A JAGUAR has long been on the car wishlist for many of us when that ever elusive win comes up on the lottery.

I will certainly get myself one of the seductively beautiful F-Type convertibles if the chance ever arises.

But as a good friend of mine has discovered, Jag ownership does come a great deal cheaper these days.

He always wanted one and a couple of years ago, bought an X-Type saloon with full service history very cheaply from a company sale. He's been delighted with it ever since.

Never buy a car without service history - especially an originally expensive one like this. If it goes wrong, the repairs could cost more than it's worth.

The X-Type was Jaguar's answer to smaller executive saloons like the BMW 3-Series and the Audi A4 between 2001and 2010, and it came with a quality image, luxurious interior and the traditional styling so many people love.

There are 2.1, 2.5 and 3.0-litre six cylinder petrol engines, with 157, 192 and 231bhp respectively, and the two more powerful models have four wheel drive to help get the power down onto the tarmac.

They are all beautifully smooth and quiet, but of course, economy is never going to be a strong point, with the 2.1 managing a best of 30mpg.

There are also two diesels - a 2.0-litre with 128bhp and a 2.2 with 152. These will do much better economy of course, managing around 50mpg, and like the 2.1 V6, drive through the front wheels.

The 2.1 V6 was dropped in 2005, leaving the 2.5 and the 3.0-litre as the best performers. They will cover the zero to 62 miles an hour sprint in 8.2 and 6.9 seconds respectively and their general performance is excellent.

The 2.0-litre diesel covers the sprint in about 9.8 seconds while the 2.2 covers it in 8.8 seconds.

As I've said, the petrols are beautifully smooth and refined, but the diesels are also very good and the 2.2 gives the best overall combination of performance and economy.

The petrol models, and from 2008 the 2.2 diesel, were offered with a six-speed automatic gearbox which suits the car well and is very smooth.

The Jaguar name has long been synonymous with comfort and agility and the X-Type fulfils this reputation beautifully.

The body control through hard corners is excellent and the steering is informative and direct - right up with the best of the period.

Some people might prefer the more modern black and grey interiors of BMWs and Audis but give me the wood and leather of the upper X-Type models any day.

There's a sense of occasion getting into such a car that the Germans have never been able to match.

Later in the run more modern finishes were introduced, using carbon fibre and Alcantara for the seats and interior trim.

After early 2008, the interior was up-dated with revised, more comfortable seats and more choice of trims.

Upper models could have rosewood or a piano black finish and the beautiful leather seats were worthy of much more expensive cars.

Specifications available at the end of the models life were S, SE, Sport Premium and Sovereign but there were numerous others earlier including special editions.

Suffice it to say that even basic trim comes with most things owners would love to have and upper grade models only add to that.

Pay around £3,100 for an '09 09-reg 2.0d SE, or £4,600 for a '10 10-reg 2.2d Sovereign automatic.