Jaguar X-Type Estate: month 3

Arrived: June 2008
List price (including options): £23,900
Average economy: 34.9mpg

The Jaguar X-Type Estate has been -

Faultless - almost a victim of its quiet efficiency; it's taken entirely for granted as it continues to accrue the mileage thanks to the comfort, practicality and versatility on offer. The X-Type is the household default for virtually every task bar the indulgence of a highly spirited drive - a request just beyond its remit.

We're loving the -

X-Type's underpinnings. It's amazing how many people look down their nose at it on the grounds that "it's just a Mondeo" underneath - as if, even if it were entirely true, that's a bad thing. I find that incredible, given the tens of thousands of words scribed in tribute to the Mondeo's excellence - its only real shortcoming being brand image. The X-Type obviously addresses this and yet some don't see it that way. This, perhaps more than anything else, explains the challenges faced by Jaguar when it comes to marketing and selling the X-Type.

But not so impressed by -

Recent B-road excursions have shown a shortcoming in the X-Type's ultimate dynamic ability due to the comfort-biased set-up. It steers accurately enough and grip is plentiful, as is composure, but the softer set-up undermines the enjoyment in comparison to something like a BMW 3 Series, as does the overly pensive automatic transmission.

The darkening nights and weather have led to regular top ups of windscreen wash - a requirement that has revealed quite possibly the flimsiest front grille assembly I've ever encountered with several inches worth of flex fore and aft - it would be out of place on a car costing a third of the price.

We're looking forward to -

That warm glow one feels climbing into the snug interior after a long day's work in the office, or indeed, on these colder mornings, the welcoming warmth of a heated seat for the commute in. The morning frosts have also capably demonstrated the merits of the heated front screen, supported ably by the rear and side heating elements, which defrost the car in under a minute - though the distracting windscreen elements could be argued to be an excessive compromise.

Dave Jenkins