I currently have a 2004 S-Type 3.0, and am considering upgrading to an S-Type R soon. My question for current owners is this: Is there a significant difference between '03, '04 & '05 model years? I know the appearance is nearly identical, but are the later ones mechanically better? I don't really have a preference for which year I buy; I'm more of a condition and mileage buyer. A super nice '03 would suit me just fine. But, if there are distinct advantages to the later years ('05 is about my budget limit), I would like to take advantage of them when I purchase.

Thanks,

JD

 

You answered your own question when ya said "I'm more of a condition and mileage buyer". I looked for two years until I found an '03 White STR with less than 20k mileage and purchased it in Dallas Sept/08 for 20k.

I could have bought an '05 with higher mileage for about the same money or perhaps a little more. I preferred the mint '03 that was completely unmolested and owned by a little old lady. I'm serious, a little old lady that had the original factory tires on it when I purchased it. This car had never been driven hard and put away wet - ever.

The car needed nothing but a complete service, new tires (included in purchase), upgrade NAV DVD, hood emblem and lowering springs.

Don't compromise...

 

Thanks for sharing your feedback. I'm very picky, and do indeed buy on condition and mileage. A car like yours is exactly what I'm looking for. Just wondering if there were any little problem points on the earlier STR's that were corrected on the later ones. I know that even the 03's have the good tensioners, but is there anything like that (mechanical, electrical, etc.) which was upgraded on the later models?

Thanks!

JD

 

2003 and 2004 are pretty much identical as you said, 2005 was the year of cosmetic changes but mechanically they are all the same.
2 things effect R prices the most:
Condition WITHOUT regards to mileage
and if or if not equipped with navigation

some examples with low miles are cheap but its usually bc they werent well taken care of mechanically and/or dont have navigation

while some average-high mile examples command (and get) a lot higher money bc of their condition both cosmetically and mechanically

 

Hey Erik,
I tried the backup disc I made in my car a while back and couldn't get it to load. Is there any special brand of DVD or type of DVD that works better? I am really trying bud but I'm having some minor technical difficulties.

Sorry for stealing your thread TXJAG, I would definitely look at texas direct for your new STR..

A couple of tips when buying:
-Pop the hood and look for any dried coolant residue in the engine bay, the fittings and barbs tend to crack and break a lot
-Drive the car long enough to make sure the transmission shifts normally and see if the dreaded "lurch" is present
-Carefully inspect the brake rotors and pads to make sure those are okay (A full brake job on the STR with rotors can run upwards of $1,500)
-Insure that the power pedals and steering wheel are in proper working order
-Look around the seems of the valve covers to see if any oil leaks are present
-Put the car into gear then into reverse, then back into gear and listen for any clunking noises coming from the rear end or transmission
-Take the car to the dealer and pay them $90-130 to have them pull the dealer codes with IDS (I found out after I bought my car that it had an SRS fault and my airbags may not work, so I had to have that fixed)
-Check underneath to insure that all belly pans are present (front & rear, oil change places steal them all of the time)
-Check the CV boots to make sure they aren't cracked and no grease is seeping out
-Check ALL of the functions of the power seats, both passenger and driver (The modules go out VERY often)
-Try out the seat heaters *if present*
-Check to see which version of the NAV disc the car comes with
-Go in the trunk and take out the spare tire and look carefully to see if there are any signs of water leaking into the car
-And finally check to make sure the headlights aren't loose by grabbing the high beam and attempting to wiggle the assembly side to side and up or down

Think that about covers it, Eric

 

Oh yeah, I like the 03's and 04's because they have fog lights, but the 05's have an extra display screen on the cluster with slightly different gauges.