96 Jaguar XE: Graceful rival to German compact executives

Jaguar's long-awaited "proper" rival to the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 has been a long time coming, not least since the original car supposed to do the job, the X-Type, turned out to be such a disappointment. The XE makes no such mistakes though. Thanks to a lightweight, mostly-aluminium body and cutting edge diesel and petrol engines, it's technically right up there with the German brigade, and arguably it's sweeter to drive than any of them, with typical Jaguar gracefulness to the steering and the suspension.

As a driver's car, it’s certainly a solid foil to the 3 Series. So why is it so far down the list? Three things really; the 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel engine is just too noisy in this installation, the space in the back is really quite poor at a time when all of its rivals are becoming far more practical and the cabin just looks and feels a bit uninspiring for a car with the Jaguar badge. Nothing unfixable, come facelift time, but for now the XE is a little held back.

Price range: €38,520-€76,690

C02 emissions: 99g/km-194g/km

Which one?: 2.0d 180hp R-Sport

PCP: From €399 per month