Faults:

Windscreen wiper rubber blade came off.

Internal water pipe in engine cracked. Had to be towed home as the engine overheated.

Battery went.

Radiator starting to leak.

Air conditioning leak.

General Comments:

We looked for a car to give to our Dad, as an 80th birthday present. We wanted to give him a "British" car, with a bit of luxury, that wouldn't cost the earth to buy and run. Also one that wasn't too big, was easy to drive and didn't have endless electronics and complicated touchscreens to operate. We looked at the S Type, but that front looked somehow "fake" to us. The XJs were too big.

We settled on a 2006 X-Type, 2.1 front wheel drive V6 petrol. It's a "baby Jag". Shorter than an XJ, but with similar looks to the "classic Jags". He loves it, the car looks great in a grey/blue colour, just the right amount of chrome trim, he likes how the headlights blend into the body with those grooved mouldings that go right along the bonnet. Everyone who looks and goes in the car loves it, it looks a million dollars but wasn't particularly expensive to buy. It has a 50s "retro" look reminiscent of all that was good about British cars and airliners of the time.

We did a lot of research about the car before we bought it. We had it checked by a Jag specialist, and they said it was a good one. The car has obviously been garaged, and well looked after as it was near mint. The early ones (2001-2004) are not as well made and give problems, but in 2004 they replaced a lot of the components that were giving trouble. The 2.5 litres and 3 litres only come in AWD; we thought it an unnecessary complication maintenance wise as we didn't need that feature or power, so we settled on a 2006 2.1 front wheel drive V6. I think we made the right choice.

The car is very comfortable and smooth on long journeys, the suspension is smooth, yet the car corners with very little body roll, and the steering is very precise. The heated leather seats are very comfortable, and give great support. The dash has just the amount of wood to look classic without being too old fashioned. The dials are very easy to read and look "classic". The aircon and heater works really well. The V6 engine is so smooth and powerful, and has a nice Jaguar "growl" to it. Quite nippy, but being 2.1 it isn't over thirsty. It does struggle a bit on twisty hills with a full load, but you can go into sport mode which gives a little more power. If you regularly need power, go for the 3 litre. But for most times the 2.1 does just fine.

He uses this as a "second car", so whenever he uses it it's garaged and clean and ready to go. It's a real treat to go into it; it's not just about getting from A to B each time you go in it, it's an occasion. Visibility is great in the car.

As to the negatives, well there aren't any major ones that we've come across. There are the "X-Type haters" that call it a poor man's Jag. I think these people have never actually driven in an X-Type and either are happy to follow the crowd buying Audis or BMWs, or are just Corolla drivers who are afraid to try something different. Then there's the "Ford Mondeo in drag" critics. However, far from this being a negative, we saw this as a huge positive; the Mondeo is an excellent car with class leading handling; Ford made Jag get their quality control into shape. So we see the Ford/Jag cross over as good blend of Ford reliability and Jag design. They also made the aluminium XJ which is arguably the most durable and reliable of the classic saloon Jags ever made.

We have not had any major problems with the car in the two years we've owned it.

The only "major" problem was a cracked water pipe in the engine, which made the car over-heat. The fix was cheap. They also found the radiator starting to leak, and the air conditioning unit leaking. However, these are typical of a car of this age, so we are not too concerned about it.

As for advice on getting a good one - try to get a garaged one as they can rust, and the interiors can fade with sun damage - get a post 2004 one - get it checked by a Jag specialist or garage - make sure you service it by the book - check the oil and watch for leaks regularly. Get onto problems early before they can cause further problems.

Faults:

Incredibly reliable car. Probably most reliable I've owned.

Have an oil leak that I have been too cheap to fix, because it's small.

Had two accidents with it, yet the car is still tight and fast.

General Comments:

Feels very fast.

Handles well.

Fold down seats in back are great for skiis.

I've beaten on it, and it still runs incredibly well.

Seats are too firm for some people.

Not as high end on the inside as an XJ or XK.

However, it's an incredible used car value.