step dashboard design gives you more of a sense of sitting lower in the car. This can be a trap some sedans can fall into by feeling like you’re sitting a little too high off the ground.
Count them - there are 7 screens in this car. No, this isn’t ‘Pimp My Ride’, instead Jaguar has incorporated a lot of screens in this sedan. There are the classic infotainment and driver’s display screens. However you can also count the full-colour head’s up display, and 3 screens for the climate controls (2 on the dials and one in the centre).
Finally, you top it off with the rear vision mirror, which also has an option to run a camera feed via the mirror.
It was surprisingly practical! Folding the rear seats down proved to be a little less intuitive than what I would have preferred, but once folded you had more than enough space for many daily activities. No, it’s not a replacement for the work ute, or the 7-seat family hauler. But, it was showing itself to be practical and enough space for daily activities, like large trips to the shops and carrying around any additional passengers. Although, taller items won’t fit back here, and it’s far from being a replacement for a taller SUV if that’s what you need.
Most owners seem to be happy with their XE ownership experience too. Leading me to believe you should take the jump if you're leasing this car under warranty to pick it over a German rival to try one for yourself.
It’ll turn heads in the right way, it’ll make you feel special when you drive it, and it’s a near-perfect example of what you should expect in a non-performance orientated upmarket sedan.
*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.
Love driving this car! – Purchased a used 2015 Jaguar XE 20t Prestige with 130000 kms privately in excellent condition and full Jag history since new. Have had it now for 6 months and absolutely love it. Even though it's the 'base model', it has just about everything most people would want, even self parking. Coming from used Audis, BMWs and Lexus, I would rate the Jag up… Read more
there with the best. Great driving position, handling is fantastic, comfortable and 7.5L/100km, which is better than most other cars I have had in this category. I also like it because it stands out on the road, but in a subtle way. Leg room is tight in the back, but it's not a car intended for families or frequent adults in the rear anyway (buy a Jag XF if you need more rear leg room). In my 6 months of ownership, I have had zero problems and the service history would say the same for its first 5 years of life too (apart from a Start/Stop issue, which appears reasonably common in early models according to forums). I would definitely recommend the XE to anyone who enjoys their driving and likes to drive something that you don't see many of on our roads.
UPDATE: Had this car now for almost 12 months - not a single issue. It's a keeper. I would buy another one without hesitation, just in the slightly facelifted model (MY20). With Jaguar going all-electric from 2025, the XE will sadly be axed from its lineup close to that time.
My dream car – Purchased from JLR in Ballarat. I really wanted 25t, but opted instead for diesel due to longer service intervals and the fact that I will be doing a lot of kilometers for work. The diesel, apart from turbo lag, does not disappoint. The fuel economy is amazing and on par with the claims. In 'Dynamic' mode, the car becomes more fun to drive. I… Read more · 1
do not think there is more comfortable sedan out in the market at the moment; it soaks every bump on the road with ease.
The cabin is well put together, in my opinion. I read some people's comments who think it is outdated, however, I think Jaguar managed to hit the sweet spot between modern, sporty and premium.
As for exterior, no need to comment - people check it out every time.
Having owned an Isuzu D-Max, my reliability expectations are set rather high, but being only few weeks since I got the XE, I cannot comment on that. I truly hope there will be no major issues, particularly since I have been really hyped about getting this car.
I got the dud car that has had issues since I bought it – You would think that Jaguar would produce a good car. No. Even they produce a number of duds in each production lot and unfortunately for me, I got the dud. * The reversing camera does not work properly - instead of showing me everything in the camera, the camera turns off and the proximity sensors turn on and continue on, while I am driving… Read more
straight until I get to a certain speed and they turn off. While I am parking the reversing cameras turn off completely. Sometimes I can't get them to turn on at all.
* The proximity sensors do not work properly - an object has to be basically almost touching the car for it to be detected by the sensors and that is dangerous!
* The navigator does not work properly - I can barely hear the voice talking and have to strain to hear anything the navigator tells me. Lucky I can see the navigation panel and have a good sense of direction!
* The phone connector stops working sporadically - I can't use my phone and can't use the touch screen to do anything
I've been to them 4 or 5 times to get it fixed, to no avail. This has been happened to a brand new car and it's now almost a year old and the issues are still not fixed! And I have no guarantee that they will be fixed at the next software upgrade.
The issue as I see it, is that the motherboard of the circuitry doesn't work, as too many different things are not working properly, that appear unrelated but display in the entertainment system. That is part of the issue. However the circuitry has been configured, it is just not working and no upgrades will fix an intrinsically corrupt and non-functioning system!
I didn't buy a prestige car to be saddled with a dud.
Neither the dealer, nor head office cares an iota. They just give me platitudes without any action. According to Australian consumer law, they either have to fix it or replace it. So far, they have been unsuccessful in fixing these issues!
In my opinion the best value luxury car on the Australian Market – We looked at and compared all the EOFY deals and reviews going for luxury cars in our price range and narrowed our choice to either the Mercedes C Class or the Jaguar XE and in my opinion there was in the end no comparison between the base models of both vehicles, the XE basic features placed on the Mercedes would have cost an additional $10,000… Read more
which would more than make up for the future value of the cars. It also appears that Jaguar must have some degree of faith in their cars considering the distance between the free scheduled servicing.
The car drives very well and stands out in the lot as opposed to the flood of German made vehicles we see on our roads. The controls are simple to use and the engine performs effortlessly. If I had a criticism it would be the way options are applied as packs rather than single items but I believe that is now common.
Finally I cannot praise Macarthur Jaguar enough, while I have purchased many new cars they made the experience a real pleasure with their attitude and willingness to provide good service.
Only problem is people keep staring then coming up to ask about the car – I bought the MY2016 (first edition) with a swath of options. This is my first Jaguar - I tried to not buy it, but could not help myself after driving one. Powerful, extremely sharp handling, very comfortable and all the electronic safety measures (some of which were optional extras, admittedly) have meant I have rarely had a heart in the mouth… Read more
moment. This car would be near impossible to crash... I am alerted to pending issues long before I'd usually notice them (and would otherwise then have to brake hard)... for example, the forward alert which is audible, on the dash and on the head-up display, alerts me to slowing traffic more than 100m ahead of me... I haven't yet noticed they are slowing when the alert starts, which is brilliant... I then notice the slowing traffic still earlier than I would have.
This is the only car I have owned in which I can start driving already flustered, through peak city traffic, and arrive unstressed, and unflustered.
If you buy one, I heartily recommend ticking the option for the Road Technology Pack. It makes an awesome car brilliant.
The dealership (Wippells) was also rather good to deal with.
Best car I've owned – Bought my XE when it was brand new to the market in December 2015 and absolutely love it. All the mod cons that a driver could need, plus a few luxury features such as heated windscreen, heated seats, sports mode and that awesome panoramic sunroof just lift it from the ordinary into the superb. Jag's engine performance is quiet but gutsy and the car itself is very roomy for a compact sedan. Show details
I love my new car – I love everything about my new Jaguar sedan. It has great styling and looks the real deal. The leather interior looks great, the seats are fully adjustable and very comfortable. The radio, sat Nav and other computerised features are easy to use and comprehensive. The car drives extremely well, with plenty of power and good fuel economy from the… Read more
diesel motor. I can't fault a thing. I found purchasing the car from Concord Jaguar to be pleasant and professional and the follow up service has been great. Ive had many cars over the years but this is the first car I feel is really me.
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