2.5 Classic AWD

Has everything - rewarding to drive, refined, totally competent but plenty of power when required; also very reliable.

I have driven many cars over 55 years, always seeking the ideal. This is it. It looks superb and has a luxurious ambience as soon as you get inside. It then excels in every department. It has the feeling of being eager to go as soon as the engine is fired up and doesn't disappoint. Mine is the 2.5 petrol version and so it remains quiet and refined at all times - a pleasure to drive at any speed. I drive as far as possible at the legal limit and try to avoid sudden acceleration and braking. We have a Corsa which does most of the local journeys so the Jag does nearly all long journeys. Mine is also the more economical manual version. Consequently it has returned 31.5 mpg every year since the first (when the engine was still a bit stiff). It even has the bonus of AWD - very useful in recent winters! Apart from one failure to start which was cured by cleaning out the inlet manifold (or whatever it's called on a fuel injection system) it has proved totally reliable over the 13 years I have driven it. I was most disappointed that Jaguar chose not to replace it in 2009 and like other X-type owners I've spoken to, I don't know what I would replace it with. So I'm intending to keep it running for a few more years yet. (I bought in 2002, not 2003 as indicated. 2003 was to earliest date available to tick!).
If anybody reading this is tempted to buy one (used now of course) and think that the above is too good to be true, the downside if you can call it that is that some of the controls (radio/tape player, clock etc. are too far below the line of sight so you have to be able to operate them by touch alone); first gear can be a bit obstructive when cold, though it's fine when hot; a bit too much wind noise at speed; I would have preferred a CD player but the tape player was standard when this was new, though replaced a few years later I believe.
All in all a very desirable alternative to the sameness of most of the alternatives. Thoroughly recommended.

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