2019 Toyota Supra

No one in their right mind shopping for a Supra will also be looking at an AWD SUV/tall wagon. The market for the Supra will be people shopping for the Z4, 370Z, Cayman, TT, 2 Series, etc. It's a very small segment compared to the entire market. That wasn't my point though. My point is, there are only so many people who ARE shopping for the cars on your list. And out of those, those who wanted the Supra have already put their deposit down, hence the car is sold out NOW. Give it 12 months and the inventory is gong to pile up, just like all the other cars you listed (except for the 2, which isn't exactly a 2 seat sports car). THE post popular 2 seat sports car last year sold a whopping 30,000 copies in 2018, for 1/3rd the price. There were 3,000 Porsche Caymans (closest competitor) sold (of all the Cayman variants) in 2018. You do the math. Here are some U.S. All told the numbers of cars in this segment and price point sold at a clip of 10,000 a year. Do y'all really think the Supra is going to sell a thousand a month moving forward? There's no market supporting that. Ok.. the same can be said about tons of other niche products sports car. And that is EXACTLY what I am saying. Once the Supra enthusiast, those that absolutely have to have this car, bought in, sales will trickle down to a few hundred a month. Because this IS a niche product sports car. The excitement about how 2019 allocation has already been sold out? I'd be surprised if they sell 900 a year in 24 months.

That means it鈥檚 good to drive on a bumpy country road, as well as being smooth on the motorway and faster, more flowing A-roads. But next to these two rivals, apart from the slower 0-60mph time due to a quirk of the gearbox in bottom gear (it shifts up earlier), the lower-powered Jaguar was strong. Although it was slower from 30-70mph through the ratios, it was quicker than both rivals from 50-70mph in sixth, seventh and eighth gears, thanks partly to its extra torque delivered low in the rev range. So when you鈥檙e pushing hard and making the most of the engine鈥檚 performance, the Jaguar falls behind, but if you prefer to use the torque of the diesel and keep revs low, there鈥檚 little difference between them. Unfortunately the Ingenium engine is not as refined as its rivals鈥? and its rattly note is more present in the cabin at idle and while cruising.

The Jaguar鈥檚 more cramped interior compared with its rivals鈥?stems from its less functional design in the front, and the XE isn鈥檛 quite as spacious for rear-seat passengers as its opponents, either. Leg and headroom is more cramped, but this is relative to its competitors so there鈥檚 still an adequate level of space. At 455 litres, the XE鈥檚 boot matches the C-Class鈥檚 for space, but falls behind the new 3 Series鈥? However, have a look at all three load areas next to one another and you鈥檒l find only a small difference; every model has plenty of room for a few suitcases. A power convenience pack is available for 拢1,125 that adds a gesture-controlled bootlid and keyless entry. The Jag鈥檚 driving position is good, but not quite as comfy as the BMW鈥檚, while in-cabin storage is decent. Jaguar ranked in 10th position in our Driver Power 2018 satisfaction survey, higher than Mercedes and BMW.

However, both the previous 3 Series and the C-Class finished in our rundown of the top 75 models to live with. The XE didn鈥檛 score highly enough to make an appearance in that list. At least the Jag gets autonomous braking, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and six airbags fitted as standard. The 拢2,425 Active Safety Pack adds blind spot monitoring and cross- traffic alert, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control to that list of safety kit. The BMW returned the best economy on test, at 46.9mpg, while the Mercedes managed 46.1mpg. Those numbers work out at annual fuel costs of 拢1,512 and 拢1,538 respectively. The 3 Series is king of the compact executive class. It sets a new benchmark for handling, but balances this with comfort and refinement. It鈥檒l also be cheaper to run, boasts more practicality and an updated interior and infotainment that cement its first place finish. In almost every area the BMW betters its rivals, with advanced tech keeping up with buyers鈥?demands in this market. The C-Class drops to second place.

It鈥檚 still a solid all-rounder with a strong interior, plenty of updated technology, decent performance and good fuel economy - but it drops behind the BMW when it comes to ride, refinement and agility. The Mercedes is still comfortable enough and well equipped, but it鈥檚 also pricier, not as good to drive and not as advanced as the latest 3 Series. Third place here is more a reflection of how long the XE has been around for without a major update. It鈥檚 still good fun and rewarding to drive, rides relatively well and is affordable, but it鈥檒l cost more to run due to high CO2. The real downside is the cramped cabin and severely flawed infotainment in this company, though. The XE isn鈥檛 as well equipped as its two rivals, either. Keen drivers will appreciate the Alfa Giulia鈥檚 fine handling. Its interior and infotainment are leagues behind the BMW鈥檚, while the 2.2-litre turbodiesel is as noisy as the Jag鈥檚 2.0 litre when revved. Still, the quick steering and chassis make this a sweet package. For this budget you should also consider a used 5 Series. You could get a larger saloon with a punchy straight-six diesel at this price. The 5 Series rides more smoothly than the 3 Series, even if it鈥檚 not quite as agile, due to its larger footprint.