Used Jaguar F-Pace 2016-present review

While most of its premium-badged rivals had been busy attracting new customers with their large SUVs for what seemed like a hundred years, Jaguar was a little late to the party.

Indeed, it took until 2016 before the British company started making up for lost time with, first of all, this striking Jaguar F-Pace large SUV, then the smaller and equally handsome E-Pace, and finally the innovative and all-electric I-Pace.

Engines: There is an engine to suit most needs in the early F-Pace range, from a relatively frugal four-cylinder diesel with either 178 or 237bhp; a refined 296bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel, a perky 247bhp 2.0-litre petrol, a rapid 375bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol, and a bonkers 542bhp 5.0-litre V8 petrol in the F-Pace SVR. The range was heavily updated in 2021.

You can have an early F-Pace with rear-wheel drive to save on weight and cost, or one with an all-wheel-drive system. Having said that, this system is only part-time since it spends most of its time powering the rear wheels of the F-Pace, with only the front wheels coming into play when needed. This means that while there is a little bit of a fuel economy penalty by having this extra off-road capability, it has been reduced to only a few miles per gallon.

Trims and equipment: There are four trim levels to choose from, split into two categories - Luxury and Sport. Luxury-trimmed Prestige models come with 18in alloy wheels, satin chrome roof rails, chrome exterior detailing, a powered tailgate, leather upholstery and ambient interior lighting as standard. Opting for the Portfolio trim adds 19in alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, xenon headlights, auto-dimming and power-folding wing mirrors, Windsor leather upholstery, 10-way electrically adjustable front seats, keyless entry, a rear-view camera and a 380W Meridian sound system.

R-Sport trim heads up the Sport range, kitting the F-Pace out in 19in alloys, a sporty body kit, satin black exterior details, gloss black roof rails, xenon headlights, sports seats and satin chrome paddle shifters. The range-topping S model, which is only available with the 3.0-litre V6 engine, gets 20in alloy wheels, adaptive suspension, bigger front brake discs, red brake calipers, heated front screen and washer jets, 10-way electrically adjustable seats, keyless entry, a rear view camera and a 380W Meridian sound system.

Dominating the centre of the dashboard is Jaguar's InControl infotainment system, which comes with an 8.0in touchscreen display surrounded by traditional physical shortcut keys, a DAB radio, sat-nav, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone integration and a wi-fi hotspot.

Upgrade to the InControl Pro system and you'll get a 10.2in touchscreen system complete with a more advanced sat-nav system, a Meridian sound system, 10GB of on-board storage, various Jaguar online services and a customisable 12.3in digital instrument cluster.

Ride and handling: But it's the way it drives that Jaguar hopes set the F-Pace apart. This is in part due to the lightweight construction, but it is also due to having underpinnings which have quite a lot in common with Jaguar’s XE and XF saloons; both of which have been applauded for having superb handling. The F-Pace doesn’t disappoint here either because it genuinely feels like a hot-hatch on stilts: it can flow through bends better than any SUV this side of a Porsche Macan. It’s only the tightest of bends that will remind you that you are driving a taller vehicle.

For most of the time, the 2.0-litre diesel does all you could want. However, the V6 diesel offers a more relaxing driving experience. The V6 supercharged petrol sounds great and is seriously rapid, while the lesser four-cylinder petrol is smooth but doesn't have as much punch low-down as the equivalent diesels.

Interior and practicality: Inside is a commanding driving position with plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel and seat. Visibility is good, at least to the front and the sides, and there's plenty of space up front. Two rear-seat passengers get plenty of head and leg room, although adding a third passenger limits shoulder room somewhat.

Usable boot space is as good as rivals such as the Land Rover Discovery Sport and a BMW X3 since you can get a couple of large suitcases in there with ease. If you have a young family, the buggy will go in there too.

Facelift: To keep it competitive, the F-Pace was treated to a mid-life refresh in 2021, with super-slim front and rear LED lights, re-profiled bodywork, a larger grille and, best of all, a heavily revised interior that resembles the one in the Jaguar XF saloon.

There's also a refreshed engine line-up that includes a range of mild hybrid petrols and diesels, along with a full plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). There's a 247bhp 2.0 P250, a 395bhp 3.0 P400, a 399bhp 2.0 plug-in hybrid P400e, a 201bhp 2.0-litre diesel and a 296bhp 3.0 D300 diesel.

Trims were revised, too. The entry-level F-Pace (it's simply called F-Pace) is not stingy on standard kit. It comes with LED headlights, eight-way part-electrically adjustable front seats, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera, but you also get cruise control, a heated steering wheel, a heated windscreen, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, two-zone climate control, power-folding door mirrors and 19in alloy wheels.

