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I loved mine. I am throwing it away because altho it is mechanically perfect, it throws error codes and goes into limp mode, and no-one can tell me why. It's a simple thing for anyone with half a brain to manage, but, that doesn't include Jaguar's engineering management. I'll never buy anything Jag makes again.
The MK3 Mondeo was a fantastic car. I spoke to a police officer at a car show once and he told me out of all the fancy old bill motors he’s had, the ST220 was by far the best to drive.
I'm biased since I work with business strategy, but these videos in which you talk (rant) about the industry, the brands and the business side of things are truly a joy to watch. You manage to be one of few who seem to properly understand it and be honest about it, in simple, direct, clear language.
Hands up here , I’m a Jag nut Many years ago I discovered mark 2 Jags always wanted one but couldn’t afford one also wanted an E-Type same thing When I got into my 40s I had a managers job that came with a company car or a car allowance , I chose the car allowance As Iv driven loads of crap company cars doing 20;000 + a year I thought I would chose something I like , my allowance allowed me a big pool to choose from Audi A4 , 3 series BMW loads of VW,s Fords , etc . Back then the internet wasn’t what it is now , so Auto trader was magazine of choice , in the back was a sanction for PCP , hP deals etc , so every car in the UK for sale was there for all to see. Me being me , 1st what does my car look like ( do I like the look ) 2nd what does it cost a month 19:53 and can I afford it , what will the resale value be I drove past a Jag garage and did a double take , I could not believe I could afford a Jag . I did a deal on a V6 3.0ltr sport top spec , it was an x Jag directors car so there was nothing else they could put on it . Trust me it was fabulous and went like shit off a shovel , this was no Mondeo The ST 220 was what people thought it was but it was like chalk and cheese My commute became to much for 25 mpg fuel consumption so I traded it in for a 2,2ltr diesel , the torque was not much different but the fuel was 25 mpg up to 50+. a gallon It was a near to a mark 2 as I could afford ( in my head anyway ) , now retired life has changed The E-Type still out of my range , so I bought the best 2005 XK8 4.2ltr V8 I could afford and absolutely love it ( in my head my E-Type ) If you have never owned or driven a Jag , do yourself a favour , but only try the top spec or the best of each car , the cheep ones are not good but the best ones are wonderful The Jag clubs are a great help and good fun to be involved with , let’s keep great cars alive of all the models , x type included
I have owned a number of X-Types. Seriously underrated. The thing I liked about them was their very 'not of the time' shape. This has meant the car doesn't age. Same with the XJ (X300/X308 models). Looked nothing like anything being sent this way from Germany. Even now when I see an X-Type I marvel at how 'fresh' it still looks. My 2.0d and 2.2d were both extremely reliable cars, as was the 3.0 V6 petrol I bought. The 2.0d was capable of 60mpg and in the 60,000 miles I owned it it never missed a beat. Available now for bargain prices so I might just see if I can find a nice low miler.....3.0 petrol for me, cracking cars.
I thought the X308 dated by 200 or so but till find the X350 timeless, and they're available in the US for as little as $4000. They're all aluminum and 200kg lighter than the comperable krautwagens. Even the V6 is OKish acceleration and good mileage. You can spend far more for a six year old Corolla. I love my E39 (still driving 22 years now) but would consider the X350 .
Been thinking of getting a diesel x-type but was worried about reliability as I do over 300 miles a week. What diesel engine would you reccomend the most?
I love my X-type 3,0 v6. so comfortable for the money. There is a great community out there for it and still people making cool things like bluetooth audio and reversing cameras for it.
no, you might have been a lucky one cause i had a V8 back then and those maintenance bills were horrible ,but at that point i had not faced the first repair bill to get rid off it instantly. Was a nice Jag, but can not even remember if it had been this one or s-type, only V8 and terrible bills
@@typxxilps lol dude these came with a slightly modified version of the 3.0 Duratec Ford V6 as it’s biggest offering, as previously stated. Probably one of the best engines ever put in a jaguar lol
@@jackdough8164 Yes the Duratec in the Jaag is a very interesting engine. Originally made by Porsche but discarded, Ford picked it up, Cosworth made the head, Mazda variable timing gear and Jaguar tuned inlet manifold. Turned out very well indeed and I still have mine, one of the very first and manual gearbox.
My parents bought a 2.5 X-Type brand new in 2002. It served us well for ten years and 270000 km of daily duties, and with class no C-class could ever match.
I don't think either the x type or the S type were bad ideas or that they weren't good enough I've owned an S type for a lot of years, its now 23 yrs old and it has been absolutely brilliant, reliable, comfortable, surprisingly economical and a pleasure to drive. Biggest problem seems to be so called experts who like to deride anything made in this country.
S-type was astonishingly good; so comfortable that my wife warned me I was falling asleep at the wheel, and should get something "small, economical, cheap to service, no trouble with parts, and easy to get in and out of". So I traded the beloved S-type for a Maserati (ticks all those boxes) and haven't looked back. CANNOT fall asleep with four exhausts and two turbo chargers.
I have a 2002 Jaguar X-type Classic with a 2.1l V6 engine and a manual gearbox. It's very similar to the one in this video, it has velour seats and manual windows in the rear. As it's only the base model 2.1l V6, it doesn't have AWD but it doesn't matter, I love it. The car does need a lot of work to get it back on the road, but it's very sentimental to me as it was my dad's car who is sadly no longer with us. I love the look of the X-type, and the V6 engine is super smooth and sounds amazing.
July 27, 2023 - From the USA. I’ve had two X-Types a 2003 and a 2006. The first a 2.5 liter manual transmission and the second a 3 liter automatic. Loved them both. In the snow and ice of the NE they were gems, loved passing SUVs struggling in the snow and ice. I leased and owned the 2006 for 11 years of joy. When a pinhole developed in the manifold I regretfully in 2016 traded it in for a new XF, more interior room, with the supercharged v6. Love that car and now that the v6 is gone I will hold on to it as long as I can. By the way, my other car is a 2018 F-Type P340 coupe, same engine as the XF, and which I also love to play in and will hang about in my garage forever.
I purchased an X-Type 3.0L petrol manual a couple of years ago. It was affordable to buy, has had no issues other than deferred maintenance, and drives very well. The styling is enduring and unique. I can't say that about new Jaguars, unfortunately.
I do have a soft spot for the x-type. My old man had one when I was in my early teens, a black on black estate 2.5 v6. It was absolutely immaculate, sounded great and being a kid I thought the 200bhp or so made it feel like a rocket ship. He came from old jags like the xj40s, xj12’s all the good stuff a man born in the 50s loved but said the x-type was the best he’d had. Not in terms of jagness but as a car it was overall the best. It had absolutely zero issues in the 5 years he had it and being the estate it was perfect for dogs. Unfortunately a drunk driver wrote it off on the street so it was ferried off to jag heaven. I’ll need to get myself one, he’d probably appreciate it.
Go for the 3ltr , you will not be disappointed Just remember the rules , check it’s history , service ownership , repair damage etc . A good one is a good one a not so sure is a bad one 👍
I've found the X-type to be the most reliable and solid car I've owned in a long time. We have three. I absolutely love the way the car handles and drives. The car offers all the creature features you could want and the car is fast with that 3.0L engine. The faster you drive, the better the car is. The best thing about a Jaguar, is that it doesn't look like any other car on the road. It has a unique and distinctive look. Timeless.
I've been driving X-Types for the past 10 years, two, both diesel estates, perfect for my boat stuff. My current 07 version, 2.2 Turbo offers the same performance as the petrol version, great acceleration for overtaking and I get circa 50mpg keeping it close to 80 on my M Way trips.. It has one of the most stunning paint jobs I've had on any car, metallic BRG with minute gold flecks which light up in the sun, beautiful cream stitched leather interior, all the bells and whistles found on a top-end luxury car, only one issue in almost 200,000 miles of X-Type driving and that was a rusted jubilee clip on a turbo-hose causing a drop in performance, quickly fixed. Fabulous to drive being manual, as a Jaguar should be, they're 'driver's' cars. Unfortunately, the last MOT picked up rust developing on areas of the chassis but without hesitation I'm getting that welded, why? Because there's nothing out there that will replace what to me is a perfect car, unless I spend a bunch of money for something newer which will no doubt throw up multiple problems that I can do without.
The X Type was the first Jaguar I'd driven as a car delivery driver. I expected it to drive like a Mondeo but it didn't. It has that wonderful mix of smooth ride and composure through the bends. It is a car given a hard time being a Mondeo in a dress. It doesn't deserve it though. Many years later I have become a bit of a Jag enthusiast. I've had a S-Type, X358 XJ and now have an XFS. All of them share the same DNA that make them a Jaguar. If you want a car that pesters you to be driven constantly by a BMW. If you want a cruiser with zero steering feel, buy a Mercedes. But a Jag gives you the best of both worlds. Add to that the British heritage of the company and kind of people drive them puts you in a rather exclusive club.
After two S Types I bought a diesel 2.0 X Type in 2008 and 145,000 miles later I am still driving it. It has been the best car I have ever owned, comfortable, economical and very, very reliable. I have come to the conclusion that there's no point in doing anything other than driving it until either it dies or I do.
Tend to agree with your comments, I now own a 2008 2.2 litre manual. Up to 70,000 miles now, it is comfortable, a good load carrier and I am averaging 55 mpg. What's not to like?
I have also a 2005 2.0 Diesel, 130,000 miles and unfortunately is getting banned out of the streets due to harsh environmental policies enforced in some capital cities in Spain, but as last as I could drive it on roads I will keep it.
@@dylanlindsay1993 that's kind of overreacting isn't it? 😃 And the problem is not limited to Spain as the origin comes from an UE directive which has been overinterpreted by certain town majors so the same mayo happen abroad. As far as I am concerned I will drive my car while it is allowed (main roads and most towns) and when I'd have to go to cities like Madrid or Barcelona I would resort to alternative means of transportation (i.e. train or new car).
Loved my X type, it did feel really special inside compared to the hum drum alternatives. Washing it was a pleasure with the sculpted front a rear wings (is that weird?) , like an old XJ. I didn't care about Ford underpinnings it made me smile and in quartz grey it was super sexy with some sporty 18" wheels.
I just bought a 2004 3.0L V6 automatic X-Type with 41k miles. It is by far the most amazing vehicle I have ever owned. The performance is gorgeous, the interior is beautiful and extremely comfortable, and the shape/look of it (it’s bright, bright red!) is timeless. I have owned several 90’s 7 series and they did not compare in performance and quality. Absolutely love it!
Great video James, I hope beyond all hope that our fears over the Jaguar brand do not happen, but it does not look good! I had a 2.5 AWD SE Auto and loved it and miss it! Since then I've had BMW, Mercedes and presently Audi. Best of which was the Mercedes which was killed in an accident unfortunately. I replaced it with an Audi which seems to need one thing or after another so far since purchase over two years ago! So I'm going back to Jaguar, currently doing a lot of research and don't even mind going back a year or two to find a good example (XF/XJ/XK) SUVs are bad enough but EVs I think are not properly thought through and I fear Jaguar, Lotus and the government may have made bad decisions!
If your driving an X Type, only the first 13 inches of the floor pan are the same....simply look at the sill architecture. Switch gear shared across PAG including Aston. I was part of the design team at Whitley during the 90s with test mules clocking 600k, it was streets ahead of the class on NVH, even with 4x4. Odd how Audi don't get knocked for being their products sharing the whole pan with Skodas😊
I'm on my second X type. Both 2.5l v6 petrol. Fantastic car, severely underrated. The only time I've ever gone back for seconds with a car. It wasn't a mistake, it was a masterpiece. The diesels not so much but that's not restricted to jags.
