X-Type Review: OK; so it`s a Ford ... Wow!

Sorry to annoy all the `Jag-you-are` purists who are horrified by this thing, but I just picked up the wife`s `02 3.0 Sport X-Type in TX on Saturday and I am as delighted as she is with it. IOW, it`s going to be damned tough to pry it out of her hands. (I gotta get *me* one!)
I first had the fun of poking my way through the in-dash nav system when I hadn`t paid much attention to my luncheon friend`s directions on how to get from Houston to College Station without a map. Then, it got me to Greenville, TX, Grove, OK, and home without much fuss or any paper maps. I am *so* impressed with this technology, but that`s not exactly the thrill of this car. I mean, you can stick a nav system into an Escalade and it`s still nothing but your living room on (big) wheels.
To the frustration of the `nice lady in the dashboard` (who kindly kept thinking up ways to get me back to I-44: "Proceed 1/2 mile and make a legal U-turn." "Proceed 3 miles and turn left.", etc.), I set out across Oklahoma and Missouri in search of some actual hills and curves (in short supply around here except the Kettle Moraine to our south - however, there`s no reason to actually go there but for Road America) like those of my native southeast Ohio. I found `em!
A subtly-named `Oklahoma Route 10` (I`d give it an `11`!) wound along a river valley with overhanging cliffs and trees I could make out even at 8:00 in the evening. What a riot! One of the locals briefly passed me in a reasonably well-driven Saturn, but I retook the lead when I discovered he didn`t really know how fast he could turn. He obviously knew the road well, as he turned into a side street in the next little village, but I had much better equipment and skills available. The next day, there was the Ozarks ahead. The X-Type - at least this 3.0 Sport - simply is amazing. It *sticks* and, although I felt a bit of traction control throttling back when there was a little light gravel or rough surface on the inside of some tight turns, it won`t intrude on `7/10ths` driving (I was closer to `9/10ths` during the day). I haven`t had the chance to try it in marginal traction conditions yet, but I`ll share when I have.
There are a lot of little touches like the `wood block` turn signal ticker, the *damped* ashtray cover and grab handles above the doors, the "Boot Lid Open" message light for the *trunk*, `The Leaper` logo on the touch screen at startup, and the "whilst" used in the nav system warning screen that make this more of a `Jaguar Experience`. Compared to all the current Japanese-Teutonic `aero-style` designs, this one has *looks*, including those four round headlights and a straight-up `Cd-be-damned` grille, not to mention the subtly-curved rear `haunches` that all say `Jaguar` to anyone familiar with the older saloons` designs. Folks, if this is `just another Ford built by the English`, IMO, it is the *best-disguised* Ford since they got their hands on something called the GT-40.

Congrats! That`s what driving a Jaguar is all about! I have a 66 mk 10 and a 95 XJR and I love them both for different reasons. I`ve never driven the X-type, but I don`t have too many issues with it. It should get a supercharger and it doesn`t kill the BMW`s like it should. Sitting still it looks great but on the road it somehow seems too high and a little too narrow. Not always so maybe it depends what colour. And I don`t like the chrome bit on the back bumper on dard coloured cars. It`s an obvious blast to drive so Jaguar it is! I`m a bit dubious about a 2litre FWD version however. Let Toyota build Corolla`s.

Have fun

(was?) a BMW, so your comment makes for a good joke!

anything like the Mondeo (and the *do* share suspension components), I would be very happy - the Mondeo has great handling, FWD or no FWD.

I didn`t know a 2.0 liter FWD version was being considered. That would certainly be a BABY JAG. In my 2003 Jaguar book, the X-type is described an an all-wheel drive Jaguar with 60% of the thrust coming from the rear and 40% coming from the front. According to the catalog, this ratio provides the performance advantages of an all-wheel drive feel without the oversteer of a strictly rear-wheel drive vehicle. I agree, leave the 2.0 liter FWD version to Toyota. They can even slap a Lexus name plate on it if they want! )
Robert H. Traphan C.I.O., The Link, L.L.C.

I didn`t know a 2.0 liter FWD version was being considered. That would certainly be a BABY JAG. In my 2003 Jaguar book, the X-type is described an an all-wheel drive Jaguar with 60% of the thrust coming from the rear and 40% coming from the front. According to the catalog, this ratio provides the performance advantages of an all-wheel drive feel without the oversteer of a strictly rear-wheel drive vehicle. I agree, leave the 2.0 liter FWD version to Toyota. They can even slap a Lexus name plate on it if they want! )
Robert H. Traphan C.I.O., The Link, L.L.C.

I didn`t know a 2.0 liter FWD version was being considered. That would certainly be a BABY JAG. In my 2003 Jaguar book, the X-type is described an an all-wheel drive Jaguar with 60% of the thrust coming from the rear and 40% coming from the front. According to the catalog, this ratio provides the performance advantages of an all-wheel drive feel without the oversteer of a strictly rear-wheel drive vehicle. I agree, leave the 2.0 liter FWD version to Toyota. They can even slap a Lexus name plate on it if they want! )
Robert H. Traphan C.I.O., The Link, L.L.C.

I won`t touch any Jaguars with 3-foot rod until Ford stops being so cheapstake with seat tracks. The Ford vehicles have "requistive" six-inch of seat travel. I don`t even fit in any of Ford vehicles, including Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Mazda with rare exception of Volvo.
The idiotic Ford sales consultant even had a gall to mention the short seat track is due to federal law. I asked him which Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards dictates that one. He shrugged so I told him off I would not buy anything from him.

5`6". So is my wife. My daughter is 6. We all fit just fine. Being short *does* have some advantages, including fitting into just about any car in the world. ;^) OK.

535is - and the 5er doesn`t have that nice lady in the dash. Most 3 and 5 Series will succumb easily to the 3.0 Sport.

Makes life so much easier and more fun.
Btw, I test drove a Mini Cooper S yesterday. Fun little critter, but the lack of torque takes getting used to. May become my city hopper though...

Mondeo-like rear-end. So, are you going to take the X-type to Road America sometime?

Dear Mr. Huebner,
About that neat little Cooper-mini.
Just give it some time, the wise B.M.W. people are holding back before investing more into this marque. In short order I believe that they will do what Peugeot is good at - turning mild little cars into beasts. I also have to mention the Renault Clio, an example of what could happen to the mini the Clio is.

a glove. And trust me, i don`t fit in most cars (F-Bodies come to mind. I love the new Jags. They are stylish(XKR, S-Type), fast (XKR, S-Type R) and roomy (S-type)
No i havent mentions the X-Types and the xj`s. Thats becuase they really don`t light my fire. The XJ is a little stodgy looking for my tastes, and the X-type looks like a baby version of it.
To each thier own, i just happem to disagree with you...

the Mini. I still remember seeing an interview with a Mini driver sometimes in the 80s who said his (pushrod) inline 4 got peak power (!) at 9200rpm...
Anyway, I was surprised and I have to commend BMW - the salesman was friendly and decidedly non-pushy. They seem to be doing something right.

Dear Mr. Huebner,
Here is a bit of knowledge I would like to share:
Just outside of a sleepy little town called Emmett (IDAHO) there is a race held on a nasty old road called freeze-out road. The type of competition is time trials. You`ll find high-powered cars of all sizes and marques in this competition and some look like some serious racecars. The car that typically wins this competition is none other than the mini!
I have been in some power-tuned old minis, and I absolutely respect these cars.

`bobbleheads` up there and forget about the mirror window tint.

and hat 100hp. No wonder it moves like a raped ape.