2004 Jaguar X-Type Phildadelphia

See Our Inventory of the 2004 Jaguar X-Type Philadelphia, PA

Driving Impressions of the 2004 Jaguar X-Type

The X-Type feels equally comfortable on the highway and in fast, sweeping turns. It was supremely stable at 120 mph on Atlanta Motor Speedway's back straight and felt confident turning in for the banked turns at that speed. It was easy to drive flat out through the facility's infield road racing circuit. The well-controlled suspension and the all-wheel drive add to the X-Type's confident feel when driving at the limit. The X-Type offer predictable handling when pushing its tires beyond their limits, something that can happen at much lower speeds when it's slippery. It felt comfortable when braking and turning at the same time, a move that ruffles many cars. The handling is quite neutral, understeering at times, yet willing to rotate according to the skilled driver's wishes in the middle of a turn through use of the throttle.

To further explore the handling, we took the X-Type onto a tight handling course near Atlanta. A corner flooded with water showed off the advantage of the Sport package; the high-performance Pirelli P Zero tires provided better grip in the wet than the standard, narrower Continental ContiSport Contact tires, greatly reducing understeer (the tendency of the car to push out toward the outside of a turn when the front tires lose grip). The Sport package also seemed to offer quicker response, though it wasn't a huge difference. In any case, ride quality doesn't seem to suffer with the Sport package and we liked the way the sports seats kept us in place when whipping through slaloms and chicanes

When it was introduced, the X-Type set new standards for rigidity of structure. A rigid structure translates into a car that can be tuned to ride smoothly and quietly while cornering like a cat. Our experience with the X-Type bears this out. We put the X-Type through its paces on winding rural roads near Dijon, France, and north of Atlanta, Georgia, and around the banked high-speed turns of Atlanta Motor Speedway. In all situations, the X-Type was the epitome of stability and confidence without resulting to a buckboard ride around town.

2004 Jaguar X-Type Overview

For 2004, Jaguar delivers the first significant changes since the X-Type was introduced two years ago. There are new colors and new, larger wheel designs. Inside, the X-Type gets a new wood veneer that Jaguar calls Sapele, and claims it offers the most powerful premium stereo in the class. Option packages have been re-aligned, and perhaps most significantly, the X-Type's price-value equation has been improved.

The X-Type looks unmistakably like a Jaguar, and that's no small design feat given its relatively compact dimensions. Better still, the X-Type smells and feels like a Jaguar, with all the traditional British ingredients that have defined the brand for seven decades. Yet this $30,000 Jag is more than an inexpensive knock-off because it offers something no other Jaguar has: the benefits of full-time all-wheel-drive. That makes the X-Type a good choice for rain, snow and ice, and indeed it feels very secure in those conditions.

The Jaguar X-Type is Coventry's entry-level luxury sedan, designed to compete with the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and, to some extent, the Lexus IS 300 and Acura TL. The performance of the Jaguar compares favorably to these cars, while offering a distinct difference in feel and temperament. The X-Type is elegant, comfortable, and fun to drive.

2004 Jaguar X-Type Lineup

The X-Type 3.0-liter also offers more options than have been traditionally available on a Jaguar. Three packages are popular: Premium, Sport, and Luxury. The Premium package ($875) includes an eight-way power passenger seat and two-way power lumbar support for both front seats, rain-sensing wipers, a trip computer and Homelink-compatible garage door/gate opener.

The X-Type 3.0-liter adds even more standard equipment, some of which was optional last year, including a power tilt-and-slide moonroof, a split folding rear seat, automatic headlamps and a wood-and-leather steering wheel. That glossy Jaguar wood is more lavishly applied inside the 3.0. The five-speed automatic is standard, and the wheels are upgraded from 16-inch to 17-inch alloys.

The Luxury package delivers Jaguar's traditionally high level of luxury, starting with lamb's wool floor rugs, contrasting piping on the seats, burl walnut wood trim and more expansively applied exterior chrome. It includes Reverse Park Aid to warn the driver of hidden obstacles, heated front seats, the Alpine stereo with a six-CD changer (in the trunk), the DSC electronic stability control system, and the contents of the Premium Package. Individually priced options for all X-Type models include the heated seats, Reverse Park Aid, and DSC. The GPS navigation system includes a seven-inch touch-screen that also provides control for the audio and climate systems and allows subscription to the JaguarNet emergency communication and tracking system. Voice activation for audio, climate control and the navigation system is available as a dealer-installed option.

Interior of the 2004 Jaguar X-Type

The design of the X-Type isn't all about style. The trunk is big, something that can't be said for all Jaguars. With 16 cubic feet of cargo space, the X-Type beats the impressive trunk on the Audi A4 (13.4 cubic feet) and the relatively dinky boots in the Mercedes C-Class (12.2) and BMW 3 Series (10.7) sedans. Further, if you pull one or both of the small handles in the X-Type trunk you can easily flip the rear seats forward for carrying longer items. That makes this a practical Jaguar.

All the switchgear operates intuitively. The silky appeal of Jaguars has made them a favorite with women, and the woman buyer figured early in planning the ergonomics of the X-Type. While there is no evident feminization, this thinking is obvious in controls that fall within easy reach and a steering wheel that tilts and telescopes, allowing her to adjust perfectly to the car. Good ergonomics know no gender, however, and the X-Type adjusts to men quite swimmingly. People of all body types will find a comfortable home in the X-Type. There's plenty of headroom unless you're wearing a helmet in a car equipped with the sunroof.

The standard seats are quite good, supportive and comfortable, and they can be adjusted every which way. Aggressive side bolstering is added with the Sport package, which is appropriate for more aggressive driving. Side bolstering requires more effort when getting in and out of the seat, however, so the Sport package is best left for those who love spirited roadwork. We had no trouble flinging the car around with the standard seats.

Summary

Jaguar's X-Type holds its own in the extremely competitive compact luxury car market. It stacks up nicely by virtually any measure, from design to style to space to performance. If it gives up a tick to class leaders in specific areas, it compensates with Jaguar elegance. With standard all-wheel drive and a full palette of standard features, it delivers more for the money than many competitors in objective terms.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com