Jaguar I-Pace | PH Fleet

Let’s make no bones about it: Jaguar I-Paces are cheap. On PH they start from £10,000, and there aren’t very many for sale at more than £35k. Like many a 400hp Jag from days gone by, they’ve depreciated abruptly, making them appealing secondhand. But the I-Pace’s trajectory has been especially savage; there are 2024MY road tests out there with test cars priced at almost £85,000. What bargains they must be by now. And we all know why this reality exists: along with the general wariness about EVs right now, plus the uncertainty around Jaguar, there’s the fact that the I-Pace doesn’t have the best reliability record. The confidence isn’t there, so neither is the residual value. 

Which is a long way of building up to saying that the lovely Jag had a bit of a wobble. Nothing major – an inconvenience more than anything else – though certainly a blot in its otherwise flawless copybook. With toddler screaming and dog stressed on the way home from a trip to see family (cars always go wrong at the best of times), the I-Pace wouldn’t go out of Park at a services. When it finally went into reverse, it then wouldn’t go into drive, as cars were queueing up behind for the space. Wonderful. After lots of frantic turning off and on again, we got into drive and were able to continue, with a ‘Transmission fault’ warning on the dash. 

Fortunately the rest of the journey didn’t require any more maneuvering, but the problem was most certainly still there at home. Just getting off the drive became a mission, so reluctant was the transmission to change from going backwards to going forwards. Jag Assist was called, the diagnostic check showed a fault had been logged, but by this time – you guessed it – the car was behaving like nothing had ever happened. Park, drive, neutral and reverse all working as they should, no hesitation and no warning light on the dash. Nothing similar to report since, either. Very peculiar. My only (uneducated) guess would be that something got wet when it wouldn’t stop raining earlier in the year that caused the transmission tantrum. Who knows. We bought the I-Pace knowing a JLR retailer was our nearest detailer and the car came with a warranty, but it’d still be nice not to make use of either… 

So not a great thing to update on, though hardly the end of the world. A day of stress, then back to normal. Disappointing rather than totally demoralising. And it didn’t take long after that episode for Jaguar affection to be totally restored, so perfectly suited is it to what we need from a family car right now. A roofbox might even be on the shopping list next. 

The most significant recent change has been the fitment of Michelin CrossClimate 2 tyres for the 20-inch wheels. There’s nothing like a tyre swap to be grateful you didn’t go for the biggest wheels! The rear Goodyears were 2021 dated, and so probably the original rubber, therefore definitely in need of replacement. As a four-wheel drive car, it made sense for all of them to be done at the same time (before any more faults were thrown up). 

The CrossClimates are a similar price to the Eagle Sport All Season that were on before, have a similar remit – Eagle F1s and Continental PremiumContact 6s are available as sportier options – plus rank similarly on noise and wet grip. So while new with old can never be a direct comparison, it was little surprise to find very similar characteristics with the tyre swap. The Jag hadn’t suddenly become a hard riding grip monster, or a wallowy, vague mess, it was just usefully enhanced in all the areas it was already so impressive: there’s less road noise (so it’s even more refined now), crisper turn in, and better traction. The scrabble that once accompanied any overenthusiastic getaways has been eliminated, making acceleration keener still. Even with far from the most competitive stats these days, an I-Pace remains brisk for as long as it’s needed. One of the US magazines timed one at 12.8 seconds through the quarter mile at 107.4mph – and that seems more than fast enough. 

Indeed OZD remains such a likeable EV that it was a surprise not to find one in Jag’s recent ‘Spirit of Jaguar’ PR push for the new electric GT. No, really. Because all those attributes that are abundant in the old stuff and which Jag wants in the new EV – long distance comfort, effortless performance, generous driver engagement – are absolutely present and correct in the I-Pace. As Jaguar’s only electric car thus far (and a very good one at that), it seemed a strange omission. If an XJS can be considered a great part of Jag heritage now, an I-Pace certainly can. Though I will concede maybe a bit of bias…

Let’s hope the new car, despite its wild performance potential, can improve on the I-Pace’s efficiency. Having reset a trip computer that had been running for 5,600 miles (and with a 96 per cent driving score, it says), the Jag has averaged 23mph and… 2.5mi/kWh. Which would make for 225 miles running a 90kWh battery to empty. Manageable, and probably to be expected given those miles have been through the coldest months, if thoroughly outdone by the latest WLTP claims. Still, seeing what a new EV might cost makes me feel a little better. Some warm weather and maybe greater use of Eco mode should improve things. As is unfortunately habit at the moment in Jag ownership, fingers crossed… 

Car: 2021 Jaguar I-Pace HSE
Run by: Matt Bird
On fleet since: August 2025
Bought for: £21,700
Mileage: 45,665
Last month at a glance: Transmission trouble