The 2018 Jaguar XE is the newest entrant into an appealing class of small sport luxury sedans. Jaguar traditionally hasn't had much to offer these shoppers before, but the XE is a fully competitive car that makes a connection to the road like few of its competitors.
The base XE is fairly basic when it comes to features, but it still offers a punchy 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission and the sharp handling for which the XE is widely praised. It also has the tech basics such as Bluetooth and an 8-inch touchscreen media interface. But it's not that great a stretch into a Premium trim, which adds auto-dimming side mirrors, driver seat and mirror memory settings, a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat, a rearview camera, and an upgraded 11-speaker Meridian sound system. Plus, the Premium offers the option of a powerful supercharged V6 engine.
Moving up to the Prestige trim starts to get into the finer details, including larger wheels, leather upholstery, heated front seats and a navigation system, as well as the optional V6 engine. It's not a bad option if you want maximum luxury without committing to the more performance-oriented R-Sport and S trims.
There's no doubt that the R-Sport is the first stage of the XE's high-performance potential. It, too, is available with the four-cylinder gasoline and four-cylinder diesel engines, but you can also skip right to the 340-hp supercharged V6, as well as features such as unique 19- or 20-inch wheels and exterior trim, adaptive xenon headlights, automatic high beams, upgraded leather upholstery and panel trim, and satellite radio. Many driver assistance aids are also standard, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and front and rear parking sensors.
The S trim is equipped similarly to the R-Sport but only offers the supercharged V6 engine, this time with 380 hp and all-wheel drive. Specific features include 19-inch wheels, enhanced leather and suedecloth upholstery, and upgraded aluminum and metal cabin accents.
For 2018, there's also a limited-run Portfolio model, equipped similarly to the S trim but showcases Jaguar's technology offerings with a navigation system, a 10-inch touchscreen interface, a 12.3-inch digital instrument/gauge display, a Wi-Fi connection, a head-up display, and a Meridian surround-sound audio system.
Options are broad and wide-ranging for the XE, typically falling into packages and a handful of stand-alone items. But this is where you can select a lower-trim XE model yet still find many of the features you want, including navigation, heated seats and driver safety aids.
Compared to other luxury small sedans, the XE isn't as nice inside, and you might be a little disappointed considering that Jag is usually known for putting together cars with rich and high-quality cabins. But once you plant that accelerator pedal and take a few turns with some spirit, you'll see what the fuss is all about. When it comes time to pick out your new XE, let Edmunds guide you to the one right for you.
Is the 2018 Jaguar XE a good car?
Edmunds experts have compiled a robust series of ratings and reviews for the 2018 Jaguar XE and all model years in our database. Our rich content includes expert reviews and recommendations for the 2018 XE featuring deep dives into trim levels and features, performance, mpg, safety, interior, and driving. Edmunds also offers expert ratings, road test and performance data, long-term road tests, first-drive reviews, video reviews and more.
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All of our reviews are written by a member of Edmunds' editorial team of expert car reviewers. Our team drives every car you can buy. We put the vehicles through rigorous testing, evaluating how they drive and comparing them in detail to their competitors.
We're also regular people like you, so we pay attention to all the different ways people use their cars every day. We want to know if there's enough room for our families and our weekend gear and whether or not our favorite drink fits in the cupholder. Our editors want to help you make the best decision on a car that fits your life.
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Edmunds has deep data on over 6 million new, used, and certified pre-owned vehicles, including rich, trim-level features and specs information like: MSRP, average price paid, warranty information (basic, drivetrain, and maintenance), features (upholstery, bluetooth, navigation, heated seating, cooled seating, cruise control, parking assistance, keyless ignition, satellite radio, folding rears seats ,run flat tires, wheel type, tire size, wheel tire, sunroof, etc.), vehicle specifications (engine cylinder count, drivetrain, engine power, engine torque, engine displacement, transmission), fuel economy (city, highway, combined, fuel capacity, range), vehicle dimensions (length, width, seating capacity, cargo space), car safety, true cost to own. Edmunds also provides tools to allow shopper to compare vehicles to similar models of their choosing by warranty, interior features, exterior features, specifications, fuel economy, vehicle dimensions, consumer rating, edmunds rating, and color
What options are available on the 2018 Jaguar XE?
Available Jaguar XE 2018 Submodel Types: Sedan, Diesel
Available Trims: 25t Premium, 20d Premium, 35t Premium, 35t Prestige, 25t Prestige, 25t, 35t R-Sport, 20d, 20d Prestige, 35t Portfolio Limited Edition, S, 25t R-Sport, 20d R-Sport
Exterior Colors: Polaris White, Ebony, Santorini Black Metallic, Ammonite Grey Metallic, Fuji White, Ultimate Black Metallic, Corris Grey Metallic, Rhodium Silver Metallic, Odyssey Red Metallic, Yulong White Metallic, Dark Sapphire Metallic, Glacier White Metallic, Storm Grey Metallic, British Racing Green Metallic, Firenze Red Metallic, Italian Racing Red Metallic, Bluefire Metallic, Ingot Metallic, Loire Blue Metallic, Narvik Black, Caesium Blue Metallic, Carpathian Grey Premium Metallic, Indus Silver Metallic
Interior Colors: Jet leatherette, Ebony w/Tonal Stitching, Latte leatherette, Light Oyster leatherette, Jet premium leather, Ebony w/Sienna Tan Stitching, Ebony w/Light Oyster Stitching, Light Oyster premium leather, Latte premium leather, Sienna Tan w/Tonal Stitching, Latte w/Ebony Stitching, Latte w/Tonal Stitching, Light Oyster w/Tonal Stitching, Ebony/Pimento Red w/Pimento Red Stitching, Pimento Red/Ebony w/Ebony Stitching
Popular Features: Alarm, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Auto Climate Control, Aux Audio Inputs, Bluetooth, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Power Driver Seat, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Sunroof/Moonroof, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, USB Inputs, Back-up camera, Heated seats, Navigation, Electronic Folding Mirrors, Fold Flat Rear Seats, AWD/4WD, Blind Spot Monitoring, Parking sensors, Upgraded Headlights, Keyless Entry/Start, Leather Seats, Lane Departure Warning, Pre-collision safety system, Cooled Seats, Power Liftgate/Trunk, Mobile Internet, Upgraded Stereo, Heads up display, 360-degree camera, Adaptive Cruise Control
Engine/Mechanics: 4, 6 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC
Fuel Types: premium unleaded (required), diesel
Drivetrains: all wheel drive, rear wheel drive
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
