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I think I've just had it with this car...

15706 Views 46 Replies 20 Participants Last post by  Sinister_Crayon
I know I've b*&ched and moaned a lot on this forum and I apologize for doing so. However, there really aren't a lot of people I can talk with about this car since almost no one owns one...

I think I'm just over owning this car...

I don't know if it's that I'm too short at 5'5 or my arms are too short but I can't find a really comfortable seating position. The steering wheel always seems to be in the wrong position. It makes my arms tired on longer drives. The back of the seat doesn't bend in the middle like my X5 Multi-Contour seats did so I don't feel like the backrest is ever in the correct position either.

I almost prefer driving the car in the off-road mode to sit a bit higher and worry less about steep inclines common in the Denver area. However, if I got above 50ish the car lowers and never raises back up. If this was more automated it would be a nice feature to make this feel more SUV - as it was advertised.

On top of that, I'm just sick of our lousy buggy tech. I've given up using the in-car nav or voice commands - even trying to call someone almost never works. I now use Carplay but even that seems to fail often for nav - especially when I have a client in the car. The signal is crap inside the car for some reason - as many have reported. Thus, the nav often can't keep up or change route while I'm driving.

The confusing profiles constantly reset on me and I lose my settings - yes I've tried setting them before a long journey and they still don't seem to stick all the time. Then the car asks me to log in all the time.

The air filtration system is horrible - I can smell the windshield wiper fluid each time I use it! I've never had that on any car that wasn't a convertible!

I know this shouldn't matter, but most people think this is the entry-level Jag instead of their flagship vehicle and it sort of drives me bananas.

I still maintain that if I had owned an X3 or similar SUV before this, I would find the luxury and refinement to be top notch. However, coming from a larger more polished SUV like the X5, this car is lacking all over the place.

Range anxiety has also become an issue for me. I get more than enough range for 3-4 days of work. However, this means I charge to 100% 2x per week which can't be great for the battery long term. I also think my range anxiety is worse because the GOM is always changing the game - I leave the house with 70 miles left and within 2 miles it tells me I have 50. Since I can't rely on this, I never know how much I really have left and I become anxious. Then I'm afraid to constantly charge the car as I don't want to hurt the battery - so it become s a vicious cycle!

I called my Jag dealer today and have asked them to figure out how much I would lose to just hand it back over to them. That's the point I'm at really.

The sad thing is I really want to love this car! On paper, it literally has everything I could want - fast, quiet, full of tech, eco-friendly, great handling etc. Unfortunately, it just doesn't fully deliver for me.

I'm really bummed out and have no idea what to even replace this car with. I'm at 1500 miles and I'm exhausted...

Thanks for reading...
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I know I've b*&ched and moaned a lot on this forum and I apologize for doing so. However, there really aren't a lot of people I can talk with about this car since almost no one owns one...

I think I'm just over owning this car...

I don't know if it's that I'm too short at 5'5 or my arms are too short but I can't find a really comfortable seating position. The steering wheel always seems to be in the wrong position. It makes my arms tired on longer drives. The back of the seat doesn't bend in the middle like my X5 Multi-Contour seats did so I don't feel like the backrest is ever in the correct position either.

I almost prefer driving the car in the off-road mode to sit a bit higher and worry less about steep inclines common in the Denver area. However, if I got above 50ish the car lowers and never raises back up. If this was more automated it would be a nice feature to make this feel more SUV - as it was advertised.

On top of that, I'm just sick of our lousy buggy tech. I've given up using the in-car nav or voice commands - even trying to call someone almost never works. I now use Carplay but even that seems to fail often for nav - especially when I have a client in the car. The signal is crap inside the car for some reason - as many have reported. Thus, the nav often can't keep up or change route while I'm driving.

The confusing profiles constantly reset on me and I lose my settings - yes I've tried setting them before a long journey and they still don't seem to stick all the time. Then the car asks me to log in all the time.

The air filtration system is horrible - I can smell the windshield wiper fluid each time I use it! I've never had that on any car that wasn't a convertible!

