Lexus IS vs Jaguar XE
What's the difference?

Lexus IS

$39,990 - $62,990

2021 price

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Jaguar XE

—

2020 price

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Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 2

Mazda 6

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2021 Lexus IS

2020 Jaguar XE

By Tom White

By Laura Berry

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 2.5L

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

4.9L/100km (combined)

6.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Sleek and efficient hybrid drive
Graceful ride
Spec improvements

Outstanding ride and handling
Great horsepower for your buck
Though, good looks

Dislikes

Slow
Busy interior design
Fiddly and over-complicated software

Rear seats are tight
Small boot
Optional safety tech

2021 Lexus IS Summary

One question frequently discussed in the skunkworks of the CarsGuide office is: What exactly does Lexus stand for?

When the brand debuted its original export-market IS sedan in 1999 the messaging was more or less clear: Toyota’s premium sub-brand was here to be a Japanese BMW.

The brand even employed Nobuaki Katayama – chief engineer on the iconic Corolla AE86 program – to again take the reins of its small rear-wheel drive sedan program.

As the years went on though, Lexus changed. Fundamentally geared toward the US market, the second-generation (wild IS F aside) became a bit more sedate and softer around the edges, while the third generation strayed even further from the sedan’s performance-inspired roots, leaning into a plush interior, hybrid drive, and even CVT transmissions.

This brings us to today’s Lexus IS. Essentially a heavy facelift of the third generation (which arrived back in 2013), the brand has “reimagined” its core sedan with a tweaked design and updated technology for 2021.

Is it enough to keep it relevant against its ever-present European rivals and the newly arrived threat from Hyundai’s Genesis G70? I took a signature IS300h hybrid for a week to find out.

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2020 Jaguar XE Summary

Mercedes-Benz has the C-Class, BMW has the 3 Series, Audi has the A4 and Jaguar has the one people in Australia seem to forget – the XE.

Yep, the default setting we seem to have when it comes to buying a prestige car is as strong as buying the same brand of milk every week.

There’s a decent choice of milk, but it can sometimes seem that there are only three brands and we tend to zero in on the same one again and again. Same with prestige cars.

But all milk is the same, I hear you say. And I’m inclined to agree, and that’s the difference, cars vary greatly despite them having the same purpose.

The latest version of Jaguar XE has arrived in Australia and while it’s very similar in size and shape to its German rivals there are some big differences, and some compelling reasons to add it to your shopping list.

I promise, there are no more mentions of milk.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Lexus IS 2020 Jaguar XE

Verdict

Smooth, cosy, quiet, the IS looks and feels better than ever, but without a doubt this hybrid version is a car best suited to cruising the dense metropolis of Chiba at midnight more than it is carving up a bunch of S-bends in the Australian countryside on the weekend.

While that might still limit its appeal for fans of German sports luxury sedans and place it further from the original IS’s ambitions, it does offer an intriguing efficiency and luxury focused alternative, without the compromises brought by rivals with more sporting intent. In a way then, the IS 300h perhaps inadvertently best embodies what Lexus is as a brand.

Verdict

The Jaguar XE is a dynamic, prestige mid-sized premium sedan, for those who are more concerned with engaging driving than cargo space and rear legroom.

The sweet spot in the range is the entry R-Dynamic SE. Buy that one and option the handling pack, and you'll still come in under the costs of the HSE.

Bang for you buck is the XE’s strong point and you won’t find more horsepower at this price in rivals such as BMW 3 Series, Benz’s C-Class or the Audi A4.

Lexus IS vs Jaguar XE What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Lexus IS vs Jaguar XE
What's the difference?