So what's this four-door car like to drive?
Jaguar obviously has something of a track record for producing fine-driving cars that offer something just a little bit different from other luxury brands. BMW M's, for example, can be pretty burly, as can the Mercedes AMGs. Audi's S cars are derived from the company's long history in rally racing. Lexus's F-Sports are beautifully bolted together and are rewarding to drive both fast and not-so fast.
Jag's are supposed to provide thrills with dignity — a well-dressed, grown-up package.
In this respect, the XE is a dandy piece of engineering. The design is winning, more suave than a Bimmer, less blingy than a Mercedes, cooler than a Lexus, more exciting than an Audi. For my money, the XE finds itself in aesthetic competition, really, with just the Maserati Ghibli. The Jag is a sexy British car, with all that entail, while the Ghibli is a sexy Italian car, with all that entails.
The XE 35t AWD R-Sport does its thing with an abundance of restraint. But does its thing nonetheless. The exhaust note is purposeful, the get-up-and-go is there on command, and the handling is crisp without being jerky or extreme. There's a lot of aluminum in the chassis, lightening the car up, but without making it feel insubstantial.
It's quietly different from the competition, but the question is, "Can it stand out with quiet confidence?"
The answer is, "Yes!" — but that might not be enough to thrive in this segment. My sense is that you really need to move up to the R-Sport trim to get satisfaction. I'm not sure that Jag's base model we be able to duke it out successfully with the rest of the luxe sedans on the road.
For me, considering an XE would be a no-brainer, and the lowest price level, at about $35,000, should be tempting. A no-frills R-Sport starts at around $50,000, and even when you start pushing toward $60,000, you're getting a lot of four-door for your dollars.
You could have said that the XE was an incredibly important vehicle for Jaguar, given the history of the segment. But over the past two years, the XE's thunder has been decisively stolen by the F-PACE, Jag's outstanding new SUV. The luxury market is shifting on its axis.
But that doesn't mean you don't need a compelling small sedan, if you have aspirations of taking on the market. And in that respect, the XE is exceptionally well-done. But you have to ask yourself if exceptional is enough to cut it.