I know this shouldn't matter, but most people think this is the entry-level Jag instead of their flagship vehicle and it sort of drives me bananas.

I still maintain that if I had owned an X3 or similar SUV before this, I would find the luxury and refinement to be top notch. However, coming from a larger more polished SUV like the X5, this car is lacking all over the place.

Range anxiety has also become an issue for me. I get more than enough range for 3-4 days of work. However, this means I charge to 100% 2x per week which can't be great for the battery long term. I also think my range anxiety is worse because the GOM is always changing the game - I leave the house with 70 miles left and within 2 miles it tells me I have 50. Since I can't rely on this, I never know how much I really have left and I become anxious. Then I'm afraid to constantly charge the car as I don't want to hurt the battery - so it become s a vicious cycle!

I called my Jag dealer today and have asked them to figure out how much I would lose to just hand it back over to them. That's the point I'm at really.

The sad thing is I really want to love this car! On paper, it literally has everything I could want - fast, quiet, full of tech, eco-friendly, great handling etc. Unfortunately, it just doesn't fully deliver for me.

I'm really bummed out and have no idea what to even replace this car with. I'm at 1500 miles and I'm exhausted...

Thanks for reading...
The only thing I could possibly offer comfort on is fretting about charging. Unless you expect to keep the car for 10 years or are one of those people that put seat covers on your seats so the second owners can enjoy the originals, worrying about maybe effecting the battery by a few % points in 4 years just doesn’t make sense. On one of the FB groups a UK user posted JLRs guidance on it, which was just charge it. Especially in cold weather, plug it when you can.

Most of the other stuff I agree, the $90k IPace doesn’t even come close to a $70k 5 Series as far as tech/luxury.

I have 5300 miles on mine, but haven’t driven much in the last 3 weeks and would be happy to dump it if I could stomach the $20k loss...but, I’ll keep it at least another year...
I'd like to say I am sorry you are at this point. There are a couple of small things that sometimes get me close to that, but to me its mainly the ridiculously buggy infotainment system. To start with one SHOULD NOT have to sit and wait for a **** car to "boot" before you do things. And the laggy and jerky system, with deleting profiles and cameras that freeze up and NOT acceptable on a car of any price.

But the ride and quality of the rest of the car really does shine FWIW. I am hoping SOMEONE at Jaguar realizes they need a whole new software development head who takes this s**t seriously. I still find myself wanting to drive the car and enjoying the rest of the experience, even with the silly shortcomings. Its sad that so much hard stuff was executed perfectly on this car, only to have it marred with simple mistakes.

As far as comfort, that is unfortunate but sometimes cars just don't fit us well. I am sorry you are finding that to be the case with your I Pace.

But the one I'd second is DO NOT worry about battery, some of us are anal retentive. But this is not a concern for any typical driver.
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I know when I come here I hear a lot of complaints about the car. But, when I am in the car I realize it's really a great and possibly under appreciated car. My feeling is that it's a great car.

My thoughts:

1. It has the utility of an SUV and drives like a sports car and has been available since 2018. (Tesla's model Y comes out in 2020 or 2021. And the X doesn't drive like a sports car)

2. Acceleration and handling are fantastic for a car with a heavy battery. Better than all other electrics so far.

3. The paid charging network is pretty good and Tesla doesn't offer free charging anymore.

4. We get the tax rebate which Tesla is losing. So the cost can come down by up to $10,000.

5. We have air suspension and real off road handling.

6. It really does have the feel of luxury in the HSE or First Edition.

7. The mileage which is not quite the same as Tesla is still around the equivalent of 80mpg (When people shop for an F-Type do they check the mpg before they buy?)

All in all it's a pretty amazing first attempt at an electric car from Jaguar. Maybe some of the infotainment issues will be fixed in future updates. I'm also hoping the driver assist gets better and gets close to Tesla's autopilot (but that is likely several years away for both companies)

Regarding seating: I definitely agree. Drive it in off road height when ever possible (as long as you are under 50mph) And set if for Dynamic mode.

Maybe a future preference setting will automatically return the car to off-road height and dynamic mode when your speed drops below 50mph. Until then it's not such a big deal to push the button yourself.

