Jaguar XE or BMW 4 Series - which will be the most reliable?

I'm considering buying a petrol sports saloon and am thinking of either a Jaguar XE or a BMW 4 Series. I plan to keep the car for a long time, 10 years plus, but have some concerns on the reliability of the supercharged Jag engine. Any thoughts?

Asked on 23 January 2016 by Doug Isaacs

Answered by Honest John
Superchargers run hot. But turbos are turned by hot exhaust gases so run hotter. On petrol engines they are usually cooled by the engine coolant as well as the engine oil, and nowadays an electric pump keeps the coolant flowing through a hot turbo after the engine is switched off.

Jaguar has been fitting superchargers for about 18 years now and there is no excessive history of failures. Engine power is absorbed by turning the supercharger, whereas a turbo is turned by exhaust gases. But 10 years is a long life for any modern car for the huge stack of componentry in it to remain 100% reliable. The ride in any Jag is a lot better than any BMW on the same size tyres.
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