First X Type

[Robbrun]

Hi Everyone

This is not my first Jag having had an XJ6 about 10 years ago but it is the most modern. It is a 2002 2.5 with low miles and low owners. It cost the couple I bought it from an absolute fortune in the 9 months or so they had it (coil pack etc last September and gearbox overhaul in Feb at a cost of over £2200!). I am hoping that there are no more nasty surprises around the corner for me.

First impressions are somewhat mixed: on the plus side it drives like a new car, and that may be part of the problem for me as I shall explain in due course; the performance is eager and everything feels "tight"; I quite like the looks outside and I am a sucker for light interiors. While it is not overloaded with toys, all those that it does have work. On the down side I am coming to it after years of owning and loving big Citroens, a 24 valve XM has made way for this purchase and the Jag does not match up to it in a number of ways (in my view, I am sure I may well be in the minority on this forum :-)). As you might expect, I find the ride harsh and the seats hard and not very comfortable - you sit on them rather than in them. I felt the XM had more "presence" on the road and I really liked the fact that wherever I went in it, the chances of seeing another were virtually nil - no chance of forgetting which car is yours in a busy car park. It also came as a surprise to me that the Jaguar 2.5 is noticeably thirstier than the PRV 3.0 perhaps the impact of AWD? I also find the engine note noisy.

I do think the Jag is growing on me, slowly. It is quite good fun on the open road without being very engaging on motorways. Everything works - I might have already mentioned that - and it doesn't seem to mark its territory. It's not the quickest car I have owned and it's certainly not the most comfortable but it may turn out to be a good all rounder. I shall wait and see what the MOT man says in a couple of months' time.

 

[Old Peter]

Hi Robert, and welcome to the Club.

I had an X Type 2.5 SE, and found it quite comfortable even after a Rover Sterling --  but then I am not a tall man, who I guess would find it quite size-limiting.

The AWD does make it a little thirsty, but on longer runs I used to achieve about 33 mpg [manual gearbox].

I found the X type was quite agile -- once described as "nippy" by a journalist -- and could show a good turn of speed for a 2.5 litre car.

But I think that you will get to enjoy it, as the Jaguar experience does grow on you.

Regards,

Pete.

[Jaguar Owners Club]

Welcome to the Club Robert,

I do hope you enjoy your Jag, but I do know where you are coming from with the Citroen...I am a big fan of early French cars (I know what you are all thinking!) and coming from an XM with superb suspension to the Jaguar is not too much of a culture shock compared to moving over to a Ford for example.

Look forward to reading your posts on here.

Best Regards,   Trevor - Admin

 

[Robbrun]

Well the Jag has had its first real test this week, a 500+ mile trip in 2 days from the north east to the Cotswolds and back. The return journey being with my 90 year old Mum in the passenger seat.

Overall, I am pretty pleased with the experience. Performance from the 2.5 petrol engine is more than adequate, and the economy was better than anticipated: travelling at legal speeds over the journey the return according to the computer was in excess of 36mpg which came as a big surprise. It seems to be a car that really benefits from good use of the cruise control on a journey that allows it. Mum's verdict was that "it wasn't as comfortable as that other car, but that was special" referring to the V6 XM, and I have to agree, but it was definitely better than I expected.

Where the Jag really does score over the Citroen is in the fact that everything still seems to work...  

In summary: I like the car more than I expected to. It just seems a bit ordinary, I am used to having the only example of a model in a car park (even my daily runabout a ZX is quite rare now) and I think there are another 3 or 4 X types on my estate of about 120 houses.

[Raggerminder]

Six weeks on from my last post and everything still functions.

We also have a new MOT with no advisories!

My only grouse at the moment is that the windscreen air vents seem to have buckled and the passenger side one rattles in a most annoying way, and it is still not very comfy...

On the whole though it has grown a lot in my affections. Another long trip south beckons in the morning.