Jaguar XE S | Spotted

We know how it goes with every performance-oriented Jaguar. They’re absolutely glorious cars to drive new, a feast of performance, luxury and panache, but heck do they depreciate. Even by the standards of large, fast, premium performance cars, supercharged Jags really did seem to plummet. Bad news for the first, courageous owners; great news for those who want to buy secondhand – or just write about them…

Didn’t matter if they were V6, V8, saloon, sports car or SUV (though the F-Pace SVR appeared to go better than most) – the Jaguars shed money almost for fun. Even a pandemic couldn’t prevent it. And the smallest ones weren’t immune, either. When the V6-powered XE, great car that it was, went off sale in 2019, it was easy to grab a bargain: a 4,000-miler was being sold as a Jag approved used for £26,000, or almost £20,000 off. 

A year later, in that very strange summer of 2020, it was possible to pay a good deal less than £25k for a newer example with just a few more miles. There would surely be no going back from there, it seemed – what a cool car a supercharged XE might be at 10 years old and £10k or so. 

Alas, that has not happened. Even by the inflated standards of the post-Covid used car mayhem, 3.0-litre XEs are holding really strong. On PH right now it’s not possible to pay less than £15,999, which is impressive given those cars are on 2015 and 2016 registrations. Furthermore, this wasn’t an R-badged Jaguar, it didn’t have four-wheel drive, and it wasn’t a limited edition. Plus the interior wasn’t tremendous. Yet for whatever reason – and we’re not suggesting that the manufacturer’s ill-timed transition to EV-only is necessarily a driver – the XE S is clinging on gamely to its residual value. 

Perhaps it’s the appeal of the fast Jag experience without the running costs of a V8. Official scores of 35mpg and less than 200g/km are a world away from the 5.0-litre ratings, though in this later 380hp variant (the first two years had 340hp) it’s possible to scoot to 60mph in less than five seconds. 

With just 24,000 miles on the clock, two previous owners and a smart spec (wait until you see red with red leather), this looks as good as the XE gets right now. The price is £22,799, or not very much less than those examples written about years and years ago. No doubt it’ll feel just as lovely to drive as it always did, everything beautifully in sync like the best Jags, and sound fantastic to boot. And if it doesn’t lose much money, either, then even better.  

Engine: 2,995cc, supercharged V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 380@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 332@4,500rpm
MPG: 34.9
CO2: 194g/km
First registered: 2017
Recorded mileage: 23,568
Price new: £48,045 (2018)
Yours for: £22,799