They say X usually marks the spot, however when it comes to Jags, that’s not always the case. Let’s see if today’s X-Type Estate makes its mark.

We don’t have many repeat offenders here on NPOCP, but that’s just what happened yesterday, albeit without intention. The we perused was the same one we looked at more than six years ago. Same car, same seller, and for the most part, the same pictures.

What proved to be different was the price and the result. The 2012 vote resulted in a 64 percent Crack Pipe loss but shaving more than a grand off the top gave the car a solid 60 percent Nice Price win for its current $8,500 asking. Talk about a comeback!

Has-beens are old news, but what about the pioneers, those who have led the way in one fashion or another?

The Jaguar X-Type was just such a car of firsts. It was the first production Jag with a transverse engine, the first to offer all-wheel drive, and the first to be made available with a four cylinder engine in certain markets.

It was also Jaguar’s first stab at a production estate, and that body style would prove to the be the compact model’s most intriguing and desirable edition.

What made this all possible was the Ford Motor Company, then parent of Jaguar Cars and a veritable toy store when it came to parts and platforms from which to pull. The X-Type took much of its underpinnings form the Ford Mondeo. That was a car that in America went as the Contour—remember those? Ford denied us wagon editions of the Mondeo/Contour, but Jag came through with a lovely little longroofian, and that’s just what we have today.

This looks almost brand new. It rocks a mere 17,982 miles on the clock, and a sexy black on beige color combo. The bodywork appears to be in very serviceable shape with no apparent issues other than the squinty little headlights that afflict all X-Types.

The ad notes that it’s not all purrs here, and in fact there does seem to be some curbrash on the factory alloys—a shame—but that’s something that could be fixed without too much trouble. The Leaper on the hood still does stand proud.

The interior is awash with leather and burlwood, and here too things seem to have held up admirably. The car comes with all the modern conveniences, from the expected power accessories to a large screen navigation unit up front and center in the dash. Below that lies Jag’s weird J Gate gear shift. That’s connected to a five-speed automatic, which in turn is bolted to a 3-litre DOHC V6.

The AJ-V6, as Jaguar denoted it, was based on a Mazda unit also used by Ford. In the Jag, as in the Mazda, it gained variable valve timing which gave the mill an edge over the parental edition. Here it makes a reasonable 227 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque.

The selling dealer makes no mention in their ad of any mechanical issues, however this being a Jag, don’t expect Camry-level reliability down the road. It will at least be pretty secure moving down that road as it features standard AWD, based on the Mondeo’s solid package.

Wagons are cars that don’t just carry more of your stuff, they also carry tradeoffs over their sedan sisters. In the case of the X-Type, that means a car that is 150 pounds heavier, but also one that offers a bit more than an inch more rear headroom. It’s also arguably the more handsome of the two,and with its more limited model run (the wagon was introduced half-way through the X-Type’s production run) it’s also much more rare.

The question of the day however, is whether or not this one could be worth its $12,995 asking price. Yes, that’s about a third of. what it went for when new, but then how well has it held up—and in fact how well do Jags overall hold up?

What’s you take on this X-Type and that $12,995 price? Do the ultra low miles and attractive presentation make that a sure bet? Or, is that too much to have this kitty littering your driveway?

You decide!

AutoTrader out of , NC, or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to Mark Luebbe for the hookup!

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