2019 Jaguar F-PACE Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byDan FrioReviews Editor

　　Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to zzdcar, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.

　　

What's new

New high-performance, V8-powered SVR variantBigger fuel tank on gas-powered modelsStandard 10-inch entertainment touchscreen with new graphic layoutMore standard safety features and updated feature availabilityPart of the first-generation F-Pace introduced for 2017

　　Now in its third year of production, the Jaguar F-Pace carves out its place among luxury crossover SUVs with a wide range of abilities. You can get it with a sensible four-cylinder engine, a fuel-efficient diesel engine, or a raging supercharged V8 that makes more than 500 horsepower. The F-Pace covers wider ground than many of its rivals that provide either practicality or performance, but rarely both.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2019 Jaguar F-PACE 25t 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$195/mo  for F-PACE 25t

　　F-PACE 25t

　　25t 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $44,600 MSRP25t Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $47,000 MSRP20d Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 8A) - $48,500 MSRP30t Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $50,000 MSRP25t Prestige 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $51,600 MSRP20d Prestige 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 8A) - $53,100 MSRP30t Prestige 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $54,600 MSRP25t R-Sport 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $55,900 MSRP20d R-Sport 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 8A) - $57,400 MSRP30t R-Sport 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $58,900 MSRPS 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl S/C 8A) - $61,500 MSRP30t Portfolio 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $63,000 MSRPSVR 4dr SUV AWD (5.0L 8cyl S/C 8A) - $79,990 MSRP

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　Avg. Midsize SUV

　　For 2019, the new F-Pace SVR debuts. It's a bonkers trim level powered by a supercharged V8 and is primed for performance. It's also trimmed inside with the nicer materials that you expect from a modern Jaguar, but regrettably don't get in lower F-Pace trim levels. The other key improvement for 2019 is the wealth of tech equipment added as standard, including the previously optional 10-inch touchscreen and a handful of active driver aids such as automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are newly optional, too.

　　Other F-Pace advantages include surprisingly generous ground clearance (and a few off-roading tech toys donated from sibling Land Rover), a tow rating up to 5,291 pounds, and above-average cargo space. While its interior quality and occasionally stiff-legged ride result in a less overall refined experience than what you'd get in a Mercedes or a Porsche, the F-Pace still stands out with distinctive style and a broad range of performance potential. It's a tempting alternative to some of the more conventional choices in this segment.

　　

What's it like to live with?

For more information on the Jaguar F-Pace of this generation, read about our experiences from a full year of living with a 2017 Jaguar F-Pace 35t Prestige. We cover everything from in-car tech to fuel efficiency. The F-Pace's performance and style won many of us over, but we all took issue with its ride comfort, price and infotainment system. The 2019 F-Pace is offered with smartphone integration, an updated infotainment system, and a few driver assist systems that were not available on our long-term test vehicle, but most of our observations still apply.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

7.4 / 10

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Jaguar F-Pace 25t R-Sport (turbo 2.0L inline-4 | 8-speed automatic | AWD).

　　Note: Since this test in 2018, Jaguar has updated the F-Pace with a new Touch Pro touchscreen (with new graphics), which may alter our opinions of its interface. Our findings otherwise remain broadly the same as the 2019 F-Pace.

　　

Scorecard

Overall	7.4 / 10
Driving	7.5
Comfort	7.0
Interior	7.0
Utility	6.5
Technology	6.5

　　

Driving

7.5

　　The 25t's turbo four-cylinder delivers sufficient power for this SUV, though there's little difference between half-throttle and full throttle. Nimble handling and quick steering impart confidence and make short work of twisting roads. The Jag hides its size and weight well when hustled.

　　

Acceleration

7.0

　　Its ultimate thrust is satisfactory, even if it doesn't have the most snappy and responsive power delivery when you initially roll into the accelerator. During one hard acceleration, the F-Pace bogged hard, momentarily delivering no power. It hit 60 mph in 8.4 seconds in our testing, which is on the slow side for this segment.

