X factor

I have £10,000 max to spend on a second hand car. I have a new baby and want something that is safe and reliable but not as boring as a Volvo. I was looking at BMW estates but they are too expensive. I tried a Peugeot estate and thought that it was bland. Having read what car I went to try out an X-Type Jaguar (not the estate version) and was very impressed with the interior (the boot was very big) and the drive but having talked to a few friends have been told that Jaguars are notoriously unreliable and cost a fortune to fix. Is this true and if it is can you recommend something else? I don’t necessarily need an estate but do want something with a bit of style and punch.

Asked on 5 September 2009 by

Answered by Honest John

The X-Type is based on the Mondeo III and the X-Type diesel is very
similar underneath. The 2.1 litre V6 petrol engine is unique, however. And the 2.5 and 3.0 litre petrol models have four wheel drive that is not without problems sometimes, though Autocar found a 4WD X-Types that had done 350,000 miles with very little trouble. Production of the X-Type at Halewood is now being run down, leaving Jaguar-LandRover to concentrate on its more successful models.

Tags: buying large family cars used cars

Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:

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