It seems to me we have an electric car of the future today. We don't have to wait until 2020 or 2021 or 2022 to see what other cars are out there. We have it today. And it's not perfect. But it's still pretty great.

Anyway I like mine. The issues are minor. We have an electric car the drives like a sports car and has the off road capability of an SUV.

(BTW: I don't work for Jaguar. I just enjoy my car)
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There is not a lot you can do that make a car fit you if it doesn't. For me (6'1") the I-Pace is most comfy car I own or have driven in recent memory. I did have to play with the settings a lot to get there. But how it fits me, and the driving pleasure it gives makes the car a great value to me.

Yeah, not real happy with the digital warts or lackluster support. But now that I've found even the new Model 3's derate themselves after a very short time (4 laps), I'm glad I didn't buy a Brand T like I was going to. A stereo might bug me. A small tank miight bug me. An engine that overheats is a deal breaker.
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That's part of what makes this so hard for me honestly. It really does drive incredibly well - the traction is amazing - almost too much traction. I'm used to getting the rear to slide a bit in my X5. This thing just stays planted even in snow.

Everything outside of the actual driving dynamics is what bothers. I could drive my X5 for days and get out fresh. I get out of this feeling exhausted because my arms and shoulders hurt from how the steering wheel is positioned with my T-Rex like arms - at least this car is making me think I have T-Rex arms!

Don't forget, if I want to be beaten up, I can get into my lowered 911 Turbo and blast around. This is supposed to be my most refined car for entertaining clients.
Danm, it really does not fit you, does it? That would drive me nuts too. I hope you find the right car for yourself!
For me I can't get enough of the I-Pace.

Could go down all the talking points but the I-Pace does not seem like a good fit for you. Best of luck on the trade.
We'll see what happens.

I drove it to dinner tonight and it really does drive so well. But then the electric windshield blurs my vision and I can't really see with oncoming traffic and I hate it again.

I do think Jaguar built a great car. Unfortunately, instead of building a true halo car they let it down with the infotainment system other odd choices.
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I'd play with the height and angle of the seat to see if you can arrange things closer to the steering wheel. My wife seems comfy, and she's 4'11". I'm definitely comfy at 6' with more torso than legs.

As for the windshield, I bet you could just have it replaced with a non-heated windshield for less than the price hit of trading in. Also, raising the seating position may help with the glare and with the comfort. The steering wheel has a pretty good range of motion in and out, so I'm not sure what the issue is. Did you get the performance seats or the regular ones?

As for the tech, well, I think that pretty much sucks on all cars. The only EV that looks like they're going to get it right is Bollinger. Nothing but the basics.
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sgtpepper said:
Range anxiety has also become an issue for me. I get more than enough range for 3-4 days of work. However, this means I charge to 100% 2x per week which can't be great for the battery long term.
I don't know where this anxiety over 100% charging comes from. It seems to be more common here.

How did they say it in Donny Brasco? Fuggedaboutit!

The car won't let you use 100% or charge 100%. Leave it plugged in at home and let the car do its thing.

That seat comfort thing sounds serious. No car seat fits everyone. I'd look into seat pads/inserts. As nice as this car is I'd be looking for solutions for stuff like this.
I'd play with the height and angle of the seat to see if you can arrange things closer to the steering wheel. My wife seems comfy, and she's 4'11". I'm definitely comfy at 6' with more torso than legs.

As for the windshield, I bet you could just have it replaced with a non-heated windshield for less than the price hit of trading in. Also, raising the seating position may help with the glare and with the comfort. The steering wheel has a pretty good range of motion in and out, so I'm not sure what the issue is. Did you get the performance seats or the regular ones?

As for the tech, well, I think that pretty much sucks on all cars. The only EV that looks like they're going to get it right is Bollinger. Nothing but the basics.
Believe me, I've moved the seat around for hours trying to find my perfect spot. I just can't. I think part of it is that I'm so used to the multi-contour seats offered by BMW which allow you to curve the backrest on top of moving it back and forth. It really makes a huge difference. I have the regular seats for what it's worth.