I was reliably informed that as the X Type was built on the Mondeo platform, it would have provided more legroom for the rear seats than the S Type. Obviously, a cheaper model could not have better accommodation than a more upmarket model, so the floorpan was made shorter in order to preserve the hierarchy. They spent money making the car less accommodating in order to preserve the status quo - you couldn't make it up.
Well ive got a 2.0d sport and in the 3yrs ive had it,ive not had 1 problem with it,and its got some poke in it,which audi and merc drivers have found out.
Never had one but always admired them. Yes 4wd at the start limited sales, but 380,000 isn't a terrible total sales record. Far better than the dull suvs of today.
I love my X-type. It's a lovely shade of green, which lightly sparkles in the sun and is generally a wonderful car to drive. It is by no means a bad car, but I think that, as you mentioned, it got a certain image that puts people off. For me, it's all I'm looking for in a car. A manual gearbox, smooth ride, no touch screen (same center console as in the video) or other distracting electronics, a CD player and little bit of personality. Mine doesn't have any parking sensors, which I admit might have been nice. So far, I've only scraped a hedge behind me and I don't want to know what happened if that had been a wall. I wasn't used to the size yet, as I previously had a Citroen C1. Quite a step forward right? Perhaps the next one will be a 'proper' jaaaag.
Some old Mercedes used to have extending poles that came up from the back corners of the car as a reference guide for the corners of the car. Maybe you can stick some flagpoles with British flag on there or something funny
In Germany Jaguar is seen as a Doctors car. And in Germany doctors often run their own "office" and are quite rich, but not as rich as in the USA, yet they also start without student debt...
I have an X-Type 3 Litre Sport (manual) in Phoenix red which I have had from new in 2001 with almost all the extras. I have had other cars alongside it, mainly Audis, but the X-Type with the 3 Litre V6 is a joy. I just can't part with it. It's the perfect balance of comfort and performance and as has been mentioned in other comments, the look is timeless. And I very nearly didn't buy it because the dealer only had a 2.5 automatic demonstrator and I felt it was very underwhelming and never seemed to know what gear to be in. But the manual with 231hp 234PS just hits the spot. Finally, it is easy and reasonably cheap to maintain because of its Ford heritage.
100% agree. I test drove a 2.5 litre X-Type and found it gutless. By comparison, the 3 litre manual I tried was a joy to drive and I bought it very quickly afterwards.
Hi and I totally agree with what your saying too little models and dropping the XJ and the V6 and V8 engines in the XF hasn’t helped and the fact that a lot of people want SUVs which are awful cars in my opinion and it seems most car manufacturers seem to be all going SUV isn’t helping so for me it’s to be difficult for any saloon car manufacturers when it’ seems everyone has gone mad on buying SUVs unfortunately and keep up the good content
Hi. I am a career marketing chap. That is a very astute strategic marketing analysis of the Jaguar brand. The people in charge of brand management in other, almost always larger, companies certainly have a misaligned skill set in the niches. Big companies employ people with big egos and salaries. It doesn’t translate to understanding. You should consult!
They also havent changed the models. 13 years and yet the XJ is still the same?? 5L Supercharged engines not being upgraded properly and now getting smoked by 4l engines from the Germans? Interior not updated as well.
The problem with SUV's is that they're crap for the people who now buy them as trendy vehicles, and because proper off roaders aren't very civilised the manufacturers have removed all of this ability from them which just leaves pumped up, oversized junk. And those of us who do need something that's more go-anywhere, we're left with junk that isn't fit for purpose unless you spend money on a D5/FFRR/Land Cruiser, or you're happy to drive around in a commercial pickup.
You would almost think that. Jaguar supplied the best engines for Land Rover in the mid 2000’s so cross poli ration has happened but if you look back in history (e.g. The BL days) there was a great deal of jealousy and resentment between competing brands even though the ‘headshed’ thought that everyone would ‘work together’. Land Rover sakes 5 X that of Jaguar those directors involved at JLR from the Land Rover side will only look out for their own(despite using the same toilet facilities in board meetings etc.)
Probably the best comment on Jaguar's current situation and the mistakes that lead there! As a big Jag-Fan and very proud XK8-owner it makes me very sad seeing Jaguar with all its glory and heritage going down the drain and in my worst nightmares I see the Jaguar badge going the same way the MG-badge did... the leaping cat on some chinese electric SUV... good Lord!! 😭 C'mon Jaguar, you can do better than that! Give us something to dream of again! 🤩
I was talking to someone about MG recently. I was aware they had been snapped up by the Chinese (I suppose it makes a nice change for them to actually buy the brand, rather than just blatently copy it's products). As a 'petrol head', I like the fact they have found a place in the market for the marque. However, it is really, realkly sad that they have gone from making pretty special, affordable sports cars, through making the top end posh sporty versions of Rovers, to being bargain basement entry level again. I get that part of the SIAC 'entry' into the British market is trying to get in at ground level and undercut everyone, but like this fellow in the original video hinted, that can be a surefire way to take a 'special' brand and errode the class and heritage of it. The MGF and MG TF are great cars, why not build on that niche I am not a fan of the electric cars at the best of times either, so beyond the i-whatever Jaguar currently build, I would prefer to see the leaping cat in front of something which runs of juice of the earth thank you very much! Still, I worried a lot when Jaguar was sold to Tata... I remember some of thier cars from the late 90's - I actually went with a friend to look at a brand new Tata and the thing was rusty!
James and excellent review and summation of Jaguar. Having always liked Jaguar and now owned 3 I entirely agree with you they need to stick to what they have been known for over the decades.
I had the identical model many years ago but with grey leather interior & half wood steering wheel, Was a nice drive & very capable in the snow with the AWD & the aircon system was brilliant !!
I'm looking at an 2003 x 3.0 tomorrow, 2.500 dollars it's in very good condition was scared but after listening to you and reading the positive comments I have a new outlook. Thank you 👍. 🍀
I've just recently sold my X-Type Estate from 2004 because the plastic parts inside fell apart by looking at them. The last time I've seen such a bad quality of plastic was when Marklin brought their new C-track to the market in 1996. It fell into parts after just a few years. I would have liked to keep the car (it was fully equipped, racing green outside and tan leather inside - very nice!), but the build quality was a show stopper.
In the early naughts I bought a 1997 Jaguar XJ L. Last year of the straight 6. It was in immaculate shape. It drove wonderfully, still the best driving car I've ever had and my friends just could not get over how much leg room it had in the back. Sadly, I parted with it too soon and really regret not holding on to it longer. On another note - I test drive a 2008 X-type 3.0 manual when it was new and never could understand the hate it was getting from the public. It was fabulous as well.
A local plant built the rear diffs for these things and had a polished one in a display cabinet in the foyer. Looking around it I was slightly disappointed to see a strip of wheel weights glued around the bearing housings by the drive shaft takeoffs. I questioned an engineer and it was “oh yes , we do that as they were getting some vibration at a certain speed and bonding the weights on stopped it “. Slightly spoilt my perception of the quality.
I picked up a dirt cheap X-Type and I'm quite enjoying the ownership experience. It drives well, parts are cheap and it's fairly easy to work on. I downgraded from a 3 year old XF, and was expecting a far harsher bump going from a £20k car to a £1k car
I used to work in a JLR dealership, and in my country, the ratio of each Jag sold against Land Rover is 1 to 30. I still remember Jag touting Electrification as their forefront first while BMW and Mercedes are still pushing on their diesels. 8 years later, the I-Pace is looking like an EV relic, dwarfed by the likes of the iX, EQC and most importantly, TESLA. They are just too slow to adapt to the market demands.
I had a 2.5 V6 with 4WD for several years and it was superb. Since then, I had an XJ for 10 years and now have an XK 5 litre V8. I have loved Jaguars all my life since I learned to drive in my father's Mark 2 and actually took my test in it in 1960. They are all wonderful cars and I love them. You can keep German boxes !
I bought a new XE 2.0D 180ps in 2016 because I had always wanted a Jag. I’ve had it re-mapped for a bit of extra power and I have to say it’s the best car I’ve ever owned. The driving experience is pure Jaguar and the torque and acceleration is nothing short of thrilling. I think it’s a great shame that they have discontinued this model. It’s superb to look at, does 150mph and returns high 40’s per gallon. I’ve noticed that since the introduction of the XE in 2015 Mercedes, Lexus and, more so, BMW have copied the front and rear designs of the Jag. The XF was beautiful and the XE was a continuation of that beauty but a bit sportier. I still take great pleasure in showing Merc and BMW drivers a clean pair of heels and I still smile when I look at my Jag in a car park. It’s a gorgeous looking car.
I just drove my 2005 x-type 3.0 automatic wagon from Calgary to Ottawa and back through Canadian roads. I must say that it was a brutally long drive to do in four days each way (about 3500kms each way) but it was an incredibly comfortable machine to do the trip. About 8.7 litres per 100kms and no issues with the vehicle. Being an AWD also means that it is very effective in Calgary daily winter driving to boot.
Thanks for the review! I had one back in 2003 as a company car and loved it. I liked having a proper luxury car with nice leather and wood, a smooth 3.0 litre V6 engine and all that in a small body. But it had terrible electrical faults and I gave it back to Jaguar after not even a year. But I disagree that this was the straw that broke Jaguar’s back. In my view, it is the X351 XJ and later the XF and XE. None of these appealed to the typical Jag buyer’s, who are conservative, want an elegant styling, wood, leather and great engines. A diesel in a Jag? Come on… A real shame how bad management and bad design has ruined another iconic car brand 😢
It may be a _Jaaag_ but premium car buyers wanted a slightly upmarket car with an economy engine. It still works like this today with crossovers. That's just how it is when people lease the things. BMW does the same and so does Mercedes. They had to do it or else they'd be left in the dust. It's like saying a Camaro or Mustang can't have a 4 cyl turbo or V6 but how else are they going to sell the damn thing. People want the badge and looks but running costs of an econobox. That's what this is about. Speaking of which, the Alfa Romeo Giulia also has diesel line up but that doesn't ruin the brand image of the car. Its still an _Alfa._
The mistake this made was launching with only 2.5 and 3.0 guzzlers in 4wd when the market was swinging towards diesels. Fleet sales make a company profits not a handful of ex copper freemasons buying 3.0 ones with retirement funds. It was average competent vs the 75 upper passats and middling A4s of the day and would have sold more to the masses in poverty spec. The xe was literally the same thing bang in the middle of the compettion at launch but with a better engine choice from launch. I had one in 2018 the plastics were wheelie bin grade. Interiors were sadly style over substance.
They managed to squander their possibilities with traditionalists with the S-Type due to not marketing it properly, then they purposefully shoo'd away most of their customer base in order to please their marketing strategists and their desire to "lower their customers' average age" with the modern-looking models. Naturally very few looking for modern cars even considered Jaguar, so that wasn't an easily accessible customer base: Jaguar would've had to work at winning them over for several decades with stellar products which they keep competitive. But overall what really has always been the thing that failed Jaguar was the last detail: the dealership network and the last marketing push! Jaguar had poor dealerships with the bottom-of-the-barrel companies and people running them. Just car-salesman-hucksters, not the guys like in the Audi and BMW dealerships who inspired the cream of the crop and made those brands desirable! They were there where it mattered: marketing every single sport which the upper-middle classes and up were interested in, provided cars to the golf pros, everywhere the target customer was, they were there promoting Audis and BMWs as the top choice with highest shine! And the dealerships clearly backed up that promise with a smooth batch of operators. (I'm not saying Audis were really any good, nor the sales team nor ownership experience...just the way they made the customers *_feel_* !!) Jaguar wasn't always there, they had to be sought out. Jaguar left an "iffy" impression at the dealership, one that stunk of failure. No-one wanted to join that team.
