The overwhelming favorite of our M5/550 gang is the pre-LCI variant – 63% voted to keep that one on the island, with the other cars both getting just 18%. A car like the 5 Series needs to introduction or reminder – it is universally loved. But not every brand is so lucky – like Jaguar. Do you remember the Jaguar XF Sportbrake? No?
Just for fun, let’s bring along another Jag that you probably do remember, but wish you didn’t.
The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake First Edition vs the 2003 Jaguar X-Type 3.0 AWD Sedan
Being an automotive journalist means I possess an encyclopedic knowledge of cars. There are vehicles inside my grey matter that others have forgotten to forget, so obscure they are.
All this means that when I do find a surprise in the wild, a car I’ve long forgotten, I get excited. Nope, not a random Lambo or Ferrari – I’m talking about things that should have been mainstream but never caught on. No one is better at this than one of my favorite brands: Jaguar.
And my example? The Jaguar XF Sportbrake.
Wait, they brought the wagon over here?
They did. You may barely remember the sedan. It was a big deal when launched – meant to compete with the BMW 3 Series. Like all other Jags, it was left to languish on the vine – in fact it’s still listed on Jag’s website as if you could just waltz down to the dealer and buy a new one. Sins include Jag never installing a supercharged V-8, which might have put this wagon in the Hall of Fame instead of the Land of Misfit Toys.
The real issue isn’t the XF though, which is a handsome and modern design. The crux is a Jaguar sedan from 20 years earlier; the Ford-based X-Type. In order to give this thing a chance, I found one with a manual and painted British Racing Green.
It’s a slim chance.
The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake First Edition
I was surprised to see how much this car still went for, though it is the best example they made.
- 33,600 miles
- Farallon Black over Pimento Red/Ebony leather
- A 3-liter supercharged V-6 was the top-dog engine, good for 380 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque
- All-wheel drive and an eight-speed ZF transmission
- Clean CarFax, one-owner car
- No mods
- Rear air suspension, Meridian sound system, heated and cooled front seats – it’s well-equipped
- Sold for $35,250
This being a 2018, it does not have the updated facelift or very nice digital dash that later models received. As a daily it might break, and boy do I wish they shoved in that supercharged V-8 from the F-TYPE and F-PACE, but with nearly 400 horsepower as it sits and that prexy (practical and sexy!) shape, I must admit to being intrigued.
Jaguar XF Sportbrake values are pretty consistent. Here’s one for $27,750 (with roof rack!), and another for $32,000. They don’t come up very often because of the rarity. I suppose you could take a peak at a local dealer’s inventory, you never know. But safe to assume they are all gone by now.
Arrite – let’s take our medicine.
The 2003 Jaguar X-Type 3.0 AWD Sedan
Baby XJ? Yea, right. So many things were done on the cheap here just to shoehorn the Jaguar badge onto something, anything, for Ford to recoup their expense of purchasing the brand. The X-Type is the result.
Front-wheel drive-based because it was built on the same platform as a Ford Contour and offered with an uninspiring list of powertrains, the X-Type’s big claim to fame was being such a sales failure that Ford unloaded the brand to Tata motors. But I will also put this here:
With regards to the sharing of the Ford Mondeo platform, Jeremy Clarkson states that this should not put you off; “genetically, you are 98% identical to a Halibut – it’s the 2% that makes the difference”.
So there’s Clarkson’s opinion for you. Anyway:
- 123,100 miles
- British Racing Green over Sand leather
- Five-speed manual with all-wheel drive
- The juice is from a 3.0-liter V-6, rated at 227 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque
- Clean CarFax
- They did make a wagon! Good luck finding one.
- Minor mods like Infinity door speakers and K&N filter
- Sold for $3,600
Despite the mileage, this car looks like it’s in great shape. Though this is the cheapest example yet, I’d call most reasonably priced. You could pretty much buy three of these for one XF. Once you leave the auction sites, they are plentiful – Jag did manage to sell over 300,000 worldwide.
So, will it be classic Jag looks, or a wagon that’s forgotten?
