2005 Jaguar X-type Review

This Could Be a Very Exclusive Wagon

It would be hard for Jaguar to have gotten off to a worse start if they were truly attempting to impress me with their upcoming X-Type wagon.

First of all, just like when the Ford owned Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover division booked me a Range Rover and never told me they had moved their press car pick-up location from the professional service they had been using for years to a local dealer, the same folks neglected to tell me that Jaguar press cars were to be picked up at a different location than Land Rovers, on the other side of town.

Upon phoning the dealership on the Friday prior to my Monday pickup date, another thing happened similarly to the Land Rover experience; no one at the dealership had any idea about a press car program or who to talk to about it. Some time later a very courteous Jaguar receptionist found someone who knew about it and told me to have someone in my company come by and pick the car up on Monday. Great, we were getting somewhere.

When Monday came, Shawn and Alexandra (I was in Detroit driving Vipers, Ram SRT-10 pickups and other fun toys on Chryslers test track, poor pitiful me) went down to pick up the Jag and, after waiting for hours, couldnt do so as it was suffering from a broken power seat switch. What does a person expect on a car that only has just over 1,000 miles on the odometer? Is the ghost of Lucas, the electronics company that gave the British brand a bad name for reliability in years past, still alive at Jaguar? The automakers 25th finish out of 37 nameplates in J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) might suggest this.

Unfortunately, according to the service manager the dealership didnt have the part, and neither did any other dealer in the Canadian city that was providing the car. Canadian city? Yes, the X-Type Wagon has been out for half of 2004 in Canada as the U.S. wasnt going to offer it at first. A recent announcement by Jaguar Cars North America rescinds this decision, and therefore, to get you the real goods on the wagon as soon as possible an example was sourced from Canada. Anyway, back to the parts and service saga, I can only assume that there is no parts warehouse in the two million plus city as Jaguar had to have the component shipped in. Three days later the car was fixed, and ready to roll. Three days to replace a minor power seat part in a model that has been on the market for two years (speaking of the X-Type in general)? Thats not good enough Jaguar.

And its too bad that the public relations departments many fumbles, the cars questionable reliability and the relatively slow service to fix the problem marred my initial introduction, as the little wagon is very nice for the most part. It looks pretty good for a wagon, a bit generic from the rear view but its hard to find fault with the classic Jaguar front end styling, complete with a sculpted hood bending down to a monochromatic grille featuring a chromed leaper hood ornament on top, and those sexy double-bubble circular headlamps are as characteristic of Jaguar design as anything could be.

The same must be said of the interior, seriously upgraded since the Ford of Europe Mondeo (Contour and Mercury Mystique in these parts) derived sedan hit the North American market in 2001 as a 2002 model. I drove it then and was under-whelmed, but my wife Jennifer loved its light steering and general easy nature. I dont know what Jaguar has done, but maybe theyve listened to too many testosterone induced critics. The steering is nowhere near as light anymore, which makes it more substantial feeling and more enjoyable for me, but Jennifer had very little good to say about the car she used to like above most others. Shes a harsh critic Jaguar, so dont be overly concerned.

I personally didnt find the cars handling to be any worse than the sedans adept capabilities, even with the added weight of its wagon configuration. Jaguar has reportedly revised spring and damper rates to compensate for the differences, and due to this I could find no noticeable differences in ride quality either. Jaguar reprogrammed the stability control system specifically for the wagon as well. Im sure I would have appreciated this feature matched with the cars all-wheel drivetrain even more if there had been inclement weather during my test week. Nevertheless I had opportunity to slide back the sunroof shade and let the sunshine in through the tinted glass panel - it was too hot to open it fully until nighttime.

The seats offer decent lateral support during aggressive cornering, both on the lower cushion and upper seatback. Still, I just couldnt get comfortable, and neither could anyone who joined me in the front passenger seat, regardless of shape or size. The way it is designed (and it wasnt like this in previous X-Types Ive tested), there seems to be a ridge that sticks out just below the shoulders, or at least my shoulders. It was so uncomfortable in fact that I didnt jump at the chance to drive it - my usual reaction to having a Jaguar in my garage. Instead I opted for the Mazda6 wagon that I had parked beside it, which offered much more comfortable front seats.

I was actually surprised at how similar the two cars are. Both are almost identical in exterior and interior dimensions, with the Jaguar and Mazda being 185.7 and 187.8 inches in length respectively, 70.2 and 70.1 inches in width, plus 56.7 and 57.3 inches in height respectively. The X-Types wheelbase is a trite longer at 106.7 inches compared to the 6 wagons 105.3 inch span, while the Jags also slightly heavier at 3,549 pounds compared to 3,389 for the Mazda.

