Jaguar E-Pace SUV D150 FWD 5d Owner Review

I bought this car as a practical SUV rather than a luxury car. I have had two XFs in the past, so don't expect the ride to be alike. My budget was at the lower end, so this was the basic no bells version - but still good. Low sides: cheap plastic interior on dash and an annoying trim that sticks out and knobbles your knee at times. It doesn't have leather seats and I was disappointed not to find built in Sat Nav which required a screen upgrade totalling about £1300. However, I was a cheapskate looking for lower monthlies. Upsides: It does what's promised. It handles well and although a touch under-powered in normal driving mode, the flick of a switch 'Dynamic' gives you that bit of ooomph. Sticks to the corners very well and drives quietly and efficiently - over 50mpg on a normal run. It's light on it's hooves and I'm still on the original set of tyres with a few miles left at 38,000 miles. This is because it has some aluminium panels, but it still feels robust. Conclusions: The lowest priced of the range, this model beats competitors on price and performs just as well as some of the higher priced models. If you do like all the added luxuries of a Jaguar then there are other makes to try out as well, so it's less competitive. I had some problems with the manual gearbox on mine - they might be uncommon, but I would go for an auto next time. For me, it came down to price and having a new car on my budget which is practical and economical but still of a quality build to turn heads made it a good choice.