Few tears were shed when the XE drove off my driveway for the last time. I didn’t mourn the bare patch of pea-shingle it left, didn’t mentally drop my automotive flag to half mast, and didn’t look longingly at other XE models I saw in the weeks that followed its departure. This surprised me a great deal, because I really liked the little Jaguar. During the best part of a year, I loved walking up to it, thinking ‘My Jaaaag… tidy.’ I really enjoyed driving it, revelling in its pace and poise. And I liked the way it made me feel as an XE driver – a little bit special and privileged compared to common-as-muck BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class drivers.So why no lachrymose farewell? Well, the more I thought about the XE after its departure, the more I realised that its talents do an outstanding job of effectively covering up its shortcomings. And when I balanced the pros against the cons, its list of limitations is significantly longer than its set of skills. Which, given all the time, resources and top-drawer rivals Jaguar had on hand to make this car an absolute nailed-on class-leader, was pretty damned disappointing.Take the XE’s looks. Its cab-backward thrusting proportions were spot-on ( if a little generic three-box at the rear) but the price you paid for that long bonnet and truncated tail was a snug cabin up front, abysmal accommodation in the rear and a smallish odd-shaped boot. Visibility was unimpressive, too. Likewise the cabin architecture. The symmetrical dash and logically laid-out centre console layout appealed deeply to my OCD nature, but the quality of the materials and overall fit and finish were pretty modest for a £42k executive express.Same went for the infotainment system – the touchscreen was sluggish and unresponsive, its graphics looked dated, Bluetooth hook-up was frustratingly erratic, and the sound quality of the audio system was thin and tinny. And as I’m on a roll, the thick A-pillars and narrow glasshouse resulted in awful visibility.The 2.0-litre Ingenium turbodiesel was certainly not short of punch – with 177bhp and a stout 317lb ft, it snapped briskly off the line ( as long as you manually selected first gear) , dished up generous portions of effortless in-gear go and made high-speed cruising a low-rev pleasure. But its disappointingly coarse and vocal soundtrack felt distinctly at odds with the XE’s suave sheetmetal and dynamic flair.The eight-speed transmission slipped through its gears with deft precision, either unfailingly selecting the right ratio at the right time when dropped in to Drive, or responding promptly when using the horribly cheap-feeling plastic gear shifters. But how I wished it defaulted to first rather than second gear at standstill, an eco concession of dubious benefit that made busy roundabouts and tricky junctions slow-motion nightmares.Things improved over time. The infuriating induction whistle that dominated the first few thousand miles quickly disappeared, and the engine loosened up, but its lack of character and personality was at odds with the car’s dynamic vibrancy – because make no mistake, the XE was a joy to drive. Taut body control, a beautifully balanced chassis, delightfully crisp and linear steering and a magic carpet ride quality – over fast and challenging A- and B-roads the Jaguar was incredibly capable and rewardingly accomplished.So, after 16, 625 miles, I’ve realised the XE does a pretty good job of pulling the wool over your eyes. Its strengths make you think it’s a straight A car, a benchmark maker and a risk taker. But go granular and dig deep, and the reality is that its year-end report reads B+ and no more. The basics are all there, it’s head and shoulders above the mainstream, and there’s talent in spades. But it needs a bit more polish, a dash more application and just a touch more effort. This first-gen XE doesn’t feel like it’s reached its full potential. I don’t expect its replacement to make the same mistake.By Ben Whitwor

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