I have a Jag X-Type 3ltr AWD Estate (2005) and a Jag S-Type 2.5ltr Sport (2004). Both do about 34mph on motorway driving. The X-Type is fast and glues to the road. The S-Type is very quiet and smooth. Faults; S-Type - Dual Air System is crap and blows controllers every 10,000 miles or so. Gear box lags from first to second when cold, but gets better as it heats up. X-Type - Sils rot and I had to replace them. One CAT failed at 130,000 miles but still get through MOTs. TC sensors tend to fail due to being a bit flimsy. Calipers tends to go on both around 110,000 onwards. Their value is now poor but still drivable reliable cars. The S-Type has 112,000 miles on it and the X-Type 148,000 miles. The X-Type is pretty rare now so has a lot of enthusiat interest.
As a long term Jaguar owner from the USA, I find your viewpoints interesting. Here in the USA, VW is considered an "economy car" brand. Hence, when they introduced the Phaeton, they were pretty much laughed at here. Who would want to buy a $85k (2004 money) VW? While they own Audi and Bentley, you'll not find all three at the same dealership. You'll often find VW and Audi at the same dealership, but separated by a parking lot. Jaguar and Land Rover are often not only in the same dealership, but the same building. I've been in my three closest dealerships and typically saw an F Type, an F-Pace, and perhaps an XF (or XE) in the same room as three different Land Rover models. No differentiation. In effect, the customer is left with the impression that the cars on offer in the showroom are the full breadth of offer, which, in fact, they typically are. Outside the dealership, the Land Rovers are most of the parking lot. The Jaguars are in a corner unto themselves. The sales people will sell you whatever you want, of course, but you'll likely be waiting for a Jaguar to be located at another dealer, or ordered, if you want something specific. Not so with Land Rover, which is copiously stocked and ready to be delivered. IMHO, Jaguar lost their way when they decided to introduce the XJS as a successor to the E type. Big and bulbous, it's no one's idea of a real sports car. When they showed an "F type" show car in the early 1980s, everyone screamed "BUILD IT!" but they didn't. Instead, they kept the gargantuan XJS in production long enough to introduce the XK8. The XK8 was not a bad car, but it was no sports car. It took Jaguar another 15 years to get the F type into production. But, by then, with 30+ years of not having a true sports car, they were largely forgotten as a manufacturer of sports oriented automobiles. If you look into Jaguar's history, you'll see the "halo" sports car fed improvements in their saloon car range, so much so that the saloon cars were advertised as having "Dunlop Disc Brakes from the XK150 sports car", "High revving 3.8 litre engine of the E type", etc... When they lost their way, they thought they were building luxury saloon cars that just happened to go fast, as opposed to thinly disguised sports cars that had luxury saloon bodies.
Had a 3.0 Manual one of these a few years ago, cost me £320 off ebay, £90 for first Mot but failed on 2 Mot I put it through (Sills RUST a lot under the covers!!), truly one of the best cars I've ever owned...especially when it cos me less than £1000 for 2.5 years trouble free motoring!
I bought new a 2002 X-Type 2.5 with the sport package in the US and kept it for 11 years. It was stunning looking car (dark gray with a black interior), but there was never a service interval (every 6 months) that just needed an oil change or basic service. It was good thing that I purchased an 8 year extended warranty for this car, all the repairs would have exceeded the cost of warranty. I loved this car, the dealer was great, but the mechanical quality was subpar. This was my only and last Jaguar. It so sad to see such an iconic brand slowly die.
I'm always keen on reviews for these, because they get such a bad rap but I had one and rather liked it. The American market clearly got the better deal with the 2.5 being the lowest tier engine available and no windy windows(holy crap windy windows!) I had a 3.0 and it was decently quick, comfy, soothing on the highway. And in the snow they're awesome. They're incredible in the snow, I loved driving it so much.
When I saw this video drop and the headline I wanted to hate it. I love the Jaguar brand and can be quite thin skinned when it comes to criticism of the brand. Having watched the video in full I wholeheartedly agree with your assessments and conclusions. We all don’t want to drive an electric SUV.
My dear departed dad had an 2.2D 09 X Type in a lovely deep metallic red with cream leather seats and 5 spoke alloys. I regret not buying it off him. Loved my own (company) 07 S-Type too, as I do my current 05 XK8. Gotta agree (again) with your analysis of Jag, it's heritage and precarious current state and uncertain future. But - like you and so many others - I live in hope that something better will turn up.
I had a 2006 2.2 diesel in 2007, and honestly I wish Id never sold it. The engine was a dream and so quiet and the handling very good. It even had a built in sat nav (Cd mind!) And a 12 disc cd multichanger in the boot. Great for its time! Did 55 to 60 mpg too. However I swapped it because it was a manual, and doing a lot of mileage i really needed an auto. Looking back I should have just swapped for the auto version. Cheap as chips for parts and repair too.
You hit the nail on the head. Jaguar started as a smaller numbrrs producer ,eith cars of luxury and performance ,done like hardly anyone else could. Since ford and tata,takeovers they have tried to go volume producer and both have failed. The old core buyers have moved on or died out and now they are stuck with accountants controling the designs and market they are aiming for. I fear we are seeing the last few years of jaguar car's and a badge placed on a landrover will be all that is left soon. The move to SUV'S is something I do not understand . A high up car with smsll boot and awkward lines. I'll be sticking with my 04 XJR as my fast saloon and my XF sportbrake as my daily/ load lugger. I just hope these two last me out!
Thought about buying one of these recently, as my Alfa 159 was doing its best to lighten my wallet. However, given the current economic climate, I opted instead for a Honda CR-Z. Much better economy, £25 a year VED and group 17 insurance. Managed to bag myself a nearly immaculate one with less than 60k on the clock and full service history.
@@ssussssss Don't let my comment about my 159 put you off. Get in the car and take it for a test drive and you will see why I absolutely adored mine. I had a lovely 2010 sportwagon ti which I spent a fair amount getting right and it was a stunning example. Here's a photo of it for you to drool over: drive.google.com/file/d/1vBsvkYdDXeDotW6TVkJ9K5lBFtGXogvG/view?usp=sharing
@@rv9990 Thanks - it's all about buying a car that suits your needs rather than your desires. How many people are driving around in an SUV that they don't need - about 99% I think.
I'm an American that had 2 different X-Types, both of them 2003 models. The first was a 2.5 with a 5-speed, relatively light on options as the American ones went. The second was a 3.0 with a 5-speed, very uncommon in the U.S. and very well-optioned. I'd honestly still have that second one if our love of road salt in the American North hadn't rusted it to nothing. They both were fantastic to drive, gave me overall good service, and in all I have a Jaguar today (XF Sportbrake, again very rare in the U.S.) because of those X-Types. What fascinates me is how Jaguar kinda screwed their home market with these vis-a-vis the options and equipment levels. Fabric seats? AWD not standard? Crank windows? These pass for "luxury" in the UK according to Jaguar? Eh? The "light on options" one I had still was AWD, because all of them in the U.S. were AWD. It still had leather, because all of ours had leather. There wasn't a manual seat or window to be found, because all of ours had power seats and power windows. (as an aside, they did the same thing again with the XF Sportbrakes for the U.S.: All of ours were S trim with the supercharged V6, and we could ladle on options from there.) Even in 2003, by American standards, a mid-spec Ford was as well-equipped as was that X-Type you were driving. No wonder the X-Type took on such a bad reputation if that's how Jaguar was treating its main markets in that time!
My experience with Jaguar is limited to cars owned by family and friends. But, I have always loved the cars, admiring from a distance. What I do know is Ford ownership helped with Jaguar's reliability image in the U.S. immensely.
My parents first luxury car was a 2001 Jaguar X Type in Gold with beige leather. First car I went for a drive in as well amazing memories! I remember the day mum gave it away because nobody would buy the thing as 4 tyres costs more than the value of the car, she was in tears 😢
@@paulsz6194 all wheel drive based in Cork Ireland, was only looking for €400 euro, it had been sitting for some time as the mother inherited an E280 Mercedes. However did start up first thing with a new battery and drove off into the sunset to some jaguar enthusiast.
@@conorbarrett1585 wow, It hadn’t travelled much, if she couldn’t sell it &had to give it away. Perhaps there weren’t many sold around where you live, or there wasn’t a Jaguar dealer nearby where you live? take it you’re from the USA?
@@paulsz6194 I think the problem was the motor tax which in Ireland was about over €1000 euro a year! I remember the e280 merc was €1800 so would be near enough for the Jag. I had an XKR in the UK and Germany but didn’t bring it back to Ireland because of €2500 in yearly motor tax. Ireland is backwards when it comes to cars!
I believe "The Media" has a lot to answer for with Jaguar. If you remember Clarkson, May and Hammond one show imploring Jaguar "Please, please, please don't make a diesel." Without diesels Jaguar would have gone out of business years ago. Nobody in "The Media" seems to criticise VAG for Audi sharing components with Skoda, but the slightest scratchy bit of plastic under a seat in a Jag brings out the moans. Why do the press criticise the XE for a lack of headroom in the rear? I'm only 5'8", as are plenty of people.
You could go even deeper. Even longer ago, French cars had a unique character, as did Italian, Swedish (especially Saab) and so on. Early 80's onwards, the various characteristics became diluted as manufacturers chased sales more globally. What we are seeing now is further convergance and less variety as all major manufacturers want their share of the same pie.
@@stokovsky8483they are because the people that actually buy cars (non-enthusiasts) don’t care about personality they care about getting back and forth.
Good report Jay. I like these little cars but not the engines. I know why they used a V6 and it was to satisfy those who like the impression of speed. But at the time they made this little car, Ford had a big choice of four cylinder engines that would have been more practical, economical and smoother. I have owned a 3 ltr AWD and now I have a 2.1 ltr FWD and prefer it over the 3 ltr. The 3ltr went like a rocket but then I don't need to go to the Moon and back when I am just driving to the shops. The 2.1 ltr is easier to look after if you are a DIY mechanic like myself. And if you don't know why, then buyers should do their homework before buying an X Type.
Had my X type for well over 10 yrs . Its an 08 plate face lift Diesel . I always thought the car sat a little too high for my liking so had it lowered . Looks perfect to me . I used to drive Mondeos as pool cars in work . I can’t compare the two of them The X type doesn’t feel like a Ford Mondeo to me its like comparing chalk and cheese the X type is far better 🤔 I couldn’t imagine life without it and i wont be geting rid of mine any time soon 😊👍
Completely agree. Brand is that which people relate to. Brand confusion is Ford's speciality. Ford makes me think of Microsoft where intentions to change brand image haven't resulted in better customer perception as the product simply doesn't compare. 'The market' is actually a group of people with particular opinions which do not change quickly unless under duress. Your example of VW is perfect as a company which applies product to its practicable understanding of the market.
The X type looks good now - but I remember at the time people thought it looked like an XJ shrunk on to a smaller chassis - almost caricature. I think people we also quite put off by the Ford underpinnings (though it sounds like they have made it a reliable car). It’s also important to remember that this would have competed with the 3 series, C class and A4 so it fairly stiff competition.
I've always liked the look of the Jaguar X-Type. Spot on with "entry level" it is a nice car for an affordable Jaguar. Fords in the USA are rubbish as far as quality and that probably hurt sales here.
