I have owned so many Jags and loved them all. We sold our last Jag (2007 XK) two years ago and bought a Tesla Model S to complement the garage (also have a Range Rover and MBZ SL500). The Tesla completely converted me to an all-electric lover. The simplicity, the power, the noise level (from the drivetrain), etc., not to mention the fantastic over-the-air updates that make my 2017 Tesla better each month than the month before. I've never had a car that actually got better. And I have to say, JLR's atrocious handling of their horrible electronics in my 2015 Rover really soured me on JLR. Stupid software problems with the Rover were fixed in the 2016 version, but no software updates for me; you have to get the newer car. That's just silly.

The only complaints I have about the Tesla are the relatively cheap-feeling interior (compared to my Jags), and the cabin road noise. For a >$100K car (when new), these are noticeable flaws. So I'm looking for a higher-luxury all-electric vehicle. I looked at Cadillac, but I'd really like to get back to Jaguar.

Can anyone out there compare / contrast the iPace with a Tesla Model S? Would a move to the iPace feel like a luxury upgrade? I've heard I should stay away from pre-2022 iPace; are the 2022 and newer ones actually reliable? As reliable as the Tesla? What about fast charging? And can anyone compare it to the Cadillac Lyric?

Thanks,
Doug

 

The iPace is no longer in production. It was made at the Magna contract car building factory in the old Steyr-Daimler-Puch works in Austria. Having driven one a few years ago as a test drive with Jaguar I was very impressed, but the car was not hugely successful, and with Jaguar ceasing to build all of its recent line-up, there have to be doubts on the JLR committment to owners as the cars age. There have also been serious issues with the batteries, but I don't know whether that issue was sorted or not. Certainly I'd be very cautious about taking one on. The new Jaguar about to be announced will be all-electric, but have no commonalty of parts with the iPace

 

I have a 2022 I-Pace and I've only ridden in the TSLA S. My car just feels and looks better. My wife got a 2025 Taycan and I have to admit it's super-impressive in terms of looks, comfort, handling and range/charge time. Rear axle steering does make a difference!

My car can still charge to 100% for the occasional trip and deliver 240 miles of range in decent weather. Charge time is about 1/3 as fast as the Taycan, as it takes 45 minutes or so to go from 15% to 80% at a >100KW fast charger. The issues I experienced had to do with an undiagnosed bad 12V battery that manifested about a year into my ownership and left me stranded three times, two of them requiring tows. The dealer I bought from kept insisting that it was holding a full charge, which I could see. When I took it to a different dealership, they actually did a load test on the battery that failed. I received a new battery at no cost and it's been great since then.

I still love my car to drive around town and on short trips. I also worry about future commitment and availability of service, both because of it being a discontinued model as well as JLR's sad mismanagement of the Jaguar brand right now. My last comment is that even the last I-Paces made don't hold a candle to the newer generations of EV's. The Lyriq, in particular, does look like a well-made car with superior range and assisted driving features. I would seriously consider it myself if I were in the market for another car.

 

I own a 2021 I-Pace and my wife is driving a Tesla S dual motor so I can give a few hints here.
So far I’m totally happy with the Jag’s comfort and performance, also on ice and snow. Heating is great compared to other EV’s I’ve driven. That obviously comes at a cost of higher consumption.

As others mentioned the Jag's build and ride quality is superior to that of the Tesla. The Jag is very quiet even on rough rods whereas the Tesla is a rattlebox. It gets better at higher speeds though. In terms of pure performance the lightweight Tesla will outrun the Jag, but not by much. Handling is similar from what I can tell. Mine has the optional air suspension which is great when doing off road. In fact this Jag is doing a great job off road even with standard suspension.

Software updates on the Tesla are frequent but without issues, they usually add a few new goodies and remove small bugs. Software updates on the Jag are rare. The apps offer similar functionality, with slight advantage for the Tesla.

DC charging speeds are really slow on the Jag. Make sure you get a 2021 or newer model with 11KW AC charger (recognizable be the 40/20/40 split rear seat), otherwise your AC charging will be painfully slow as well.
The Tesla's battery is smaller but the car consumes less, at the end of the day the range in real life is comparable with slight advantage for the Tesla. The Jag's range meter is doing a better job especially in winter where the Tesla seems to be a bit optimistic.

At a first glance the Tesla comes with more and more advanced driving assistants, but especially FSD is crap on Europe's winding roads. Also the auto beam does not work well, while the Jag's adaptive headlights are really great - and expensive in case you decide to destroy them.

The Jag's interior and finish is great. Honestly I prefer the Jag's separate display and commands for AC control and radio over the Tesla’s one-display design. To check the Tesla’s speed you always need to turn your head, and while you get used to that at some point, I still hate to scroll thru menus to access things like wipers or radio. The Jag feels more like car in those terms, maybe that’s because it’s been a while since I was built myself.
That said there is another big advantage of the Jag’s somewhat outdated design: it comes without the now mandatory speed limit warning that annoyingly starts honking and blinking at you at the slightest deviation. The Jag does recognize speed limits as well, but firstly its doing a much better job recognizing signs, and secondly one can turn those warnings off or just get a unobtrusive wink.

From what I see in the Forums the I-Pace from 2021 on does not seem to have a lot of issues. The 12V battery is something you want to check out from time to time as you would with any other car. It’s a standard 12V battery and not difficult to replace. The drive train and battery comes with a long warranty. Battery issues on earlier vehicles have been reported but are covered under that warranty.
As most other modern vehicles the I-Pace is complex and has a lot of systems built in that can fail – so its always a good idea to buy one with extended warranty that covers parts and labor.

 

I'm in my second I-Pace. I had a 2019, and now I have a 2024 (not by choice). So much potential, and when it works, I love the car! But, it rarely works. And, on top of that, JLR does not have the infrastructure to support these vehicles. I would look elsewhere.

 

Hi Fraser,

I've read that Jag is trying to move way upstream (competing with Bentley), and is very comfortable selling fewer cars for more money rather than volume sales. If true, that means new Jags are going to be out of my price range for a long while. It's an interesting move because I thought their plan years ago was to materially increase their volume (e.g. X-Type) in order to keep their dealerships and service bays active as Jag reliability improved. Perhaps their dealerships will be happy selling and servicing Land Rovers.

/Doug

 

Thanks for your insight. The 45 minute recharge time is a bit concerning since I'm used to what my Tesla can do, but I agree the iPace just feels better. And I don't need roadside chargers very often; I normally charge overnight at home, so it's seldom an issue. But after driving the iPace, Lexus RZ, BMW iX, Cadillac Lyriq, Audi e-tron, Genesis Electrified GV70, and Hyundai Ionic5, it's down to the Lyric, iX, or iPace. Or I just keep my Tesla until something else arrives that turns my head. I need to drive them all again.

/Doug

 

Agree with your observations here, Chris. I'm really surprised that the auto high-beams on the Tesla are so useless; the dip the lights if there's a firefly in the distance. Totally useless, and apparently, not tunable by the dealer. I'm not sure what year your wife's Tesla S is, but my 2017 has two displays, and speed is on the primary display in front of the driver -- where it should be. My car also thankfully has stalks and real buttons for much of the standard controls like speed control, turn indicators, wipers, steering wheel position, etc. I was given a Model Y loaner when my car was in for service, and I hated the single, center screen and lack of basic knobs and stalks.