Likes
- Exquisite and timeless design.
- Arguably the most enjoyable to drive in this segment.
- A unique option amongst the competition.
- There’s just something special about a Jaguar.
Used Jaguar XE review
2015 - 2023
Dislikes
- Long list of potential reliability concerns.
- Infotainment system faults and electronic issues common.
- Build quality and materials not as impressive as the competition.
- It can be very frustrating owning a Jaguar.
Stuff you should know
The X760 Jaguar XE competes with other luxury sedans such as the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Audi A4. It was first introduced for the 2015 model year, and updated in 2018 and 2020. The XE’s design is sleek and sporty, with a long hood and short overhangs giving it an aggressive and athletic look. It’s available in several different trims, each offering different levels of luxury and performance.
One of the most notable features of the XE is its engine lineup. The base model comes with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, while higher trims offer more powerful options, like a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 engine. There are also diesel engine options available in some markets. The XE comes with either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, and all models use an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Inside, the XE is luxurious and modern, with high-quality materials and advanced technology. Standard features include a large touchscreen infotainment system, dual-zone climate control, and a panoramic sunroof. Higher trims offer additional features such as a digital gauge cluster, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and a premium sound system.
The XE is known for its agile handling and excellent driving dynamics. It features a lightweight aluminum-intensive architecture, which helps to reduce weight and improve performance. The suspension is tuned for a balance of comfort and sportiness, and the steering is precise and responsive. The XE also has several driving modes, including Dynamic mode, which sharpens the throttle response and adjusts the suspension and steering for a more engaging driving experience.
Overall, the X760 Jaguar XE is a stylish and capable luxury sedan that offers a balance of performance, comfort, and technology. Its engine lineup, interior features, and driving dynamics make it a compelling choice for anyone in the market for a luxury sedan.
What goes wrong
Exterior:
There have been many complaints about the fitment of bodywork and exterior trim with misaligned panel gaps being specifically apparent on earlier models.
There are many reports of electrical gremlins, everything from power mirrors and windows playing up to door lock actuators failing
Possibly worst of all, (and granted this isn’t common), there are reports of the brake lights failing.
Expanding on the electrical issues, there have been instances of the Rear View Cameras glitching out or showing a blue screen, or failing all together.
Interior:
The electrical gremlins can continue inside unfortunately, everything from the needles in the instrument cluster swinging backwards and forwards randomly, to buttons and controls not working to the speakers playing harsh sounds.
The infotainment systems can be so incredibly bad, they’ve resulted in a class action lawsuit.
Many Jaguar owners claim that the infotainment systems are dangerously defective with the lawsuit alleging that “The infotainment systems won’t respond to user commands, won’t start and they have blank display screens. Audio and video errors can cause distracted drivers, and occupant safety is at risk when the backup cameras, heating and cooling systems and hands-free calling systems fail or freeze”.
Jaguar also allegedly have not found a solution to the problems and either replaces the defective vehicle parts with equally defective parts, or advises vehicle owners to just wait for forthcoming software updates to fix the problems.
Mechanically:
Up to 2017 the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol used in the XE was the Ford Ecoboost and the 2.0-litre version of Ecoboost was arguably the best of the 4-cylinder in the family. This is partly thanks to the fact it had a much stronger closed deck block and less of the reported head gasket issues found in the 2.3-litre as found in the Ford Mustangs and Focus RS.
However, for better or worse (but mostly worse) from 2018 Jaguar replaced the Ecoboost with their own Ingenium 4-cylinder. This Ingenium engine does have a more complicated timing chain and valve train design and coincidentally that’s the engines weakness, suffering from stretched chains and broken guide complications.
Also, it is designed with the timing chain at the back of the engine, where in rear-wheel-drive applications (like the XE) they are impossible to get at so its either a transmission out or engine out to fix it.
Both the petrol and diesels are the same in that regard but on top of that, the diesel is also plagued with DPF & EGR complications.
The supercharged V6 petrol is basically the V8 block casting with the back 2 cylinders blanked off. It is more reliable than the Ingenium engines, but that’s not really saying much.
Timing chain, valve train and camshaft complications
Exterior:
There have been many complaints about the fitment of bodywork and exterior trim with misaligned panel gaps being specifically apparent on earlier models.
There are many reports of electrical gremlins, everything from power mirrors and windows playing up to door lock actuators failing
Possibly worst of all, (and granted this isn’t common), there are reports of the brake lights failing.
Expanding on the electrical issues, there have been instances of the Rear View Cameras glitching out or showing a blue screen, or failing all together.
Interior:
The electrical gremlins can continue inside unfortunately, everything from the needles in the instrument cluster swinging backwards and forwards randomly, to buttons and controls not working to the speakers playing harsh sounds.
