Used Jaguar X-Type review: 2002-2010

Remarkably the Jaguar name has maintained its traditional position as a leading prestige brand in the automotive business despite the ownership changes that have taken place in recent years.

New

Indian interests now own the grand old British brand, but for a time it was part of the Ford empire, and it was during this period that it produced the compact X-Type.

The X-Type was conceived to compete with the prestige models from other makers that ruled the luxury mid-sized market segment, cars like the 'Benz C-Class, BMW's 3-Series and the Audi A4.Traditionalists moaned that the X-Type wasn't a real Jaguar, that it was simply a dressed-up Ford Mondeo and owed little to the proud heritage of the brand.

While that was true, Ford's stylists did quite a good job in making it look like a Jaguar with styling cues that clearly recalled the big cats that ruled the road in the 1960s and '70s.

It had a low and heavily sculpted look that was reminiscent of the old XJ sedans, and plastic woodgrain highlights and leather trim in the cabin passed for the real thing. The cabin itself, however, was a little on the cramped side and the boot was rather small.

The X-Type lobbed in local showrooms late in 2001 with 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre all-wheel drive V6 versions, to which a 2.1-litre model, this one a front-wheel driver, was added in 2002, followed by a turbo-diesel in 2008.

There was a five-speed manual gearbox available, but most of the petrol models left the showrooms with the five-speed auto that was also offered. The turbo-diesel was equipped with a six-speed manual.

When let loose on the road the small-engined cat was a comfy cruiser; it wasn't over-endowed with performance and you needed to work it hard to extract what zip it did have. The larger engine models offered more of the get up and go you'd expect of a Jaguar.

Now

For anyone lacking the funds to buy a new prestige model the lure of buying a second-hand one can be irresistible, but buying a used model can be a road to financial ruin. Just because a car costs more when it's sitting in a glitzy showroom doesn't mean it's any more reliable than the cheap-and-cheerful model at the budget car dealer down the road. Prestige models, like the Jaguar X-Type, can be a joy to drive, but they can also become a nightmare.

For starters servicing can be expensive if you take it to the factory dealer to have the oil changed, and if it breaks down expect to pay plenty for the replacement parts needed to get it going again. Do your homework on whom you might get to service your car; an independent service mechanic with knowledge of Jaguars is highly recommended.

As we've reported in this column before the prices charged by the factory dealers for prestige car parts can be outrageous, but savvy buyers and smart machines can source them for a lot less from overseas on the internet.

The X-Type is a generally sound car, but it's still vitally important that you have your chosen cars checked by an expert before handing over your cash. As with any second-hand car check the service record to make sure your chosen car hasn't been neglected. Missed servicing will likely cause you considerable pain later on.

There was one recall that affected the X-Type here in Australia. It was in 2012 and related to the cruise control in the diesel version. The problem could occur of there was an error in the electronics controlling the cruise, in which case the cruise would be disabled and a fault indicated on the dash, but if it happened while the cruise was engaged it is not possible to disengage the cruise using the cruise cancel button, the brakes or changing gear. Check the owner's manual for a record of the recall rework having been carried out.

Smithy says

It's a cat, and that counts, but there are better used prestige buys.