Does Jaguar’s XE 3.5T R-Sport Take The Fight To The Germans?

By Bradley Brownell - February 13, 2017

Does the Jaguar XE Provide 3-Series Fun With A Little Added Quirk?

The mid-sized luxury sport sedan market is packed with Germans, plus the ATS from Cadillac attempting to look, feel, and act German. There is, however, one option that throws convention to the wind and does its own thing. The Jaguar XE is a comfortably British way to travel in sporty luxury. While Jags of old were horrifically outclassed when they competed with the BMW 7-series and Mercedes S-Class, the XE smacks the 3-series and C-Class square across the face with a gloriously hand-stitched leather glove before throwing it on the floor declaring it a battle. Bring your best, Herr Bimmer, you have been challenged to a duel!

With what is possibly the most beautiful sheetmetal in the segment, the XE sounds like it drives as good as it looks. In this video review, “Tedward” takes the XE for a spin around Los Angeles traffic to determine if it can live up to the challenge. It has a tight turning radius, good power, a decent sound when requested, and a quiet interior when you aren’t smashing on the loud pedal. In fact, the only gripes the reviewer seems to have with the XE: cheap-feeling shift paddles and a dated infotainment system. That said, it’s still not as bad as Cadillac’s CUE.

All told, it seems like this Jaguar got top marks throughout this review, with positive comments on nearly every aspect of the driving experience. With the ZF 8-speed transmission and a supercharged V6, it has all the power you could ever ask for. Of course, that won’t stop Jag from dropping an XE SVR with 500 horsepower sometime later this year. Of course, we’re really looking forward to that one.