The S trim adds a powered tailgate and leather seats. Higher trims, such as SE, add luxuries such as keyless entry, while the popular and sporty-looking R-Dynamic models have more aggressive styling and sports seats.

If you're interested in finding a used F-Pace, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Prices for a Jaguar F-Pace start at around £16,000 for an early 2.0-litre diesel version with a manual gearbox, or for a more luxurious version with a higher mileage. Spend between £20,000 and £22,000 for an average mileage car from 2017 or 2018, bought from an independent dealer, while £25,000 to £30,000 will net you a 2019 car from a franchised dealer. Expect to spend between £32,000 and £36,000 on a 2020, or possibly even a 2021, car. For post-facelift 2022 cars you'll need in excess of £36,000, up to £45,000 for a 2023 model.

Check the value of a used Jaguar F-Pace with What Car? Valuations

MPG

It’s a mixed bag because some engines are quite efficient and some are the antithesis of frugal. To start with, there’s a rear-wheel-drive version equipped with a 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine and a manual gearbox that has a combined figure of 57.7mpg under the older NEDC tests (47.9mpg under the current WLTP cycle). The all-wheel-drive version of the same model is a little less efficient at 54.3mpg. Going for the more powerful 237bhp version drops fuel economy to 42.1mpg.

Things are a little pricier once you get into the V6 engine range. The 3.0-litre diesel has a combined consumption of 37.9mpg under the WLTP tests.

The 2.0-litre petrol isn’t particularly frugal with a combined figure of 38.2mpg, or 30.7mpg under the WLTP tests, and then there is the supercharged, 3.0-litre petrol with a combined average of 31.7mpg (less if you exploit its 375bhp power reserves). Mind, it's not as bad as the 5.0-litre V8 at a mere 23.7mpg.

CO2 emissions

Not all engines were available before the 1 April 2017 changeover in how car tax is calculated, so we're only looking at the ones that were here. The 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel has the lowest emissions of 129g/km for the rear-wheel drive model or 139g/km with all-wheel drive. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel emits 159g/km, while the 3.0-litre V6 petrol chucks out 209g/km.

Road tax

If you are looking at an F-Pace that was registered after 1 April 2017, you'll pay the currently flat rate fee (£180 a year and £170 a year for hybrids), but beware if your car cost more than £40,000 when new (many were), because then it'll be hit with an additional surcharge on top of the flat-rate fee between years two and six, and that's currently £390 a year. To find out more about road tax costs, click here.

Reliability

The Jaguar F-Pace's reliability receives mixed feedback, as revealed in our annual What Car? Reliability Survey. Owners appreciate the dependability of newer models, noting a reduction in issues compared to predecessors. However, electrical and infotainment system glitches remain a concern for some. Dealer service experiences also vary, with many praising their dealership for exceptional attention and professionalism, yet others point out service inconsistencies, including delays and high repair costs.

Discover more about used Jaguar F-Pace reliability and common problems on our dedicated reliability page.

Specification

The range kicks-off with Prestige, which is our recommended spec since it has all you really need and is available with the smaller engines. R Sport looks sportier, but the ride isn't quite so good with 19in alloys. The top-of-the-range S models are reserved for V6 engines. This does mean you get even bigger 20in alloy wheels, but it does come with adaptive suspension which has a comfort mode to help.

Engine

The 3.0-litre V6 diesel is an excellent choice if you can afford it. We would recommend the 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel on balance for its efficiency and generally gutsy performance. The eight-speed automatic helps to keep the engine’s diesel drone hushed once up to speed.

If you want petrol power, then the 247bhp 2.0-litre is a punchy performer that remains smooth at higher revs. Which is just as well really since its deficit of torque in comparison to the diesels means you will need to use plenty of revs to make quick progress. You could solve that by going for the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol, and while it sounds great and can embarrass a number of serious sports cars at the traffic light grand prix, its low fuel economy can be difficult to stomach.

Our favourite Jaguar F-Pace: 2.0d Prestige Auto

Like the Jaguar F-Pace, the Audi Q5 can be found with economical four-cylinder diesels and high-performance V6s. The interior of the Q5 is finished to a much higher standard and makes the Q5 a quiet and relaxing place to whittle away the miles. Avoid the S line version because the ride is a little too firm in comparison with our favoured SE spec.

The BMW X3 has the F-Pace beaten when it comes to infotainment due to the superior ease of use of its iDrive system. It can’t quite match the F-Pace in terms of how it handles, but it runs it closer than any other car in this class.

The Porsche Macan is comfortably the best in terms of handling. The trouble is, you really need the more powerful Macan S with a V6 engine to make the most of it and this means you need to spend a little bit more to drive away in one. And practicality isn’t as good as it is in an F-Pace since boot space and rear-seat room are compromised due to the curved rear end of the Macan.

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If you're interested in finding a used F-Pace, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.