2nd Sep 2002, 17:19

Yes, being based on a Mondeo is no bad thing, it's a very good thing, look at the magazine reviews! The ride quality of the Jag, any Jag in fact, is superior to all, the cornering is better in my opinion too. It may not be as sharp as the BMW, but it's not supposed to be, it's supposed to have a softer feel to it. I personally don't think one could say which car is better, as they're both very good, so it's down to personal preferences.

12th Jan 2003, 06:06

Having owned a new 3.0SE with "all the toys" for some 6 months now, and having previously owned a BMW 5 and a Porsche Boxster, the Jaguar is exactly what you would expect: a wonderful compromise for those wanting a limo, but not yet quite "ready" to hand off the sports feel to the youngsters. The four wheel drive configuration is a boon in bad weather and believe me, the BMW hates snow or ice, the X-type laps it up like cream. It is excellent value for money and who really cares about 10 bhp? At this level you would need an atomic clock to measure the performance difference. Sure the ride isn't as hard as the BMW, but it is no bend slouch either. But, if you do feel the need for a hard ride get the Sport version! The X-type is a reliable (thank you Ford) well specified sport limo - just wonderful thanks.

9th Sep 2003, 08:36

Interesting rivalry at this price point. But.. (hear me out).. if you appreciate the security of 4WD/AWD and really want performance (with reliability to boot), test drive a new Subaru WRX (...hear me out...) They have far more experience with AWD.

Obviously an X-type (or BMW 330 for that matter) are going to be far plusher (these products are pitched at a different market segment after all), but it really is embarrassing to discover how much better a lowly Jap car can be to drive.

9th Apr 2004, 11:51

What an amusing exchange above. While they're "in the same class" As a former BMW 3-series owner, that is the last thing I'd compare to the Jag for various reasons. Starting with the fact that any objective comparison will be unfair to the Bimmer. It's a much harsher more unforgiving car, that doesn't make up for it with performance or handling. I never felt like I was in a "luxury" car when driving it. In fact it's odd the Subaru came up, because I consider it much more a competitor with the BMW than the Jag. The Subaru and the BMW both share a certain hard-edged feel, a lack of creature comfort and a stiffer, bumpier ride. The Jag is much more plush, much more soft riding, much more luxurious feeling overall -- except that it actually handles and performs as well as either of the other 2.

If I were going to put the Jag up against anything where I felt there was a real run for the money it would be a Benz. They have much more the luxury/performance combo than BMW. The ride, like the Jag, is both smoother and softer, but still tight and controlled. In fact, when I bought the Jag, the MBZ and BMW were the main competition and I extensively drove them all. The reason I went with the Jag was 50% subjective (I just like the look and feel better) and 50% objective - the low-end MBZ cars DO NOT maintain that characteristic MBZ ride I mentioned. The baby-jag DOES keep the characteristic Jag smooth-but-responsive driving experience.

25th Mar 2005, 16:30

Ouch... that is a bold and inexperienced comment: "Eats BMW and Mercedes." At first I thought it was sarcasm until I read on. Clearly, you have little knowledge of cars. Please do the world a favour and never compare that sorry excuse of a contraption with any German car. These German cars retain their quality and never fail to impress. Why on earth do you think Jaguar sales are falling (and fast!)?. Perhaps a jag is the only car you have ever driven, in that case I understand. First of all nothing performs like a BMW for that price level (everybody knows that) and German cars actually use quality grade materials in their cars, not parts from a ford factory. Anyways I could go on forever on how foolish it is to buy a jag, but I am sure you will find out soon enough. Good luck.

16th Aug 2006, 04:39

" German cars actually use quality grade materials in their cars, not parts from a ford factory. " Is this why Mercedes Benz admitted that the levels of quality has suffered significantly over the past TEN years - and has promised to bring their quality levels back up? If you need any proof of the quality level of German designed and built cars - have a look at the JD Power survey and moreover the Mercedes M Class.

30th Jun 2007, 22:53

I own a Jaguar xj6 and a BMW 325. I TEST drove a X-type they can't match BMW for quality or safety. BMW will eat up a x-type in performance. And BMW is true luxury and sport. The Jag feels sloppy during spirited driving and the suspision is way to soft. The brakes suck. Overall The BMW Out performs Jaguar in every category. That why BMW is the Ultiment driving machine. The real Jags were stop being made in the early 90's. You got a Luxury Ford with a leaping Jaguar on the hood sorry.

6th Jul 2007, 12:06

What a fiasco! After my last posting about our 2002 x-type transmission failure with only 36k miles, we were advised by the dealer (White-Allan of Dayton) that they don’t have "self authorization" to fix Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) related issues. Why, one may ask? We were advised by the customer service manager of White-Allan that they "do not do enough volume with Jaquar to self authorize out of warranty repairs and White-Allan would have to eat the cost." However, the CSM at White-Allan advised that we should vigorously pursue our claim with Jaguar OEM through their DMM or Regional Manager. She conveyed that it might take a draconian effort to get any satisfaction based on their experience with Jaguar. After nearly 5 calls to Jaguar OEM we have been pointed back to the dealer for remedy. This is a fiasco! We consider ourselves a good customer with White-Allan given the fact that we have bought 2 of our vehicles (Porsche & Jaguar) over the last 5 years. They were helpful in one way: They pointed us right back to the OEM!

UPDATE: Just got a call back from Jag OEM and they state that the issue is clearly a dealer issue. Neither jag nor White-Allan will assume responsibility for this ongoing farce. Why should the burden fall on us because White-Allan doesn’t "do enough volume with Jaquar.

23rd Jun 2015, 21:29

"Please do the world a favour and never compare that sorry excuse of a contraption with any German car"

I suggest you read the VW section of this website and VW forums. I think the press must have been paid to write all of the crap about German car reliability, because it's total rubbish. The cars built around the year 2000 had self destruct gearboxes, the 1.4 8v blows head gaskets, 1.4 16v had several problems in the engine area etc etc, and as for the electrics like central locking components, well... LOL. Paid for reliability ratings, must have been! Look at the ratings for the Passat and Golf for the year 2000 (and other years); more blue and white ratings than yellow. These are real owners reviews, not the crap they print in the motoring press.