Jaguar E-Pace test drive issues

[Quartz]

I test-drove one of these yesterday, a 200 BHP petrol-engined model, and wonder if other OCUKers share my views.

Firstly, you need to understand that I am tall - 6'4" - and tall in the trunk rather than the legs. I also have long feet. My current car is a top of the range diesel 2013 Skoda Yeti.

The seat was really uncomfortable. It was a hard leather affair with a prominence just at the base of my shoulder blades.

The rear-view mirror was attached to a large assembly. Since my eye-line is near the top of the rear-view mirror, this partially blocked my vision to the forward left. Not as much as on a Maserati Ghibli, though. The rear view itself was quite small - not as clear as my Skoda Yeti - and this was evident when I tried a three-point turn, though the reversing camera helped.

The road-holding was not as good as my Yeti. I drove it on the South Deeside road and through Altens and Cove, for those who know Aberdeen.

 

[MrM]

I’ve not driven one, but to me it sounds like a good test drive, to the extent you have established it’s not the car for you due to a number of valid different points.

The lack of vision isn’t going to change, and better to find out you find seats uncomfortable on a test drive than 2 hours into a new purchase.

Time to find something that your frame is comfortable in.

 

[Bear]

My wife has one as a company car and I find the seats perfectly comfortable and I've never found the visibility out of the rear a problem as you say it has a reversing camera hers has dipping mirror so I don't look out the back window. I guess it sits taller so will not handle as well as a Yeti ? One thing I certainly don't like about the E Pace (hers is a diesel) that seemingly plagues automatic diesels is the delay in putting your foot down and it actually responding when coming off the pedal and pushing go again, that and that the power is nothing, nothing then surges. Then again the Q5 she got as a courtesy car while hers in the garage is just as bad, absolutely hateful thing.

 

[DampCat]

I have an F-Pace (2.0 RSport AWD Petrol), which I believe to be essentially the same car unless someone can tell us otherwise.

I am short, at 5'8, but I find it to be the most comfortable car I've owned. I agree about the mirror assembly, it is cumbersome, but not distracting. I just look at it and wish it had been done better.

I can't think of any major gripes, I've had it since October. The ICE display can be a little touch and go. Sometimes it just takes a while to come on, but rarely.

 

[Joe T]

I have an F-Pace (2.0 RSport AWD Petrol), which I believe to be essentially the same car unless someone can tell us otherwise.

Different platform I'm afraid.

 

[peterwalkley]

I have a friend who's your height and he swears by Volvo as the most comfortable marque for him. As @MrM put it, you've avoided an expensive mistake (card carrying Jag fan boi here btw).

 

[DampCat]

Different platform I'm afraid.

Ah.

Well then. I'll be off.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

I have an F-Pace (2.0 RSport AWD Petrol), which I believe to be essentially the same car unless someone can tell us otherwise.

I am short, at 5'8, but I find it to be the most comfortable car I've owned. I agree about the mirror assembly, it is cumbersome, but not distracting. I just look at it and wish it had been done better.

I can't think of any major gripes, I've had it since October. The ICE display can be a little touch and go. Sometimes it just takes a while to come on, but rarely.

Glad to hear car is serving you well.

F Pace is Massively different. Driveline is much better thanks to the Longitudinal engine and aluminium body unlike the E Pace on a steel tranverse (4 cylinder only) platform.

The update to E Pace, Disco Sport and Evoque is just starting to roll out with new engine mount geometry to help the driveline delay - Epace today suffers from the legacy nature of the EUCD platform and ironically when shared with Volvo.

 

[Richeh]

My mum got a brand new E-Pace HSE a week ago, however she's 5'1 so no such issues. Seats are lovely tbh but she has the Windsor leather ones. Rear view mirror is attached to a fairly large contraption but no issues with rear visibility due to reversing and 360 camera. Driving wise its much nicer than her previous car but that was a 2008 Daihatsu Terios! Maybe some of the settings weren't set correctly when you took yours for a test drive? Even though most reviews don't love the E-Pace most comment that it is at least nice to drive which is what makes me think a setting or something was incorrect on yours.

I think its a really nice car but its pretty much the only upper market car i've been in!

 

[Quartz]

The seat in the car I tested was not the same type of seat in the car in which I sat at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. That had soft seats, I believe the one I tested had R Dynamic seats.

 

[DampCat]

Glad to hear car is serving you well.

F Pace is Massively different. Driveline is much better thanks to the Longitudinal engine and aluminium body unlike the E Pace on a steel tranverse (4 cylinder only) platform.

The update to E Pace, Disco Sport and Evoque is just starting to roll out with new engine mount geometry to help the driveline delay - Epace today suffers from the legacy nature of the EUCD platform and ironically when shared with Volvo.

Ah that makes sense. I hadn't test driven the EPace as even though it's the car I wanted, we'd just had a little one and the extra space was too tempting. My sister just got the new Disco Sport and the interior just isn't as nice, although I hear it's a great car.

Probably iPace next, although the Mercedes offering looks great too.

Sorry off topic.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Disco sport has just had a facelift. Much nicer interior now.

 

[andythelandy]

My biggest frustration with all JLR products is in the gearbox delay, the 9 speed in the transverse platform being the worst culprit, however the 8 speed isn't that much better.

It's so frustrating knowing that BMW use the same gearbox but it's so much more responsive, it must all be in the software.

 

[Bear]

My biggest frustration with all JLR products is in the gearbox delay, the 9 speed in the transverse platform being the worst culprit, however the 8 speed isn't that much better.

It's so frustrating knowing that BMW use the same gearbox but it's so much more responsive, it must all be in the software.

It’s terrible on the E Pace but it certainly happens on BMWs and the Q5 I drove the other day was terrible as well. I’m almost certain it’s an auto diesel thing