Let me begin by disclosing my point of view going into the XE experience so everyone knows where I’m coming from.

First, when I was lucky enough to get picked for this opportunity, I decided to avoid reading any press reviews or any of the posts on the XE forum so that I would not have any biases, either positive or negative, going in.

Second, on a recent trip to Italy I drove a new 3 series BMW for the week, and even more recently I rented the Audi A4 for a week in the UK, so I have a good feel for the competition in this segment.

It is likely critical to the brand’s survival for Jaguar to be successful in the luxury compact sports sedan category currently dominated by BMW, Audi, Mercedes, etc. Success that the X-Type failed to achieve, and with sincere apologies to our awesome X-Type members, may have been set back a bit by the X-Type’s perception (fair or not) of just being a tarted up Ford. Will the XE have a better chance of being the entry level Jaguar that will reach the production numbers once projected for the X-Type?

Even more fundamental, is it truly a Jaguar? Will it entice first timers into the Jaguar experience, and in turn convert them into lifelong enthusiasts? Does it have the DNA, that unique Jaguar soul? These questions are what I hoped to answer after my extended “at home test drive”.

The car delivered to me was the XE S, which isn’t listed as a US model, but appears to be the top of line Euro spec car. If you are in the US and want to see the features of XE S, just go to the Jaguar global website rather than the Jaguar USA site.

The XE S gets the F-Type’s 340HP supercharged engine, echoing the XK/E-Type engine going into the Mark 2 — perhaps the original sports sedan (sorry BMW fans, the Neue Klasse sedans such as the 1600 and 2002 postdate the Mark 2). I hear the car is wicked fast from those who may or may not have punched it several times during their test drives. However, I also tried to be conscious of how the car might feel or perform if the less powerful engine options were selected.

My initial drives were dampened, literally, by the heavy rain we experienced the first couple of days I had the car. Finally, just prior to having to return the car, the weather cleared enough for me to head out to my favorite twisty backroads and focus on answering the questions above.

Before I get to that, let me make a few observations. I think for this category of car, there is a delicate balancing act of making a comfortable everyday driver that can also be fun to throw around when the roads or mood strike — it is this combo that makes the 3 Series BMW such a great chassis. When I think back on my entire XE experience, that word ‘balance’ constantly comes to mind. Not ‘compromise’ but a really nice, well thought out, balance. Regardless of the driving circumstance, it was always striking the right chords.

The exhaust note on the XE S is a good example, it makes a nice rumble when you push the start button, but it’s very subdued and civilized driving through the neighborhood or on the daily commute. Give it the beans, and it finds its baritone voice and harkens to the lovely sound of the F-Type. It just sounds right for the situation, without going overboard.

The engine choices reflect modern reality and practical considerations, but I don’t believe any one of them will compromise the car’s best feature — where that word ‘balance’ really comes to the fore — the car’s road manners. After the first few times putting it through its paces, I had to pull over and look up the weight ratio on my phone. I wasn’t the least bit surprised that it was 50/50, but I think there is more to it. Jaguar mentions things like Torque Vectoring and so forth, so it’s impossible for me to know what feature or technology exactly contributes to how perfectly balanced it feels. All I care about is that a car this comfortable in everyday driving doesn’t usually behave this capably when pushed.

The XE is a driver’s car, and if you think back to some of Jaguar’s more memorable saloon cars, that was their trademark as well. For their time, they were a great balance of comfort and capability. This brings us back to the fundamental question, is it truly a Jaguar? Not only is it truly a Jaguar, but I would say it is the most significant car for them in this category since the Mark 2 itself. A buyer looking today at a 3-Series, A4 or C-Class won’t pick the Jaguar just because it has the looks or the brand cache. The XE is a genuine choice at every level. It’s an enthusiast’s car that might have a little something extra — rather than the usual teutonic proficiency I think it just might have a soul.

Cheers

 

Hi Mac, what a great review, sounds like you managed to get plenty of drive time and give it a thorough going over.
One excellent point is that you have recently drove the BMW and Audi in the same segment, so easier to make some comparisons, in some ways at least.

It must have been hard to avoid reading others reviews and comments prior to the test drive, probably the first thing I would have done.
Such a shame you had poor weather for a few days, restricting the chance to really put the car through its paces.

