A cat with bigger claws.

I recently replaced my 03 2.5 liter X Type with an 06 3.0 Liter one. With 229 HP on tap, the new cat is capable of 0 - 60 in just over 7 seconds, and, will easily reach its governed top speed of 121. Using only premium gas, my fuel economy on trips has been averaging 26 MPG so far.

Overview of the car: The car, in a light metallic blue, has stone colored leather seating, and the wood trim inside. Its equipped with the sunroof, fold down rear seats, and has the heated front seats. The car rides on 17" alloy wheels with low profile tires. Overall the cars appearance is very elegant and sporty - much more so than my more basic 03 model.

Interior: The seating for the driver and front seat passenger is great on long trips. This is one of the few cars I can drive for hours without suffering discomfort. The dash layout remains much the same as my older model. The instrumentation and layout are easy on the eyes. Fit, finish, and materials inside seem to be on a par with others in this class of cars. However, the Jag does have a tad more room up front than others. The rear seating is just as plush and comfortable. The driver's seat is an 8 way power unit. Strangely, the passenger seat is only powered up and down - the other adjustments are manual. Some of the controls are mounted on the steering wheel. For 06 Jag has switched to roller switches for the cruise control and audio stuff. It took me a while to decipher the cruise control operation.

Exterior: These cars have superb paint jobs - its flawless and best in class quality. Fit and finish are as expected for a luxury car. In addition, this car actually has a huge trunk. At 16 cubic feet, its much larger than the competition's. The body structure on this car is extremely rigid and tight. The car feels like it's built like a tank.

Driving and handling: With the low profile wide tires, the handling is very good. The car sticks to the road like glue on back county roads The increase in horsepower and torque of the larger engine makes the driving the cat much more enjoyable. The car cruises effortlessly on the interstate, and, doesn't have to downshift frequently on hills like the smaller engined 03 I had. I find its performance quite adequate for my tastes. The car feels like a stronger performer that the late 60's muscle car I once owned. I have yet to explore the upper reaches of this car's performance because it reaches extra legal speeds so fast. It takes very little enthusiasm with the throttle to hit triple digit speeds. The all wheel drive system's operation is not noticeable - the car drives like a rear drive until the weather turns foul. The X handles rain and snow with no drama at all - better than any car I've ever driven. The 5 speed automatic operates smoothly, and, it quickly learns your driving style. There's also an "S" button just ahead of the shifter. Punch it for more spirited acceleration - it'll let the engine spool up more before up-shifts occur.

Braking: Jag has changed the brake pads from those used on the 03 model. The brake pedal feel is very firm, and, the braking performance is excellent. In addition, the new pad material doesn't cover the alloy wheels with black dust like the older model's did. I did have several instances with the 03 when I managed to fade the brakes, and, was glad to see Jag improved them.

Overall: Since its inception, Jag has continued to make incremental improvements to this model. Based on my experience with the 03 I had, and, the excellent local dealer, I decided to buy another one. I've equipped the car with Jag's Extra Mile warranty as well. She'll be under warranty for 7 years - 100K miles, because this car's a keeper. With Jag's new pricing and the incentive's the dealers offer, the X-Type offers an hard-to- beat value.

Update: I've had the car a little over a year now. The only warranty issue I've had is minor - the hood pad is sagging a bit, and, the dealer is going to install an improved version for me. I continue to be impressed by the overall performance and quality of this car. Long trip fuel economy has improved to 27MPG - exceeding the car's official EPA rating. With 18K miles on the car, it remains a joy to drive.