The Jaguar X-Type may be the entry-level model but it looks unmistakably like a Jaguar. Better still, the X-Type smells and feels like a Jaguar, with all the traditional British ingredients that have defined the brand for seven decades.
The Jaguar X-Type is elegant, comfortable, and fun to drive. It represents a low cost of entry for a Jaguar and for the class. The X-Type gives its owner the distinction of driving a Jag. It also offers the benefits of full-time all-wheel drive. That makes the X-Type a good choice for rain, snow, and ice; and indeed it feels very secure in those conditions.
The X-Type competes with the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and other near-luxury cars. The performance of the Jaguar compares favorably to these cars, while offering a distinct difference in feel and temperament. As with the other cars in its class, the X-Type is smaller in size, making it easier to park and maneuver.
A wagon is available that offers great cargo carrying capacity while maintaining Jaguar's unique style. It comes with a tailgate with independently opening rear window, luggage tie-downs, removable luggage cover and cargo net. It features a neat hidden cargo compartment under the rear floor with a 12-volt power outlet as well as a higher level of standard equipment.
Quality has improved considerably since the X-Type was introduced, as evidenced by the J.D. Power & Associates 2005 Initial Quality Study, which also cited Jaguar's Halewood plant in the U.K., where the X-Type is manufactured, for its overall quality performance. The X-Type is certified as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV), meaning its exhaust is extremely clean.
The X-Type has been maligned by the press for sharing its basic structure with the Ford Mondeo sold in Europe and for not being a true Jaguar. Perhaps the X-Type has shown Jaguar the lower limit for stretching its brand. But the X-Type is a good car.