How did you find the forum prize procedure and follow up by Jaguar regarding details and delivery of the car?
I assume all was well?
Thanks so much for your comments

Jim

 

Hi Jim,

The prize procedure was brilliant...

...wait, that might only be because I was selected so I'm not a fair judge. I'm sure those that missed out might find differently, but I tried to keep all of our forum members in mind as I evaluated the car.

I decided that there were plenty of places for people to find information on the specific features, or how the car was doing in the Infotainment/Gadget Space Race, etc., and focused instead on the one thing that binds us all together.


The follow up from Jaguar's agency in SoCal was great and the individual I dealt with was lovely. The car was delivered to me and picked up at my convenience, so it's hard to find anything to complain about the delivery or the company up here who coordinated that.

 

No just kidding. Thanks for the review!

I do believe that the XE S will be available in the US too, it is the "big gun" at launch.

 

Mac Allan, greatly appreciate the nice writeup of your impressions. The new XE, and most modern Jaguars absolutely fail on one crucial element, however: looks.

Bland and utterly forgettable (visually). Strip the cat badge and what do you have? Would not pay a cent for one.

I'll keep my XJSs and perhaps add a few Series III XJ12s to the stable. Perhaps even lump one or two with superior drivetrains (Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari V12s I'm looking at you - if Ronbros finds me a cheap Audi twin turbo I'll look into it!).

And I cannot imagine whom Jaguar are courting with this machine (although their well funded marketing department no doubt does NOT wonder) - the thing looks like a taurus with nicer interior, more sound dampening, and Jaguar badges. Seriously wtf. If I had to buy or lease someone a 'prestige' vehicle, I'd go for a Lexus over this turd; at least you'd recognize the predator grill in the walmart parking lot.

What an uninspired design (interior and exterior).

 

No offense Flint, but even if this car ticked all your boxes design wise, would you buy it?

The loudest critics of modern Jaguars are often the owners of "classic" Jags, such as the 1989 XJS in your garage. Or the Series 3 XJ12 you talk about buying. The vast majority of such "traditional Jaguar" owners aren't going to buy a new car anyhow.

If your not in the market to buy a brand new mid-size luxury saloon, then i'm afraid your not the target market.

It's not a problem, you're not "wrong", but i'm pretty sure you're not the target customer.

 

If you have not found anything newer than a 1989 Jaguar that interests you, you have lost touch with what the modern car market is. And Jaguar could care less about you because they need to woo those who are currently buying 3 series and C classes, which you are not.

The other difference is you are not looking at the same level of car. XJ's are two levels up from the XE.

So if you ever want Jaguar to be able to go back to the future, you need to have them be successful enough to do something risky. And that is selling XE's to young people who don't have a clue what an 89 XJ is, because if they did, they would hate Jaguars.

I graduated high school in 88 and at that time a Jaguar of the 15 years prior was a nice shell that needed to have all the electrical and drivetrain ripped out of it and replaced with a Chevy 350. And now I own a Jaguar. How? Because they evolved and so did I. Try it sometime. It's a nice feeling

BTW, do you like the design of the F-Type? Or is it too "something you don't like" to buy one?

 

Flint, I would unthank you on that post if I could. I am definitely someone that Jaguar is marketing for this new car, and a first time Jag buyer. I've been doing a slow search for a four door, true sport sedan over the past two years. Previously owned IS350, lacking on the sport, BMW 3 Series just clog the roads, Audi S3 and S4 are rounded boxes. CTS-V, ATS-V, really fast and expensive boxes/tanks. Anytime I was close to pulling the trigger, my wife would say, "really....... you can do better than that, can't you?" The XE -R Sport definitely makes the cut for me, mine is on order. I'll trade it in for an F-type when the kids go to college.

Have fun in your time warp

 

These things are always subjective, but I believe you've got it backwards. The Taurus and several other Fords, shamelessly rip-off styling cues from the three luxury brands that used to be under the Ford umbrella -- Aston Martin grills on Fusions and Foci, Range Rover lines and details on Explorers, etc. That's Ford's fault and the rather stupid corporate decision to have design cues go interbrand.