As for tech being bad in all cars - that just isn't true. In my 3-year-old X5 I could use the nav using voice controls, I could access siri by holding down voice button without plugging the phone in and much more - and that was with iDrive that was 2 gens old!

The newest versions from all the other major companies have really advanced voice commands and I'm certain they have working navigation. Many even have wireless Carplay - meanwhile, Jaguar JUST got carplay for the first time while others have had it for several years already.

I'm just not sure why anyone could defend the infotainment system as it sits right now.

Again, I love the driving dynamics of the car. That is definitely what drew me to it.
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Sounds like buyer’s remorse from dropping so much cake on a car that you feel is only incrementally better in some respects and a step back in others. I admit that coming from my i3, BMW had their tech much better sorted out. However when iDrive first came out a number of years ago it almost destroyed the brand’s credibility which took years to recover from. All that being said, Jag uses a similar system across their lineup and is experiencing similar complaints—not just the iPace so you would think someone would be working on this a little harder.

Are you sure you have given it a fair shake after only 1500 miles? Hardly seems broken in at this point for you to throw in the towel.

With regards to charging—don’t worry about it. For three years I charged my i3 to max and drained it on a daily basis and 58,000 KMs later the battery was just as good from the day I brought it home. They don’t allow you to charge it to max and drain it all the way anyhow. The 0-100% is just what is available to you so charge away without a care in the world.

As to sitting too low, well, that is something you might never get adjusted to. I don’t really think it should be described as a SUV and, I hate the term ‘Crossover’. To me it is a car and a good looking one as well. Seating position is down to personal preference I guess and when you are irritated with the car then maybe you become irritated with everything. The only thing I would say is you need to give it more than 1500 miles for you to adjust to something new.

I look at the ‘quirks’ of the infotainment system to the ‘beauty mark’ on Cindy Crawford—it is quickly overlooked when evaluating the total package. :)

I might also suggest maybe not reading the forum too much as other’s negative experiences might pile on and compound your dissatisfaction. Sure there are things I am not happy with such as not being able to remove the charging cord without the remote, the white light on in the footwells at night for no apparent reason, the Nav that likes to take me in circles a few times before taking me home and the fact that I can’t find an all-season tire for the 22” wheels yet. None of these are core design flaws and I am optimistic that they will be sorted out in time as well as possibly new features being added.

If there were more serious problems such as dead batteries, or car fires, or sudden airbag release, then I would be worried that I made the wrong choice, but there isn’t. From an engineeering point of view it was a total success. From a tech point of view, I would certainly call this a beta release.

Cheer up—it is only money! I say that with peace and love... :)

Tim
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I think my expectations were off based on the early marketing I did read and see regarding this car.

It was supposed to be:
1. An SUV
2. Luxury - while, yes, it is a luxury vehicle, it's X3/Q5 luxury not X5/Q7 luxury which misses the mark for me from my previous cars - it's also priced more like an X5/Q7 - more if you don't calculate in the tax credit. However, you do get a tax write off on an X5/Q7 for the "farm" credit so that sort of evens out...
3. Latest greatest tech - Even Doug Demuro loved the tech upon first using it in the Velar and I-Pace. However, I think if he had to live with it daily he'd change his reviews.

BTW - the lack of all-seasons for the 22s pissed me off as well. Check out my other threads on that. I ended up getting slightly larger Continental DWS tires and they're great - if not a touch hard. This thing goes through the snow with ease.

Again, Jaguar really got the driving dynamics right and this thing has a great ride and the handling is killer for what it is. Dynamic mode is always a hoot.

