We also looked at an XE and have decided to pass on it, but not because of looks or interior appointments. It's a one-issue decision for me: No manual transmission, no purchase.

The price range I'll be looking in doesn't go up to a well-appointed F-Type. If I ordered just the F-Type and didn't stick a single option on it, I'd have to suck in my gut to afford even that. When the XE was first announced, the thought of getting a stick shift (which it needs if it wants to truly be a BMW 3-series fighter) had me drooling.

Unfortunately now, it's off the table. I'll probably be going to a MINI John Cooper Works S.

Jess

p.s.: How important is a stick shift for me in a sports car/sedan? I'm getting ready to convert my XJS over to 5-speed, which isn't cheap.

 

Good job supporting the manual trans in this day and age

I would love to have an XE with a manual. My plan is to convert it to manual transmission once the warranty expires. Since there is F Type manual with similar engine, I think XE conversion should be doable

I was having the same dilemma when browsing for a car and realized that if you want a relatively nice car with a stick, you need to go used car route or spend way too much on high-end BMW or Porsche.

In the end, it was too much hassle getting a car with a stick, especially since I drive in busy city area.

Good luck with XJ conversion!

 

What I feared would happen has happened. I have been waiting for 4+ months to drive a 35t RWD R sport. So after a few weeks of not hearing from the dealer, I just popped in to see what was going on. The salesperson had left and I got introduced to a new guy. He said they won't be getting one until March. I decided to try the Premium version that they had available. I was completely underwhelmed with this car. Somehow it also felt it wasn't as well put together as the Mexico spec XE S I had driven last July--there were numerous rattles during the test drive. I also noticed the windshield was made by Fuyao.

Anyway, for now I have decided not to bother with the XE, instead opting to hold on to my 3 series for a couple of more years (which BTW is a manual!).

BTW, the Audi A4 is also going to be available in a manual (special order, no charge option, and I think even though you can order it now, it will be a MY2018).

 

The Premium trim is the bottom of the range. Not really fair to compare it to the top of the range (for US/Canada) 35t R Sport. I test drove C43 and 440i and found the 35t R Sport to be the best drive of the three.

 

I totally agree. But what to do when they don't have an R Sport available to test drive. I remember being blown away by the XE S, except that it was a very brief test drive--the sales guy did not even allow me to take it on the highway, so most of the drive was at < 40 mph. And since there are differences between the XE S and R Sport I wanted to test drive the R Sport before committing.

I might give it another try, but at this point, maybe that will happen a year or more from now when Jaguar has worked out its issues with inventory. Also somewhat turned off by Fuyao glass. The XE S did not have that, and so it appears there's some cost cutting going on.

 

Just checked my local Jaguar dealer and they have a "XE 35t First Edition". Can anyone explain what that means?

Thanks
================================================== =
You dreamed of a big star -
He played a mean guitar -
He loved to drive his Jaguar...

So welcome to the machine

 

What's Fuyao glass?

 

First edition comes with all the options, including configurable ambient lighting, which isn't otherwise an option for US/Canada. I think it was only available in white with black interior though.

 

Hmm. Apart from cosmetic things like red calipers, no-blade front vents, and badging isn't the 35t R sport with adaptive damping, the same as the S mechanically? What's Fuyao glass and how can you tell? I'll have to take a look at mine

 

My glass is Pilkington on the XE; not Fuyao...

 

Just checked and so is mine. Seems he's been misinformed on everything.

 

I see where some people have issues of not having a manual transmission. Just to ask a silly question but you do realize that it is equipped with the "Sport-tronic" (or whatever Jaguar refers to this system as) that allows you to shift the gear shifter one more position and allow you to use the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. I know when I did the XE Experience here in DC, they were really pushing that and put the car in that mode when they let you take the car for a test drive. NOt sure if that would meet the definition of a true "manual" transmission, but it does give the driver control over things. That way, when you have a drink in hand, you can shift the tranny back to full auto and just enjoy the drive.

I have to admit, the car does drift rather nicely. The track that they had set up let you enter the corner at about 20 mph or so and then I was gunning the 3.0L half way through the corner and letting the tires/AWD system do their job. Had the Jaguar driver complement me on the fact that I had pushed the car much harder than the other people he had driven with that day.

