2018 Jaguar XE

After a brief pause during which it built no vehicles, Jaguar is transitioning to an all-electric luxury brand. In years past, Jaguar was best known for its legendary sports cars, including the E-Type of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and luxurious sedans such as the XJ. The brand was reborn under Ford’s ownership in the 1990s, then sold to India’s Tata Group where it was merged with Land Rover. Eventually, big cars with wood-and-leather interiors gave way to sportier, fun-to-drive models including some compact and midsized SUVs. Jaguar’s first attempt at an EV, the I-Pace, failed to keep up with the competition, and the XF sedan continued on for years without major updates. Both Jaguar and Land Rover share some parts and underlying vehicle designs. Neither brand has shed its reputation for reliability issues, which makes it difficult to recommend used models—even though the XE and XF still offer impressive driving excitement and luxury.

The XE is an athletic compact luxury sports sedan. Base models get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo. A more potent 340-hp, 3.0-liter supercharged V6 is the uplevel offering, and a diesel engine is also available. All engine are coupled to a smooth eight-speed automatic. Rear- and all-wheel-drive versions are available. Our brief experience indicates that the XE is agile and fun to drive, with a comfortable ride. But the interior ambience is not as opulent as one might expect from a Jaguar. The rear seat is extremely tight and the infotainment system is not up to snuff. A host of advanced active safety and driver assistance features are available. The refreshed 2020 model brought standard active safety features, and a new gear selector and infotainment system. 2020 was also the final year for the XE.