Do I have buyers remorse? Yea, I do. But it's based on the expectations not being met and tech that is making me look like a fool while showing homes to clients. In my X5 - again 3 years old - I could start the car, hit the voice button, tell it an address, and off I went. I could do all this in less time than it takes for anything to finish booting in the I-Pace and that's just bad.
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My experience with the voice commands for Nav on the BMW were very disappointing. It seemed to figure out what I was saying around 30% of the time. It would confuse Ontario with Puerto Rico on a regular basis. I would hope it could use some basic smarts to determine that I didn’t want to leave the continent for crying out loud! After a year or two of trying to learn the idiosyncrasies I gave up and ‘wrote’ the address with the iDrive controller. The only AI that get’s addresses right is Google to be honest with you. It is so accurate it is sort of scary...
I definitely agree the voice commands are dated. My prior car was a 2012 A6, and the voice control on it was basically the same level as what the i-Pace can do, but better because the system was integrated better. I could say "Navigate to <wife's_name>" and it would use her contact entry on the phone, and that is without Siri (since EyesFree didn't make it to Audi until a couple of years later).
The regular BMW voice control wasn't very good. However, there was some option they showed me at the dealer that was only for Nav that would allow you to speak regularly and it was 95%+ accurate - I was able to set it as a smart button and used it all the time.

That's another thing that drives me nuts is you can only select certain items for the smart button and only certain things can make it to your custom home screen - that you can't set to come up automatically when you start the car!
Sure there are things I am not happy with such as not being able to remove the charging cord without the remote, the white light on in the footwells at night for no apparent reason, the Nav that likes to take me in circles a few times before taking me home and the fact that I can’t find an all-season tire for the 22” wheels yet. None of these are core design flaws and I am optimistic that they will be sorted out in time as well as possibly new features being added. Tim

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S in the 265/40ZR22 size...it will work. ;)


https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+A%2FS+3%2B+%28W-+or+Y-Speed+Rated%29&partnum=64YR2PSAS3PLXL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes
I think my expectations were off based on the early marketing I did read and see regarding this car.

It was supposed to be:
1. An SUV
2. Luxury - while, yes, it is a luxury vehicle, it's X3/Q5 luxury not X5/Q7 luxury which misses the mark for me from my previous cars - it's also priced more like an X5/Q7 - more if you don't calculate in the tax credit. However, you do get a tax write off on an X5/Q7 for the "farm" credit so that sort of evens out...
3. Latest greatest tech - Even Doug Demuro loved the tech upon first using it in the Velar and I-Pace. However, I think if he had to live with it daily he'd change his reviews.

BTW - the lack of all-seasons for the 22s pissed me off as well. Check out my other threads on that. I ended up getting slightly larger Continental DWS tires and they're great - if not a touch hard. This thing goes through the snow with ease.

Again, Jaguar really got the driving dynamics right and this thing has a great ride and the handling is killer for what it is. Dynamic mode is always a hoot.

Do I have buyers remorse? Yea, I do. But it's based on the expectations not being met and tech that is making me look like a fool while showing homes to clients. In my X5 - again 3 years old - I could start the car, hit the voice button, tell it an address, and off I went. I could do all this in less time than it takes for anything to finish booting in the I-Pace and that's just bad.

Agreed that the Infotainment issues ruin the experience. I'm hoping JLR figures things out SOON. We had similar issues with our 2018 LR RR Velar's Touch Pro Duo system but after several attempts to fix with software updates, things seem to have settled down for the most part. The I-Pace does drive very, very well; similar or even better than my 2015 Porsche Macan Turbo, BUT yes, the Infotainment/tech bugs kill it. As far as your seating position goes, I could see an issue if you have the standard seats but I'm 5'8" and have the Performance Seats...seating position and comfort are amazing! It is a crossover like the Porsche Macan and not a real tall SUV so you shouldn't expect to sit way up high like you would in a Land Rover RR.
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My experience with the voice commands for Nav on the BMW were very disappointing. It seemed to figure out what I was saying around 30% of the time. It would confuse Ontario with Puerto Rico on a regular basis. I would hope it could use some basic smarts to determine that I didn’t want to leave the continent for crying out loud! After a year or two of trying to learn the idiosyncrasies I gave up and ‘wrote’ the address with the iDrive controller. The only AI that get’s addresses right is Google to be honest with you. It is so accurate it is sort of scary...
The PoleStar is going to use a straight Android interface with Google maps as the nav...it should be awesome, but as with everything, time will tell.
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