Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £21,558 to £32,080
Looks like a Jag, decent diesel engines, smart-looking estate version.
Limited range, engines slightly unrefined, predictable styling.
One of the more entertaining drives in its class, despite some rough edges.
The 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 V6s offer above average power and torque for their size, making the X-Type a brisker machine than comparable rivals.
The 3.0 is pretty effortless, but you need to make good use of the gears to get the best of the smaller units.
All engines sound a little harsh and strained towards the top end of their rev ranges, failing to match the cultured quality of the straight-six and V6 motors of BMW and Alfa.
This is also true of the diesel 2.0 (130bhp) and 2.2 (155bhp) engines - while much more refined than in the Mondeo, they are not up to the usual Jaguar standards of refinement either, though both are strong and quick, especially the 2.2, which comes in combination with a six-speed manual gearbox.
In automatic form, the X-Type is also disappointing - gearshift quality is often less than smooth, and the 'box is frequently indecisive about which gear it should be in.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Jaguar X-Type
wrote on 11 01 2007
wrote on 06 09 2006