　　

Braking

8.0

　　Brake pedal effort is well-executed. It's easy to modulate and brings the F-Pace to a smooth stop. Pedal travel suits casual driving. It stopped from 60 mph in 121 feet in our panic-brake testing, which is comparable to rivals.

　　

Steering

7.5

　　There's a lack of straight-ahead feel, and road feedback is minimal. But the steering is precise enough to enjoy, even in spirited driving. Steering effort is on the light side, which makes it easy to manage in daily driving.

　　

Handling

8.0

　　The F-Pace handles more like a sport sedan on curvy, tight roads. It's eager to change direction and holds its line well. But it'll get unsettled easily over bumps at speed due to an overly stiff suspension. The 20-inch wheels provide more than adequate grip and feedback for fun street driving.

　　

Drivability

8.0

　　A responsive and smooth transmission that does as it's asked makes the most of the engine's modest output. It has good logic when driving up a grade, too. The transmission proactively downshifts one or two gears to keep accelerator response lively.

　　

Off-road

7.5

　　The F-Pace handles soft roads well. It's certainly no rock crawler, but it can tackle gravel and rocky surfaces easily with its all-wheel-drive system and decent ground clearance. All-Surface Progress Control includes hill descent, and it deals well with the conditions a regular owner would encounter.

　　

Comfort

7.0

　　The 20-inch wheels tame some of the harshness we experienced during an earlier S model test, but the F-Pace's suspension could still be refined for more ride comfort. The seats provide very good all-around comfort, but the four-cylinder engine vibrates noticeably at idle.

　　

Seat comfort

8.0

　　The front seats are 10-way adjustable with firm, but not uncomfortably hard, cushions. They'll sustain you for hours on end in the saddle. The rear seatbacks are set at a good angle with similar cushion support. Heated and ventilated front seats work as expected.

　　

Ride comfort

5.5

　　Small bumps readily make their way to the driver; big ones are dealt with reasonably well. The constantly fidgety ride is puzzling. The top-spec R-Sport trim's 20-inch wheels probably contribute to this stiff-legged character, an area that needs attention in the F-Pace.

　　

Noise & vibration

6.5

　　At idle, the 30t engine vibration is very prominent but only at idle. Under power, it pulls smoothly. It's not too loud either, but it sounds … meh. The tires patter audibly on impacts, but road and wind noise is otherwise admirably limited on many road surfaces.

　　

Climate control

7.0

　　Unfortunately, big, well-labeled buttons all feel similar and can't be operated by feel alone. In auto mode, the temperature in the cabin seems to vary considerably relative to its set point. There's good cabin coverage from the air vents.

　　

Interior

7.0

　　With a somewhat sport-oriented nature, the F-Pace makes concessions to some of the more hospitable qualities of a midsize SUV. It's accommodating overall, and we think most buyers in the market for a vehicle like this will find it agreeable.

　　

Ease of use

7.0

　　One real ergonomic oddity is the placement for the window controls, which sit atop the high doorsills like a Land Rover's. The steering wheel controls for cruise control and menu navigation are chunky and intuitive but occasionally unresponsive. The seat heat/vent controls on screen require too much attention.

　　

Getting in/getting out

6.5

　　The sloping windshield pillar cuts into the front door head clearance, so taller folks may need to duck on the way in or out. The F-Pace sits relatively low for an SUV, positioning the seats at a good level. Oddly, though, the sill step-over is a little high.

　　

Driving position

7.5

　　The driving position is comfortable with a good amount of seat and steering wheel adjustment. But the seat may not range low enough for those with an especially long torso. You sit in the F-Pace rather than on it, which makes for a sporty working environment.

　　

Roominess

7.5

　　Head- and legroom are reasonable, but the cockpit-style layout wraps around the driver and passenger in a way that makes the cabin feel smaller than it looks from outside. The accommodating rear passenger space offers lots of headroom and is suitable for three adults.

　　

Visibility

7.0

　　Forward visibility benefits from the large windows and well-positioned side mirrors. Available in-windshield defroster lines obscure the view. Rear visibility is compromised by a short rear window and headrests that partially obstruct the view. The rear three-quarter windows and driver aids help with blind spots.

