Trim levels: 2.5 2.5 Sport 3.0 3.0 Sport

MSRP: $29,950 $31,950 $35,950 $37,950

Notes: Having succeeded in broadening Jaguar's customer base with the S-Type sedan in 2000, Jaguar attempted to move into the cut-throat entry-luxury market with the X-Type two years later. Rather than develop a new RWD platform for the car, Ford simply adopted the Ford of Europe Mondeo chassis. To avoid the backlash of a front-wheel drive Jaguar, the X-Type was sold in the United States exclusively with all-wheel drive. In an effort to preserve the driving dynamics of a rear-driving sports sedan, the AWD system was tuned to split power 40/60 front/rear. Purists were mortified, but standard all-wheel drive was a feature unique to the X-Type in its segment, and it played well in the snow-belt states. The X-Type was also the first Jaguar in a decade to offer a manual transmission. The cabin was relatively roomy, with a toned-down version of the Jaguar interior design motif; the trunk was quite large for its class. However, all was not positive with the "baby Jag." Production economies meant that much of the switchgear was straight from the Ford parts-bin, and the cabin was swathed in plastic as much as anything else. A much bigger problem was pricing. Although the X-Type 2.5 could nominally be had for $30,000 plus destination and dealer fees, the real story was more expensive. The car's equipment list was rather short: navigation system, sunroof, even a CD player were all optional. More significantly, many options were bundled into packages that required each other. Almost all manufacturers do such things, of course, but it was very prominent in the X-Type. For example, antiskid control was not a stand-alone option: it required $1,200 option package. However, to get that option package required the $2,500 premium package. So, if antiskid control was a must-have feature for a prospective buyer, it would add $3,700 to the pricetag. Too, very few cars came in base format -- they were all extensively optioned, raising the real price of an X-Type to between $35-$40,000, which made it far less of a bargain. Finally, reliability on the new X-Type quickly proved dismal.

Series: 2002-current

PERFORMANCE