If I hadnt read differently, Id have said the two cars share general architecture. But once again the Jaguar was initially derived from the front-drive first-generation Ford Mondeo (Contour) and the Mazda6 is all Mazda, at least when it comes to the chassis. The Mazda6 “platform” will be used in upcoming Ford products, however, including the yet to be named Taurus replacement (previously called the Futura before Ford realized it didnt have rights to the name anymore) and Lincoln Zephyr.

Look under the hood and the similarities between the two cars are even more similar. While each automaker shrouds their engine with stylish plastic covers (Jaguar wins out in this comparison), both feature an almost identical version of Fords 3.0-liter V6. Not the same 150 horsepower mule as found in the base Taurus, but even more sophisticated than the 24-valve, dual overhead cam iteration as found in the Taurus SEL Premium. There it makes 200 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque, while due to Mazdas care and attention it achieves a much more potent 220 horsepower, albeit at the expense of 8 lb-ft of torque, the final tally being 192. Jaguar ekes out an addition 7 horsepower over the Mazda iteration, for a total of 227, plus it ups torque by 10 lb-ft over the Taurus, to 210 lb-ft (figure taken from Jaguar website which is slightly different than the 206 lb-ft initially stated in Jaguars press material), by adding continuously variable valve timing, a three-stage variable induction manifold, 32-bit microprocessor and electronic throttle control. The Jag 3.0-liter develops 80 percent of its torque at 1,500 rpm and 90 percent at only 2,500 rpm, making it quite flexible under most conditions.

The difference can be felt under full acceleration, and especially so during passing maneuvers. Also, while the 3.0-liter Ford-derived powerplant isnt BMW-smooth and quiet, Jaguar has done a good job of isolating engine noise and harshness in the cabin.

By the way, Jaguar offers a slightly less powerful 2.5-liter V6 in the X-Type wagon as well. It produces 192 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque, which should be ample for most drivers. A 5-speed manual is also offered as a base transmission, which makes it more fun to drive than the optional 5-speed automatic. A 5-speed manual is also offered as a no-cost option in 3.0-liter equipped cars that come standard with a 5-speed auto, but it should be said that Audi and BMW offer 6-speed manuals, even in base form.

I cant say I appreciated Jaguars traditional J-gate shift lever in the 5-speed automatic equipped 3.0-liter test car, however, at least when compared to the up and down sequential shifter Mazda offers in its 5-speed autobox. Ive owned a 1990 Jaguar XJ Sovereign, and therefore loved this shifter when no rival offered anything nearly as advanced, but I have to admit to it being outclassed by just about everything else currently in its field. It would be great if Jag could come up with a way to keep tradition intact, while taking advantage of Fords resource of sequentially actuated automatic gearboxes. Nevertheless the transmission shifts smoothly up through the gears and downshifts within an adequate speed, but fortunately without the jerkiness that can often be associated with sport-oriented cars.

On that note Jaguar is up against some extremely strong competitors in the sport wagon arena. Audi has done quite well with its A4 Avant, while BMWs 3-Series wagon comes across as the perceived quality leader. Lexus, with its IS300 SportCross, probably beats all rivals when it comes to dependability, as the brand regularly is on the top of just about every third party quality survey including the aforementioned J.D. Power VDS.

Mercedes-Benz offers an extremely classy looking C-Class wagon, while Volvo is just releasing its all-new 2005 compact V50, a real value leader in the compact wagon class. The brand also offers the V70, that while larger than Jaguars X-Type wagon, is priced similarly depending on trim. Saab has its new Subaru Impreza-based 9-2X wagon joining its 9-5 Wagon soon, and while its a bit on the small size its priced very well. The 9-5 wagon, while larger than Jaguars X-Type wagon, starts at a lower based price. Even when topped out in Aero trim, the 9-5 wagon is priced lower than the Jag at its top trim level, at least in Canada. It should be much the same in the U.S. when it arrives this fall. Whats more, at this price the Saab offers a 250 horsepower turbocharged engine with 258 lb-ft of torque.

Volkswagen offers up a couple of alternatives too, the Jetta Wagon and Passat Wagon. While the former obviously couldnt come close to the Jaguars level of prestige, the latter offers an interior that would make some premium brand designers blush in embarrassment if trapped inside. Whats more, it offers 4-cylinder, V6 and W8 (the latter only available in 2004) powertrains that obliterate the competition. Even in its top trim, the Passat is quite a bit less expensive than the hardly equivalent X-Type wagon.

