We treat our Jaguar XE long-termer to some of the UK's best stretches of tarmac. How does it perform?
The B4632 between Stratford-upon Avon and Cheltenham is, according those who know these things, one of the best driving roads in the UK.
It’s a road that would seem well suited to a car that, our road testers say, is the most pleasing to drive in its class.
As luck would have it, I was signed up to attend an event in Newbury, west Berkshire, a few weeks ago.
I had to be there in the afternoon, so I devised a route that took me the long way round — up the M40 to Stratford-upon-Avon, then across to Cheltenham on the B4632 and down to Newbury on the kind of country roads we like to use for testing.
On the motorway leg, the Jaguar XE was flawless and the first 90 miles were quiet, comfortable and economical, broken by only a quick stop at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, right next to Jaguar Land Rover’s headquarters.
I saw three other XEs on the way as well. They’re spreading.
The B4632 starts like many country roads, winding through olde worlde hamlets and villages outside Stratford before rising into the countryside. And, God, it’s a good road, with turns in all the right places and stunning scenery.
Here, the XE really came into its own. With Jaguar’s Drive Control system turned to Sport mode and the transmission controlled by the wheel-mounted paddles, the XE is very engaging to drive.
Its steering is weighted beautifully and it feels superbly planted through every turn. I love the throttle response in Sport mode, too.
The only letdown was the noise. Instead of the brilliant sound of the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 available in the XE S, my soundtrack was the hum of our car's 178bhp Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel engine.
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why isn't there a separate Tab for Long term reviews?
the new c class has bags of style?
Personal taste
Potential customers - read the text well & then test drive
I have driven the C Class and it is OK. The XE is superb according to the article. If I was in the market for such a car, I would do some test drives of various cars. Then on that basis, narrow the list down to an eventual purchase. This like any article is an opinion, one that may or may not agree with what you find.
As for the look of the car, I love it. Beautifully proportioned and very easy on the eye. The C-Class is boringly safe, Audis look dull and BMW's 3 Series nice but outclassed by the XE on it's strong suit, the drive. Again just an opinion.
RayCee wrote: Which article
The above article - supplementary paragraph by Allan Muir. Irrespective of legroom, if the door is so short that it's difficult to get in and out then this is a major design flaw in a family saloon. To limit the overall length of a compact exec saloon, you get either a long bonnet or a long cabin. In the XE it is the bonnet length that wins, probably because in anticipation of the forthcoming straight 6 engines. This means that cabin space has to be compromised, and that buyers of smaller engineed XEs, 3 series, C class will be driving around a lot of air under the bonnet. Not the most elegant solution. I look forward to compact saloons fitted with a range of small efficient engines, with the A pillar moved well forward that leaves a lot of room for the cabin.