2018 Jaguar XE-S

Racer20 · 08-18-2017, 06:48 PM

Has anybody driven one? The 2018 got a power bump (380hp) and some electronics upgrades, and it has gotten very high marks for ride and handling.

My 2 series lease is up soon and I'm thinking about getting an XE-S to replace it. There are none around me to test drive, and the dealers say they aren't getting any either.

I'm hoping the XE-S is like an M3*80% or so, with better ride quality and satisfying handling at 7/10's. Any feedback?
---------------------------------
Edit: Test drove an AWD XE-S today, here are my impressions.

The car is pretty good to really good in many ways, but the overall driving experience didn't blow my socks off like I hoped it would.

Interior
The interior is pretty nice. The fit and finish and materials are decent enough. Not as good as the latest Merc and Audi, but better than my 2 series in general (I happen to like a fully loaded F30/F80 interior, but the 2 series is a bit cheap in places). The seats have all kinds of adjustments and there's lots of leather wrapping, and everything fits ok, and the screen and digital dash are pretty cool. But everything seemed a bit hard and sterile. The leather was very firm, almost like you're sitting on the car rather than in it, and the steering wheel didn't fit as naturally in-hand as my M3. The action of the switchgear (steering wheel controls, knobs, touchscreen, etc.) wasn't as natural or satisfying as my BMW's. BMW's interiors have always felt like "home" to me, even though Merc and Audi's are typically a bit nicer. The Jag was somewhere in the middle. The digital dash is really cool (BMW better step up in the next 3 series), but the usability falls slightly behind the latest iDrive. It beats the hell out of Merc's mess of a system, but I haven't driven a recent Audi to compare yet.

Ride/Handling.
The press loves the ride/handling of this car. That's what initially drew me to it, and is pushing me away from non-M BMW's. This car has all the right hardware and geometry. It's firm and pretty well damped . . . much closer to my M3 than my 228i THP. It's sporty, but still has decent ride quality. But it feels like they needed to spend another week or two on the damper software calibration. The ride has some busyness and pitch/tug/bounce that I don't think should be there, given what I know about the hardware. It's probably an objectively better ride/handling trade-off than even my M3, but it's not as satisfying to drive for me. To be clear though, it is much better than any non-M BMW i've driven recently.

Steering
I'll preface this by saying that another 500 miles and an alignment might fix all my complaints about the steering. But for all its response and precision, the steering didn't feel natural at all to me. It was too quick for the tires and the response didn't match well with how the dampers let the body roll throughout the turn. I have a test where I enter an on ramp and try to get the car to carve right along the white line without any mid-corner correction, and this car failed miserably. It was way too responsive on initial turn in, then took 2-3 corrections to get the car to take the line I wanted. All the while, there was very little effort build in the steering wheel in either driving mode. Again, this could be alignment, or tire pressure, or whatever, but that was my impression of the car today. My M3's steering is far better (properly aligned and with last years software update).

Engine/Trans
I didn't spend much time at WOT, because this isn't the most important thing to me, but I wasn't impressed the 2 or three times I did floor it. If my M3 is 425hp and my 228i is 240, I would guess this car has MAYBE 280 or 300hp, rather than the rated 380hp. It felt very "normal," and didn't sound that great inside the cabin. Maybe I'm used to the turbo torque rather than the more linear build of a positive displacement supercharger, or maybe I need to explore the RPM band or transmission settings more, but the car was much slower than I expected. If anything, it reminded me how ridiculous the F8X's "425hp" rating really is.

The 8spd transmission shifted quite well. Not PDK or DSG aggressive, but at least smoothly and without excessive delay or annoying lurches when downshifting or coming to a stop. Again, it's a pretty good transmission calibration for a pretty good "normal" car, but it takes away from, rather than adds to the excitement of driving the car.

Summary
So, as I stated below, I was hoping for this car to be a 7/8ths M3 to serve as my wife's DD. Something satisfying and fun to drive, with good power but not quite as hardcore. This car is not that . . . it's a quite good sporty sedan, but doesn't even come close to the driving experience of an M. In reality, what this car is is what a 340i should have been, at least as far as the ride and handling and interior tech goes. If BMW's still performed like this, I'd be buying another.

I've learned that it's tough to form a complete impression of a car in a short test drive, but it's all I have to go on. It's objectively the best car I've driven for what I'm looking for, but it didn't smack me in the face and tell me I had to have it. I might still end up leasing one if the S4 and Macan GTS don't impress me more . . . the dealer seemed willing to deal much more than I'm guessing Audi or Porsche will be.