　　

Quality

6.5

　　The F-Pace's interior may appear delightful, but its tactile quality falls a little short in this segment. Upper trims cover the dash in simulated leather, which goes a long way toward achieving a suitably luxurious ambiance. Without it, this is a very unremarkable cabin.

　　

Utility

6.5

　　The F-Pace proves that a sport-leaning SUV can also be surprisingly practical. Highlights include a generous cargo area (be warned that the full-size spare erodes cargo volume) and a towing capacity of nearly 5,300 pounds. Cat imitates workhorse. Its in-cabin storage could be better.

　　

Small-item storage

6.5

　　There are some creative nooks for small-item storage, though most aren't big enough to be useful. The center armrest and glovebox are best for personal effects, but nothing is remarkably space-efficient.

　　

Cargo space

8.0

　　Our test car had the optional full-size spare, which eats up space, raises the floor and is incompatible with many cargo area accessories. Without it, the F-Pace is one of the roomiest in its segment. The rear seats fold easily and lie nearly flat, and sliding tie-down points are solid and look good.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

8.0

　　LATCH anchors are very easy to access. Four anchors reside at the rear edge of the backseat cushion under pop-off covers, and there are three top-tether anchors on the rear of the seatbacks.

　　

Towing

9.0

　　The F-Pace impresses with a max towing capacity of 5,290 pounds, a solid number in this category and one that surpasses competitors.

　　

Technology

6.5

　　The F-Pace's technological strengths rest on its well-sorted driver aids, but it falls a little short of the competition with an average navigation system interface and clunky smartphone integration.

　　

Audio & navigation

6.0

　　Navigation is logical to operate but offers nothing special and doesn't allow for single-line address entry (think Google Maps). It uses the old ZIP code/street/number process. The map screen also defaults to your direction of travel, even after changing to North/Up, which is frustrating.

　　

Smartphone integration

　　The interface is nice and easy to navigate, but the system fails to provide consistent control to a smartphone. Songs are missing, commands are nonresponsive, and sometimes songs are repeated. Thankfully, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are new options for 2019.

　　

Driver aids

7.5

　　The active cruise control is better than other systems, but not the best we've seen. Forward collision alert and lane keeping assist work well, once adjusted properly for sensitivity. The colorful head-up display shows a lot of information and is somewhat visible even in daytime with sunglasses on.

　　

Voice control

6.5

　　The native system will execute commands related to music and Bluetooth phone commands — we have yet to test its navigation abilities. As we experienced, the voice recognition works well and provides prompts to follow.

　　

Which F-PACE does zzdcar recommend?

　　The four-cylinder engines are fine, especially if you're mostly attracted to the F-Pace's style. However, this SUV skews toward the performance side of things. To experience it at its best, we'd recommend the S trim and its 380-hp supercharged V6. Its extra features and cost may seem like overkill, but the V6's power and glorious sound make it worth it during every encounter with an open highway on-ramp or empty stretch of winding road.

　　

2019 Jaguar F-PACE models

　　The 2019 Jaguar F-Pace is a five-passenger SUV available in seven trim levels: base, Premium, Prestige, Portfolio, R-Sport, S and SVR. That's not all: The F-Pace also offers four different engines.

　　The 25t is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder good for 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. The 30t version of this same engine makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The 20d and its turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel (180 hp, 318 lb-ft) offer maximum fuel economy. Then the S trim level uses a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine (380 hp, 332 lb-ft), while the new SVR trim offers a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 (550 hp, 502 lb-ft). Engine availability varies by trim level, but all F-Paces come equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

　　The base F-Pace starts you off with 18-inch wheels, a power liftgate, rear privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof, heated mirrors, automatic wipers, selectable drive modes, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front seats, a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat, simulated-leather (Luxtec) upholstery and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

　　For technology, there's a 10-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a USB port, and an 11-speaker Meridian sound system with HD radio. Active driver aids include a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, a drowsy driver monitoring system, and front and rear parking sensors. Jaguar's InControl remote vehicle controls and emergency communication services are also included.

