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.
A four-star NCAP result is good, but a star off the excellent Renault Laguna and Mercedes C-Class. As it's newer than both, we expected better. Then again, four-wheel-drive in most models givens you a better chance of avoiding accidents in poor weather conditions in the first place.
There's also anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, occupant-sensing dual-stage front airbags, sidebags, side curtain airbags and a Thatcham-approved anti-theft system all as standard. The brakes themselves are good, but demand surprising effort at times, and they lack emergency brake-assist as standard in all but Sport Premium models, which also gain dynamic stability control.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Jaguar X-Type
wrote on 11 01 2007
wrote on 06 09 2006