Jaguar F-Pace review

The Jaguar F-Pace is a stunning premium SUV that’s fantastic to drive, hugely practical, and comes with a seriously desirable badge.

Jaguar F-Pace driving
Jaguar F-Pace summary
4.0 / 5 review score
Author Charlie Harvey

Author: Charlie Harvey

18th Dec 20259 mins read

When Jaguar finally decided to build an SUV, they did it in style. The F-Pace arrived in 2015 and immediately became one of the best-looking and best-to-drive cars in its class. Taking design cues from the gorgeous F-Type sports car, the F-Pace proved that a practical family car could also be exciting and full of character. It was exactly the right car at the right time for the British brand. Described by Jaguar as "an SUV for those who love to drive," the F-Pace really lives up to that promise. It feels agile and engaging, making it a brilliant choice for anyone who wants a family car but doesn't want to compromise on driving fun. It’s also a genuinely practical and luxurious car, with a spacious interior and a huge boot. It’s a fantastic all-rounder that combines style, performance, and practicality in one very desirable package.

Pros

  • Absolutely stunning looks, inspired by the F-Type sports car
  • Brilliantly agile and fun to drive for an SUV
  • Great choice of powerful and efficient engines

Cons

  • Top-of-the-range models can get very expensive
  • The interior quality is a bit disappointing in places
  • Jaguar's reliability record isn't the best

Interior

Jaguar F-Pace interior

Dashboard & tech

The cabin of the F-Pace is a stylish and upmarket place to be. You get a real sense of occasion, with a driver-focused layout and plenty of leather trim. The centrepiece of the dashboard is a large 10-inch 'InControl' touchscreen, which looks great and handles all your media, phone, and navigation needs.

It's a classy design, but it’s slightly let down by some of the material choices. While the main touchpoints feel suitably premium, you will find a few cheaper-feeling plastics that you might not expect in a car at this price point. It doesn't feel quite as solidly built as its German rivals, but it’s still a lovely environment for any journey.

Comfort

The F-Pace puts a big focus on sporty handling, and the trade-off for this is a ride that can be quite firm, especially on models with larger alloy wheels. It’s not uncomfortable, but you will feel more of the bumps and imperfections in the road compared to softer rivals like the Audi Q5.

That said, the seats are very comfortable and supportive, which is great for long journeys. It’s also a quiet and refined car on the motorway, making it a fantastic long-distance cruiser. If you value a sporty feel, you’ll love the F-Pace, but if a pillowy-soft ride is your top priority, you might want to look elsewhere.

Quality

The F-Pace has a premium badge and a premium price tag, and for the most part, the interior lives up to this. The leather upholstery is lovely, and the overall design is very sophisticated. However, it doesn't quite match the bulletproof build quality of rivals from Audi and BMW.

As we mentioned, some of the plastics feel a bit disappointing, and the overall fit and finish aren't quite as flawless as you'd find in the best German SUVs. Jaguar’s reliability record has also been a bit patchy in the past, with some owners reporting issues with electrics, which is something to be aware of.

Practicality & boot space

Jaguar F-Pace boot

Interior space

While the F-Pace is great to drive, Jaguar hasn't forgotten that it needs to be a practical family car. The interior is very spacious, with wide-opening doors and a high ride height that makes it easy to get in and out of, and simple to fit child seats.

There's plenty of legroom and headroom in the back for all but the very tallest adults, so there will be few complaints from passengers on long journeys. The only thing that might reduce headroom slightly is the optional panoramic sunroof, so it's worth checking if you plan on carrying tall people in the back regularly.

Boot space

This is a huge strength for the F-Pace. At 650 litres, the boot is enormous and significantly bigger than what you'll find in an Audi Q5 or BMW X3. It’s a huge, well-shaped space that will easily swallow family holiday luggage, a couple of buggies, or a full set of golf clubs with room to spare.

If you need to carry even bigger loads, the rear seats fold down to create a vast 1,740-litre load bay. The boot floor is flat, and there's no load lip, which makes it really easy to slide heavy items in and out. It’s one of the most practical boots in its class.

