Issue 62 October 2017 Village Eye

Jack worboys Drives...
Jaguar has been crawling back
from a reputation of not very
nice cars with poor reliability and
build quality for years and this
has accelerated in recent years. The
XF, a 5-Series rival got the ball rolling,
alongside the XK. Jaguar received a big
boost in popularity when they brought
out the F-Type, but now with the XE, a
3-Series rival, it is even more important
that this car is well received. It is the XE
that will have the biggest effect on the
bottom line of the business.
The XE is the first Jaguar to use the
Jaguar Land Rover modular platform
which will underpin most Jaguars
and Land Rovers. The body is mostly
Aluminium with steel used to add
strength and improve the weight
distribution.
Jaguar is known for making some very
good looking cars. The XE is still a very
good looking car, however, it is much
more toned down when compared to
cars like the F-Type. This is to allow this
‘breadwinner’ car to appeal to a wider
audience and (they hope) sell in much
bigger numbers. Inside the styling is
very Jaguar with much of the hardware
being borrowed from higher models. It
is a refreshingly minimalist interior that
looks premium without trying too hard.
The infotainment system and buttons
are intuitive to use and well laid out.
The engines in the XE consist of mostly
2.0L four cylinder petrols and diesels
at various power levels. These levels
vary from about 160 to 300
horsepower. There is also a
3.0L V6 petrol available
in the S model with 380
horsepower. The various
engines are available with
rear wheel drive or all
wheel drive, generally with
an automatic gearbox,
but there is also a manual
option available with the lower powered
diesels. The power is more than enough
to keep up with modern traffic and the
efficiency ranges from 75mpg in the
least powerful diesel to around 35mpg
in the V6 petrol.
The XE is great on the road. The car is
very refined with a comfortable ride
and a quiet, smooth drivetrain. The
controls all have a great weight and
feel and the driving experience is very
enjoyable. It is very unlikely you will find
a car in this class that you enjoy driving
more than the XE. Space is rarely vast
in this sector, and the XE is no different.
It is slightly tighter than some of the
competition in the back and in the boot,
but only by a tiny amount.
The XE starts at £28,295 and the top
models with a 2.0L engine are priced at
around £38,000. The S model is priced
from £48,045. For
business users, the lower power engine
emits less than 100g/km of CO2 which
is a great thing.
The XE is a great car, building on
the Jaguar image, but making sure it
appeals to as many people as possible.
It drives so well and competes at the
same level as the other options from
the various German companies. As to
whether you should buy one over them
is whether the Jaguar appeals to you
more than a BMW, Audi or Mercedes.
These are all very good cars with great
styling, performance, quality and
technology and most people would
be very happy with any of them. If you
are looking for something that (at the
moment) is a little rarer, or you like
the idea of owning a Jaguar then this is
definitely worth getting and you will not
be disappointed.
Jack
Half Term
Scarecrow Fun
The Mortimer Scarecrow Trail is now a firm fixture
on the calendar and every year, the groups of
families walking, cycling and scooting around the
village during half term increases! The trail will
be running across the half term holidays from 9am
on Saturday 21st October - 4pm on Sunday 29th
October. Each scarecrow has been created by
local families, schools and Screcrow
businesses and will be
on show daily from 9am to dusk.
This yearʼs theme - ʻOne of a Pairʼ - covers famous
and infamous pairs such as Beauty & the Beast,
Posh and Becks, Batman & Robin, Bonnie and
Clyde...Vote for your favourite scarecrow, be in
with a chance of winning £50 and enjoy a ʻJust For
Funʼ Quiz to test your knowledge of the pairs.
The organisers would like to say a big thank you to
the scarecrow makers without whom there would
be no scarecrow trail! Are you ready to spot some
scarecrows?
Trail maps cost just £1 and
are available from Budgens
and Dads Shop from
Thursday 19th October.
The maps contain a voucher
which can be exchanged for
certain goods in Budgens.
Please don’t leave your
car in Budgen’s car park,
though. There is plenty of
on-street parking and two
public car parks.
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Issue 62 October D 2017(Paul).indd 17 19/09/2017 17:31