The infotainment systems can be so incredibly bad, they’ve resulted in a class action lawsuit.
Many Jaguar owners claim that the infotainment systems are dangerously defective with the lawsuit alleging that “The infotainment systems won’t respond to user commands, won’t start and they have blank display screens. Audio and video errors can cause distracted drivers, and occupant safety is at risk when the backup cameras, heating and cooling systems and hands-free calling systems fail or freeze”.
Jaguar also allegedly have not found a solution to the problems and either replaces the defective vehicle parts with equally defective parts, or advises vehicle owners to just wait for forthcoming software updates to fix the problems.
Mechanically:
Up to 2017 the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol used in the XE was the Ford Ecoboost and the 2.0-litre version of Ecoboost was arguably the best of the 4-cylinder in the family. This is partly thanks to the fact it had a much stronger closed deck block and less of the reported head gasket issues found in the 2.3-litre as found in the Ford Mustangs and Focus RS.
However, for better or worse (but mostly worse) from 2018 Jaguar replaced the Ecoboost with their own Ingenium 4-cylinder. This Ingenium engine does have a more complicated timing chain and valve train design and coincidentally that’s the engines weakness, suffering from stretched chains and broken guide complications.
Also, it is designed with the timing chain at the back of the engine, where in rear-wheel-drive applications (like the XE) they are impossible to get at so its either a transmission out or engine out to fix it.
Both the petrol and diesels are the same in that regard but on top of that, the diesel is also plagued with DPF & EGR complications.
The supercharged V6 petrol is basically the V8 block casting with the back 2 cylinders blanked off. It is more reliable than the Ingenium engines, but that’s not really saying much.
Timing chain, valve train and camshaft complications are common issues, but less common on well serviced examples. But the problem here is owners thinking they’re servicing them properly but those services are only due every 26,000km. That is utter madness. No engine, even with long life oil, will last with service intervals like that. It’s imperative to service these engines every 10,000km.
The 8-speed transmissions in the XE are a ZF unit and they are pretty much the same transmission as is used in a variety of rear-wheel drive applications including BMW, Jeep, the current Supra and RAM trucks to mention just a few.
They can be guilty of the occasional solenoid, valve body and clutch pack issue plus oil cooler issues and oil leaks are not uncommon. Overall, these transmissions are pretty reliable but again, ignore the 234,000km service intervals, servicing every 100,000km is good, 50,000km is better.
Recalls:
- 10 May 2016 – The driver’s seat belt pre-tensioner may not operate when required. 66 vehicles were affected.
- 14 June 2017 – The fuel return hose may leak. This can lead to fuel leaking on to the ground under the car, in extreme circumstances, this can increase the risk of fire. This affected 142 units across the XE, XF, HJ and F-Pace, built between 2016 & 2017.
- 27 October 2017 – The under-bonnet low pressure fuel feed hose may detach from the fuel filter, causing fuel to leak into the engine bay, this can cause the engine to stall and can affect power, assisted braking and steering. This recall affected 594 XE and XF units.
- 11 January 2018 – The under-mounted diesel fuel cooler can leak. Owners are likely to notice fuel pooling underneath the car. It affected 76 XEs.
- 11 January 2018 – The front seat belt pretensioner may not function properly due to a deviation in the seatbelt initiator generant mix ratio in some initiators. This can mean the front seat pretensioner may not function in the event of a crash. This recall affected 639 units across the F-Type and XE.
- 25 March 2018 – Some of the engine-mounted fuel rails installed on the Ingenium 2.0-litre petrol engines had not been fitted correctly. There was a chance fuel could leak and come into contact with hot surfaces in the engine bay, leading to the risk of fire. This affected 334 units in the XE, XF, F-Pace, E-Pace and F-Type.
- 22 March 2019 – Some vehicles may not meet the required emissions standards. This affected 409 vehicles across the XE, XF, F-Pace, E-Pace & F-Type built from 2016 to 2018.
- 11 August 2022 – Due to a manufacturing defect, a damaged front seat pretensioner may have been installed correctly. This could mean the seat belt pretensioner does not operate correctly during a crash. This affected 14 units built in 2022, across the XE, XF, F-Pace and F-Type.
Exterior:
There have been many complaints about the fitment of bodywork and exterior trim with misaligned panel gaps being specifically apparent on earlier models.
There are many reports of electrical gremlins, everything from power mirrors and windows playing up to door lock actuators failing
Possibly worst of all, (and granted this isn’t common), there are reports of the brake lights failing.
Expanding on the electrical issues, there have been instances of the Rear View Cameras glitching out or showing a blue screen, or failing all together.
Interior:
The electrical gremlins can continue inside unfortunately, everything from the needles in the instrument cluster swinging backwards and forwards randomly, to buttons and controls not working to the speakers playing harsh sounds.
