What it is and what it is not

Before you ask what the new X-Type Jaguar is it might be better to understand what it is not. It is not a $120,000 XKR Jaguar or SL600 Mercedes Benz. It is not a $60,000 5 Series BMW or LS 430 Lexus. But at the same time it is not a $34,000 C240 Mercedes Benz, or $30,000 325i BMW or IS 300 Lexus. Judging apples to apples, the closest comparisons would be with the latter.

The X-Type Jaguar is the most recent offspring of the multinational marriage of Ford and Jaguar. With the negative aspects of both the Mercedes Benz-Chrysler and BMW-Rover unions fresh in my mind, I was a bit concerned. But the recent X-Type Jaguar offspring has renewed my faith in capitalism. The British automotive positive earth gene of “Do not drive it farther than you want to push it home,” and “a gentleman does not motor around after dark” earned when my 1967 Morris Minor was built appears to have not been passed down, while the American negative ground dependable starting power from my 1953 Mercury has been. More importantly, that aura of comfortable leather, dark wood, and spirited road manners from the legendary XK’s can be sensed each time your grip the leather covered steering wheel and shift knob. That was a mix I never felt with any of the comparable Mercedes Benz, BMW, or Lexus models.

The search for a car

Our purchase of a new X-Type (actually titled 2004) ended an exhaustive six month search for a fitting replacement for my wife’s 1987 BMW 325is. A car she dearly loved and one that fit both her petite five foot and my five foot 10 inch frame like a glove.

Test driving, renting, borrowing, and enduring the advertising campaigns for the 3 Series BMW, Toyota (Camry and Lexus), C Class Mercedes Benz, and even the Miata, and Mini left the two of us with a much narrower field. We realized that we were both drawn to subdued refinement of the European styling over the glaring flash coming from the Orient. The modernized old world styling of the X-Type makes a statement that the car’s lines will not seem dated should styles change before the last payment is posted. Yes, most people we know at first believed we had spent nearer to $50,000 than just under $30,000. In short, the sheet metal evokes the picture of an enduring estate car rather than a riced-out Honda Civic.

First impressions

Fit and finish of our car exceeded or was equal to any of our current three BMWs (dating from 1979 through 1993), my daily driver 1997 Mercedes Benz C230, our daughter’s Saturn, or any of the Detroit products we’d had in the near past. No irregularities could be found in any body seam, across the paintwork, or in any interior component. The controls are laid out for driver visibility and comfortable reach, with operation while driving exact without being distracting. The shift lever for the standard five-speed transmission was well placed for its short pattern, even if you do have to get used to the Anglican pattern of reverse being embarrassingly close to the front seat passenger’s knee. Steering wheel mounted controls for cruise control, wipers, and sound system allow for continued concentration on driving. An important aspect of the cruise control was that it can be activated for as slow a speed as 25 mph. This is significant when local municipalities enforce speed limits with an attitude of zero tolerance. Controlling the volume of the sound system without taking your hands from the wheel is one of those subtle things you can do to amaze your passengers: you might even get away with telling them that Jaguars are telepathic.

Interior wood trim maintains its grain across seams, and all the leather is dyed uniformly throughout. The leather feels soft but firm, and seat cushions are more pliant than the German competition. The folding hook on the glove box door is nice for those who must carry a trash or hand bag. Comfort of the standard leather seats was a welcomed surprise. Side bolster and lumbar support was well above average for standard equipment seats. With only a few adjustments of the eight-way power seat and telescopic steering column, my wife had found the only car in this field where she could be comfortable and confident on the road. A few more adjustments and I proved that while it might not be one size fits all, it would fit both of us nicely. These were the first critical steps toward our emotional bond.

