Edmunds Review: Jag X Type SportWagon

[BMWDave]

A Sportwagon With a British Accent
By Kelly Toepke
Date posted: 05-16-2005

If Camilla were queen she'd be chauffeured in a top-of-the-line Jaguar XJ. But the nonprincess, despite finally tying the Windsor knot, is more likely to be relegated to an X-Type for her years of scandalous behavior.

Lucky for Ms. Parker-Bowles-Windsor, in an effort to increase sales for its bread-and-butter sub-$40,000 X-Type, Jaguar has added the first-ever wagon to its lineup. With a rear hatch that rises to expose a carpeted cargo bay, the 2005 Jaguar X-Type Sportwagon is probably better suited to Camilla's active, outdoor lifestyle. Maybe yours, too.

Another Pretty Face
With just over 21,500 X-Types sold in 2004, Jaguar hopes to boost that number this year by adding 2,000 Jag Sportwagons to the mix. A base price of $37,590 that includes nearly everything except a navigation system and xenon headlamps should help.

A virtual twin to the sedan from the rear doors forward, the X-Type Sportwagon, especially in premium British green paint, looks every inch a Jaguar. From the traditional Jag "leaper" hood ornament to the bright chrome trim that rounds its rear fenders, there's no disputing that the X-Type wagon sports the same sleek good looks as the rest of the Jaguar litter.

The interior, however, is another matter. During our test-drive, we spent a long weekend visiting several easily impressed relatives. Each time, the reaction was the same: "Wow, you're driving a Jaguar," followed by, "Oh, it's not as fancy inside as I expected." While Jaguar may have built a car suitable for common Camilla, our family expected more from the iconic British brand.

We never got used to the way the quality leather seats contrast starkly with the disappointingly bland center stack. A nav system is optional, but without it, the central control panel looks low-tech and ordinary with its ocean of flat, black control buttons. Luckily, with a simple automatic climate control system and excellent steering wheel-mounted satellite radio controls, it's seldom necessary to venture into that black sea.

Size Matters
Maybe the X-Type Sportwagon doesn't make the grade as a luxury-laden Jaguar, but as a compact wagon it's appropriately sized to hang with its closest German competitors. Although less than 2 inches longer than the X-Type sedan, the Sportwagon offers 24 cubic feet of storage space in its cargo bay, which expands to 50 cubes with the 70/30-split rear seat folded forward.

Comparatively, the BMW 325xi offers a maximum of 47.5 cubes. The Jaguar also has an extra storage compartment nestled between the cargo floor and the underlying spare tire, although the storage tray will probably wear quickly since it's made entirely of Styrofoam.

Front passengers settle comfortably into the roomy space identical to the X-Type sedan, but rear-seat passengers get a bit more headroom thanks to the Sportwagon's slightly higher roof line. Although, getting in and out isn't exactly a snap since the rear doors don't open to optimal width.

Drives Like a Sedan
Jaguar dropped the 2.5-liter engine this year, leaving all X-Types, sedan and wagon alike, to be powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine rated at 227 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque. The V6 can get noisy climbing steeper grades, but it's smooth and offers plenty of power for the royals to outrun the paparazzi.

Weighing nearly 150 pounds more than the sedan, the Sportwagon's shocks and springs were specially tuned for the added weight. Power remains competent despite the weight increase, and handling isn't affected by the additional poundage either.

Drivers would be hard-pressed to know if they were piloting the sedan or wagon without glancing toward the rear hatch. Although Jaguar claims the X-Type Sportwagon can make zero to 60 in just 7.1 seconds, our instrumented testing documented the same run in 8.2 seconds.

With the X-Type's standard all-wheel drivetrain on board, the Sportwagon sliced through the slalom at 61.4 miles per hour, although the new Audi A4 Avant quattro we recently tested snaked the cones 2 seconds quicker. Steering is excellent in terms of ratio and weighting, and despite some body roll, the car's behavior is predictable at the limit.

Although it's not a concern during normal driving conditions, braking was the Jag's weakest link. It has a slightly squishy pedal and stops from 60 mph in an unspectacular 131 feet. The brakes of an Audi A4 Avant aren't much better, however. It needs 129 feet, but its pedal is noticeably firmer. On the upside, the Jag's brakes showed no fade as they heated up.

Meets the Wagon Standard
In the end, the 2005 Jaguar X-Type Sportwagon measures up to its wagon competition. Its class-leading cargo bay gets it the nod for capability, plus its adequate power, all-wheel drive and standard side curtain airbags make the performance and safety grade as well.

The rest comes down to personal preference. If you've always lusted after the look of a Jaguar, but need more space, this could be the wagon for you, even if you don't hold the key to Windsor Castle.