Is the 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake a Good SUV Alternative?

Edmunds special correspondent Elana Scherr gets nostalgic for childhood with a test drive of Jaguar's station wagon. Of course, the supercharged V6 and sleek European styling of the 2018 Jaguar Sportbrake are a far cry from the wood-paneled sleds that normally come to mind when someone says "station wagon." Can the Sportbrake win buyers back to cars from SUVs with superior interior luxury and Jaguar handling? We drop the pedal, and the tailgate, to find out.

Q: Is the Jaguar XF Sportbrake rear-wheel-drive?
A: The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake is all-wheel-drive with a rear bias, meaning that it sends more power to the rear wheels but adjusts that ratio when needed, for example, when driving up a slippery hill.

Q: What are the engine options for the Jaguar XF Sportbrake?
A: The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake is all about being a performance shooting brake, aka wagon. It shares an engine with the F-Type, a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine that makes 380 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque.

Q: How does the cargo space in the Jaguar XF Sportbrake compare with the Jaguar F-Pace?
A: The F-Pace offers 34 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 64 cubic feet with everything folded. The Sportbrake beats that with 31.7 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up and an impressive 69.7 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

[fitzgoblin]

Super refreshing car review! I really liked your style and energy!!

[MaxBorker]

really like this reviewer's style and execution. This has to be one of the most beautiful cars ever like aston martin level elegance. love it.

[swanblake]

Love Elana! Nailed my thoughts on this car exactly.

[JShel]

It's amazing to me that she's the only person I've seen to point the outrageous amount of space that the shifter takes up. Was beginning to think I was just being nit picky.

[miguelcars]

just echoing everyone's thoughts here but fantastic review! Keep it up Elana refreshing to see an actual car review with no extra fluff. I drive a 2001 E46 Touring and its a blast!

[gothops]

this is offered as a manual in non-US markets so even tho the automatic level/dial takes up so little space, it still needs to reserve that space for when they put the manual in

[fightingcarrot]

Great reviewer, she's so blunt and to the point. Appreciate the sincerity.

[gmusik]

Glad I didn't watch this before I bought mine. I absolutely LOVE my Sportbrake. I don't think I agree with ANY of her criticisms. At least I now know I dont need to watch any of her other reviews.

[normt]

She needs to more reviews! Very enjoyable to listen to as I'm washing my car.

[adlcuevas]

I enjoyed your review, kudos! One thing worth mentioning is that this wagon has a lot more cargo capacity than any small and medium SUV, and comparable cargo space (behind rear seats) than most full size SUVs, a Lexus RX has more cargo for example...but this one drives much better.
I only wish Jaguar would've brought the lower trim levels of this XF as they offer in Europe to make it more accessible to people.

[fantomtuba]

is it me, or at 0:37, the stitching across the dashboard looks really uneven

[Goldenxbih]

You have to remember that you can configure your own Jaguar.

The USB port is optional, you can even get two.

[SSS-mpth]

I’m really glad we are seeing some nice wagons in the U.S. unfortunately the compelling ones like the XF, V60/V90, E400 are all too expensive. Like you said the people who like wagons really like them and the rest just don’t care. Also even in luxury marquees the wagon isn’t any cheaper and can cost more. Look at XF to F-pace or better V90 to XC90. Very few people are going to buy something a bit less practical for more money (some also want the higher ground clearance)

There are no mainstream wagons in the U.S. that are remotely sporty. You have the small FWD based VW wagon, the CVT Outback and now the TourX which is probably the best of the bunch.

We can get hatches and hot hatches yet we can’t seem to get a V60 level wagon that people can actually afford. I wish Chevy had made a Nomad version of the CTS-V wagon sans blower. Just give me the Camaro’s V-8 with a TR6060 and loads of room. Who knew the Magnum was going to be a unicorn (with a horrible interior).

[MrFsizer]

Beautiful car! No idea what the other comments are looking at, the interior looks really nice to me.

[markcross]

Can get dozens of Estates (wagons ) in the UK although we seem to be following the trend of SUVs now too.

[bassandtrebleclef]

I really like wagons and love how this looks. I like the interior, but it's not as great as the Volvo or Merc wagons. It seems like it's the best driver of the 3. The problem is that it's just too much of a price bump over the sedan version.

[geethsan]

Great review style! Keep it coming.

The only thing that's turns me down in Jaguar products are the interior plastics that are similarly found in a 15k Kia.

[ALMXDP]

Has Elana been poached from MT? "Special Correspondent" sounds like how Carlos started his time with Edmunds.

[cadsux]

Coming from Motor Trend's Road Kill and Hot Rod Network, this sure is a different subject matter from the usual vintage & racing cars, or is it? I was hoping to hear at least one childhood wagon story. Wagons Ho!

[MrRASH-igvc]

A sad surprise? I've never heard that term before but I'll most defiantly use it for a gift that sucks in the future Thank you.