I've always liked the X-Type. The Mondeo of the time was a very highly rated car and was often praised for being a near equal to the 3-Series, despite being FWD, and the V6 featured in the legendary ST220 and Noble, so a AWD, luxury version of that car with that engine sounded like a proper cool as heck package. I like the looks as well, even the estate is a fairly handsome beast. I think for me, Ford and journalists talked about the badge-engineering a bit too much, which was not really a thing at the time. These days, everything shares a chassis with something else, so in some ways the X-Type was rather ahead of it's time. I can see the missed trick for fleet buyers, but also, that was true Mondeo territory. I think the X-Type was brought down by it's Mondeo heritage and I think if Ford hadn't made such a thing of the shared engineering then the X-Type might have done better.
A friend of mine's Nan, out in rural central Victoria Australia, bought one of those new and still has it... It's done well over 250,000ks now and she says it's the most reliable car she's ever had. I don't know if that means it's never given her trouble, or if that's relative. They live on a big farm and have used Jags for the long trip to town since the 70s. Their Jags have always been reliable, apparently. Suppose if you keep them on the long, flat, open roads out there they're going to be much happier machines.
Excellent review once again James. As a long time Jaguar fan and owners sadly I would have to say that if Jaguar lasts another five years it will be a miracle.
I had a 3.0 AWD in UAE - the last revision with the new badge and black piping on the leather seats.Loved it. So comfortable. So easy to drive. Bought with 40k km and sold with 120k a few years later. In my 5 years the only thing that went wrong was roof lining came unglued (super hot roof in the sun when ambient >40C) and one of the radiator fan motors died. That was all. Super reliable and - I've just checked - the people who bought it from me are still running it and still very happy.
It's amazing how they've managed to screw up Jaguar so badly. The brand holds (held?) so much value and has (had?) so much potential, yet they've just about run it into the ground. Really sad. But regarding the X-Type, I've driven a few and actually always kinda liked them... for what they were. They're actually not bad cars and offered something a little different than its competitors. Just my two cents.
Jaguar has been known to be unreliable for A LONG time. That's killed them a lot. They haven't really been in line with BMW or Mercedes for a long time either.
My 2003, 53 reg X type has leather seats, all electric windows, and an mpg calculator which you access by pressing the button at the tip of the direction indicator lever on the steering column. This makes the digital display below the analog speedometer change from showing the total mileage to showing the average speed, distance covered and fuel consumption in mpg or km/litre of your current trip. I've had it since 2009, and have had no major problems with it. The biggest expense has been a new radiator, and like all the other parts I've had to change, it was cheap.
Couldn't agree more. Nobody really wanted the Jaguar F Pace. I remember seeing my first Jaguar X Type at the start of the 22 years ago and I remember thinking BMW are in deep do do here cos the X Type was beautiful on the outside and the interior was exquisite. You know what? The E46 is my absolute favourite BMW but the X Type is more attractive and its interior is far more traditionally luxurious.
Hi Jay Love the show, I bought an X-Type 2.2dsl a few tears ago & loved it. Great drive with the necessary performance when required. The Ford parts weren't too bad either, cheap & quick to repair. The tech for a 2008 model I had wasn't great, but I had the all leather interior & when scrubed up, looked elegant & turned heads. Boot space was very good also & was also cheap to service. Thanks a mill, love the show Mark (R.O.I.)
Literally I test drove a X-Type 3.0 before you posted this video🤯. I was curious how they drove because I currently have a S-Type R that I love and maybe wanted to add the X-Type as a daily. Well I liked it but this one needed some maintenance done that I’m sure would’ve been costly. It also sounded like a muted early 2000s Ford Taurus🤔 which was fine. I think I’ll eventually get a X-Type as well but I don’t want an unmaintained one.
Thanks James a Great review and chat, I actually like the Ford derived Jaguars more than the current models they have a more Jaguar style to them and are a lot better than most people realise.
Nowt wrong with the X-Type, great cars, had three of them, two of them went to over 220k miles without a new clutch. When Jag replaced the XJ in 2009 with the 'druggy' XJ that is when it went down hill
Spot on with your comment on brands needing to differentiate! I see Porsche having some of this problem itself by trying to have a vehicle in almost every segment. In my opinion, they would be better served by having a slightly more expensive entry level sports car and keeping other sports cars. While the SUV's and sedans are nice, it's not their heritage and those just become disposable things. Leave the SUV's to VW and stay true to sports cars.
I couldn’t care less about the platform, it’s very good.. I had an x type from new, the only give away gripe I had was the interior front door sill mouldings…. Exactly the same as ones in the 98 Mondeo Ghia I just Px’ed. Other than that a nice car.
My wife had a 3.0 X-Type. We put over 160,000 virtually trouble free miles on it before it was rear ended and totaled. (Family was fine.) It was comfortable considering it’s size and pretty too. Never understood the hate against it.
I had a Mondeo Mk3 Ghia x TDCi auto which i loved. Followed it with Tiguan which is ok but I'm looking to change. Im looking at the X-type and the Volvo Geartronic as the automatic gearbox is identical and I'm detefmibed to avoid DSG and Powershift. The video has supported my thinking. I understand your view's on brands but once everything has to be electric and sold at a profit then there won't be much space for creativity because the battery cost is so high.
I bought an 2007 3.0 Sovereign X-Type a few months ago and I love it. However, I'm getting only 24.6 MPG (short five mile trips daily) which is not good. I bought it because a disability means I need an auto. That said, the build quality and advanced features of this model have won me over.
Love my X-Type 3L V6 estate. It is one of the last ever produced. I still think it is one of the most beautiful estates ever made. It's kind of a GADA car, lot of space yet sporty, no bulky SUV but still 4x4, great heating and cooling, a perfect winter car. And certainly not the car everyone else drives here in Switzerland, most Swiss have German cars. Thats why I went for the X-Type 5 years ago. I payed 14'800 Swiss francs (£ 13'300) at 73'000 km (45'000 miles). I am now at 145'000 km (90'000 miles) and the only issues I had so far was a broken alternator and a malfunctioning lock at the rear window. The only visible Ford parts are the windshield spray nozzles, I really don't care about those.
Being an development of the Modeo platform was not a negative thing. The S type and it's platform brother the Lincoln LS were actually the big disappointment. To this day , the service issues surrounding both the S type and the LS have made them unwelcome in most repair shops.
@@petemaxwell1136 basic maintenance is easy. They frequently develop electrical gremlins that are not easily and quickly resolved. Those are the issues that make flat rate tech’s turn them away
I liked the look of the X type. It appealed to lot to people looking for a replacement for their Rover 600, being unhappy with the archaic styling of the Rover 75, but the V6 was a handicap, also on the continent with countries like France, Belgium and the Netherlands where taxes became very expensive for bigger engines. You really needed something like an entry level 1800 cc 125 hp 4 in line engine to make the finance work. Most BMW 3-series on our roads were just a 318i, no fancy powerful 330Csi and the likes.
Jay nailed it when he mentioned it's a matter of philosophy. The X type was burdened with the reputation of just being a rebadged Ford Mondeo. The combination of being owned by Ford and having some parts in common with the Mondeo propagated this reputation. However, the look of the X type I think sealed it's fate. It looks dowdy, bland, generic and vanilla. It really looks like a Mondeo. So when you have a car looking this bland, owned by Ford, sharing parts with a Mondeo, people naturally put 2+2 together and think it's a rebadged Mondeo. And no one buying a Jag wants that. Except for a very few people that want to get into a Jag name plate cheaply. The X type and the magnificent XJ40 series are like chalk and cheese. No comparison.
If you think it looks like a mondeo i think you need your eyes tested, and imho the XJ40 looks outdated and bland...in fact the x308 was much better... (xj40 exterior just looks like something british leyland catalogue)
Had an '08 Sport Estate 2.2 for nearly 3 years now with all the toys lovely XF style steering wheel, 18"s and double stitched leather. Lot of car fairly reliable, great to drive so keep them alive!
The problem is that if Jaguar go for higher margin / lower volume, they’re going to clatter directly into Aston Martin… and Jaguar are just not that desirable… it just doesn’t make sense to not platform share with Land Rover…
But not forgetting how they managed to nab a "Half-price Aston" corner with the XK8, which Ian Callum designed the body for alongside the DB7. The toe stepping was always there with Jag's V8 and V12s, would've been easy to lean into it. Different vibe of the brand appeals to different people too.
Jaguar really is in a mess atm, they've made some excellent cars with the f-type, XK, XF, XJ and f-pace but they are really stretching the platform life and seem to be struggling with their direction. Don't even get me started on binning off the new XJ!
@@ciaranoconnor6525 Let’s hope so. Because the massive incompetence and lack of strategical thinking by the Jaguar top management during the last 20 years didn’t exactly fill me with confidence. And I have several Jags …
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When people wrote it off as "A Mondeo in drag" they overlooked how bloody good the contemporary Mondeo actually was.
The mondeos you buy in Australia for junk prices? Mondeos were a dead duck here.
You said it man. I owned an X. It was a GRAEAT car. I loved mine!
I loved mine. I am throwing it away because altho it is mechanically perfect, it throws error codes and goes into limp mode, and no-one can tell me why. It's a simple thing for anyone with half a brain to manage, but, that doesn't include Jaguar's engineering management. I'll never buy anything Jag makes again.
The MK3 Mondeo was a fantastic car. I spoke to a police officer at a car show once and he told me out of all the fancy old bill motors he’s had, the ST220 was by far the best to drive.
@@GandyGamingHD I had the ST24 a long long time ago. That was a lovely thing to drive.
I'm a kid raised in the noughties, I always liked the looks of this more than for the S-Type
Agree X type always works for me on looks
Yea it has the shrunken look of the bigger one rather than the random shaped grille of the S. was ok in sport trim minus all the chrome nonsense.
The S-Type is butt ugly. It was a sad attempt to create an old school Jag using as much plastic as possible.
@richardharrold9736 fair enough each to their own!!
Both the xtype and s type were lame and not worthy of the name.
I'm biased since I work with business strategy, but these videos in which you talk (rant) about the industry, the brands and the business side of things are truly a joy to watch.
You manage to be one of few who seem to properly understand it and be honest about it, in simple, direct, clear language.
Hands up here , I’m a Jag nut
Many years ago I discovered mark 2 Jags always wanted one but couldn’t afford one also wanted an E-Type same thing
When I got into my 40s I had a managers job that came with a company car or a car allowance , I chose the car allowance
As Iv driven loads of crap company cars doing 20;000 + a year I thought I would chose something I like , my allowance allowed me a big pool to choose from
Audi A4 , 3 series BMW loads of VW,s Fords , etc . Back then the internet wasn’t what it is now , so Auto trader was magazine of choice , in the back was a sanction for PCP , hP deals etc , so every car in the UK for sale was there for all to see.
Me being me , 1st what does my car look like ( do I like the look ) 2nd what does it cost a month 19:53 and can I afford it , what will the resale value be
I drove past a Jag garage and did a double take , I could not believe I could afford a Jag . I did a deal on a V6 3.0ltr sport top spec , it was an x Jag directors car so there was nothing else they could put on it . Trust me it was fabulous and went like shit off a shovel , this was no Mondeo
The ST 220 was what people thought it was but it was like chalk and cheese
My commute became to much for 25 mpg fuel consumption so I traded it in for a 2,2ltr diesel , the torque was not much different but the fuel was 25 mpg up to 50+. a gallon
It was a near to a mark 2 as I could afford ( in my head anyway ) , now retired life has changed
The E-Type still out of my range , so I bought the best 2005 XK8 4.2ltr V8 I could afford and absolutely love it ( in my head my E-Type )
If you have never owned or driven a Jag , do yourself a favour , but only try the top spec or the best of each car , the cheep ones are not good but the best ones are wonderful
The Jag clubs are a great help and good fun to be involved with , let’s keep great cars alive of all the models , x type included
Great advice!
