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2018 Jaguar XE 25T AWD
On Saturday, I picked up my new daily driver - a 2018 Jaguar XE. I had been considering running the '10 Cadillac CTS 4 another 3 or 4 years as it has really been a good car, but the timing would have coincided with the intended replacement of our '07 Suburban. That was enough justification for me to put the Cadillac up for sale and pull the trigger on a new car. I generally purchase either pre-owned or wreck and rebuilds, but this time it was going to be something new. Around a month ago, we stopped off at Jaguar Harrisburg to look at the XE's and XF's. There were several XE's, but no XF's on the lot at the time. We chatted with a salesperson and he took us for a spin in a low mile XE. I declined the opportunity to drive and was content just being a passenger.
I had no idea that the Cadillac would be sold to the first person I offered it to around 2 weeks later. That left us with one 4WD vehicle in the middle of this never ending winter - not smart, but we got by. Over the phone and computer, I picked out this Premium XE which has the cold weather package, all wheel drive, and the Meridian sound system. I plunked down a deposit and after a hassle free transaction drove it for the first time when I left the dealer lot Saturday morning. The car is super tight and all I can say about the handling is that it is truly a driver's car. The technology this thing has was a bit daunting for an old fart like me and it took me 3 times through the owner's manual to get a handle on everything. I downloaded the Jaguar App on my phone and now have a bunch of cool features for remote car control and monitoring. I am eager to try out the All Surface Progress Control next time the roads get nasty and once it is broken in will engage the sport and dynamic modes to see what it does.
The 25T is the four cylinder turbo version with an 8 speed transmission that makes 247 hp at 5,500 rpm and 269 lb.ft. of torque way down low in the rev range at 1,200 rpm. It is 500 pounds lighter and over a second faster in the sprint to 60 mph than my Cadillac. The interior dimensions are a bit smaller, but for a little guy like me it is a perfect fit. I opted for a version without all the driver aid bullshit -- no lane keeping, automatic braking, adaptive cruise or any of that crap. I have no desire for a car with self-driving features built for today's age of short attention spans and distracted drivers. The ride is tight, quiet and very comfortable with a well laid out interior and controls. I am still getting accustomed to the touch screen and all that it does - it is our first car equipped with this feature. I did purchase factory splash guards which I mounted on Sunday and touch up paint. I also bought Weather Tech mats for the interior and have a trunk mat on the way for it.
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As noted above, this is our first car with actual "connectivity". I have been enjoying the ability to download music to my phone through Amazon Music and then play it through Bluetooth. I have noticed though that sometimes my phone will automatically connect when I start the car and other times I have to go in and manually connect. Is this normal when a phone is paired to a car? I have also noticed that sometimes the infotainment system is up and running quickly and other times it seems to take a minute to light up the main screen and become usable. Other than that, it has been glitch free and operates instantaneously when I flip through all the different features.
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2018 Jaguar XE 25T AWD
your phone is dated if my memory serves me right... could be the reason for pairing problems
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That absolutely could be the issue. And no, I refuse to upgrade. I do not need a phone the size of my briefcase. :D
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Watch a How it's made show on Jaguar - Did you know that their aluminum bodies are not welded together? Held together by glue and rivets, no spot welds at all. It was an interesting process to watch.
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Hope she holds together! :D
The car actually "feels" lighter than the Cadillac.
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The cool thing about it was the rivets. They flush mount so there's no rise to hide with body filler or have them stick out.
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Bummed. The rear wheel flare on the rocker panels is taking a beating even with the splash guards that I installed. I ordered a 6" roll of 3M chip guard and applied a strip on each side last night. I will have to get some wider material eventually in order to extend the chip guard up to the body line between the rocker panel and quarter panel. Considering having Xpel applied to the front of the car but the only area installer is a business that I have zero familiarity with.
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Is there anyone in the area that does vehicle wraps? I am sure they could apply it. Did you get to take the car out in the nice weather and really test it? I here you about the tech in cars today. It is much easier to find and turn a knob then find a function on a menu on a screen and try to push it while driving.
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After watching some vids and applying the film on the rocker panels, it does not appear all that difficult to do. I would certainly attempt it myself before handing the car over to some unknowns. We're in the sticks of northcentral PA and there just isn't anything in our area.
I have another 850 or so miles to go before we are done with the recommended break in. After that, I'll click it over to sport mode and play a bit. I did engage the rain/ice/snow mode yesterday during heavy rains and turned on the All Surface Information (ASI) screen to see what it would do. This mode put more power to the front wheels, dropped the torque down - especially when starting out, and softened the shifts. It felt way strange, but on a slippery road surface it is exactly what you would want from the car.
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All that applying the film takes is some soapy water, a squeegee, and maybe a heat gun. With a little patience it can be done by anyone handy. The hardest part will be getting it to conform around any tight compound curves.
Does the car have all season tires?
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Yes, but they seem to be pretty grippy. Best recollection is that they are Continental ProContacts.
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Looks awesome in the photos Jeff. I have only seem it in person one time driving by the office. Hopefully I can see it up close soon.
My 2013 F150 has bluetooth, my phone usually connects instantly unless it has been awhile. Which, since I 'stretch' its legs once every month it seems, I usually need to re-connect. Girlfriend's phone is also programmed in though, that could be another reason why.
I'm decent with window tinting, but I have not tried paint protection. Certainly don't want to on a brand new car lol. We have some vehicle wrap people somewhat nearby. The best reputation I know of would be a buddy of mine named Tony Musto who owns Sik Wrapz & Tintz in Horseheads NY. The ghetto store name sounds deterring, but he does fantastic work for our local limited area and he does use 3M products. He does not have a website, but uses a FaceBook and Instagram page. Phone and address easily found on Google.
With my fantasy of someday relocating to the 717 area, there is a place down way of Harrisburg ( south west of harrisburg, and east of Camp Hill ) called InShane Designs, which is featured all over YouTube and at car shows down that way. They do top tier work. They Xpel many of brand new Corvettes and McLarens, Lamborghini's, very professional service.
https://www.inshanedesigns.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi0Z_5wo-Jk
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Good info. I will have to look up the place in Horseheads. My connectivity speed seems to vary. It's the first time I have owned a car with this feature so not sure how it compares to others. I finally surpassed the 2,000 mile break in and kicked it into Sport Mode on Thursday. Definitely a quicker car than the Caddie and I am still way impressed by how it handles.
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2018 Jaguar XE 25T AWD
Jeff, Tony's work could be seen Last summer at the cruise in. there was a pewter trans am and bright green vette that always traveled together from NY. the Vette was wrapped.
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Went over to Coudersport yesterday for a divorce conference. On the ride back, there is a nice stretch of road on the way into Wellsboro that winds up a mountain. With zero traffic, I flipped all the fun buttons to "on" and hammered up the hill. Best damn handling DD that I have ever owned -- 35 mph corners at 70 plus. The only thing keeping the speedometer south of triple digits on the straight stretches was a little voice in the back of my head. Even after the hammer session, I rolled into my office parking lot with a trip average of 34.0 mpg. I do love this car.
