First test drive
 

Good evening,

After procrastinating for months I finally took a test drive today.
The car was a 247bhp 2.0 litre gas model, with multiple extras including 19" wheels.

So, my initial reactions:-

Rough and raspy motor, certainly lets you know its a four.
Smooth gearshifts.
Slightly wandering steering
Thumpy ride maybe due to the larger wheels?
Microscopic wheel buttons and digital readout between the main dials. (Maybe I just need stronger specs?)
Poor alignment of the door caps with the dash.

Are these fairly common characteristics or was my tester a bit off?

I am going to try a 6 next week, but a bit disappointed so far.

The dealer service was excellent with friendly, attentive, staff and a full valet of my car while there.

Thanks for any input.

Keith

The thin-wall tyres on those 19" wheels are not going to do the ride any favours. Late last year I downs-sized to 17" from 19" on my X358 and it made quite a difference. Ride is still firm but not so crashy on road imperfections and sharp edges.

Yes, the four cylinder engine is not going to impress you with its refinement if you just stepped out of a 6 or an 8.

As an owner of the 6, it's really more geared towards driving aggressively. The steering and everything falls into place at higher speeds. If you're going to be commuting in traffic most of the time consider a car with better infotainment, speakers, seats, storage, and arm rest.

XE with Pro and digital dash is much better. I really like the 2.0T 250Ps engine, easy to rev, loads of torque and economical on a run too. The older 240Ps engine was a bit rough sounding though, ingenium is more refined compared and quieter. Try it in dynamic and S manual and you’ll be surprised how quick it gains speed. I don’t have any problems with wandering steering, maybe it’s had a slight knock or hit a pothole?

I havent driven the igenium 4, but with the ecoboost in the 25T (my wife's car) the acceleration can be a bit surgey which is transmission related. Driven in dynamic the gear shifts are really sharpened up, and driven in sport and dynamic they are really good - even without the manual shifts.

We have 19's on ours - Dunlop sportmaxx tyres - the ride is pretty much perfect and the steering and ride is what sold me on the car. I thought the ride in the R Sport is better for our very average roads.

Your experience doesnt sound that great. I really love the XE, and think it is pretty much the best car I've driven, all round - especially in the 6. In a lot of ways it is better to drive than my f type. But some people arent grabbed as much.

Thanks for all the help.

I have a V 6 booked out for a whole day test this thursday, so can give it a varied workout, not just around a central city loop.

Looking at othermakers - Audi BMW Volvo MB Cadillac Lincoln etc. all have 2 liter turbocharged base motors with 250 bhp+- Wonder if they buy off the shelve from an anonymous engine maker!!

I also have a test lined up for a BMW & MB 4 so be interesting to compare. Whichever I choose I expect to end up with a 6. The last 4 I owned was in 1980

Keith

Have fun dude, check out a Lincoln Continental for me. Those cars are absolute babes. Also consider driving an Alfa. As long as you get a really good warranty they are great cars to drive. Just shitty lease deals.

So, yesterday I leased a V6 and traded in the Mercedes.
All of the turbocharged 4-pots I tried let you know its a 4-pot, and the Jag V6 was substantially cheaper than the MB V6 and more engaging to drive.

Jaguar are certainly keen to sell - not only was it cheaper than the MB but they offered $1500 more on the trade-in. I did think MB were cheeky to lowball on their own product!

Both came wth so many extras I lost track of what I was getting and in fact got info overload and then boredom with figuring them all out. I will find out in a few weeks of use.

Usually I buy cars and keep them for a long time (the Merc is 10yrs old)
Although I liked driving the XE I wasn't totally enthralled by the interior quality, mostly the switchgear, and some rather eccentric controls, so I took a three year lease.

I hope it proves to be a decent car The body isn't overstyled and should look good for years and by now the plant should be screwing them together pretty well

Cheers

Keith

I just purchased the 35t as well. This is my first Jag and my last few cars have been more performance driven than anything else. I did a ton of reading online and research. I narrowed it down to the Giulia, or this. After driving both, there was no contest. I would say that my only complaints are the lack of connection I experience when first pressing the pedal and when it actually seems to ramp up a few milliseconds later. I have found that to combat this I keep it in dynamic mode all the time. My other complaint is the auto shut off. I read somewhere there is a way to permanently disable it, I will work on that next week. The last complaint is the sound system, my last car had the Harmon Kardon system and it was light years better. I do LOVE the look of the car, the general feel of how tight and stiff it can be when you push it to its limits and how well it fits my current needs with 4 doors without sacrificing too much from the sporty feel.

I have had the XE for about 7 months now and I share everything you're saying, except I don't keep it on dynamic since I got it tuned. I also enjoy the start stop, it seems to work better as the car ages. But it'llonly activate when the battery is well charged so that's annoying.

I have the meridian speaker system and it is really quite shit. I even had one of my speakers blown at 4k miles. The bass is too sharp, the entire thing is shallow, volume is the same from 20-35 and then loud from 35-38. It's also poorly isolated, so lots of rattling and vibrations. I'll also feel the speakers playing on my pant leg.

The car really falls into place when you're pushing it. Makes me forget about all the troubles

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I think the lease is the way to go on the XE. The style is still fresh so you won't have an outdated looking car by the time the lease ends. The car gets faster and faster as the miles pack on.

Unlike steel12, I rather enjoy the Meridian stereo. The best stereo I have owned, and certainly the best sounding in any Jag I have been in. I also dig the heads up display, albeit the first one I have owned. Not having it on a loaner made me miss it!

A Loire blue 35-T is now in my garage.. Not sure where the colour name came from. Last time I saw the Loire it was a dirty muddy brown!!

Quite a change from the MB C class. A bit noisier and more dificult to drive at first, but after 5 days I am becoming familiar with the faster steering and throttle response and it's become a hoot to drive, even in the city. I see this car becoming a ticket magnet.

Everything worked, straight out of the box. The dealer put on a nice bit of theater, with my car in the middle of the showroom under a cover until I finished of the paper work and the keys and manual were handed over. The car was then "unveiled" as the dealer called it, by two pretty young women whisking off the cover, and I drove it out of the showroom.

I havent driven the igenium 4

Loire blue was originally dark sapphire blue which you can still see on the sill sticker. Loire blue comes from Land Rover, all colours have been renamed to match across the marques.

Thanks Ian

Funnily enough when I first looked at the Jaguar colours my wife said "what a gorgeous sapphire blue". Which it is.

Rather strange choice. I mean what is blue about the Loire?

It's blue on every map I've seen :D

Droll, very droll ;:D

I havent driven the igenium 4