 

It's partly being able to control which gear, but also the manual movement of legs and arms where you may not get it right if not paying attention.

It's the reward of getting it right and being in sync with the car that makes a manual more engaging for me.

 

Paddle shifters are interesting but they just can't seem to replace the feeling of a true pedal clutch. I drove a Porsche 911 with PDK and no matter what fancy name they give it...it feels just like any other automatic tranny in my opinion. The clutch on the other hand is a very different experience that simply can't be replicated by computers and paddles. Just my 2 Cents. I enjoy having a Jaguar with automatic and a Porsche with a stick. Best of both worlds.

 

Agreed. You feel much more connected to the engine feeling the power come in through the use of the clutch, and there is something more satisfying about a decent stick shifter (I hope that isnt because it is phallic).

But an auto with paddles is far better as a daily driver if you get stuck in traffic.

 

I've driven several cars with that setup. My wife currently has a Lincoln MKT that, in Sport mode, is faster (EcoBoost twin turbo) than a John Cooper Works Mini Cooper. And it's still not the same as a manual, not even close.

One of the issues of paddle shifters is that as you turn the wheel, the paddles turn with the wheel, so if you're driving a road that's exceptionally curvy and you get the wheel at or close to 180 degrees, the paddles flip positions. Now I'm thinking about things I shouldn't have to be thinking about while I'm busy trying not to run off the road.

I also have access to a 2003 Lincoln LS V8 with the +/- option on the floor shifter. That's closer to a manual, but in the LS's case, it's not a dual-clutch setup (or if it is, it's the slowest-shifting dual-clutch transmission in the history of transmissions). Shifts come a full 1 second (or sometimes longer) after moving the lever, which isn't acceptable.

A manual transmission with a foot-operated clutch offers driving engagement several levels above what is possible with even the best paddle-shifted or "autostick" transmissions. More control of the situation is almost always better than less control of the situation. Car companies are obsessed with the lowest 0-60 time they can market, and dual-clutch has surpassed the manual transmission in offering fast launch times -- but that's not what it's all about to an enthusiast driver.

Jess

p.s.: Something I haven't seen would be a clutchless transmission with a floor shifter that would have an actual R/1-6 gate, so you could at least approximate the shift procedure even if the clutch pedal went missing.

 

Takng the R-sport 180d as a compartive benchmark. The price dfferential in the US between the desel 180 R-sport and a petrol 35t R-sport is about 2,700 dollars. In the UK the dfference between a diesel 180 R-sport (even when specced up wth 10 way seats wth lumbar, 18 inch matrix rms, meridian 380 and adaptive dampers to make it a truer comparson) and a 35t S is about 6000 pounds.

That would be a hell of a mark up for painted calipers,a badge and a few bits of trim.

 

I agree with you all that the paddle shifters are by no means the manual tranny replacement. I grew up with a manual car and if I could find the cars I wanted with a manual tranny, I would in a heartbeat. But, the manual tranny is dying a very slow death. hell, they are not even putting manual trannies in semi-trucks any more (or very infrequently). The quality of the auto tranny has improved dramatically over the years and with the added cost of getting them EPA tested (tends to run atleast $1M for each engine/tranny combo), the willingness of the manufacturers to add a manual tranny in their lineup is going away. Besides, in todays day and age, I bet it is under 10% of people that would even want a manual tranny even part of the time.

Granted, a manual tranny does make for one hell of a theft deterrent. If they can't drive it, they are not going to take it for a joy ride.

 

That markup is not due to the changes in 35T trim or specifications.

That small of a price difference is because of the fact that it is much more difficult to market Diesel car in the USA as of now. It needs to meet specific emissions (unique to the US, while in Europe its generally accepted EURO 5 or EURO 6 if I remember correctly) and its engine needs to be adjusted to the US quality of diesel too.

Also, there are more expenditures in terms of training the technicians for maintenance and so forth. The most of all however, is that Jaguar thinks diesel will not sell well in the US (they are right) and therefore if they want to make a profit from offering 180D here, they better increase their margins.

 

It won't be that. The price differential between the 180d and (say) the 24t is actually bigger in the UK market than it is in the US.