Space

For the practical side, there is ample room in the trunk for a week long vacation or a week’s worth of groceries. The front passenger seat is frugally manual as standard equipped, and the rear seats will comfortably accommodate two average adults for an afternoon drive or three for markedly less comfortable shorter trips. The wide rear center armrest should be ample warning that this car was not really meant to carry five passengers comfortably for any distance. By the same token, the three folding “chicken handles” should remind each passenger that drivers of the X-Type could easily succumb to lure of the subtitle but positive road-feel and the just noticeable auditory candy of the mechanical systems.

The emotional bond

The base 2.5, 5 speed manual combination is an emotional and performance winner over the next step 3.0 automatic. To my midlife crisis, Walter Mitty performance sense, the automatic felt underpowered. While I am sure a drag strip timing clock would say differently, the sense of acceleration was more pronounced with the manual. This is a big part of the emotional bond between vehicle and driver, and perception becomes your reality. Should you really want an automatic transmission, maybe the BMW or Mercedes Benz is for you.

Handling and road holding

Road holding and handling is another plus. Sedate driving is as comfortable as the C Class or Lexus, more comfortable than the 3 Series, without the mushy feel found on the more extreme American luxury cars. I tell my mother-in-law that the all wheel drive is to more safely carry her daughter through the single snowfall we get every two years in Alabama, but mated with the 225 / 55 x 16 Continental tires (tyres?), the foothills of the Smokey Mountains becomes a whole new world. No, it is not a XKR going through those turns, but the flat and confident cornering manners are easily a cut above most of the direct competition, and at a lower cost. All wheel drive in the X-Type is not intended for off road driving, but for transferring constant power through all four tires to the pavement, and that intention is realized in most rational but spirited driving. Body lean is much less than the C-240, “normal” 3 Series, or Lexus. Remember that aura of comfortable leather and dark wood? That is the difference between the BMW and the Jaguar. The BMW is unquestionably fun to drive, but the Jaguar is a pleasure to drive. In my mind, either of the significantly more expensive 330 or M3 BMWs are what some are comparing the X-Type to. That is not a fair comparison for either car.

Dependability

After only a few hundred miles it is a little early to judge dependability, but with a three year / 48,000, bumper to bumper factory warranty (which includes a number of “wear” items for one year / 12,000 miles) – along with a reasonably priced extension to seven years / 100,000, I would say there is a good amount of confidence that it is there. A little caviler, but I look at it as Jaguar’s problem. Jaguar is confident of the car, so I will be too. Normal services are covered during the warranty period, as is the emergency road service. Services are scheduled at 10,000 mile increments, so I do expect to pay for a few interim oil changes to build my own confidence. Fuel economy seems to be running in the mid-twenties without much true stop and go or long highway trips.

Under the hood the Detroit genes show through. The battery is even in there. The component layout screams “No owner serviceable parts inside!” Access to what would seem to be normal maintenance components appears restricted at any angle. This is yet another reason to opt for the extended warranties. The most comforting sight was the routing of the brake lines to obviously assure maximum cooling of the brake fluid.

A taste of the good life

If you are looking for European performance in this class, expect to put out an additional $15,000 for a prepared BMW M3, and still plan on being beaten by some youngster in a tricked out Honda. If it is the ultimate in old world high speed decadence and luxury, then another $80,000 will be required for a Jaguar XKR convertible that every other Ferrari will leave in its wake. The new X-Type Jaguar is what it is. A very affordable entry level Jaguar, maybe even a loss leader, with enough touches from the more endowed members of the Jaguar family for you to taste what it means to be to the manor born.

Three Year Update
Quality and Dependability

After three years and over 30,000 miles my respect for "new" Jaguar quality has only grown. There has been one warranty claim (for the mirror cover latch on one of the sun visors) and no drivability issues. Fuel economy is running around 21 US MPG around town and up to 31 US MPG on the highway. Fuel economy appears best at sustained speed of around 75 MPH.

Please note that this car does not have the automatic transmission, as I have heard of a few claims against those cars.

Shifting, control on all road surfaces (including standing water and snow) remain outstanding.

My recommendation for this car remains very strong.
Amount Paid (US$): 27,900.00
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: Standard Equipment, mud guards