Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £21,558 to £32,080
Good value, well-equipped, capable cruiser, pleasant auto box, economical, low emissions.
Stodgy on cornering, too softly sprung on bumpier roads, cabin feels old-fashioned, poor residuals.
Sometimes it does feel like and old man's car, but you get plenty of kit for your money. German rivals are better to drive.
Seven years in the car business is an eternity - but that's how long Jaguar's X-Type has been on sale. So when put up against the likes of the fresh-faced dynamic go-getters from BMW, Audi and Mercedes, the smallest Jag has the cards well and truly stacked against it.
Instead of eyeing up a nice bungalow in Eastbourne, Jaguar hasn't retired the old campaigner, but instead opted for the automotive equivalent of calling in Trinny and Susannah to stave off those tired looks and inject some life back into their 3-Series rival.
The new updated X-Type boasts almost 500 changes both inside and out, despite the small Jag still looking pretty much like the car that was first launched back in 2001. In comes a new mesh grille, revised front and rear bumpers, a splitter vane (to make the car look wider) new wing mirrors reprofiled side and sill mouldings and a new roof-mounted antenna pod. Oh, there's also a new Jaguar badge on the rear boot.
It's also been lowered - apparently to improve its stance - and to herald the X-Type's sporting intentions.
Is it any better for the changes? We think so, yes. It's not a revolution, but the upgrades have been sensible. There's also a new auto box to go with the 144bhp 2.2-litre diesel and the interior has been given some new bits and a wash and brush-up. If you consider the kit, detailed later in this review, the £21 grand starting price is not looking too shabby, and that's before you've even negotiated a discount.
Prices range from £21,500 to £30,995.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Jaguar X-Type
wrote on 11 01 2007
wrote on 06 09 2006