By the way, Jaguar offers a slightly less powerful 2.5-liter V6 in the X-Type wagon as well. It produces 192 horsepower
 |
| Jaguar's traditional J-gate shifter is outclassed by just about everything else currently in its field. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
and 180 lb-ft of torque, which should be ample for most drivers. A 5-speed manual is also offered as a base transmission, which makes it more fun to drive than the optional 5-speed automatic. A 5-speed manual is also offered as a no-cost option in 3.0-liter equipped cars that come standard with a 5-speed auto, but it should be said that Audi and BMW offer 6-speed manuals, even in base form. I can't say I appreciated Jaguar's traditional J-gate shift lever in the 5-speed automatic equipped 3.0-liter test car, however, at least when compared to the up and down sequential shifter Mazda offers in its 5-speed autobox. I've owned a 1990 Jaguar XJ Sovereign, and therefore loved this shifter when no rival offered anything nearly as advanced, but I have to admit to it being outclassed by just about everything else currently in its field. It would be great if Jag could come up with a way to keep tradition intact, while
 |
| Jaguar is up against some extremely strong competitors in the sport wagon arena. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
taking advantage of Ford's resource of sequentially actuated automatic gearboxes. Nevertheless the transmission shifts smoothly up through the gears and downshifts within an adequate speed, but fortunately without the jerkiness that can often be associated with sport-oriented cars. On that note Jaguar is up against some extremely strong competitors in the sport wagon arena. Audi has done quite well with its A4 Avant, while BMW's 3-Series wagon comes across as the perceived quality leader. Lexus, with its IS300 SportCross, probably beats all rivals when it comes to dependability, as the brand regularly is on the top of just about every third party quality survey including the aforementioned J.D. Power VDS.
