Hey, does anyone know how reliable/good the 04-06 Jaguar S-types are?

I was just browsing around for old cars, and a local Jaguar dealership is selling a 04 Jaguar S-Type 3.0 with 60k miles for $16,900. I think that's steep, especially for a 3.0 (I should be able to knock it down to at least $15k). I'm not really that interested to buy it, but I was just gonna go for a quick test drive tomorrow evening--on a whim basically.

Is it worth my time? I'm currently driving a 2007 I4 Fusion

Here's some pics:

 

I have a 2005 3.0 and it has been fairly reliable overall. Like a lot of S-Types it has had issues with the A/C which were all fixed under warranty. By 2004, the S-Types were fairly well developed and reliable. The particular car you are looking at is seriously overpriced IMHO. I would offer the dealer about $11K and be willing to walk if they don't bite on the offer.

 

Yeah, I agree that $17 is ridiculous...

I can find a S-Type R for less than that (Too bad, there are none in my vicinity)..

 

Good advice from Mike - he's right on the money from a value standpoint....

One of the favorable aspects of these cars is that their typical issues and failures are well-documented here on this site (IMT O-rings, DCCV valves, rear suspension rubber boots and caps, crappy lug nuts, etc.). If you're a do-it-yourselfer, these cars can be a great bang-for-the-buck highway cruiser and don't be astonished when you see that you're getting 33 mpg on the highway. Since the S-Type is the twin brother of the Lincoln LS, a number of parts can be sourced from Ford for half the cost in most cases. If you must rely on dealerships or even independents for most or all of your service, the cost of ownership jumps exponentially. My advice on the S-Type is always if you can't DIY for most issues, you probably won't be happy with what you'll have to pay to keep it in good shape (especially with the STR)....

 

Well, I'm not traditionally a DIY, but I'm always eager to learn.

The most I've ever done was replace a taillight bulb. I've put on some taillight tints and some lip spoilers, but that's it. Hopefully with the help of this forum, if I bite the bullet, I might be able to deal with it.

I'm not necessarily looking to buy--I'm just a curious cat this week.

So, let's say I can haggle the price down to $12,500. I make $21/hr. If I get a co-signer (I think he makes $35k/yr), how much should I expect on a down payment if I don't trade-in? What should I expect for insurance?

 

I have no idea about down payments or interest rates since I always negotiate the best possible deal and then pay cash with all of our vehicles. Insurance rates are all over the map based upon where you live, your driving record, your age, your financial situation, and how long you've been with your agent or company. Our S-Type is fully insured through State Farm and costs us a little over $400 per year to do so, but our driving records are flawless and we've been with State Farm for more than 19 years. They cover all of our vehicles as well as our home. That makes a huge difference and saves us a ton of money across the entire insurance spectrum....

 

SimpsonTide985,

I'm only guessing but it seems like you are in your early 20's based on the need for a co-signer. If that is the case, then I would think the loan company would want something on the order of 20%. I would plan on spending about $200 per month on car insurance for starters. If you are 25 or over, this will go down. I would get with your current insurance company to get an estimate.

Mike

 

I turn 25 in a couple of months.

 

Ok, we all agree that $16,995 for this car is overpriced. If I became interested, I would start at $11,000 with negotiations.

I don't do this kind of thing everyday, and I'm no Jaguar expert by any means (obviously). Can you guys give me any negotiation tips on this particular car to get the best deal?

 

SimpsonTide985,

1. Look at a variety of cars in your area to get an idea of what the going rate is for the S-Types. A cursory look in autotrader.com indicated about $9,000 to $16,000. $11,000 is what I would start out with.

2. Do some research using on-line loan calculators to figure out what payments you would be looking at by plugging in various interest rates and loan durations. Recommend starting with about 10% interest and looking at 4 and 5 year durations and go from there.

3. Check with your bank to see what financing you can arrange in order to compare it with what the dealer is offering.

4. Bring required documentation with you (pay stubs, etc)

5. Negotiate the price first. Once that has been agreed to, negotiate the financing. Most likely the dealer's first offer will be quite high, so reject it out of hand. Stay pretty close to your opening offer.

6. Be prepared to walk.

7. Ask your parents, if living, for advice. Most likely they went through this little joyful exercise a number of times.

 

I bought 2004 last month having 41.5K miles in a very good overall condition for 13K + 2K for 3 Year Extended Warrenty (B2B).

Almost 16K with registration, dealer fee, service etc.

Jaguar Dealers are so expensive as some other said 60K miles 2004 S-Type should not be more than 12K $ in nice and clean condition.

My Suggestion: Do some Market Research before buying. (Dealers are over priced)

Hope it helps.

 

I liked the test drive a lot.

I didn't drive the car that long as I had to meet up with a friend later that day. If I was interested, I told them I would probably call to make an offer or spend some more time with the car next week.

I noticed that the dealer offered no warranty on the car and was trying to sell it AS-IS. Now, can a warranty be negotiated with and be established in the price?

I was gonna offer $12,750 + 3 year warranty, 60 months w/ $1750 down payment + trade-in (net value est. $3000).

 

I almost want to wait a few months and see if a Black 4.2 pops up in my neighborhood. It's my favorite color on the S-Type and I've seen some 4.2's around at good prices, but they're hundreds a miles away. There's a Black S-Type 4.2 near Chicago at $15k.

Some pics at the dealer:

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6431/dscn1001.jpg
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/9214/dscn1002m.jpg
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5261/downsizeq.jpg
http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/7075/dscn0998w.jpg
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/9254/dscn0999.jpg

 

I noticed that the TMV for a 04 Jaguar ST 3L is $10k and a 05 ST 3L is $13k..

What changes, if any, were made to the 05 model from the 04?

 

That's been answered before, extensively, and quite recently so just read back the forum's previous threads or Search

 

Body changes only. New nose (but looks the same) and new rear (looks quite different).

 

Yes, wait for a 4.2.

 

If you're not in a hurry I would concur with Jeff's advice. However, there are about 3 or 4 times as many 3.0 V6s available than the 4.2 V8s. The V8s generally were a bit better equipped as well so their prices will be slightly higher (1K to 2K) depending on your market.

 

Yeah--The 4.2's are rare in these parts, but as I said, there seems to be quite a few in Ohio and Illinois (I live in SE Michigan), like 1-3 hours away. Ironically, it looks like so many of you have the 3.0


I was wondering, is it common or acceptable to negotiate for accessories and options in the dealer price? Like, if I wanted to offer $12,000 and they wanted $13,000, could I tell them that I would want a set of winter tires, wheel locks, and a 35% tint job included with the deal?

 

Hey, I keep hearing bad things about the navigation system in the S-Type. What's so bad about it? What makes it so cumbersome?