If you haven't driven the XT don't write it off just yet. It's a world of a difference from the regular 2.5i models.
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We almost ordered an XT without test driving because they were rare when the 16s stopped being made
Luckily we found one to test drive and it was quite different than the non-xt models. It wasn't enough to turn us away from it, but the ride is a lot stiffer