Thescout13 · 08-19-2017, 01:27 AM

Im sure finances are a part of your decision but let me put it like this, why would you be okay with getting something that is 80% of something you actually want because its slightly better than what you already have. It feels like you are settling. Now if finances are an issue I understand, but if they are not really, go with the M3

dzvero · 08-19-2017, 01:40 AM

why you want to drive rikshaw?

BoxKing · 08-19-2017, 02:51 AM

Driven it... I also own an M4. It's sad and you're the bastard child of the F Type if you buy this car and would have nothing to do with BMW, but only part of the 'would a could a shoulda crew'.

RickFLM4 · 08-19-2017, 06:39 AM

XE-S seems more in line with a 340/S4/C43, so I would cross shop it with those cars.

mkoesel · 08-19-2017, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

XE-S seems more in line with a 340/S4/C43, so I would cross shop it with those cars.

This is my thinking too. Sure, the new XE-S now has more power than all of the German competition, but is it really the best in the class? For that matter, is it even the best performer in the class?

And let's not forget that the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport is actually the horsepower leader in this group with 400hp. Despite this, I think few of us would choose it over a C43 or S4 on that basis alone. Now it's true that the XE gets great marks for driving dynamics where the Infiniti may not so much. But nevertheless, the point remains that one should be wary of the XE's new siren call of 380hp.

Just my thoughts on it. I should add that, to answer the your question Racer20, no I haven't driven one. But I haven't driven any of the cars in this segment either, so I can at least claim complete impartiality from ignorance. Maybe you will end up driving them all, and you can report back to us on your experience.

Aaaaaaaaa · 08-19-2017, 12:37 PM

Motortrend did a comparison with the C43 AMG-ish. Merc won. They said the Jag had bad quality materials and while the handling was good on curvy roads, the rest was disappointing. As stated they felt Jaguar spent all the money on the F-Pace and left the rest for the XE

Racer20 · 08-19-2017, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thescout13

Im sure finances are a part of your decision but let me put it like this, why would you be okay with getting something that is 80% of something you actually want because its slightly better than what you already have. It feels like you are settling. Now if finances are an issue I understand, but if they are not really, go with the M3

Maybe I wasn't clear. I have an F80 already. Not planning on getting rid of it. The Jag would be a daily driver, along with my ZHP, that both my wife and I will drive all year.

I've driven several LCI 2/3/4 series (My dad has a 440xi), and I have been less than impressed. I'm not going with another BMW. I've ruled out everything except the Jag and an S4, but Audi's don't really do it for me for some reason, and my mom's S4 had terrible reliability problems.

CanAutM3 · 08-19-2017, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

XE-S seems more in line with a 340/S4/C43, so I would cross shop it with those cars.

I think that is why he is saying it is 80% of an M3

If I read correctly, he is considering it to replace his 228i, not his M3.

nicknaz · 08-19-2017, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racer20

Maybe I wasn't clear. I have an F80 already. Not planning on getting rid of it. The Jag would be a daily driver, along with my ZHP, that both my wife and I will drive all year.

I've driven several LCI 2/3/4 series (My dad has a 440xi), and I have been less than impressed. I'm not going with another BMW. I've ruled out everything except the Jag and an S4, but Audi's don't really do it for me for some reason, and my mom's S4 had terrible reliability problems.

How about a used awd model s?

Electrics are the best commuters!

damnitBobby · 08-19-2017, 11:13 PM

I haven't driven one, but with the hp bump and updated electronics I think it's finally stacking up favorably against the competition. C43 has a stout powertrain but looks horrible IMO, wouldn't buy one for that reason alone. 340i seems dated to me and if I was going with BMW I would spend extra and just get the M3. The S4 is a great car although some find it boring.

In this segment it would between the S4 and XE S for me. I would have to extensively test drive both back to back to choose one.

WarrENDeatH · 08-20-2017, 02:18 AM

Audi's are a bit boring. Beautiful interiors though. I wouldn't mind a TT RS though. Those get pretty solid reviews. Just a bit expensive.

Racer20 · 09-06-2017, 06:22 PM

I test drove an XE-S today. I edited my first post to include my impressions.

FC · 09-06-2017, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racer20

I test drove an XE-S today. I edited by first post to include my impressions.

You did? It doesn't read like you did.

Racer20 · 09-06-2017, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FC

You did? It doesn't read like you did.

Sorry, I posted that before I actually edited the first post. That was stupid, in retrospect. It's done now.

