Jaguar X-Type: Great expectations.(Brief Article)

That best describes our state of mind when we put in the order for a long-term X-Type Jaguar. Why not? In an ever-growing world of trucks and sport/utility vehicles, this newest baby Jag offered a four-wheel-drive sedan for a fleet besieged by Midwestern winter months. Add to that its place within a burgeoning entry-luxury market segment, and it begs prolonged scrutiny. Besides, who among us would not choose to drive a Jag-u-ar for a year?

Our base cat comes in with an MSRP (which includes a $645 shipping and handling charge) of $36,595, but we put enough goodies on our car to move it to $41,845. We chose the 3.0-liter 24-valve V6 that puts out 231 horsepower at 6800 rpm, because more power is better than less. The engine also packs 209 lb-ft of torque at 3000 rpm; not neck-snapping, but sufficient.

For the entry price of $36,000, a buyer gets more than a stripper: four-wheel drive with four-wheel disc brakes and ABS; variable, speed-sensitive steering; airbags and air curtains; power door locks; child-seat safety belt lock; something called an anti-theft engine immobilizer; eight-way power leather-trimmed driver's seat and bird's-eye maple wood trim. Naturally, even more goodies are standard, and those you can find listed on the Monroney.

The emerald metallic paint ($550) is the closest to British Racing Green that the company offers, and has a delightful habit of changing from green to blue to black depending on ambient light. (To our way of thinking, every Brit car should come in standard BRG and biscuit tailoring.) We added an optional navigation system for $2,200, a ...