My first Jag was a 3 litre v6 X-Type. Brilliant car.
I am now on Jaguar number 6, a 3 litre v6 supercharged XF in British Racing Green.
I have owned a number of X-Types. Seriously underrated. The thing I liked about them was their very 'not of the time' shape. This has meant the car doesn't age. Same with the XJ (X300/X308 models). Looked nothing like anything being sent this way from Germany. Even now when I see an X-Type I marvel at how 'fresh' it still looks.
My 2.0d and 2.2d were both extremely reliable cars, as was the 3.0 V6 petrol I bought. The 2.0d was capable of 60mpg and in the 60,000 miles I owned it it never missed a beat. Available now for bargain prices so I might just see if I can find a nice low miler.....3.0 petrol for me, cracking cars.
th-cam.com/video/edS0kY_iIQY/w-d-xo.html
Agree !! 💯
I think this goes for all Jags. People get it some years later.
I thought the X308 dated by 200 or so but till find the X350 timeless, and they're available in the US for as little as $4000. They're all aluminum and 200kg lighter than the comperable krautwagens. Even the V6 is OKish acceleration and good mileage. You can spend far more for a six year old Corolla. I love my E39 (still driving 22 years now) but would consider the X350 .
Been thinking of getting a diesel x-type but was worried about reliability as I do over 300 miles a week. What diesel engine would you reccomend the most?
@@crg92 I preferred the 2.0. It was 10mpg more efficient too.
I love my X-type 3,0 v6. so comfortable for the money. There is a great community out there for it and still people making cool things like bluetooth audio and reversing cameras for it.
no, you might have been a lucky one cause i had a V8 back then and those maintenance bills were horrible ,but at that point i had not faced the first repair bill to get rid off it instantly.
Was a nice Jag, but can not even remember if it had been this one or s-type, only V8 and terrible bills
@@typxxilps lol dude these came with a slightly modified version of the 3.0 Duratec Ford V6 as it’s biggest offering, as previously stated. Probably one of the best engines ever put in a jaguar lol
@@jackdough8164 Yes the Duratec in the Jaag is a very interesting engine. Originally made by Porsche but discarded, Ford picked it up, Cosworth made the head, Mazda variable timing gear and Jaguar tuned inlet manifold. Turned out very well indeed and I still have mine, one of the very first and manual gearbox.
My parents bought a 2.5 X-Type brand new in 2002. It served us well for ten years and 270000 km of daily duties, and with class no C-class could ever match.
I don't think either the x type or the S type were bad ideas or that they weren't good enough I've owned an S type for a lot of years, its now 23 yrs old and it has been absolutely brilliant, reliable, comfortable, surprisingly economical and a pleasure to drive. Biggest problem seems to be so called experts who like to deride anything made in this country.
S-type was astonishingly good; so comfortable that my wife warned me I was falling asleep at the wheel, and should get something "small, economical, cheap to service, no trouble with parts, and easy to get in and out of". So I traded the beloved S-type for a Maserati (ticks all those boxes) and haven't looked back. CANNOT fall asleep with four exhausts and two turbo chargers.
I have a 2002 Jaguar X-type Classic with a 2.1l V6 engine and a manual gearbox. It's very similar to the one in this video, it has velour seats and manual windows in the rear. As it's only the base model 2.1l V6, it doesn't have AWD but it doesn't matter, I love it. The car does need a lot of work to get it back on the road, but it's very sentimental to me as it was my dad's car who is sadly no longer with us. I love the look of the X-type, and the V6 engine is super smooth and sounds amazing.
July 27, 2023 - From the USA. I’ve had two X-Types a 2003 and a 2006. The first a 2.5 liter manual transmission and the second a 3 liter automatic. Loved them both. In the snow and ice of the NE they were gems, loved passing SUVs struggling in the snow and ice. I leased and owned the 2006 for 11 years of joy. When a pinhole developed in the manifold I regretfully in 2016 traded it in for a new XF, more interior room, with the supercharged v6. Love that car and now that the v6 is gone I will hold on to it as long as I can. By the way, my other car is a 2018 F-Type P340 coupe, same engine as the XF, and which I also love to play in and will hang about in my garage forever.
I purchased an X-Type 3.0L petrol manual a couple of years ago. It was affordable to buy, has had no issues other than deferred maintenance, and drives very well. The styling is enduring and unique. I can't say that about new Jaguars, unfortunately.
I do have a soft spot for the x-type. My old man had one when I was in my early teens, a black on black estate 2.5 v6. It was absolutely immaculate, sounded great and being a kid I thought the 200bhp or so made it feel like a rocket ship. He came from old jags like the xj40s, xj12’s all the good stuff a man born in the 50s loved but said the x-type was the best he’d had. Not in terms of jagness but as a car it was overall the best. It had absolutely zero issues in the 5 years he had it and being the estate it was perfect for dogs. Unfortunately a drunk driver wrote it off on the street so it was ferried off to jag heaven. I’ll need to get myself one, he’d probably appreciate it.
Go for the 3ltr , you will not be disappointed
Just remember the rules , check it’s history , service ownership , repair damage etc . A good one is a good one a not so sure is a bad one 👍
I've found the X-type to be the most reliable and solid car I've owned in a long time. We have three. I absolutely love the way the car handles and
drives. The car offers all the creature features you could want and the car is fast with that 3.0L engine. The faster you drive, the better the car is.
The best thing about a Jaguar, is that it doesn't look like any other car on the road. It has a unique and distinctive look. Timeless.
I've been driving X-Types for the past 10 years, two, both diesel estates, perfect for my boat stuff. My current 07 version, 2.2 Turbo offers the same performance as the petrol version, great acceleration for overtaking and I get circa 50mpg keeping it close to 80 on my M Way trips.. It has one of the most stunning paint jobs I've had on any car, metallic BRG with minute gold flecks which light up in the sun, beautiful cream stitched leather interior, all the bells and whistles found on a top-end luxury car, only one issue in almost 200,000 miles of X-Type driving and that was a rusted jubilee clip on a turbo-hose causing a drop in performance, quickly fixed. Fabulous to drive being manual, as a Jaguar should be, they're 'driver's' cars. Unfortunately, the last MOT picked up rust developing on areas of the chassis but without hesitation I'm getting that welded, why? Because there's nothing out there that will replace what to me is a perfect car, unless I spend a bunch of money for something newer which will no doubt throw up multiple problems that I can do without.
The X Type was the first Jaguar I'd driven as a car delivery driver. I expected it to drive like a Mondeo but it didn't. It has that wonderful mix of smooth ride and composure through the bends. It is a car given a hard time being a Mondeo in a dress. It doesn't deserve it though.
Many years later I have become a bit of a Jag enthusiast. I've had a S-Type, X358 XJ and now have an XFS. All of them share the same DNA that make them a Jaguar.
If you want a car that pesters you to be driven constantly by a BMW. If you want a cruiser with zero steering feel, buy a Mercedes. But a Jag gives you the best of both worlds. Add to that the British heritage of the company and kind of people drive them puts you in a rather exclusive club.
After two S Types I bought a diesel 2.0 X Type in 2008 and 145,000 miles later I am still driving it. It has been the best car I have ever owned, comfortable, economical and very, very reliable. I have come to the conclusion that there's no point in doing anything other than driving it until either it dies or I do.
Mines 2004 and 186,500 miles. Owned since 2006 and only wear and tear items let me down.
Tend to agree with your comments, I now own a 2008 2.2 litre manual. Up to 70,000 miles now, it is comfortable, a good load carrier and I am averaging 55 mpg. What's not to like?
I have also a 2005 2.0 Diesel, 130,000 miles and unfortunately is getting banned out of the streets due to harsh environmental policies enforced in some capital cities in Spain, but as last as I could drive it on roads I will keep it.
@@diegoferreiro9478 maybe think of moving out of spain?
@@dylanlindsay1993 that's kind of overreacting isn't it? 😃
And the problem is not limited to Spain as the origin comes from an UE directive which has been overinterpreted by certain town majors so the same mayo happen abroad. As far as I am concerned I will drive my car while it is allowed (main roads and most towns) and when I'd have to go to cities like Madrid or Barcelona I would resort to alternative means of transportation (i.e. train or new car).
Big Jaguar fan here. Will be a very sad day if Jaguar called it a day. There needs to be a new XJ
Loved my X type, it did feel really special inside compared to the hum drum alternatives. Washing it was a pleasure with the sculpted front a rear wings (is that weird?) , like an old XJ. I didn't care about Ford underpinnings it made me smile and in quartz grey it was super sexy with some sporty 18" wheels.
I just bought a 2004 3.0L V6 automatic X-Type with 41k miles. It is by far the most amazing vehicle I have ever owned. The performance is gorgeous, the interior is beautiful and extremely comfortable, and the shape/look of it (it’s bright, bright red!) is timeless. I have owned several 90’s 7 series and they did not compare in performance and quality. Absolutely love it!
Great video James, I hope beyond all hope that our fears over the Jaguar brand do not happen, but it does not look good!
I had a 2.5 AWD SE Auto and loved it and miss it!
Since then I've had BMW, Mercedes and presently Audi. Best of which was the Mercedes which was killed in an accident unfortunately. I replaced it with an Audi which seems to need one thing or after another so far since purchase over two years ago! So I'm going back to Jaguar, currently doing a lot of research and don't even mind going back a year or two to find a good example (XF/XJ/XK)
SUVs are bad enough but EVs I think are not properly thought through and I fear Jaguar, Lotus and the government may have made bad decisions!
If your driving an X Type, only the first 13 inches of the floor pan are the same....simply look at the sill architecture.
Switch gear shared across PAG including Aston.
I was part of the design team at Whitley during the 90s with test mules clocking 600k, it was streets ahead of the class on NVH, even with 4x4.
Odd how Audi don't get knocked for being their products sharing the whole pan with Skodas😊
I'm on my second X type. Both 2.5l v6 petrol. Fantastic car, severely underrated. The only time I've ever gone back for seconds with a car. It wasn't a mistake, it was a masterpiece. The diesels not so much but that's not restricted to jags.
I had two myself (same models), remains my favourite car
I was reliably informed that as the X Type was built on the Mondeo platform, it would have provided more legroom for the rear seats than the S Type. Obviously, a cheaper model could not have better accommodation than a more upmarket model, so the floorpan was made shorter in order to preserve the hierarchy. They spent money making the car less accommodating in order to preserve the status quo - you couldn't make it up.
Had a 2.0D for nearly 10 years and 120K miles. Broke my heart it did with maintenance costs.
It's junk, eats expensive fuel system components.
Well, it's a diesel...
Well ive got a 2.0d sport and in the 3yrs ive had it,ive not had 1 problem with it,and its got some poke in it,which audi and merc drivers have found out.
Never had one but always admired them. Yes 4wd at the start limited sales, but 380,000 isn't a terrible total sales record. Far better than the dull suvs of today.