The infotainment systems can be so incredibly bad, they’ve resulted in a class action lawsuit.
Many Jaguar owners claim that the infotainment systems are dangerously defective with the lawsuit alleging that “The infotainment systems won’t respond to user commands, won’t start and they have blank display screens. Audio and video errors can cause distracted drivers, and occupant safety is at risk when the backup cameras, heating and cooling systems and hands-free calling systems fail or freeze”.
Jaguar also allegedly have not found a solution to the problems and either replaces the defective vehicle parts with equally defective parts, or advises vehicle owners to just wait for forthcoming software updates to fix the problems.
Mechanically:
Up to 2017 the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol used in the XE was the Ford Ecoboost and the 2.0-litre version of Ecoboost was arguably the best of the 4-cylinder in the family. This is partly thanks to the fact it had a much stronger closed deck block and less of the reported head gasket issues found in the 2.3-litre as found in the Ford Mustangs and Focus RS.
However, for better or worse (but mostly worse) from 2018 Jaguar replaced the Ecoboost with their own Ingenium 4-cylinder. This Ingenium engine does have a more complicated timing chain and valve train design and coincidentally that’s the engines weakness, suffering from stretched chains and broken guide complications.
Also, it is designed with the timing chain at the back of the engine, where in rear-wheel-drive applications (like the XE) they are impossible to get at so its either a transmission out or engine out to fix it.
Both the petrol and diesels are the same in that regard but on top of that, the diesel is also plagued with DPF & EGR complications.
The supercharged V6 petrol is basically the V8 block casting with the back 2 cylinders blanked off. It is more reliable than the Ingenium engines, but that’s not really saying much.
Timing chain, valve train and camshaft complications are common issues, but less common on well serviced examples. But the problem here is owners thinking they’re servicing them properly but those services are only due every 26,000km. That is utter madness. No engine, even with long life oil, will last with service intervals like that. It’s imperative to service these engines every 10,000km.
The 8-speed transmissions in the XE are a ZF unit and they are pretty much the same transmission as is used in a variety of rear-wheel drive applications including BMW, Jeep, the current Supra and RAM trucks to mention just a few.
They can be guilty of the occasional solenoid, valve body and clutch pack issue plus oil cooler issues and oil leaks are not uncommon. Overall, these transmissions are pretty reliable but again, ignore the 234,000km service intervals, servicing every 100,000km is good, 50,000km is better.
Recalls:
- 10 May 2016 – The driver’s seat belt pre-tensioner may not operate when required. 66 vehicles were affected.
- 14 June 2017 – The fuel return hose may leak. This can lead to fuel leaking on to the ground under the car, in extreme circumstances, this can increase the risk of fire. This affected 142 units across the XE, XF, HJ and F-Pace, built between 2016 & 2017.
- 27 October 2017 – The under-bonnet low pressure fuel feed hose may detach from the fuel filter, causing fuel to leak into the engine bay, this can cause the engine to stall and can affect power, assisted braking and steering. This recall affected 594 XE and XF units.
- 11 January 2018 – The under-mounted diesel fuel cooler can leak. Owners are likely to notice fuel pooling underneath the car. It affected 76 XEs.
- 11 January 2018 – The front seat belt pretensioner may not function properly due to a deviation in the seatbelt initiator generant mix ratio in some initiators. This can mean the front seat pretensioner may not function in the event of a crash. This recall affected 639 units across the F-Type and XE.
- 25 March 2018 – Some of the engine-mounted fuel rails installed on the Ingenium 2.0-litre petrol engines had not been fitted correctly. There was a chance fuel could leak and come into contact with hot surfaces in the engine bay, leading to the risk of fire. This affected 334 units in the XE, XF, F-Pace, E-Pace and F-Type.
- 22 March 2019 – Some vehicles may not meet the required emissions standards. This affected 409 vehicles across the XE, XF, F-Pace, E-Pace & F-Type built from 2016 to 2018.
- 11 August 2022 – Due to a manufacturing defect, a damaged front seat pretensioner may have been installed correctly. This could mean the seat belt pretensioner does not operate correctly during a crash. This affected 14 units built in 2022, across the XE, XF, F-Pace and F-Type.
Should you buy it?
Even though that “What Goes Wrong” section may read like all doom and gloom, there are XE owners out there that have never had an issue. But that doesn’t mean YOU should buy one.
The risk of things, all sorts of things going horribly wrong are just too high, as is the cost and time involved in repairing them and if the XE was some sort of immensely unique, rare and ultra special car, the potential problems might be worth the stress to your wallet and mental state.
But excluding the bonkers Project 8, the XE simply isn’t special enough.
It is a very nice car, but so is a Lexus IS, which short of the English charm, offers an incredibly similar set of skills and far less chance of things going wrong.