Driving

Jaguar F-Pace side profile

Driving experience

This is where the F-Pace leaves most of its rivals behind. It’s a car that was designed to be fun, and it really delivers. The steering is accurate and well-weighted, and the car feels surprisingly agile and light on its feet for a big SUV. There’s very little body lean in corners, and it feels composed and engaging on a twisty road.

It really does feel like a sports saloon from behind the wheel, which is a remarkable achievement. All-wheel drive is standard on most models, providing excellent grip and security in all weather conditions. It’s a brilliant car for anyone who needs the space of an SUV but still wants to enjoy their driving.

Performance

There is a generous range of powerful petrol and diesel engines to choose from, so there's an F-Pace to suit everyone. The diesel range is very popular, with the 2.0-litre engine being the most common choice. It’s available in a few power outputs, with the 178bhp version offering a good blend of performance and economy. For more power, there's a fantastic 3.0-litre V6 diesel.

The petrol engine range is focused on performance, with powerful 2.0-litre and V6 options. For those who want ultimate performance, the incredible F-Pace SVR features a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine that delivers supercar-like acceleration and an amazing soundtrack.

Running costs

Fuel economy & CO2 emissions

The diesel engines are the most economical choice. The 2.0-litre diesel engines can officially return between 43mpg and 50mpg, which is very respectable for a large, powerful SUV. The petrol engines are much thirstier, with economy figures in the low 30s. The V8-powered SVR model is, as you’d expect, very costly to run.

One thing to be aware of is that any F-Pace with a list price of over £40,000 when new will be subject to a higher rate of road tax for the first five years of its life, which can add a significant amount to your annual running costs.

Value for money

The F-Pace is priced very competitively against its main rivals from Germany. It also holds its value very well, thanks to its desirable badge and stunning looks. This strong demand means you won’t lose as much money over time as you might with some other cars, which is great news for owners. You can find some great deals on used models, especially on the less sporty trim levels.

Reliability & Warranty

Jaguar's reliability reputation isn't as strong as some of its rivals, and some F-Pace owners have reported issues, particularly with the car's complex electrical systems. However, from new, all Jaguars come with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, which is better than the mileage cap offered by some German brands and gives good peace of mind when buying a nearly-new model.

Safety

Safety features

The Jaguar F-Pace is a very safe car. It was awarded the maximum five-star rating when it was crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP in 2017, scoring highly in all categories.

All models come with an impressive amount of standard safety equipment, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, a driver attention alert, and traffic sign recognition. You also get front and rear parking sensors to help with manoeuvring the big SUV into tight spaces.

Trims & Engines

Jaguar F-Pace rear

Trim levels

The F-Pace is available in a range of well-equipped trim levels.

Prestige: The entry-level model is generously equipped with leather upholstery, heated front seats, the 10-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, and an electric tailgate.

Portfolio: This trim adds more luxurious features, such as higher-grade Windsor leather and more interior ambient lighting options.

R-Sport: A hugely popular trim that gives the F-Pace a much sportier look. It comes with a full body kit, larger alloy wheels, and sports seats.

S: This high-performance model comes with the powerful V6 engine and adds even more aggressive styling and adaptive suspension for sharper handling.

SVR: The ultimate F-Pace. This model gets the mighty V8 engine, a unique and aggressive body kit, an active sports exhaust, and a host of performance upgrades.

Engines

There’s a wide choice of excellent petrol and diesel engines, with most models coming with an automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive.

2.0-litre Diesel: Available with 161bhp, 178bhp, or as a twin-turbo with 237bhp. The 178bhp version is the sweet spot for most buyers.3.0-litre V6 Diesel: A powerful and silky-smooth 296bhp engine that offers fantastic performance.2.0-litre Petrol: Available with 247bhp or 296bhp, offering strong performance.5.0-litre V8 Petrol: Found only in the SVR model, this supercharged engine produces an incredible 542bhp.

Browse used Jaguar F-Pace cars for sale