I love my X-type. It's a lovely shade of green, which lightly sparkles in the sun and is generally a wonderful car to drive. It is by no means a bad car, but I think that, as you mentioned, it got a certain image that puts people off. For me, it's all I'm looking for in a car. A manual gearbox, smooth ride, no touch screen (same center console as in the video) or other distracting electronics, a CD player and little bit of personality. Mine doesn't have any parking sensors, which I admit might have been nice. So far, I've only scraped a hedge behind me and I don't want to know what happened if that had been a wall. I wasn't used to the size yet, as I previously had a Citroen C1. Quite a step forward right? Perhaps the next one will be a 'proper' jaaaag.
Some old Mercedes used to have extending poles that came up from the back corners of the car as a reference guide for the corners of the car. Maybe you can stick some flagpoles with British flag on there or something funny
Same here!
In Germany Jaguar is seen as a Doctors car. And in Germany doctors often run their own "office" and are quite rich, but not as rich as in the USA, yet they also start without student debt...
A lot of sense in this video and I hope some senior bod at JLR watches this and takes heed…as we all want the brand to succeed.
I have an X-Type 3 Litre Sport (manual) in Phoenix red which I have had from new in 2001 with almost all the extras. I have had other cars alongside it, mainly Audis, but the X-Type with the 3 Litre V6 is a joy. I just can't part with it. It's the perfect balance of comfort and performance and as has been mentioned in other comments, the look is timeless. And I very nearly didn't buy it because the dealer only had a 2.5 automatic demonstrator and I felt it was very underwhelming and never seemed to know what gear to be in. But the manual with 231hp 234PS just hits the spot. Finally, it is easy and reasonably cheap to maintain because of its Ford heritage.
100% agree. I test drove a 2.5 litre X-Type and found it gutless. By comparison, the 3 litre manual I tried was a joy to drive and I bought it very quickly afterwards.
I drove one as a rental and was amazed at how good it was. Didn’t feel like a Mondeo to me and I was quite surprised.
I had one of this.
The X-Type 3.0 V6 Sport AWD.
I really enjoyed it a lot 🐆
Hi and I totally agree with what your saying too little models and dropping the XJ and the V6 and V8 engines in the XF hasn’t helped and the fact that a lot of people want SUVs which are awful cars in my opinion and it seems most car manufacturers seem to be all going SUV isn’t helping so for me it’s to be difficult for any saloon car manufacturers when it’ seems everyone has gone mad on buying SUVs unfortunately and keep up the good content
Hi. I am a career marketing chap. That is a very astute strategic marketing analysis of the Jaguar brand. The people in charge of brand management in other, almost always larger, companies certainly have a misaligned skill set in the niches. Big companies employ people with big egos and salaries. It doesn’t translate to understanding. You should consult!
They also havent changed the models. 13 years and yet the XJ is still the same?? 5L Supercharged engines not being upgraded properly and now getting smoked by 4l engines from the Germans? Interior not updated as well.
The problem with SUV's is that they're crap for the people who now buy them as trendy vehicles, and because proper off roaders aren't very civilised the manufacturers have removed all of this ability from them which just leaves pumped up, oversized junk. And those of us who do need something that's more go-anywhere, we're left with junk that isn't fit for purpose unless you spend money on a D5/FFRR/Land Cruiser, or you're happy to drive around in a commercial pickup.
Is there a part of JLR that doesn't really want Jaguar SUVs to do well because it would negatively affect Land / Range Rover sales?
You would almost think that.
Jaguar supplied the best engines for Land Rover in the mid 2000’s so cross poli ration has happened but if you look back in history (e.g. The BL days) there was a great deal of jealousy and resentment between competing brands even though the ‘headshed’ thought that everyone would ‘work together’.
Land Rover sakes 5 X that of Jaguar those directors involved at JLR from the Land Rover side will only look out for their own(despite using the same toilet facilities in board meetings etc.)
“Make brands mean something again” 👏
Probably the best comment on Jaguar's current situation and the mistakes that lead there! As a big Jag-Fan and very proud XK8-owner it makes me very sad seeing Jaguar with all its glory and heritage going down the drain and in my worst nightmares I see the Jaguar badge going the same way the MG-badge did... the leaping cat on some chinese electric SUV... good Lord!! 😭 C'mon Jaguar, you can do better than that! Give us something to dream of again! 🤩
This is what you get with over paid bad management
They have already sold out, to India!
@@Paris__ hate to say Tata did a better job with Jaguar than Ford did originally
@@mervynstent1578 And a result they look nothing like jags anymore, only one that has any character is the 2013 hardtop f type...
I was talking to someone about MG recently. I was aware they had been snapped up by the Chinese (I suppose it makes a nice change for them to actually buy the brand, rather than just blatently copy it's products). As a 'petrol head', I like the fact they have found a place in the market for the marque. However, it is really, realkly sad that they have gone from making pretty special, affordable sports cars, through making the top end posh sporty versions of Rovers, to being bargain basement entry level again. I get that part of the SIAC 'entry' into the British market is trying to get in at ground level and undercut everyone, but like this fellow in the original video hinted, that can be a surefire way to take a 'special' brand and errode the class and heritage of it. The MGF and MG TF are great cars, why not build on that niche
I am not a fan of the electric cars at the best of times either, so beyond the i-whatever Jaguar currently build, I would prefer to see the leaping cat in front of something which runs of juice of the earth thank you very much!
Still, I worried a lot when Jaguar was sold to Tata... I remember some of thier cars from the late 90's - I actually went with a friend to look at a brand new Tata and the thing was rusty!
James and excellent review and summation of Jaguar. Having always liked Jaguar and now owned 3 I entirely agree with you they need to stick to what they have been known for over the decades.
I had the identical model many years ago but with grey leather interior & half wood steering wheel, Was a nice drive & very capable in the snow with the AWD & the aircon system was brilliant !!
I'm looking at an 2003 x 3.0 tomorrow, 2.500 dollars it's in very good condition was scared but after listening to you and reading the positive comments I have a new outlook. Thank you 👍. 🍀
I've just recently sold my X-Type Estate from 2004 because the plastic parts inside fell apart by looking at them. The last time I've seen such a bad quality of plastic was when Marklin brought their new C-track to the market in 1996. It fell into parts after just a few years. I would have liked to keep the car (it was fully equipped, racing green outside and tan leather inside - very nice!), but the build quality was a show stopper.
I’m a big fan of the X-type, currently looking for a manual 2.0D estate with heated seats. 2008 onwards Sport Premium with quilted interior.
In the early naughts I bought a 1997 Jaguar XJ L. Last year of the straight 6. It was in immaculate shape. It drove wonderfully, still the best driving car I've ever had and my friends just could not get over how much leg room it had in the back. Sadly, I parted with it too soon and really regret not holding on to it longer. On another note - I test drive a 2008 X-type 3.0 manual when it was new and never could understand the hate it was getting from the public. It was fabulous as well.
A local plant built the rear diffs for these things and had a polished one in a display cabinet in the foyer. Looking around it I was slightly disappointed to see a strip of wheel weights glued around the bearing housings by the drive shaft takeoffs. I questioned an engineer and it was “oh yes , we do that as they were getting some vibration at a certain speed and bonding the weights on stopped it “. Slightly spoilt my perception of the quality.
I had the X-type and it was actually a pretty good car. I didn't have any problems with it.
Still a lovely car if you find a looked after 2 5 V6 or 3.0 V6 with a proper history. I will have one of these on my driveway even now
Have one and it is one of the best drives I have had in the last 70yrs. Cracking motor.
I picked up a dirt cheap X-Type and I'm quite enjoying the ownership experience. It drives well, parts are cheap and it's fairly easy to work on. I downgraded from a 3 year old XF, and was expecting a far harsher bump going from a £20k car to a £1k car
Just bought a 3.0 AWD estate for my wife, love the engine its so smooth and the car drives like a magic carpet.
I used to work in a JLR dealership, and in my country, the ratio of each Jag sold against Land Rover is 1 to 30. I still remember Jag touting Electrification as their forefront first while BMW and Mercedes are still pushing on their diesels. 8 years later, the I-Pace is looking like an EV relic, dwarfed by the likes of the iX, EQC and most importantly, TESLA. They are just too slow to adapt to the market demands.
I had a 2.5 V6 with 4WD for several years and it was superb. Since then, I had an XJ for 10 years and now have an XK 5 litre V8. I have loved Jaguars all my life since I learned to drive in my father's Mark 2 and actually took my test in it in 1960. They are all wonderful cars and I love them. You can keep German boxes !
You must have inheritance
Hear hear
I bought a new XE 2.0D 180ps in 2016 because I had always wanted a Jag. I’ve had it re-mapped for a bit of extra power and I have to say it’s the best car I’ve ever owned. The driving experience is pure Jaguar and the torque and acceleration is nothing short of thrilling. I think it’s a great shame that they have discontinued this model. It’s superb to look at, does 150mph and returns high 40’s per gallon.
I’ve noticed that since the introduction of the XE in 2015 Mercedes, Lexus and, more so, BMW have copied the front and rear designs of the Jag.
The XF was beautiful and the XE was a continuation of that beauty but a bit sportier. I still take great pleasure in showing Merc and BMW drivers a clean pair of heels and I still smile when I look at my Jag in a car park. It’s a gorgeous looking car.
I just drove my 2005 x-type 3.0 automatic wagon from Calgary to Ottawa and back through Canadian roads. I must say that it was a brutally long drive to do in four days each way (about 3500kms each way) but it was an incredibly comfortable machine to do the trip. About 8.7 litres per 100kms and no issues with the vehicle. Being an AWD also means that it is very effective in Calgary daily winter driving to boot.
Thanks for the review! I had one back in 2003 as a company car and loved it. I liked having a proper luxury car with nice leather and wood, a smooth 3.0 litre V6 engine and all that in a small body. But it had terrible electrical faults and I gave it back to Jaguar after not even a year. But I disagree that this was the straw that broke Jaguar’s back. In my view, it is the X351 XJ and later the XF and XE. None of these appealed to the typical Jag buyer’s, who are conservative, want an elegant styling, wood, leather and great engines. A diesel in a Jag? Come on… A real shame how bad management and bad design has ruined another iconic car brand 😢
I have a pampered XF 3.0D latest prefacelift.
Best car I have owned, of many.
Love it!
It may be a _Jaaag_ but premium car buyers wanted a slightly upmarket car with an economy engine. It still works like this today with crossovers. That's just how it is when people lease the things.
BMW does the same and so does Mercedes. They had to do it or else they'd be left in the dust.
It's like saying a Camaro or Mustang can't have a 4 cyl turbo or V6 but how else are they going to sell the damn thing. People want the badge and looks but running costs of an econobox.
That's what this is about. Speaking of which, the Alfa Romeo Giulia also has diesel line up but that doesn't ruin the brand image of the car. Its still an _Alfa._
The mistake this made was launching with only 2.5 and 3.0 guzzlers in 4wd when the market was swinging towards diesels. Fleet sales make a company profits not a handful of ex copper freemasons buying 3.0 ones with retirement funds. It was average competent vs the 75 upper passats and middling A4s of the day and would have sold more to the masses in poverty spec. The xe was literally the same thing bang in the middle of the compettion at launch but with a better engine choice from launch. I had one in 2018 the plastics were wheelie bin grade. Interiors were sadly style over substance.
They managed to squander their possibilities with traditionalists with the S-Type due to not marketing it properly, then they purposefully shoo'd away most of their customer base in order to please their marketing strategists and their desire to "lower their customers' average age" with the modern-looking models. Naturally very few looking for modern cars even considered Jaguar, so that wasn't an easily accessible customer base: Jaguar would've had to work at winning them over for several decades with stellar products which they keep competitive.
