Hi there,

Had my 3.0 X-Type automatic for a month and, for the most part, I'm
very satisfied.  Love the looks inside and out, first and foremost.
The performance isn't too bad either.  A few questions though:

* I'm noticing a squeaky sound coming from underneath when driving on
uneven pavement (live in the Motor City, a.k.a. Pothole City, of all
places - plenty of "uneven" pavement here).  Sounds to me like the
springs are squeaking - is this common with X-Types?

* Transmission seems to shift a bit harshly, especially on a downshift
when coasting to a stop.  Sometimes when it shifts from 3-rd to 2-nd,
a sudden jerk accompanies the shift.  This has me sort of worried,
although not enough to complain to the dealer.  When I'm slowing down
with brakes applied, this doesn't happen.

* The manual mentions in no uncertain terms that only premium gas will
do.  I'm wondering - doesn't this car have an octane sensor like most
(all?) cars out there?  I tried 93 and 89 so far - runs fine on 89 but
with a noticeable difference in performance.  I'm wondering if it's
healthy to run this car on 89 long term?

Thanks in advance.