Jaguar F-Pace and Mercedes GLC come up against each other with four-cylinder diesel engines. Is their pulling power sufficient for this SUV class?
We are not talking about cheap vehicles here, which shouldn’t surprise anyone as soon as these brands get involved. As a 20d with a four-cylinder diesel, the F-Pace costs from 43,500 euros while the Mercedes GLC 250 d (46,827 euros) is more expensive but offers more power and torque. Incidentally, you can easily add half the basic price to both of them with options For example, the 20-inch wheels in Jaguar are very expensive.. The models tested here are significantly different from the basic range.
It is probably because of the impressive name that expectations are high when it comes to a Jaguar, especially when it comes to the interior. So we stick our curious noses in with great anticipation – and are dismayed: the materials used have little to do with British style. You don’t have to look long to discover simple plastics, they are immediately at hand. If you want to avoid this impression, you have to invest in expensive additional equipment.
Even the superficial impression of quality is not satisfactory. If you go on a journey of discovery behind the scenes, you will find covers with sharp edges, cables exposed under the loading floor and only partially covered wheel arches. When driving on bad roads, you can even hear rattling noises coming from the area around the parcel shelf.
Then you inspect the Mercedes and are impressed: what the factory’s own interior designers have put together has the character of a dream car. Inside, the GLC is more Jaguar than the F-Pace. The eye is amazed by the opulently paneled and leather-covered dashboard (optional); this is a celebration of automotive luxury. The relationship to the C-Class is unmistakable in the elegant interior. Added to this are the extremely extensive safety equipment and the best seating comfort.
As a bon vivant, no one can beat the GLC in this environment; however, when it comes to variability, both are only average: they can fold down their rear seat backrests in sections – that’s all. There are differences in terms of pure loading volume. Here, the Jaguar is ahead Mercedes (1,600 liters) with up to 1,740 liters.
High comfort on Mercedes
Mercedes allows itself a remarkable difference: you start the GLC with a key in the ignition. It’s wonderful that the Stuttgart-based company is resisting the start button herd instinct. What’s the point of a start button in an SUV? Another interesting question is why a high-built, heavy SUV has to drive particularly quickly around corners. It will never be really sporty, no matter how hard the chassis and how sharp the steering are. In any case, lateral forces from the raised seating position often feel uncomfortable.
Uncomfortable? Not in the GLC: its optional air suspension skilfully absorbs bumps. The Mercedes is at peace with itself, with stoic straight-line stability and low wind and engine noise. This commitment to comfort has become rare, but it is something you are grateful for – especially if you have just got out of the F-Pace, which provides all too detailed information about poor road conditions.
Jaguar makes agility its credo, but the suspension is more rigid and there is a rolling noise. On the country road, the large car turns surprisingly willingly and its high weight (1,895 kilograms) hardly shows, sometimes even sticking out its rear end cheekily. However, if you turn the steering wheel too enthusiastically, you’ll get caught in the ESP’s grip. As in the driving dynamics tests: during the slalom, the ESP brakes the F-Pace so rigidly that it doesn’t come anywhere close to matching the speed of its competitors.
It’s similar with acceleration: the 4.7-meter SUV starts off cautiously, and its rough-running engine shows the enormous effort. The F-Pace is also hampered by the heavy 20-inch wheels (optional), which have to be accelerated. Even if the automatic transmission servilely sets the appropriate gears, you get the feeling that the car is underpowered, especially on hills.
One could now build a dramatic conclusion around the question “Can the F-Pace turn the tide in terms of costs?” But that would be eyewash: Jaguar models are simply not particularly cheap – neither to buy nor to maintain, especially when expensive 20-inch wheels have to be replaced. At least the manufacturer covers the customer’s inspection costs for three years. So the F-Pace lost in front of the Mercedes GLC.
Conclusion
- Mercedes GLC 220d 4Matic
The GLC wins almost all chapters. What remains in the memory: the outstanding driving comfort and the luxurious feel of the interior
- Jaguar F-Pace 20d AWD
The F-Pace takes the lead with vehement braking performance – and then stumbles over its mediocre comfort, the rough four-cylinder engine and the high purchase price.