But overall what really has always been the thing that failed Jaguar was the last detail: the dealership network and the last marketing push! Jaguar had poor dealerships with the bottom-of-the-barrel companies and people running them. Just car-salesman-hucksters, not the guys like in the Audi and BMW dealerships who inspired the cream of the crop and made those brands desirable! They were there where it mattered: marketing every single sport which the upper-middle classes and up were interested in, provided cars to the golf pros, everywhere the target customer was, they were there promoting Audis and BMWs as the top choice with highest shine! And the dealerships clearly backed up that promise with a smooth batch of operators. (I'm not saying Audis were really any good, nor the sales team nor ownership experience...just the way they made the customers *_feel_* !!)
Jaguar wasn't always there, they had to be sought out. Jaguar left an "iffy" impression at the dealership, one that stunk of failure. No-one wanted to join that team.
I have a Jag X-Type 3ltr AWD Estate (2005) and a Jag S-Type 2.5ltr Sport (2004). Both do about 34mph on motorway driving. The X-Type is fast and glues to the road. The S-Type is very quiet and smooth. Faults; S-Type - Dual Air System is crap and blows controllers every 10,000 miles or so. Gear box lags from first to second when cold, but gets better as it heats up. X-Type - Sils rot and I had to replace them. One CAT failed at 130,000 miles but still get through MOTs. TC sensors tend to fail due to being a bit flimsy. Calipers tends to go on both around 110,000 onwards. Their value is now poor but still drivable reliable cars. The S-Type has 112,000 miles on it and the X-Type 148,000 miles. The X-Type is pretty rare now so has a lot of enthusiat interest.
Great video as always good points raised. A few years ago I had an X-Type 3.0 sport with a manual gearbox. Probably the best car I've owned so far.
As a long term Jaguar owner from the USA, I find your viewpoints interesting.
Here in the USA, VW is considered an "economy car" brand. Hence, when they introduced the Phaeton, they were pretty much laughed at here. Who would want to buy a $85k (2004 money) VW? While they own Audi and Bentley, you'll not find all three at the same dealership. You'll often find VW and Audi at the same dealership, but separated by a parking lot.
Jaguar and Land Rover are often not only in the same dealership, but the same building. I've been in my three closest dealerships and typically saw an F Type, an F-Pace, and perhaps an XF (or XE) in the same room as three different Land Rover models. No differentiation. In effect, the customer is left with the impression that the cars on offer in the showroom are the full breadth of offer, which, in fact, they typically are. Outside the dealership, the Land Rovers are most of the parking lot. The Jaguars are in a corner unto themselves. The sales people will sell you whatever you want, of course, but you'll likely be waiting for a Jaguar to be located at another dealer, or ordered, if you want something specific. Not so with Land Rover, which is copiously stocked and ready to be delivered.
IMHO, Jaguar lost their way when they decided to introduce the XJS as a successor to the E type. Big and bulbous, it's no one's idea of a real sports car. When they showed an "F type" show car in the early 1980s, everyone screamed "BUILD IT!" but they didn't. Instead, they kept the gargantuan XJS in production long enough to introduce the XK8. The XK8 was not a bad car, but it was no sports car. It took Jaguar another 15 years to get the F type into production. But, by then, with 30+ years of not having a true sports car, they were largely forgotten as a manufacturer of sports oriented automobiles. If you look into Jaguar's history, you'll see the "halo" sports car fed improvements in their saloon car range, so much so that the saloon cars were advertised as having "Dunlop Disc Brakes from the XK150 sports car", "High revving 3.8 litre engine of the E type", etc... When they lost their way, they thought they were building luxury saloon cars that just happened to go fast, as opposed to thinly disguised sports cars that had luxury saloon bodies.
Had a 3.0 Manual one of these a few years ago, cost me £320 off ebay, £90 for first Mot but failed on 2 Mot I put it through (Sills RUST a lot under the covers!!), truly one of the best cars I've ever owned...especially when it cos me less than £1000 for 2.5 years trouble free motoring!
I bought new a 2002 X-Type 2.5 with the sport package in the US and kept it for 11 years. It was stunning looking car (dark gray with a black interior), but there was never a service interval (every 6 months) that just needed an oil change or basic service. It was good thing that I purchased an 8 year extended warranty for this car, all the repairs would have exceeded the cost of warranty. I loved this car, the dealer was great, but the mechanical quality was subpar. This was my only and last Jaguar. It so sad to see such an iconic brand slowly die.
I'm always keen on reviews for these, because they get such a bad rap but I had one and rather liked it. The American market clearly got the better deal with the 2.5 being the lowest tier engine available and no windy windows(holy crap windy windows!) I had a 3.0 and it was decently quick, comfy, soothing on the highway. And in the snow they're awesome. They're incredible in the snow, I loved driving it so much.
A fine commentary. I hope we see the end of the "everything must be an SUV" trend very soon, and that badges get some identity back!
When I saw this video drop and the headline I wanted to hate it. I love the Jaguar brand and can be quite thin skinned when it comes to criticism of the brand. Having watched the video in full I wholeheartedly agree with your assessments and conclusions. We all don’t want to drive an electric SUV.
A headline drop/droop on a jag....never.
My dear departed dad had an 2.2D 09 X Type in a lovely deep metallic red with cream leather seats and 5 spoke alloys. I regret not buying it off him. Loved my own (company) 07 S-Type too, as I do my current 05 XK8.
Gotta agree (again) with your analysis of Jag, it's heritage and precarious current state and uncertain future.
But - like you and so many others - I live in hope that something better will turn up.
I had a 2006 2.2 diesel in 2007, and honestly I wish Id never sold it. The engine was a dream and so quiet and the handling very good. It even had a built in sat nav (Cd mind!) And a 12 disc cd multichanger in the boot. Great for its time! Did 55 to 60 mpg too. However I swapped it because it was a manual, and doing a lot of mileage i really needed an auto. Looking back I should have just swapped for the auto version. Cheap as chips for parts and repair too.
You hit the nail on the head. Jaguar started as a smaller numbrrs producer ,eith cars of luxury and performance ,done like hardly anyone else could. Since ford and tata,takeovers they have tried to go volume producer and both have failed. The old core buyers have moved on or died out and now they are stuck with accountants controling the designs and market they are aiming for. I fear we are seeing the last few years of jaguar car's and a badge placed on a landrover will be all that is left soon. The move to SUV'S is something I do not understand . A high up car with smsll boot and awkward lines. I'll be sticking with my 04 XJR as my fast saloon and my XF sportbrake as my daily/ load lugger. I just hope these two last me out!
Thought about buying one of these recently, as my Alfa 159 was doing its best to lighten my wallet. However, given the current economic climate, I opted instead for a Honda CR-Z. Much better economy, £25 a year VED and group 17 insurance. Managed to bag myself a nearly immaculate one with less than 60k on the clock and full service history.
CR-Z! Lovely cars! Very nice.
I’m going to look at a 159 tomorrow!!!! 😮😮😮
@@ssussssss what engine?
@@ssussssss Don't let my comment about my 159 put you off. Get in the car and take it for a test drive and you will see why I absolutely adored mine. I had a lovely 2010 sportwagon ti which I spent a fair amount getting right and it was a stunning example. Here's a photo of it for you to drool over: drive.google.com/file/d/1vBsvkYdDXeDotW6TVkJ9K5lBFtGXogvG/view?usp=sharing
@@rv9990 Thanks - it's all about buying a car that suits your needs rather than your desires. How many people are driving around in an SUV that they don't need - about 99% I think.
Absolutely spot on !!!! What’s happening reflects the decline of the UK car industry so that now there are no major UK owned and managed brands.
I'm an American that had 2 different X-Types, both of them 2003 models. The first was a 2.5 with a 5-speed, relatively light on options as the American ones went. The second was a 3.0 with a 5-speed, very uncommon in the U.S. and very well-optioned. I'd honestly still have that second one if our love of road salt in the American North hadn't rusted it to nothing. They both were fantastic to drive, gave me overall good service, and in all I have a Jaguar today (XF Sportbrake, again very rare in the U.S.) because of those X-Types.
What fascinates me is how Jaguar kinda screwed their home market with these vis-a-vis the options and equipment levels. Fabric seats? AWD not standard? Crank windows? These pass for "luxury" in the UK according to Jaguar? Eh? The "light on options" one I had still was AWD, because all of them in the U.S. were AWD. It still had leather, because all of ours had leather. There wasn't a manual seat or window to be found, because all of ours had power seats and power windows. (as an aside, they did the same thing again with the XF Sportbrakes for the U.S.: All of ours were S trim with the supercharged V6, and we could ladle on options from there.)
Even in 2003, by American standards, a mid-spec Ford was as well-equipped as was that X-Type you were driving. No wonder the X-Type took on such a bad reputation if that's how Jaguar was treating its main markets in that time!
My experience with Jaguar is limited to cars owned by family and friends. But, I have always loved the cars, admiring from a distance. What I do know is Ford ownership helped with Jaguar's reliability image in the U.S. immensely.
My parents first luxury car was a 2001 Jaguar X Type in Gold with beige leather. First car I went for a drive in as well amazing memories! I remember the day mum gave it away because nobody would buy the thing as 4 tyres costs more than the value of the car, she was in tears 😢
What brand of tyres was she purchasing for it? Must have been an AWD model ? What was the mileage on it when she gave it away?
@@paulsz6194 all wheel drive based in Cork Ireland, was only looking for €400 euro, it had been sitting for some time as the mother inherited an E280 Mercedes. However did start up first thing with a new battery and drove off into the sunset to some jaguar enthusiast.
@@paulsz6194 no idea on the mileage I would have estimated maybe 100,000 miles at most.
@@conorbarrett1585 wow, It hadn’t travelled much, if she couldn’t sell it &had to give it away. Perhaps there weren’t many sold around where you live, or there wasn’t a Jaguar dealer nearby where you live? take it you’re from the USA?
@@paulsz6194 I think the problem was the motor tax which in Ireland was about over €1000 euro a year! I remember the e280 merc was €1800 so would be near enough for the Jag. I had an XKR in the UK and Germany but didn’t bring it back to Ireland because of €2500 in yearly motor tax. Ireland is backwards when it comes to cars!
I believe "The Media" has a lot to answer for with Jaguar. If you remember Clarkson, May and Hammond one show imploring Jaguar "Please, please, please don't make a diesel." Without diesels Jaguar would have gone out of business years ago. Nobody in "The Media" seems to criticise VAG for Audi sharing components with Skoda, but the slightest scratchy bit of plastic under a seat in a Jag brings out the moans. Why do the press criticise the XE for a lack of headroom in the rear? I'm only 5'8", as are plenty of people.
You could go even deeper. Even longer ago, French cars had a unique character, as did Italian, Swedish (especially Saab) and so on. Early 80's onwards, the various characteristics became diluted as manufacturers chased sales more globally. What we are seeing now is further convergance and less variety as all major manufacturers want their share of the same pie.
Perhaps that is why very few of modern cars interest me, it seems as if cars are getting more and more monotone these days.
@@stokovsky8483they are because the people that actually buy cars (non-enthusiasts) don’t care about personality they care about getting back and forth.
Good report Jay. I like these little cars but not the engines. I know why they used a V6 and it was to satisfy those who like the impression of speed. But at the time they made this little car, Ford had a big choice of four cylinder engines that would have been more practical, economical and smoother. I have owned a 3 ltr AWD and now I have a 2.1 ltr FWD and prefer it over the 3 ltr. The 3ltr went like a rocket but then I don't need to go to the Moon and back when I am just driving to the shops. The 2.1 ltr is easier to look after if you are a DIY mechanic like myself. And if you don't know why, then buyers should do their homework before buying an X Type.
