At $5,500, Is This 2018 Jaguar XE 2.5T Premium An Unexpected Bargain?

While it looks good, the seller of today's Nice Price or No Dice Jag XE describes it mechanically as only fair, specifically in need of a serious brake job. That's expensive at the dealer, but probably doable in the driveway. Let's see if this cat is priced to make us want to roll up our collective sleeves.

In his 1978 novel, 'What Dreams May Come,' Richard Matheson creates an afterlife where rules dictate how an individual exists post-passing depending upon how they kicked the bucket. Told in manuscript form (as dictated to a psychic), the story follows a man who has died in a car accident, journeying from a bucolic afterlife to literal hell to be with his wife. She has been condemned (again, rules) for having taken her own life out of grief for her absent husband. He chooses to stay with her out of love, facing the possibility of losing his mind as she has. Eventually, it all works out, and both are reborn, without memories of their past lives.

It would take that level of devotion and dedication to take on ownership of the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI we considered on Wednesday. Monumentally complicated and likely very expensive to maintain, only a few of you thought it worth the effort at the car's $19,999 asking price. An 80% 'No Dice' loss proved it was much easier to pass by and move on with life.

Speaking of life, what the heck is going on with Great Britain's Jaguar marque these days? The company stopped selling cars here in the U.S. entirely last year, and since then has only threatened to re-enter the market once it finishes up its latest creation, an all-electric super saloon that only the uber-wealthy will be able to afford. What then is to be done currently for cat fanciers of more modest means?

Fortunately, there are a number of used Jags on the market, and today's 2017 XE 2.5T Premium is one I'll bet many of you totally forgot even existed. The XE, which looks like an XF that someone left in the dryer too long, was Jaguar's last attempt at hitting the sweet spot of the executive compact sedan market, long lorded over by BMW's 3 Series. 

The model was a technological tour de force, featuring a bonded and riveted monocoque structure made of aluminum (or, aluminium to you Brits) with either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive available and a choice of gas or diesel engines under the bonnet. The model had a good run: introduced in 2015 and carried through until its discontinuation in 2024 as part of Jag's general model culling. Over that span, the XE only sold a little over 160,000 units globally.

While early editions of the XE were powered by 2-liter EcoBoost fours bought from Ford, Jaguar introduced its own 2.0-liter inline four, in petrol and diesel forms, for the 2018 model year. Dubbed the "Ingenium," that engine uses the Multiair electrohydraulic intake valve technology licensed from Fiat. It also has a turbocharger and intercooler, which helps it achieve a solid 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. That's paired with a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic, and, on this particular XE, all-wheel drive, co-developed with sister brand Land Rover.

That drivetrain has pushed this black-on-black XE to a claimed 147,689 miles, although, based on the pictures in the ad, it doesn't telegraph that it's done even half that many. According to the seller, the car has never been smoked in, nor has it ever seen a pet. The exterior has an expected number of blemishes, but is overall in nice shape. The tires appear to have plenty of tread and don't seem to be wearing unevenly. There are, however, some issues that might give us pause, unless the car is priced right.

Anyone buying a Jag has to understand that they are signing on to something other than a Toyota Camry experience. Jags, by their nature, are less reliable than average and will require some investment in time and moolah to keep them happy and humming. To minimize the pain, the rule of thumb is to buy the best example one can find. This might not be the best example, but we'll get to that in a moment. First, however, a bit of this car's recent history and some cautions. 

The seller–which is a dealer, not a private party–helpfully provides the Jag's VIN in the ad. Looking that up reveals that this car was purchased at a Copart auction in February. It has a clean title, and the auction listing describes its primary damage as "Normal wear," so it's not a chop shop special. 

That being said, while it cleaned up nicely (check out how dusty it was in the auction pics), it's got a couple of mechanical issues that could spell trouble. First off, the ad claims the car needs its brakes serviced, and says that's around $800 to fix. It then, somewhat cryptically, states that, mechanically, the car is only in fair condition. The seller assures buyers that the turbo spins and invites test drives to confirm the car's condition, but those are still red flags for any prospective new owner.

With such cautions floating in the air surrounding this Jag, it better be dang cheap to compensate, right? Well, this one is dang cheap. The asking price is $5,500, and that's well under the $8,640 the seller shows Carfax thinks the car might be worth. The question, though, is whether you all agree.

What do you think, is this junior-sized Jag worth the gamble of needing brakes and whatever else might be lurking below the surface of its otherwise decent-looking skin? Or, like the company did just a couple of years back, would you abandon this XE even at that discounted price?

You decide!

Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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