Jaguar F-PACE

Jaguar F-PACE stands out because it is an SUV that tries to keep a sportier, more driver-focused feel than many rivals in the same class. By our assessment, that mix is its main strength: it gives you a practical body style with a more polished cabin feel and a more premium image than the usual mainstream family SUV. The cost of that approach is familiar too, because the ride and running costs tend to sit above the plain, no-nonsense end of the segment. In practice it is the kind of car that asks for a bigger budget and some tolerance for size, but rewards that with a more special daily drive. Compared with the broad field of mid-size luxury SUVs, the Jaguar F-PACE is less anonymous than many German rivals and less purely practical than a boxier family model. It suits buyers who want an SUV with style and road presence, not people who only want the cheapest way to move five passengers. The driving position, the badge and the shape do a lot of the work before the key even turns.