How much is that? Well, its Canadian price is $59,595 but Jaguar hasnt announced a U.S. price yet. Even at its $43,195 base Canadian sticker the X-Type wagon isnt exactly priced to fly out the doors. It will be exclusive, no doubt, but potentially runs the risk of being too exclusive for Jaguars sake. The brand had to dramatically reduce the price of its X-Type sedan in order to motivate buyers into the showroom and push cars off the lot, a strategy that has had its rewards, but at great cost to the automakers bottom line.

To put things into perspective, BMWs 3-Series wagon starts at $40,950 CAD, more than $2,000 CAD cheaper than the Jaguar. Audis A4 Avant, although featuring only front-wheel drive in base form, starts at $35,735 CAD, more than $7,000 CAD less expensive than the X wagon. The all-wheel drive quattro A4 wagon is priced at still more than $3,000 CAD under the X-Type wagon, at $39,595 CAD. Volvos new V50, while slightly smaller than the Jag and less opulently equipped in base guise, starts at a mere $31,495 CAD, $1,000 CAD less than the outgoing 2004 V40 wagon. If you want the high-end interior treatment and extra power of its T5 engine package, a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder complete with an intercooled turbocharger developing 218 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, the Volvo V50 T5 will set you back a cool $36,495 CAD. Hmmm, not bad for a great looking little luxury wagon with a heck of a lot more sport than the X-Type. The Lexus IS 300 SportCross is the only luxury sport wagon base priced higher than the Jaguar, at $44,640 CAD. This is not a very positive example for Jaguar to rest its case, however, as the model is almost nonexistent on North Americas roadways.

OK, you must be sick of Canadian (CAD) pricing by now, but at least all the comparisons help put the new Jag in perspective, something that is difficult to do without U.S. pricing.

Of course, buying a sport/luxury car rarely comes down nickel and diming prices or comparing engine output ratings, at-the-limit handling dynamics, or specific features. At times performance and luxury features are so dramatically different that it will persuade buyers motivated by such differences. When comparing Jaguars X-Type wagon side-by-side with its competitors, performance and features aside, it has an intangible going for it that no competitor can match - sheer opulence. Its the only traditional luxury car in the mix. The only one that overwhelms occupants with planks of beautifully finished woods, olde world trim accents such as the classically styled chrome door handles, and beautifully detailed gauges. Its a feast for the eyes. Audi and BMW buyers might not buy into its gentlemans club charm, but anyone subjected to the maelstrom of clashing interior treatments in a Lexus IS 300, especially when finished of in beige leather, will feel as if transported into a calming den of tranquility. Being a Gemini I appreciate both the German and Swedish approach to contemporary efficiency and British overindulgence, depending on the mood swings of my polar personality, but I cant stand clutter for the sake of excitement - hence my dislike of that particular Lexus and most anything of recent vintage bearing a Pontiac badge. From a visual perspective Jaguars X-Type doesnt invade on my senses, but rather envelopes them in harmonic unity.

Its functionality is also easy on the nerves, with a two-way liftgate that opens upward in the conventional way, while offering a separately opening remotely actuated glass hatch. Jaguar provides a fancy, retractable cargo cover that can be removed if necessary. I removed it to see how easy it would be to live with, and while it came off easily part of the mechanism started to come apart. I snapped it back in place, but it looks as though it could be troublesome in the not-too-distant future. I especially like the bright-metal scuff strip that runs across the edge of the cargo floor, and the carpeting covering all exposed surfaces back there is first rate. The space is also fully optimized due to almost no intrusion by the wheel wells, plus Jaguar has included a handy compartment under the loading floor for loose items that may soil the carpet.

The rear bench folds 60/40, as is usually the case among todays wagons, but it would have been more accommodating if it could be laid completely flat. Just the same, 50 cubic feet is available once dropped down. With the rear seatbacks upright, a maximum of 15.7 cubic feet of luggage space is available. Either way the X-Type wagon can handle 1,102 pounds of cargo weight.

After a week behind the wheel, my only serious complaint is the uncomfortable front seats. This would be a deal-breaker for me, but should be a relatively easy thing for Jaguar to fix. I probably wouldnt make such a fuss about it unless I hadnt had the same complaint from all those I had sit in it, and being curious I requested the service from everyone I ran into while driving around in the car. The unanimous consensus was that the seats put too much pressure on the upper back and shoulders, and therefore dont offer enough in the lower pack and lumbar. With seats being the most important human/machine interface in any car, I couldnt give the X-Type wagon passing grades as is. One thing to consider, mind you, is that seats can be customized to a persons needs if necessary. Therefore, if you happened to have fallen in love with the cars many likeable attributes but also find the seats uncomfortable, Im sure a fix can be had.

Other than that, and the X-Type Wagons questionable reliability, its a truly functional addition to Jaguars growing model lineup. While its high price may be out of reach for some, those wanting a Jaguar will be prepared to pay for its exclusive prestige.