USED Jaguar X-type Estate (01 - 09)

My car

My last car was a 2002 BMW 328i fully loaded Estate. One day I was on the web, not even thinking of Jaguar and I fell on a local dealer web site. There it was, British Racing Green, 17 inch wheels, champagne leather and diesel. I wanted diesel as price of petrol has been and will certainly keep on climbing in Europe. Off to the dealer.

First impressions. More luxurious than the BMW with its German strict luxury. But this basic Jag was loaded, the wood, the leather, the sound system, great 17 inch wheels, the great lines, the quiet ride.

Drove it, heavy feeling car and decided to push it had that wow thrust, what a torque, its turbo and booster, smart engineering by Ford-Jag. Went on side roads and pushed it way over speed limits, flying colors. Took it the free way, 5th gear and forgot I had a manual gear car. What swayed me in favor of the Jag was, fuel economy, luxury, space, looks and more.

I called the dealer next day (did not have to check with my wife, she was traveling, yes I know when the cat is away…), told him he had a deal.

Eat your hearts out all you anti X-Types out there, picking on its Ford Mondeo origins, so what. Besides only 18% is Mondeo and even that was reengineered for the X-Type. Yes Jag is not 100% British, so? we all know that. Kudos to Ford for having saved the Jag legend. Show me a car that is 100% pure, Volvo,Mazda, Nissan, Range Rover, Mini Cooper, small Cadillac is an Opel.

I love this car. Oh by the way my wife loves it.

My car

I had a Jaguar X-type for 18 months and covered 28,000 miles. I have never had a new car that has spent so much time at the dealers.

The car was extremely comfortable to drive and a pleasure to tour in. It has lots of space, good economy and a perky engine. After 20,000 miles it needed a new gearbox. I've had the standard recall for the cables round the engine, but also problems with remote keyfobs, the rear tailgate window, new discs and brakes at 26,000 miles, and other smaller issues.

The worst is the dealer service. Having given up on the Manchester dealers, I tried Bolton. I got a courtesy car when they inspected the gearbox problem, the gentleman handing me the keys proudly stated it had only about six miles worth of petrol. I drove home, got my wife to take me to work and took it back the next day with three miles left in the tank.

When it went in for the new gearbox, no courtesy car was available - the dealer told me to call Jaguar Assistance and lie, telling them it had just gone and not to say there was a gearbox on order at my local dealer. It's a lovely car, but it's of poor quality and come3s with appalling aftersales service. While I was sad to see it go, I know that once the warranty had expired I would have ended up burning it or launching it off a cliff.

My car

This is a driver's estate, with the 2.2D being a gem. It is well balanced and reads the roads well with Sports suspension.

The clutch pedal is highly sprung so stalling can occur. My left foot ached on a drive up hilly passes and my left shoulder did the same, because the gearbox, although firm and assertive needs effort when going uphill.

The interior is cramped and the seats need more support. The satellite-navigation screen is too low and some of the interior platics could have a better finish. It's a lot better to drive than the Peugeot 407!

My car

When I was looking to change my car, I agonised round and round the German loop: Mercedes, Audi, BMW, VW, Mercedes again. Then I realised that I just couldn't spend six or seven hours of my life every week inside one of these things. The overwhelming serious dullness of it all; sitting in one of these is like sitting inside a high-class briefcase.

Finding the X-Type was an experience of relief from this circle of tedium. Without a doubt, the X-Type is a true Jaguar, and a Jag is simply like no other car in the world. There is, I will admit, the faintest whiff of cheese (in the stylistic, rather than dairy, sense) about some of the interior combinations, but overall the interior of the X-Type is simply a relaxing, pleasing and unique place to be.

In other aspects, the power of the 2.0D is fine for me; the ride is so smooth, even with gorgeous optional 18-inch alloy wheels; the fuel consumption brings a smile to the face; it's roomy enough for family and stuff. As others have said: if I want speed thrills I can get my bike out, and if I need to lug loads about, my other car is a Picasso. Sorted.

So don't hesitate - be different. Drive around in something truly unique.