Tacoma · 09-06-2017, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

XE-S seems more in line with a 340/S4/C43, so I would cross shop it with those cars.

The real Jag XE challenge to the M3 is the upcoming 2018 Jaguar XE SVR expected to be a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine in the 500HP range.

08-18-2017, 06:48 PM	#1
Racer20 Major 1030 Rep 1,190 Posts Drives: F80 M3, 228i THP, E46 ZHP Join Date: May 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI iTrader: (0)	2018 Jaguar XE-S Has anybody driven one? The 2018 got a power bump (380hp) and some electronics upgrades, and it has gotten very high marks for ride and handling. My 2 series lease is up soon and I'm thinking about getting an XE-S to replace it. There are none around me to test drive, and the dealers say they aren't getting any either. I'm hoping the XE-S is like an M380% or so, with better ride quality and satisfying handling at 7/10's. Any feedback? --------------------------------- Edit: Test drove an AWD XE-S today, here are my impressions. The car is pretty good* to really good in many ways, but the overall driving experience didn't blow my socks off like I hoped it would. Interior The interior is pretty nice. The fit and finish and materials are decent enough. Not as good as the latest Merc and Audi, but better than my 2 series in general (I happen to like a fully loaded F30/F80 interior, but the 2 series is a bit cheap in places). The seats have all kinds of adjustments and there's lots of leather wrapping, and everything fits ok, and the screen and digital dash are pretty cool. But everything seemed a bit hard and sterile. The leather was very firm, almost like you're sitting on the car rather than in it, and the steering wheel didn't fit as naturally in-hand as my M3. The action of the switchgear (steering wheel controls, knobs, touchscreen, etc.) wasn't as natural or satisfying as my BMW's. BMW's interiors have always felt like "home" to me, even though Merc and Audi's are typically a bit nicer. The Jag was somewhere in the middle. The digital dash is really cool (BMW better step up in the next 3 series), but the usability falls slightly behind the latest iDrive. It beats the hell out of Merc's mess of a system, but I haven't driven a recent Audi to compare yet. Ride/Handling. The press loves the ride/handling of this car. That's what initially drew me to it, and is pushing me away from non-M BMW's. This car has all the right hardware and geometry. It's firm and pretty well damped . . . much closer to my M3 than my 228i THP. It's sporty, but still has decent ride quality. But it feels like they needed to spend another week or two on the damper software calibration. The ride has some busyness and pitch/tug/bounce that I don't think should be there, given what I know about the hardware. It's probably an objectively better ride/handling trade-off than even my M3, but it's not as satisfying to drive for me. To be clear though, it is much better than any non-M BMW i've driven recently. Steering I'll preface this by saying that another 500 miles and an alignment might fix all my complaints about the steering. But for all its response and precision, the steering didn't feel natural at all to me. It was too quick for the tires and the response didn't match well with how the dampers let the body roll throughout the turn. I have a test where I enter an on ramp and try to get the car to carve right along the white line without any mid-corner correction, and this car failed miserably. It was way too responsive on initial turn in, then took 2-3 corrections to get the car to take the line I wanted. All the while, there was very little effort build in the steering wheel in either driving mode. Again, this could be alignment, or tire pressure, or whatever, but that was my impression of the car today. My M3's steering is far better (properly aligned and with last years software update). Engine/Trans I didn't spend much time at WOT, because this isn't the most important thing to me, but I wasn't impressed the 2 or three times I did floor it. If my M3 is 425hp and my 228i is 240, I would guess this car has MAYBE 280 or 300hp, rather than the rated 380hp. It felt very "normal," and didn't sound that great inside the cabin. Maybe I'm used to the turbo torque rather than the more linear build of a positive displacement supercharger, or maybe I need to explore the RPM band or transmission settings more, but the car was much slower than I expected. If anything, it reminded me how ridiculous the F8X's "425hp" rating really is. The 8spd transmission shifted quite well. Not PDK or DSG aggressive, but at least smoothly and without excessive delay or annoying lurches when downshifting or coming to a stop. Again, it's a pretty good transmission calibration for a pretty good "normal" car, but it takes away from, rather than adds to the excitement of driving the car. Summary So, as I stated below, I was hoping for this car to be a 7/8ths M3 to serve as my wife's DD. Something satisfying and fun to drive, with good power but not