2015 Jaguar XE Saloon Review
Here's the Carzone.ie guide to buying a used Jaguar XE.
Review
INTRODUCTION
It’s been a long time since Jaguar attempted to take on the German marques in the hotly contested compact sports saloon class. The previous attempt, the X-Type, was stymied somewhat by its Ford Mondeo roots and there was a gap of some six years between its demise and the introduction of the car featured here, the Jaguar XE. This is a brand-new creation with new engines, etc, plus a rear-drive chassis to compete with the likes of the BMW 3 Series.
MODEL RANGE
At the time of writing, the XE is available in a single four-door saloon body style. As standard, the XE sends its power to the rear wheels through a manual gearbox, though most are specified with the automatic transmission. There is the option of four-wheel drive with some engines. To date, the most popular engine has been the 2.0-litre diesel, which is offered in 163, 180 and 240hp guises, badged ‘E-Performance’, ‘20d’ and ‘25d’ respectively. A 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine comes in 200- or 250hp (‘20t’ and ‘25t’) states of tune, while the range is topped by the XE S, powered by a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, making 380hp. The trim lines are called Prestige, R-Sport and Portfolio.
BEST BUY
So long as you do enough mileage to buy a diesel, then go at least for the mid-ranking ‘20d’ variant with 180hp, as it’ll be the easiest to sell on and it has a good mix of performance and efficiency. The 163hp model is fine for a life spent solely on the motorway, while those that like a little more go, without sacrificing on running costs too much, will appreciate the 240hp version. If you just fancy the looks of the XE, but stick to low-speed commutes or town use, it’s well worth considering one of the petrol alternatives. We like the sporty-looking R-Sport specification and make sure you opt for the automatic gearbox.
THE NUMBERS
Jaguar XE 20d R-Sport
Engine: 2.0-litre turbodiesel
Power: 180hp
Maximum speed: 225km/h
0-100km/h: 7.8 seconds
Fuel consumption: 4.2 litres/100km
CO2: 111g/km
GOOD POINTS
• Good looks
• Good chassis
• Lots of choice in the range
BAD POINTS
• Cramped rear seating
• Rare as a used car
• No history to help resale values
SUMMARY
As yet, the Jaguar XE is an unknown quantity in the used market, as there are too few about – and it wouldn’t be fair to compare it with the less impressive X-Type that preceded it. Buy it if you fancy the looks and being a little different to every other sports saloon on the road.