Had my X type for well over 10 yrs . Its an 08 plate face lift Diesel .
I always thought the car sat a little too high for my liking so had it lowered .
Looks perfect to me .
I used to drive Mondeos as pool cars in work .
I can’t compare the two of them
The X type doesn’t feel like a Ford Mondeo to me its like comparing chalk and cheese the X type is far better 🤔
I couldn’t imagine life without it and i wont be geting rid of mine any time soon 😊👍
Completely agree. Brand is that which people relate to. Brand confusion is Ford's speciality. Ford makes me think of Microsoft where intentions to change brand image haven't resulted in better customer perception as the product simply doesn't compare. 'The market' is actually a group of people with particular opinions which do not change quickly unless under duress. Your example of VW is perfect as a company which applies product to its practicable understanding of the market.
The X type looks good now - but I remember at the time people thought it looked like an XJ shrunk on to a smaller chassis - almost caricature. I think people we also quite put off by the Ford underpinnings (though it sounds like they have made it a reliable car). It’s also important to remember that this would have competed with the 3 series, C class and A4 so it fairly stiff competition.
I've always liked the look of the Jaguar X-Type. Spot on with "entry level" it is a nice car for an affordable Jaguar. Fords in the USA are rubbish as far as quality and that probably hurt sales here.
I've always liked the X-Type. The Mondeo of the time was a very highly rated car and was often praised for being a near equal to the 3-Series, despite being FWD, and the V6 featured in the legendary ST220 and Noble, so a AWD, luxury version of that car with that engine sounded like a proper cool as heck package. I like the looks as well, even the estate is a fairly handsome beast.
I think for me, Ford and journalists talked about the badge-engineering a bit too much, which was not really a thing at the time. These days, everything shares a chassis with something else, so in some ways the X-Type was rather ahead of it's time.
I can see the missed trick for fleet buyers, but also, that was true Mondeo territory. I think the X-Type was brought down by it's Mondeo heritage and I think if Ford hadn't made such a thing of the shared engineering then the X-Type might have done better.
I had a MK3 Mondeo with the 3.0 V6. Basically the same awesome car
A friend of mine's Nan, out in rural central Victoria Australia, bought one of those new and still has it... It's done well over 250,000ks now and she says it's the most reliable car she's ever had.
I don't know if that means it's never given her trouble, or if that's relative. They live on a big farm and have used Jags for the long trip to town since the 70s. Their Jags have always been reliable, apparently.
Suppose if you keep them on the long, flat, open roads out there they're going to be much happier machines.
Comfortable and able to pass roadtrains?
I had an X300 for 13 years. Best car I've ever owned.
Excellent review once again James. As a long time Jaguar fan and owners sadly I would have to say that if Jaguar lasts another five years it will be a miracle.
I had a 3.0 AWD in UAE - the last revision with the new badge and black piping on the leather seats.Loved it. So comfortable. So easy to drive. Bought with 40k km and sold with 120k a few years later. In my 5 years the only thing that went wrong was roof lining came unglued (super hot roof in the sun when ambient >40C) and one of the radiator fan motors died. That was all. Super reliable and - I've just checked - the people who bought it from me are still running it and still very happy.
It's amazing how they've managed to screw up Jaguar so badly. The brand holds (held?) so much value and has (had?) so much potential, yet they've just about run it into the ground. Really sad. But regarding the X-Type, I've driven a few and actually always kinda liked them... for what they were. They're actually not bad cars and offered something a little different than its competitors. Just my two cents.
Jaguar has been known to be unreliable for A LONG time. That's killed them a lot. They haven't really been in line with BMW or Mercedes for a long time either.
My 2003, 53 reg X type has leather seats, all electric windows, and an mpg calculator which you access by pressing the button at the tip of the direction indicator lever on the steering column. This makes the digital display below the analog speedometer change from showing the total mileage to showing the average speed, distance covered and fuel consumption in mpg or km/litre of your current trip. I've had it since 2009, and have had no major problems with it. The biggest expense has been a new radiator, and like all the other parts I've had to change, it was cheap.
Couldn't agree more. Nobody really wanted the Jaguar F Pace.
I remember seeing my first Jaguar X Type at the start of the 22 years ago and I remember thinking BMW are in deep do do here cos the X Type was beautiful on the outside and the interior was exquisite.
You know what? The E46 is my absolute favourite BMW but the X Type is more attractive and its interior is far more traditionally luxurious.
I can't speak for interior, but to my eyes the exterior of e46 wins over x-type.
@@stokovsky8483 e46 is boring
@@Ze_Hans what bores you on e46? Loads of them still running around makes them a bit boring, but the styling still excites me.
Hi Jay
Love the show, I bought an X-Type 2.2dsl a few tears ago & loved it. Great drive with the necessary performance when required. The Ford parts weren't too bad either, cheap & quick to repair. The tech for a 2008 model I had wasn't great, but I had the all leather interior & when scrubed up, looked elegant & turned heads. Boot space was very good also & was also cheap to service.
Thanks a mill, love the show
Mark (R.O.I.)
Literally I test drove a X-Type 3.0 before you posted this video🤯. I was curious how they drove because I currently have a S-Type R that I love and maybe wanted to add the X-Type as a daily. Well I liked it but this one needed some maintenance done that I’m sure would’ve been costly. It also sounded like a muted early 2000s Ford Taurus🤔 which was fine. I think I’ll eventually get a X-Type as well but I don’t want an unmaintained one.
Thanks James a Great review and chat, I actually like the Ford derived Jaguars more than the current models they have a more Jaguar style to them and are a lot better than most people realise.
Nowt wrong with the X-Type, great cars, had three of them, two of them went to over 220k miles without a new clutch. When Jag replaced the XJ in 2009 with the 'druggy' XJ that is when it went down hill
Spot on with your comment on brands needing to differentiate! I see Porsche having some of this problem itself by trying to have a vehicle in almost every segment. In my opinion, they would be better served by having a slightly more expensive entry level sports car and keeping other sports cars. While the SUV's and sedans are nice, it's not their heritage and those just become disposable things. Leave the SUV's to VW and stay true to sports cars.
I couldn’t care less about the platform, it’s very good..
I had an x type from new, the only give away gripe I had was the interior front door sill mouldings…. Exactly the same as ones in the 98 Mondeo Ghia I just Px’ed.
Other than that a nice car.
My wife had a 3.0 X-Type. We put over 160,000 virtually trouble free miles on it before it was rear ended and totaled. (Family was fine.) It was comfortable considering it’s size and pretty too. Never understood the hate against it.
I had a Mondeo Mk3 Ghia x TDCi auto which i loved. Followed it with Tiguan which is ok but I'm looking to change. Im looking at the X-type and the Volvo Geartronic as the automatic gearbox is identical and I'm detefmibed to avoid DSG and Powershift. The video has supported my thinking. I understand your view's on brands but once everything has to be electric and sold at a profit then there won't be much space for creativity because the battery cost is so high.
Have a look at a jaguar XJ x358 from 2009
@@SirMrShanks X358 was peak Jaguar...except for not having the V12 option. Even that should've had straight six and V12 engines.
@@pistonburner6448 couldn't agree more. Peak jaguar and such a striking design seen on the roads today. A thonking v12 would have been glorious
I bought an 2007 3.0 Sovereign X-Type a few months ago and I love it. However, I'm getting only 24.6 MPG (short five mile trips daily) which is not good. I bought it because a disability means I need an auto. That said, the build quality and advanced features of this model have won me over.
I knew the guy who helped design this car. At the time he said that they had to make a completely new toolkit for it as everything was unique
Tell him he was really good at carrying that coffee.
@@pistonburner6448 Maybe that theory applies to other car makers like Alfa Romeo as well?
Love my X-Type 3L V6 estate. It is one of the last ever produced. I still think it is one of the most beautiful estates ever made. It's kind of a GADA car, lot of space yet sporty, no bulky SUV but still 4x4, great heating and cooling, a perfect winter car. And certainly not the car everyone else drives here in Switzerland, most Swiss have German cars. Thats why I went for the X-Type 5 years ago. I payed 14'800 Swiss francs (£ 13'300) at 73'000 km (45'000 miles). I am now at 145'000 km (90'000 miles) and the only issues I had so far was a broken alternator and a malfunctioning lock at the rear window. The only visible Ford parts are the windshield spray nozzles, I really don't care about those.
Being an development of the Modeo platform was not a negative thing.
The S type and it's platform brother the Lincoln LS were actually the big disappointment. To this day , the service issues surrounding both the S type and the LS have made them unwelcome in most repair shops.
I actually find servicing and maintaining my S type relatively easy. Much better to work on than an Audi or BMW.
@@petemaxwell1136 basic maintenance is easy. They frequently develop electrical gremlins that are not easily and quickly resolved. Those are the issues that make flat rate tech’s turn them away
@@scottbrown7415 never had any major faults, electrical or other wise, any issues that have arrisen have been easily traced and rectified.
I liked the look of the X type. It appealed to lot to people looking for a replacement for their Rover 600, being unhappy with the archaic styling of the Rover 75, but the V6 was a handicap, also on the continent with countries like France, Belgium and the Netherlands where taxes became very expensive for bigger engines. You really needed something like an entry level 1800 cc 125 hp 4 in line engine to make the finance work. Most BMW 3-series on our roads were just a 318i, no fancy powerful 330Csi and the likes.
Jay nailed it when he mentioned it's a matter of philosophy. The X type was burdened with the reputation of just being a rebadged Ford Mondeo. The combination of being owned by Ford and having some parts in common with the Mondeo propagated this reputation.
However, the look of the X type I think sealed it's fate. It looks dowdy, bland, generic and vanilla. It really looks like a Mondeo. So when you have a car looking this bland, owned by Ford, sharing parts with a Mondeo, people naturally put 2+2 together and think it's a rebadged Mondeo. And no one buying a Jag wants that. Except for a very few people that want to get into a Jag name plate cheaply.
The X type and the magnificent XJ40 series are like chalk and cheese. No comparison.
If you think it looks like a mondeo i think you need your eyes tested, and imho the XJ40 looks outdated and bland...in fact the x308 was much better... (xj40 exterior just looks like something british leyland catalogue)
Had an '08 Sport Estate 2.2 for nearly 3 years now with all the toys lovely XF style steering wheel, 18"s and double stitched leather. Lot of car fairly reliable, great to drive so keep them alive!
The problem is that if Jaguar go for higher margin / lower volume, they’re going to clatter directly into Aston Martin… and Jaguar are just not that desirable… it just doesn’t make sense to not platform share with Land Rover…
But not forgetting how they managed to nab a "Half-price Aston" corner with the XK8, which Ian Callum designed the body for alongside the DB7. The toe stepping was always there with Jag's V8 and V12s, would've been easy to lean into it.
Different vibe of the brand appeals to different people too.
That’s mad I was thinking about this car today and then clicked on TH-cam and this popped up 😮
Jaguar really is in a mess atm, they've made some excellent cars with the f-type, XK, XF, XJ and f-pace but they are really stretching the platform life and seem to be struggling with their direction. Don't even get me started on binning off the new XJ!
It’s not a mess. Just watch this space. It’ll be a very exciting time for the brand
@@ciaranoconnor6525 Let’s hope so. Because the massive incompetence and lack of strategical thinking by the Jaguar top management during the last 20 years didn’t exactly fill me with confidence. And I have several Jags …
@@ciaranoconnor6525 no more XJ is madness
I don't think you have seen the new designs have you?@@ciaranoconnor6525