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2018 Jaguar F-Pace S Long-Term Review | Wrapping up our six-month test

It's been six months since our long-term 2018 Jaguar F-Pace S arrived to warm our hands and hearts. Jaguar's most popular model with consumers was equally popular with the Autoblog staff. We drove it 13,000 miles and would continue to rack up more if Jaguar would just let us keep the keys. It was a great follow-up to our fuel-efficient but slightly gutless 2017 Jaguar XE diesel. Our Caesium Blue bomber is loaded with nearly every option. That includes heated seats front and rear, a black package that swaps out chrome for black trim, and a full-size spare (that takes up a lot space). The S model's supercharged 3.0-liter V6 sends 380 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic. All in, our F-Pace S will set you back $74,640. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I spent a lot of time in the F-Pace this year. It's powerful, sporty, looks sharp (love the lively blue-purple paint) and has a solid interior. The styling resonated with me. I think Jaguar design boss Ian Callum and team nailed the proportions and curves. A crossover was sure to be controversial with Jag loyalists, but it's beautiful, and the reasoning for joining the SUV fray is ironclad. Everybody from Ferrari to Porsche is there. I appreciated the driving dynamics. The steering has decent feedback, the engine sounds good and has energy, and you ride just high enough to feel in command. The Jaguar DNA comes through. I took it to a tailgate, where I was boxed in and had to be the guy in the Jaguar who asks people to move so he can leave early. Cutting through rows of tailgaters in a purple Jag with black wheels isn't exactly subtle. But the car was versatile. I put tons of groceries in the back. My dog enjoyed the second row. It was good in snow. All the things you want in a crossover. The F-Pace was one of the more memorable long-termers we've had at Autoblog. It was fun to drive and stayed in high demand, even after we'd had it for months. It's not perfect. The interior was a little plain, and I don't love the infotainment, but in its first attempt at a crossover — Jaguar nailed it. Senior Editor, Green John Beltz Snyder: While I found it comfortable for long highway drives Up North, this thing is absolutely ferocious in Dynamic Mode with the gear selector set to S. The paddles amp up the fun. It really changed the character of this cat, and I was always surprised by the transformation. I got a lot of looks in the F-Pace.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 now available for Nurburgring rides

There are a number of ways to experience the Nurburgring Nordschleife, including being driven around by a professional driver. Jaguar runs its own program that does just such a thing called the Race Taxi program. It just became even more appealing because Jaguar has added the XE SV Project 8 as one of the available cars. In case you had forgotten, it's a special car for the program because it currently holds the record for fastest production sedan at the track. Even without a record to its fame, the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is special for other reasons. It's the most powerful production Jaguar with 592 horsepower. That engine can propel it to 60 mph in a claimed 3.3 seconds. Most of the car's exterior is completely unique to the car. It's a rare machine, too, with only 300 sold. If you want to go for a ride, well first you have to get to the Nurburgring. But once you're there, hand Jaguar 199 euros, or about $227 at current exchange rates, and a driver will take you for a lap of the track. The company brags that you'll experience speeds of over 155 mph, and hit 1.8g in the steeply banked Karussell corner. You only get the one lap, but at least you know it will be a roughly 7 1/2 -minute thrill ride. If you can't get into the Project 8, you'll still be able to ride along in the 575-horsepower F-Type SVR or XJR575. Related Video:

Hey wait, not everyone hates the diesel engine in our 2017 Jaguar XE

My friend Joel doesn't seem to care for the turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel engine in our long-term 2017 Jaguar XE 20d. That's fine. He's entitled to his opinion. But he does not speak for the entire Autoblog staff. I, for one, am a big fan of this oil burner. I said so months ago after I returned from a 2,000-mile road trip. The intervening months have done nothing to sway my opinion. It's smooth, efficient, and all the engine you need in a non-performance application. It may not have the raw power or full range torque of the XE's gasoline engines, but it's a fine fit in this car. Not everyone who buys a sports sedan like the XE or BMW 3 Series does so because they want a sharp canyon carver. Some just want a handsome car that will get them from point A to B in relative comfort. The Jaguar XE diesel does just that, and it does so while achieving some pretty astounding fuel economy numbers. We met the 30 mpg city rating and eclipsed the 40 mpg highway rating with ease. It's not like the XE diesel is slow. Sure, a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 seconds isn't blistering, but it's far from what anyone should consider slow or lethargic. That time is right on par with the BMW 328d. Sure, it runs out of breath at peak revs, but so does every other diesel. If you care about wringing it out, buy a gas version. By Joel's own admission, the engine's 180 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque are available when needed for highway passing or city driving. That's all most people really need. So what if it falls on its face at high revs. I will concede that this isn't the most refined diesel on the market. At idle, it shimmies like an unbalanced washing machine. Jaguar has tuned a lot of that out, but it isn't nearly as calm as the competition (though it's miles better than diesels of old). It revs quickly for a diesel, but the exhaust note is one to forget. The engine sounds like a muffled foghorn mixed with a jar of nails. Not good. Once you get moving, it settles down. Highway cruising is a breeze. You forget you have a compression ignition engine under the hood. Even around town, turn the radio on and you'll be fine. Joel is right about the ride and handling totally outclassing the diesel engine. The car is comfortable on highways and city streets but sharpens up on a curvy backroad. The steering and suspension communicate to the driver what the car is doing at all times. The brakes inspire confidence with a firm pedal and sharp bite.