The BMW 3 Series->ke290 is, and has been for some time, the car that defines its segment. Every other car in this corner of the market is just competing with the 3 Series, and some cars are doing a better job of it than others. Since Jaguar->ke39 has only just recently come out with a new 3 Series fighter, the 2017 Jaguar XE, Motor Trend's Head 2 Head decided to take the roads of Basque Spain to compare them. And logically enough, the host takes out the BMW->ke178 first, to give you an idea of what the Jag is up against.

He has a few complaints about the BMW. They seem a little nit-picky, and even admits in the case of the suspension that it's probably a good setup for the people who actually own the car. But when he takes out the XE->ke3138 and starts talking about just how well sorted out it is, it starts to become clearer just how important those issues were with the 3 Series. In the end the Jaguar is the winner of the two, and that's an amazing feat from the company that not long ago produced the X-Type.->ke1217

It's rare to see such a clear winner in a comparison like this, and it's even more rare for that winner to be the newcomer. Much of this has to do with newly designed chassis and innovative suspension, as well as superior transmission programming. As the host will say, this leads to a feeling that the Jag is about 1,000 pounds lighter. But this point also highlights the whole problem with this review, it is completely subjective on every point. It has everything to do with the reviewers feelings, with nothing that's really concrete. There's a very good chance that a majority of drivers would agree with his assessment, but it's unlikely that any viewers will feel confident enough to buy the Jaguar without at least taking a look at the BMW first.

2016 BMW 3-Series

Read our full review here.

2017 Jaguar XE

Read our full review here.