At first glance the Jaguar Jaguar XE wouldn’t appear to be a suitable companion for our photographers and videographers, who run some of the largest and most spacious cars on our fleet.
It’s because they are invariably carrying mountains of gear and need to accommodate cameras, tripods, luggage cases and all the rest.
We’ve noted in the past that, at 455 litres, the XE’s boot is smaller than those of its rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but videographer James Holloway said he was impressed by how our swallowed all of his gear. That said, some clever packing was required. He also noted how the slope of the boot floor made loading larger items difficult — something I found too, when I took the XE on a family holiday late last year.
I’ve also had the chance to try an extended stint in the XE’s back seats. As one of our game-changing cars of 2016, the Jaguar was due to appear alongside some of our other Autocar Awards winners at our Silverstone event. With the driver’s seat already filled, I bundled into the back, having lost the battle for the remaining front seat.
It’s a consequence of the XE’s coupé-like silhouette — one of its strongest virtues, in my opinion — that the car’s roofline slopes dramatically towards the rear, which means getting in and out of the rear cabin isn’t exactly dignified. You have to remember to dip your head more than you would in other saloons, or receive a painful reminder halfway down, and once you’re in, it isn’t what you’d call spacious.
It’s fine for children and smaller adults, but anyone over six feet tall is likely to struggle over long distances. The journey to Silverstone, for example, took 90 minutes, and by the end I’d lost contact with my lower limbs.
Still, once the XE was at Silverstone it didn’t look out of place next to its seriously exotic companions. Jaguar’s designers have really worked wonders here, and the XE looks better than anything else in this class, especially with the sports bodykit our R-Sport model wears.
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Really struggling to see how
My wife took delivery of her F Pace only 3 days before we left and despite the similarities with the XE in the interior that feels like it is in a completely different league.
The XE has done nothing to change the game, it's just added another overpriced, dull 3 box saloon to be glued 3 inches from your rear bumper.
Not a game changer IMO, and I own one
Driving wise, I find the steering on the XE a bit light and less direct than the BMW's but it certainly does handle as well and I do find it has better composure, especially on bumpier/uneven surfaces, but it does feels a tad less nimble than the 3 Series.
Ride quality, this is where the XE trumps the BMW but whether that's because the BMW uses run flat tyres, I don't know, but for a saloon with a sporting set-up, the XE rides brilliantly.
Refinement, the Jaguar is noticeably quieter, particularly when it comes to tyre roar but I suppose being the much newer design, it's expected.
The 2.0 turbo engine seems every bit a match for the similar engine in the BMW, although it does seem to have more mid-range punch but I probably put that down to the auto box (the BMW was manual). I have tried the XE with the 2.0 diesel engine too and, frankly, the engine is rubbish and isn't even close to the BMW's excellent 2.0 diesel engine.
Accommodation, no contest, the XE is fairly poor including boot space, even for a RWD saloon.
Interior quality, here the XE has come on leaps and bounds since the previous XF, the XJ and F-Type, but it's not quite on a par with the BMW, meaning its miles behind an A4 or C Class.
Reliability? I had 2 faults within weeks of having the XE, one only 2 days after, but all resolved. The BMW I had had no issues whatsoever, but it was used when I had it so if there were any problems, they were ironed out.
So, is the XE a game changer? IMO, no, not even close to being one. A game changer for me is something like when the first Ford Focus arrived on the scene, or the E39 5 Series, or a W220 S-Class or a Ferrari 458 for example. I think the XE as an overall range is 4.5 star car, the 3 Series, a 4.0 star car. But when this class of car is primarily decided on handling (rather than an overall package) then for me it's a joint victory. Which is either a sign of how well Jaguar has done to match the 3 Series or how good the BMW was from the start.
Lanehogger wrote: I currently
A very informative and objective read from someone with first hand experience of both cars. Thanks for that, Lane.