Intrabrand, I respectfully disagree that the now more cohesive design language across the line-up is boring or lacks distinction. Unfortunately, modern automotive economic reality means that a "family" design esthetic across the brand is now required.

I don't love it on the XJ because, to my eye, it makes the car seem overly large or out of proportion, which is why we're hanging on to the X350 much longer than we otherwise would. However, I love the design on the XF, and now that it is getting the alloy treatment, makes that an even more desirable car. The design language translates to the XE perhaps even better than the two big brother saloons. The taillights could be more interesting, but otherwise it's a handsome and distinctive car. Not necessarily distinctive from it's stable mates, but from the competition.

The BMW 3-series look like the 5-series as it looks like the 7. Audi, Mercedes, et al aren't making all their cars look similar out of lack of imagination. It's both strategy -- buy a A3 today, one day they'll buy a A8 -- and economic reality as platform development costs traveled north of a billion dollars.

Let's also remember that Jaguar's (and Ford's) attempt to retro look the X-Type didn't work out quite as well as they projected. So looking forward isn't such a bad thing. I, like you, love old jags, but I also want the brand to survive and hopefully thrive.

Perhaps you've noticed that ALL cars, not just Jaguars, are looking more and more similar with each passing model year. Meeting all the regulatory and economic requirements is squeezing every automaker into far less creative confines.

Taking that into consideration, I think Jaguar is doing very well on the design front.

Cheers

 

I acknowledge your opinion. However you could not be more wrong. The JLR company has moved on under the Tata ownership. The design is brilliant. A move ahead of the usual German servings.This is I true Sport Sedan. The handling is fantastic without compromise to the ride. You can move between ECO ,Normal ,Dynamic modes to suit the circumstances.
The build quality is excellent, I acknowledge some early build gremlins,but these have been quickly addressed.
I sold a 2006 S-Type and have not been disappointed.

 

Flint is just expressing his opinion, there's no right or wrong answer.

I think we can all agree the current Jaguar lineup doesn't resemble previous generations no matter how much you squint. If you were to park 30 BMW 3-series from 1985 to 2015 side-by-side you'd see a slow and deliberate evolution. Do the same with Jaguar XJ series and you see a similar evolution until 2011 when they heralded the new generation as "The Icon Reimagined." It's a beautiful car but doesn't resemble previous generations in any form or fashion, when in reality Jaguar could've appealed to current tastes while retaining cues from its heritage styling-wise. BMW scores high marks in this area and I think this is the point that saddens many Jaguar purists.

That said, this X350 owner can't wait to see the XE. I recently drove the XF and was shocked at how much I loved driving that car after calling it Japanese under my breath for a few years!

 

Flint is just expressing his opinion, and rightfully so although personally I don't agree....
Yes, todays cars are ALL looking more and more alike, it's unfortunate but the way it is for so many reasons.

I have the X358 and love it, I'M really starting to like the X351 more and more, especially the front end and side elevation, not so much on the rear though.
I believe the same could be said of both the XF and XE.......Like so much about both cars just not the rear.

 

Having been a fan of the previous gen XJ, and had 2 XFs, now a XE in the garage, my view is that the XE sits nice and flat, wide, and low, similar to the previous gen XJ. It looks amazing from the front and great from the side though I prefer it with the side sill done in black which nips it in at the waist. It looks just awesome in the rear view mirror, quite predatory. The back end is passable - not as nice as the just superseded XF. I'm not a great fan of the audi/benz cookie cutter styling though it looked to me that the new XF will be sufficiently different from the XE to make it stand apart, and time will tell what happens to the XJ. The design language of the front is really what matters for brand identity, and they have got that perfect. It'd be good if they could factor that into a nice 2 + 2 GT.

 

There is a difference in stating an opinion and going on a rant. Opinions create dialog. Rants create emotional reaction.

For example, I did not personally like the black side sills on the XE I drove. I stated as such in my review. Bruce obviously likes it. So we disagree. And hearing that makes me think that the Jaguar designers might not be as far off as I initially thought. Will never be for me just as I would never have a vehicle that was yellow.