However, if you’re talking a near new XE with a full factory warranty, or you’re buying one because you’re a hardcore Jaguar fan and you love the idea of tinkering and fixing one as a hobby, and you’ve got money and time to burn, yes buy one but for the rest of us, sorry, it’s a no from us.
Even though that “What Goes Wrong” section may read like all doom and gloom, there are XE owners out there that have never had an issue. But that doesn’t mean YOU should buy one.
The risk of things, all sorts of things going horribly wrong are just too high, as is the cost and time involved in repairing them and if the XE was some sort of immensely unique, rare and ultra special car, the potential problems might be worth the stress to your wallet and mental state.
But excluding the bonkers Project 8, the XE simply isn’t special enough.
It is a very nice car, but so is a Lexus IS, which short of the English charm, offers an incredibly similar set of skills and far less chance of things going wrong.
However, if you’re talking a near new XE with a full factory warranty, or you’re buying one because you’re a hardcore Jaguar fan and you love the idea of tinkering and fixing one as a hobby, and you’ve got money and time to burn, yes buy one but for the rest of us, sorry, it’s a no from us.
Should you buy it?
Even though that “What Goes Wrong” section may read like all doom and gloom, there are XE owners out there that have never had an issue. But that doesn’t mean YOU should buy one.
The risk of things, all sorts of things going horribly wrong are just too high, as is the cost and time involved in repairing them and if the XE was some sort of immensely unique, rare and ultra special car, the potential problems might be worth the stress to your wallet and mental state.
But excluding the bonkers Project 8, the XE simply isn’t special enough.
It is a very nice car, but so is a Lexus IS, which short of the English charm, offers an incredibly similar set of skills and far less chance of things going wrong.
However, if you’re talking a near new XE with a full factory warranty, or you’re buying one because you’re a hardcore Jaguar fan and you love the idea of tinkering and fixing one as a hobby, and you’ve got money and time to burn, yes buy one but for the rest of us, sorry, it’s a no from us.
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Models, pricing & features
Tech specs
Body style:
4-door sedan
Engines:
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio)
3.0 litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S)
Power:
132kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
147kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport)
177kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2015-17
184kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2017-19
221kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo petrol – P300 (R-Dyanmic SE, R-Dyanmic HSE) – From 2019
250kW – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2015-17
280kW – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2017-19
Torque:
430Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
280Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport) – From 2015-17
320Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport) – From 2017-19
340Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2015-17
400Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo petrol – P300 (R-Dyanmic SE, R-Dyanmic HSE) – From 2019
365Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2017-19
450Nm – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2015-17
Transmission & drivetrains:
8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive (RWD)
8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive (AWD)
Fuel consumption:
4.2 –
Body style:
4-door sedan
Engines:
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio)
3.0 litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S)
Power:
132kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
147kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport)
177kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2015-17
184kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2017-19
221kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo petrol – P300 (R-Dyanmic SE, R-Dyanmic HSE) – From 2019
250kW – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2015-17
280kW – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2017-19
Torque:
430Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
280Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport) – From 2015-17
320Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport) – From 2017-19
340Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2015-17
400Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo petrol – P300 (R-Dyanmic SE, R-Dyanmic HSE) – From 2019
365Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2017-19
450Nm – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2015-17
Transmission & drivetrains:
8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive (RWD)
8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive (AWD)
Fuel consumption:
4.2 – 8.1L/100km
Length:
4672mm
Width:
1850mm
Height:
1416mm
Kerb weight:
1530 – 1665kg
Body style:
4-door sedan
Engines:
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio)
3.0 litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S)
Power:
132kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
147kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport)
177kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2015-17
184kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2017-19
221kW – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo petrol – P300 (R-Dyanmic SE, R-Dyanmic HSE) – From 2019
250kW – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2015-17
280kW – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2017-19
Torque:
430Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel – 20d (Prestige, R-Sport)
280Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport) – From 2015-17
320Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 20t (Prestige, R-Sport) – From 2017-19
340Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2015-17
400Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo petrol – P300 (R-Dyanmic SE, R-Dyanmic HSE) – From 2019
365Nm – 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol – 25t (Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio) – From 2017-19
450Nm – 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol – (S) – From 2015-17
Transmission & drivetrains:
8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive (RWD)
8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive (AWD)
Fuel consumption:
4.2 – 8.1L/100km
Length:
4672mm
Width:
1850mm
Height:
1416mm
Kerb weight:
1530 – 1665kg
Warranty & servicing
Warranty:
3 years/100,000kms
5 years/unlimited kms (from April 2021)
Servicing:
2 years/32,000kms
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Disclaimer
Please note that pricing information is subject to fluctuations in the automotive market.
Information correct as of February 17, 2023.
The advice provided on this website is general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs.
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