I have been to a couple of car shows in the Houston and Dallas areas, as I am now living there. In the clubs, I noticed that the S-type is under represented and seemingly under appreciated. What do you think is the reason?

The S-type is every bit as much of a Jaguar as any other including the XK and the X300 XJ. What do you think?

 

I completely disagree...The Xs and Ss are pretty much the red headed step childs of the Jag community...An analogy is we're the Porsche Boxters of the Porsche community...

Most of us X/S owners are first time Jag owners attracted to the deal; $60K STRs can be had $10K-$15K...Most of us are one and dones, graduating to a german maker for our next cars...Clearly this is just my opinion but realize, I'm one of the few who's owned two S-Types...If I ever buy another Jag, it will only be one with the select edition warranty...

 

You're doin' it wrong, Bacardi. If you're gonna have two S-Types, you should have them at the same time and stick to a common powerplant.....makes the troubleshooting much cheaper!

Florida, there may be a key in the owner demographics. You said "under represented" but then gave a statement indicating the S-Type had been slammed. If just under rep'd, perhaps S types ARE largely first-timers and bought primarily for transportation and the owners are/have not identified with the marque to the extent they participate in car shows? Also, many may have kiddos that have myriad activities during week/weekends? On the other hand, XJ/XK owners potentially older and the Jag more likely to be their "hobby" rather than sole means of transport? Just some thoughts. No supporting data.

If, you saw S-type derision, all I can offer is maybe some "purists" like to crow that it was offered with a "Ford" engine, etc. etc. Having one.....I'm sure you can attest that they are quite sweet, smooth rides.

 

XJs can be had quite cheaply and X-Types are even cheaper than S-Types. I don't regard the X-Type as a proper jag but I know it's very arguable. I do regard the S-Type as a proper jag, especially the redesign of 2002.5MY but again people will argue.

I'm not on my way to a German maker but hey that's just me, perhaps.

I have never seen the financial justification for warranties (I don't think there IS one!) but opinions vary.

I bought an STR because I wanted exactly an STR, not any other S-Type or other jag.

 

I'll add that some of these things vary a bit from club-to-club. I've belonged to three different Jag clubs, each with it's own unique personality.

I hate painting with a too-wide brush as I always end up splattering on myself but I think you'll find that older clubs, with a large "old guard" element to the membership, tend to ...um....yeah, under-appreciate newer Jags and their owners.....although their annual dues are cheerfully received :-)

Other clubs have more of a "all Jags are good Jags" philosophy.

Cheers
DD

 

lol

The X is based on the Ford Mondeo and Contour and the S-Type on the Lincoln LS, which gives Jag purist something else to whine about...I still have to correct people on a monthly basis that my STR is not a glorified Ford Taurus...

 

I'm surprised to read this thread. Didn't think there was any sobbism amongst Jag owners. I don't think we see it on this board anyway.

 

I couldn't care less about Jaguar clubs and their opinions of the S-Type. I bought ours for "Honda money" to perform a very specific role in our household, which it continues to do very well - serve as a long-distance highway cruiser to transport my wife back and forth on her solo trips to visit her elderly parents in Tampa. And I also drive it when I don't need to drive my full-size Ram pickup. Love the comfort and smoothness as well as the fantastic gas mileage that the S-Type delivers. As an added bonus, it's gorgeous. Still very happy with the decision to essentially steal it with a low-ball offer back in December 2008 during the depths of the recession. I don't need no stinkin' Jag club....

 

I have to out in a good word for my local club, the Jaguar Club of Ohio. Any Jaguar is welcome and they (we) would love to have younger people in the club to keep the hobby going. The club motto is is "no meeting without eating" and it is very social. There is something going on every month, even in the winter. There are as many modern cars as classics at any given event, and there is a driver and concours class for the S-type at the annual concours show. As far as snobbishness goes, that can be found in every club for every type of car, bike or boat - someone will always think their particular model, year, or option package makes their ride better than all the others. Most real gearheads, however, will appreciate a car that is owned and maintained by a fellow gearhead, regardless of make and model.

While the classic XK engined sports cars have always been cherished, even when they were just used cars, the sedans were not and most were allowed to turn into junkers. Now those cars are also collectable. I think the S-type will be as well. It has the combination of looks and fantastic performance that define a Jaguar. So I say try some local club events. You might be surprised.

 

I'm not knocking the Dallas and Houston clubs at all. I like the people. No evidence of snobbery there. I was just surprised that no one is dragging their s-type over there to show off. Maybe under appreciated was the wrong term. I don't need a club either, but they can be helpful, like this forum, with restoration, maintenance and other tips regarding the car. That's all.

 

Jon, got my first Jag for a very similar (and specific) purpose after lusting over them as a teenager many years ago. Our 2003 S-Type 3.0L was acquired in September, 2008 specifically to equip our daughter with dynamic stability and traction control, whilst avoiding "social suicide!" But you paid "Honda money?!?" wow..you went upscale. After offering my daughter the 1991 Gr. Marquis and subsequently "learning" from wife and daughter that was akin to "social suicide" as they termed it....I commenced internet searches based loosely on the age/mileage of my truck; so <5 yrs old, 60k mi. and what I thought we may be able to spend; $10k. Nothing of Japanese origin ever "popped" in the DFW area on those searches. A friend who was/is already a forum member and who maintains an 01 3.0L for his bride, advised my criteria was in solid X-type territory and flirting with S-type fare. After some minor adjustments and focus....more S-types started populating my search results but no Hondas and only an occasional Corolla. The 2003 had its share of problems, and I "missed" a Zircon one at TCD by not pulling the trigger when I first looked at it and before they posted pics...and I should've investigated this forum BEFORE buying or at least before my first couple of fixes....even so...we (she) have been most happy with it...My wife, so much so, she had to have one of her own and went out and bought herself an 05 a year later...still decent prices...though from what I can tell now....word is out and prices now climbing back up to match value. I think we (late 08 buyers) benefitted from a false presumption that they were fuel hogs.

Thanks for clarifying. As I pointed out above, you only explicitly stated an under-representation at club events, but one could infer without too much squinting that you may have experienced some snobbery. Glad to hear that is not the case.

And for the "purists" who say they are "just Fords"...in the early days, I had my daughter drive myriad Fords; Focus, Escort, Taurii....mostly MY05 and subsequent....and she didn't like any of them. Didn't "feel right" and this long before talk of any Jaaaag in the household. She preferred the "feel" of the GM products behind the wheel....but once she experienced the Jag, I didn't have to "sell" her on the fact it was at least 2 yrs older than everything else we were shopping! So..to a teenage girl...they certainly don't DRIVE like Fords.....and as the owner of a stable of true Fords...I can attest the veracity of her opinion.

 

Your daughter is very fortunate to have a dad willing to allow her to drive an S-Type, especially when she goes to school 600 miles away from home. I put our daughter in a 1986 Honda CRX when she earned her drivers license in 1992. Easy for me to maintain, and "cool" enough to avoid "social suicide" as you call it. She drove it for seven years before I gave her my wife's old 1989 Acura Legend (another car that was easy to maintain). No way would I have ever considered handing her the keys to a Jaguar, especially back in those days when Jaguar's reputation for breakdowns was well-deserved....