Jaguar I-Pace | PH Fleet
Three thousand miles in, life with an I-Pace couldn't be better - no, really
You know when your new car is a good’n, I think, when you aren’t thinking about the old car very much. It must be a decent upgrade, because there isn’t any longing for what’s been given up. When my Mini blew a head gasket and I tried to be sensible replacing it with a Mazda 3, there wasn’t a journey that went by without yearning for my old car back. But the opposite is true for our family Jaguar I-Pace; it replaced an X3 M40i, which itself was a great car, and yet I haven’t found myself pining for the Beemer’s charms very much at all. Sometimes I see one going the other way, and it’s a nice reminder of a really good BMW, though I’m not desperate to switch seats.
Which is a long way of saying our Jaguar I-Pace is brilliant. I’m almost at the point of wishing we’d changed sooner, however compelling the X3’s blend of straight six sound and 400 miles to a (pricey) fill was. Put simply, the Jag is doing everything and more that we hoped it would; as well as being more enjoyable on the shorter trips that dominate life with a young family (nursery, swimming pools, farms) thanks to its cushier ride and EV response, it’s proving likeable on a whole host of journeys.
There’s ample space for everyone and everything we ever need to take anywhere; a rear middle seat is more usable than the X3’s without a transmission tunnel robbing foot room. It’s always fast, regardless of what’s been lobbed in the back. And when travelling alone, Jaguar’s expert tuning of suspension, steering and brakes makes the I-Pace really satisfying to drive. Adjusting the regen is buried in a slightly fiddly menu, but we’ve found the strongest setting really easy to adapt to. The flow and finesse that characterises a Jaguar driving experience is most certainly in evidence here. Which was well known from all the glowing I-Pace reviews, of course, but it’s nice to be reminded of the fact. As a driving experience, it isn’t disgraced by newer electric rivals.
Indeed there are certain things the Jag still does better than the current crop. I love the interior, with chunky buttons for the transmission (useful for three-point turns when lost) as well as the drive modes (useful when eking out a few more miles) and those F-Type-style knurled dials for the ventilation. Naturally, there’s greater familiarity with your own car than a press demonstrator, but bear in mind that this basic layout went on sale in 2018 and I think it’s ageing really well. Particularly with the Pivi Pro update that still works so smartly.
Gripes are few and far between. At this time of year, a rear wiper would be handy; I can’t believe that any drag advantage outweighs the usefulness of clearing the back screen properly. The grimier weather has found the tyres wanting a couple of times, too, so replacing those might be in order soon. And black over cream is proving tricky to keep clean, but that feels like telling you an I-Pace needs plugging in to charge. Of course it’s hard work. When spick and span, I think the Jag looks fantastic.
Speaking of charging, there are no disasters to report. Yet. One will surely follow soon, because that’s life in the UK with an EV. Most of our charging is done at home (the Easee One we have comes highly recommended, it’s so easy to schedule even I can do it), and the I-Pace has hooked up to public chargers slow, fast and rapid no problem at all. When conditions have been ideal (nobody else on the charger, battery well above 10 per cent and warm enough), it’s achieved close to its maximum 100kW DC charge rate, too.
It would be nice if the Jag went a bit further and charged a bit faster, even if that feels like the dream of every EV owner. At the moment, we’re averaging around 3mi/kWh, which in theory would give 270 miles from the 90kWh battery. It goes above that around town, then a little less when cruising at a constant speed. Typically I reckon we’re charging every 230 miles or so, which is absolutely fine. The bigger issue, as is all too well known at the moment, is the cost of public charging, which shows absolutely no signs of easing off. At some of the priciest, you’re paying almost 90p per kilowatt hour, so effectively close to 30p a mile in ‘fuel’ at the 3mi/kWh average. And that’s just crazy, further disincentivising people to make the EV swap.
Then, of course, there’s winter to think about. Despite a mild November for us so far, the colder weeks will be coming, and that’ll be the real test of the I-Pace’s mettle. Will it still be as likeable with reduced range? Let’s check back around Christmas time…
FACT SHEET
Car: 2021 Jaguar I-Pace HSE
Run by: Matt Bird
On fleet since: August 2025
Bought for: £21,700
Mileage: 41,687
Last month at a glance: Grace, space, pace - it’s a Jag alright
Previous reports
To EV or not to EV - now the question’s answered
I dislike SUVs so it's probably not for me but I'm still sorely tempted. Where I live the range is equivalent to 4 hours driving that's enough for me before I need a break.
I dislike SUVs so it's probably not for me but I'm still sorely tempted. Where I live the range is equivalent to 4 hours driving that's enough for me before I need a break.
I don't like SUVs either, but this is certainly less er... SUV-y than many out there, and I would consider one if it suited my needs. Are they as unreliable as people say though?
I don't like SUVs either, but this is certainly less er... SUV-y than many out there, and I would consider one if it suited my needs. Are they as unreliable as people say though?
I'm still tempted to get a late model one which i'd keep for 5 years or so. I'd be buying spring/summer 2026. The issue I have is that my current EV fulfils my needs but I still have that itch.
They're coming from large ICE Audis, BMWs, Mercedes, Range Rovers. You're not going to get them out of an £60k ICE and into a £20k EV supermini.
That part of the transition comes later.
An absolutely tragedy how poorly they sold, especially when compared against the Model Y. Which is nowhere near as nice.
But today they look like an absolute bargain if you put on your brave pants regarding dealer support and reliability.
Ten years on we can clearly see the European manufacturers are beginning to catch up re production costs and volumes so we are starting to see smaller and lower cost EVs. Ergo the sub £20k Twingo etc.
Give it another ten years and there'll be an array of dirt cheap, small, used EVs knocking about.
Only real downside with them in general is that some seem to be just one thing after another in terms of issues, but if you get a good one, they're REALLY good.
I remember being surprised by their size when I first saw one years ago, much bigger than their look would suggest.
Anyhow, I’m sure it’s a fine car based on the positive reviews.
I genuinely don't see how people see this as a handsome car. I find its one of the ugliest and least cohesive designs on the road. Every time I see one it looks to me like 3 different cars welded together. I find them almost offensive to look at, even if it were a Chinese brand - never mind a Jaguar with a back catalogue of XJs, E-Types, XKs, etc.
Still, its interesting to note I may be in the minority based on the above comments of how great this "thing" looks. I'm sure there are lots of good points with this car, as stated in the article, even compared to a X3 6 cylinder petrol. But I never thought the aesthetics would be one of them!
Either way, good reading and thanks for sharing Matt, I'll look upon these ugly ducklings with a bit more reverence now.
I remember being surprised by their size when I first saw one years ago, much bigger than their look would suggest.
Anyhow, I m sure it s a fine car based on the positive reviews.
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