　　The Premium trim adds 19-inch wheels, power-folding and auto-dimming side mirrors, and driver-seat memory settings. An optional Drive package includes stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and higher-speed emergency braking,

　　Both base and Premium F-Pace models can be optioned with a Cold Climate package that adds heated front and rear seats, a heated windshield, heated washer jets and a heated steering wheel. They can also be equipped with a number of technology upgrades: a navigation system, Jaguar's InControl apps (smartphone-linked apps accessible from the F-Pace touchscreen), Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

　　The F-Pace Prestige includes most of the above equipment plus a different 19-inch wheel design, xenon headlights, headlight washers, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated power-adjustable steering wheel, Luxtec-wrapped dash panel, a folding rear armrest, ambient cabin lighting, and the Premium's technology upgrade options listed above.

　　Options for the Prestige trim include the Comfort and Convenience package, which adds ventilated front seats, heated and power-reclining rear seats, and a hands-free liftgate. The Drive package is also available, but the Driver Assist package does one better, adding adaptive cruise control with steering assist, a surround-view camera, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree parking sensors, and an automated parking system.

　　Other packages include the Technology package, which brings a customizable driver display, a CD player and a 17-speaker surround-sound system, and the Adaptive Dynamics package, which adds an adaptive suspension and a special drive mode to optimize grip in challenging road conditions.

　　An optional Black Exterior package available for both Premium and Prestige trims adds a gloss black finish to the exterior side vents, window surrounds and front grille.

　　Moving up to the R-Sport builds on Prestige features with 20-inch wheels, special R-Sport bumpers and styling elements, foglights, adaptive LED headlights (optional Prestige), automatic high beams, more aggressively bolstered front seats with power-adjustable thigh support, a soft-grain leather-wrapped steering wheel, paddle shifters and satellite radio.

　　The S trim is similarly equipped to the R-Sport but switches to the 380-hp V6 engine. It also includes the features from the Adaptive Dynamics package and adds a black headliner and red brake calipers as finishing garnishes.

　　Both R-Sport and S trims can tack on the Comfort and Convenience package, the Technology package, and a sport seat package with 14-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front sport seats and heated rear seats.

　　The new-for-2019 SVR trim includes the 5.0-liter V8 engine, stronger brakes, active exhaust, 21-inch wheels, quilted leather upholstery, the sport seat package, the Comfort and Convenience package items, a customizable driver display, and a 360-degree parking camera system.

　　R-Sport, S and SVR trims can opt for the Luxury Interior package, which offers four-zone automatic climate control with an air quality sensor, additional rear-seat air vents and power sockets, upgraded carpets and headliner, 10-color interior ambient lighting and a cooled glove compartment. All three trims can also opt for the Drive and Driver Assist packages.

　　The Portfolio is something of a side path on the F-Pace trim ladder. It's not the highest performance trim — that would be the new SVR — but it might be the most luxurious. The Portfolio is only available with the 25t engine and offers other exclusive features, including 20-way adjustable seats, Windsor leather upholstery, unique trim details (aluminum accent plates, silver roof rails), and the contents of the Luxury Interior package.

　　There are also a handful of stand-alone options for various F-Pace trims, including roof rails, a tow hitch receiver, wood veneers and an Activity Key, which is a waterproof bracelet that allows you to unlock the car with the key still inside. You can also order 22-inch wheels, although we'd advise against them in the interests of ride quality.

　　Jump to:Related 2019 F-PACE articles

　　

2019 F-PACE Highlights

Type: SVRSUVDieselSUV

　　Trim: 25t25t Premium20d Premium30t Premium25t Prestige20d Prestige30t Prestige25t R-Sport20d R-Sport30t R-SportS30t PortfolioSVR25t

　　

Base MSRP	$44,600
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	24 MPG
Cost to Drive	$195/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	33.5 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles