Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2017 Jaguar F-PACE VS 2017 Lexus RX Near Scottsdale, AZ

Both the F-Pace and RX Series have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The F-Pace has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The RX Series’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The F-Pace has standard Passive Front Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Passive Front Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The RX Series doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the F-Pace. But it costs extra on the RX Series.

The F-Pace R-Sport/S’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The RX Series doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the F-Pace and the RX Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The F-Pace comes with a full 5 year/60,000 mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24 hour roadside assistance. The RX Series’ 4 year/50,000 mile basic warranty expires 1 year and 10,000 miles sooner.

Jaguar pays for scheduled maintenance on the F-Pace for 5 years and 60,000 miles. Jaguar will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Lexus only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the RX Series.

The battery on the F-Pace is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures which can degrade battery life. By keeping the F-Pace’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The RX Series’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

The F-Pace’s optional 3.0 supercharged V6 produces 45 more horsepower (340 vs. 295) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (332 vs. 268) than the RX 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6. The F-Pace’s 3.0 supercharged V6 produces 32 more horsepower (340 vs. 308) than the RX 450h’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid. The F-Pace S’ standard 3.0 supercharged V6 produces 72 more horsepower (380 vs. 308) than the RX 450h’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid.

The F-Pace’s 2.0 turbo diesel produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (318 vs. 268) than the RX 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jaguar F-Pace is faster than the Lexus RX Series:

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the F-Pace’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Lexus only offers a regenerative brake system on the RX Series Hybrid.

Regardless of its engine, the F-Pace’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the RX Series Hybrid.

For better stopping power the F-Pace 35t’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RX Series:

The F-Pace stops much shorter than the RX Series:

For better traction, the F-Pace has larger standard tires than the RX Series (255/60R18 vs. 235/65R18). The F-Pace’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RX Series (265/40R22 vs. 235/65R18).

The F-Pace Base’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX Series’ standard 65 series tires. The F-Pace’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the RX Series’ optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the F-Pace offers optional 22-inch wheels. The RX Series’ largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The F-Pace offers an optional full size spare tire so your trip isn’t interrupted by a flat. A full size spare isn’t available on the RX Series, it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the F-Pace’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the RX Series (113.2 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the F-Pace is .2 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the RX Series.

The F-Pace’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the RX Series’ (57% to 43%). This gives the F-Pace more stable handling and braking.

The F-Pace handles at .86 G’s, while the RX 450h AWD pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The F-Pace executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the RX 450h AWD (25.9 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the F-Pace has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RX Series (8.4 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the F-Pace to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Jaguar F-Pace may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 300 pounds less than the Lexus RX Series.

The F-Pace is 6.2 inches shorter than the RX Series, making the F-Pace easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The F-Pace has a much larger cargo area with its rear seat up than the RX Series with its rear seat up (33.5 vs. 18.4 cubic feet). The F-Pace has a much larger cargo area with its rear seat folded than the RX Series with its rear seat folded (63.5 vs. 56.3 cubic feet).

The F-Pace’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The RX Series’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the F-Pace to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The RX Series doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The RX Series’ optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The F-Pace’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The F-Pace R-Sport/S’ optional Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The RX Series doesn’t offer an automated parking system.