Now if I had said I think it's the stupidest thing Jaguar has ever done and anything without a leaper on the hood is trash, I would receive a lot of posts in opposition to my opinion and most wouldn't be inviting pleasant conversation.

Sometimes it's how you express your differences that matters as much or more than the differences.

 

You disagree with me? Well you are welcome to your opinion, no matter how wrong it is! And I thought you had taste with my favorite coloured XFR...sigh... By the way, XE just was noted as being the top performer in safety in its class for the cars tested last year. Makes it comforting especially coming out of volvo for the "family car".

 

See, this is how these types of things should go! Bruce explained that he feels the waist looks slimmer with the black sills, but I feel that it breaks up the side view and draws negative attention to it. It may look better on a white one with black pack, but on IRR, it just didn't work for me.

 

Interesting perspective. I was in the UK just before Christmas and rented an XE for a week. I had the 2.0 diesel Portfolio model, the car had just under 8,000 miles on it and I put on 900 miles in the course of 5 days. Previously I have rented the XF with the 3.0 diesel, both in 240 and 275 HP versions, and both sedan and Sportbrake versions. I really, really like the XF, and I think the 3.0D is an amazing engine. I wish it was available in North America, as I see absolutely no reason to ever buy a gasoline engine again after driving the 3.0D. I think most average people would not know the 3.0 was a diesel unless they were told, it masks any noise and vibration very well. The low down torque is it's main attraction, 70 mph comes up so effortlessly after leaving a roundabout.

However, the 2.0D in the XE isn't as good, there is the "diesel rattle" present. It's quiet and very well managed, but it is a sound different enough to let you know it's a diesel. Occasional turbo lag that was quite pronounced in a roundabout at times, where as the bigger diesel is a twin turbo and I never noticed any lag. The ride and handling of the XE is excellent, I had no complaints about that, it's a brilliant chassis. Certainly can't complain about the fuel economy, as I averaged 55.6 mpg. The XF's I have rented were typically in the 47-48 mpg range.

I thought the interior of the XE was what let it down, to me it didn't have that "special place" feeling that Jaguar interiors have always had. I suppose the particular XE I had didn't help, as it was a dark grey exterior and a black interior. I felt that if I was sat in the car blindfolded and then the blindfold was taken off and the steering wheel badge was covered I wouldn't know it was a Jaguar. It felt like it could have been any premium car, rather than a Jaguar in particular.

Overall it didn't engage me and make me want to keep the car and not turn it back in when I had to return it at Heathrow. Ever XF I have rented I didn't want to give it up and the XE produced a "meh" reaction in me. It's nice, it drives well, it was comfortable, and special note that the sat nav is much better than previous Jaguars, but the interior just didn't seem like a warm and inviting place to spend time. It felt very German to me. In the marketplace that might be a good thing for sales, but it didn't make me want one the way the XF does.

 

JagBoi,

One thing you have to remember is that the XE is a model lower than the XF. I drove the top trim XE and it is $30K less than my XFR would be in 2015. That $30K brings a lot to the table and I can't believe that isn't a majority of the reason you feel "meh". The other is that the XF was a great design.

 

It think it was also the lack of wood. The wood has always been a Jaguar hallmark, and they do it better than just about anybody else.

BMW/Audi/MB wood always looks like they were ticking boxes and one requirement was a piece of wood trim, so they stuck some in somewhere. Jaguar wood always looks like an integral part of the design and fits harmoniously.

I had no complaints that the XE interior was cheap, it didn't look or feel cheap; it was just not as visually distinctive and impressive as other Jaguars.

 

Though it might not compare to a XF 3.0D, that sounds very consistent with other cars in the *same price class*. The Audi A4 I recently had in the UK was a turbo diesel (actually nearly every car I've rented in Europe is a turbo diesel), and the Audi sounded very much like it was a turbo diesel engined car with a pronounced lag if let the RPMs drop. A nice diesel, but it couldn't hide the fact.

I will agree that Jaguar should offer, at least as an option, that all the piano black trim could be replaced with wood. On the car I drove, it had a carbon fiber bit around the shift wheel, which I was a little taken aback that it prices out at $790US for such a tiny bit of trim.

I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't aftermarket alternatives for wood very soon, but it should be something that could be ordered if desired from the factory.