quite as hardcore. This car is not that . . . it's a quite good sporty sedan, but doesn't even come close to the driving experience of an M. In reality, what this car is is what a 340i should have been, at least as far as the ride and handling and interior tech goes. If BMW's still performed like this, I'd be buying another. I've learned that it's tough to form a complete impression of a car in a short test drive, but it's all I have to go on. It's objectively the best car I've driven for what I'm looking for, but it didn't smack me in the face and tell me I had to have it. I might still end up leasing one if the S4 and Macan GTS don't impress me more . . . the dealer seemed willing to deal much more than I'm guessing Audi or Porsche will be. __________________ 2015 M3, 2005 330i ZHP, 2015 228i 6MT Track Handling Pack, 2007 M Coupe (Sold) Last edited by Racer20; 09-06-2017 at 07:09 PM.. Reason: Edit: I test drove one on Sept. 5th. Added my impressions here.
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08-19-2017, 01:27 AM	#2
Thescout13 Brigadier General 4944 Rep 4,976 Posts Drives: '20 F80 M3CS, %E2%80%9818 GT3 Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: California iTrader: (0)	Im sure finances are a part of your decision but let me put it like this, why would you be okay with getting something that is 80% of something you actually want because its slightly better than what you already have. It feels like you are settling. Now if finances are an issue I understand, but if they are not really, go with the M3 __________________ Wife's Car: 2020 X4M Competition, Alpine White on Black Alcantara and Biege Current Car: 2018 F80 M3CS, SMB, DCT, ZEC, MPE Recently Departed: 2020 F87 M2C, LBB, ZEC, 6MT (Euro Delivery Aug. 29, 2019, totaled by an idiot in a Camry who then ran from the scene) Wife's Prior Car: 2018 F80 M3, Yas Marina Blue, DCT, Black 19s, Carbon Structure Anthracite Cloth/Leather Combination, Driving Assistance Package (Euro Delivery Oct. 9, 2017)
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08-19-2017, 01:40 AM	#3
dzvero Lieutenant Colonel 529 Rep 1,514 Posts Drives: 2015 M$4 F82 Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: CA iTrader: (2)	why you want to drive rikshaw?
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08-19-2017, 02:51 AM	#4
BoxKing I Rock Your Girls Box 293 Rep 662 Posts Drives: M4 F82 ZCP AW Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Philadelphia iTrader: (1)	Driven it... I also own an M4. It's sad and you're the bastard child of the F Type if you buy this car and would have nothing to do with BMW, but only part of the 'would a could a shoulda crew'.
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08-19-2017, 06:39 AM	#5
RickFLM4 Brigadier General 10958 Rep 4,819 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: PB County, FL iTrader: (0)	XE-S seems more in line with a 340/S4/C43, so I would cross shop it with those cars. __________________ Current: 2018 SO/SS F83 ZCP Gone: 2015 SO/SO F82
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08-19-2017, 12:37 PM	#7
Aaaaaaaaa Banned 7559 Rep 5,056 Posts Drives: The other M3 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: So Cal iTrader: (0)	Motortrend did a comparison with the C43 AMG-ish. Merc won. They said the Jag had bad quality materials and while the handling was good on curvy roads, the rest was disappointing. As stated they felt Jaguar spent all the money on the F-Pace and left the rest for the XE
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08-19-2017, 11:13 PM	#11
damnitBobby Major 992 Rep 1,370 Posts Drives: 2018 M3 ZCP Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Houston iTrader: (0)	I haven't driven one, but with the hp bump and updated electronics I think it's finally stacking up favorably against the competition. C43 has a stout powertrain but looks horrible IMO, wouldn't buy one for that reason alone. 340i seems dated to me and if I was going with BMW I would spend extra and just get the M3. The S4 is a great car although some find it boring. In this segment it would between the S4 and XE S for me. I would have to extensively test drive both back to back to choose one.
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08-20-2017, 02:18 AM	#12
WarrENDeatH Private First Class 70 Rep 174 Posts Drives: Honda Civic Type R Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Cincinnati iTrader: (0)	Audi's are a bit boring. Beautiful interiors though. I wouldn't mind a TT RS though. Those get pretty solid reviews. Just a bit expensive.
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09-06-2017, 06:22 PM	#13
Racer20 Major 1030 Rep 1,190 Posts Drives: F80 M3, 228i THP, E46 ZHP Join Date: May 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI iTrader: (0)	I test drove an XE-S today. I edited my first post to include my impressions. __________________ 2015 M3, 2005 330i ZHP, 2015 228i 6MT Track Handling Pack, 2007 M Coupe (Sold) Last edited by Racer20; 09-06-2017 at 07:02 PM..
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