HELLO.. NEWB JAG GUY HERE..

Forum vet at my350z.com per my intro post, i understand forum etiquette and search.
Ive read the stickies in the S type forum, and have found some helpful things, but not what im looking for.

I have settled in the fact that the STR is what I would like to buy for my daily driver car.. my350z is unruly loud and fast, not someting id like to drive to the office in anymore.

What Im looking for is some thread or link that shows the interior changes per model year ( ie some look great, some are terrible, who gets the grey birds eye maple etc) and also if there is a known year to avoid mechanically, or a well known year that is the best bet.. this is referring to anything related to the car, interior, eleectronics, drivetrain, engine etc.
Id hate to buy a 2004 just to find out that theres a rod issue and tha the 2005 also controls your ipod and has a better screen.. get my drift?

I have a lose idea that a 2005 is what im looking for w around 40-65k miles on it. They say the interior trim on the STR is nicer, that the feautres avail std are nicer, and that the engine is a better performing and much more problem free/resilient option over the others.

I just want to narrow my search and become 100% knowledgeable on what to look for, and also what to check for while im kicking tires.
I hear/watched about the multiple ball joint and bushing clunks, the shifter cable issues, and the climate control valve issues.
What i dont want is a car w notoriously bad rods, or oil comsumption issues,

I could tell you blindfolded what year 350z to buy and why and what the revisions are..

I FIRMLY believe that buying the correct car at the start is the way to go, even if its a few thousand more.

I dont expect anyone to retype thsi all.. just provide me the links maybe that i can read thru myself? Thanks all.
Im buying in 2 months.. need to get jag STR smart real quick.

 

I know that the bumpers were revised in 2005, and that 2006-2008 you no longer had the cool Brembo brakes. I'm a bit new to the STR myself so I will let one of the more knowledgeable members step in and give recommendations. I think people prefer the 2005 MY, but like I said I will let one of the pros chime in.

 

sweet, keep it rollin in..

 

Thing is, there's no one answer and never could be, as it depends on personal stuff (such as I don't want ipod or bluetooth but many do).

Some love wood, others aluminium. Options kept changing (no surprise). Some love leather with piping (not me, on the STR).

Some demand a warranty; some a Jaguar warranty. (I don't have the budget.)

And budget is likely the biggest item. Otherwise just get the top spec 2008.

There are no rod or the like issues with the STR of any year. Most of the known commonish STR problems apply all through the years.

A big factor is whether you're willing to DIY (and to what extent) as it really affects the cost of ownership and thus your budget. DIY is a spectrum: from nothing, through simple stuff (oil changes, pads, discs), through tough stuff (let's not go there but maybe the hose under the SC).

DIY on any modern car ought to include OBD checks including live data. (Common reaction is probably what the **** is that? Well, it's not 1980 any more.)

hmm, sound. Some think the premium system is fine, others don't in which case why pay for it if you're going to replace it... And TV? Up to you.

Oh yeah, and some don't want to stay stock.

 

The first thing you should decide is which body style STR you like. Pre 05 has the different front and rear bumpers, also has fog lights, and different wheels. If you like that style then you pretty much have narrowed it to 03-04's then its just picking a color combo you like and whether or not you think you would want to upgrade the audio system if so then opt for a non-nav car. If you like the newer 05+ style then you will have more options. If you dont like the chrome strip on the trunk and you want the Brembos then you have narrowed it down to an 05. Then its just a matter of picking your color and start looking. If you can deal with the non Brembos and the chrome strip then you will have to decide if you like the luxury chrome package which adds more chrome accents to the outside then you can look for a portfolio interior which has the aluminum looking trim. Then you will have the seat piping as mentioned before. STR's pop up here and there but how many will pop up locally to you and how far you are willing to travel will also be something to consider. I would just look at whats available when you are ready then start doing a breakdown of those cars because some of the stuff like the portfolio interior and 19" Barcelonas are sometimes very hard to find.

 

All STRs have an upgraded audio system but what's somewhat rare is to find an ipod, bluetooth or jaguar voice interfaces for good reason; they're pricey...Therefore, I recommend a non-navigation equipped STR as Jag Nav is slow, has lots of annoying quiks such as your passenger not being to enter addresses while driving, to the non- qwerty (keyboard is a b c d e f g h i, etc...) Buy a double-din aftermarket unit, you can also get cool features that jag never offers such as up to the minute traffic and radar detector interfaces...

I wouldn't worry too much about chrome trim, search ebay and junkyards and you can probably have any piece of chrome for around $50...

Some things off the top of my head...
Two types of brakes, brembos with the largest diameter are on 03-05, 06-08 non-brembos but have a prettier "plate" on the caliper, vented rear rotors and integrated e-brakes into the rear caliper
06+ More sound proofing = quieter supercharger...Also add variable valve timing...
07+ leather piping...
08 only S-Type R with OEM 19s...

 

The 03-04 I really like the front bumper over the 05+, but I like the 05+ gauges a lot more.

The best STR would be:

03-04 Front bumper
03-04 Brembo Brakes
03-04 Non-Chrome outside bits
05+ Gauges
06+ VVT
07+ Leather Piping
08 Barcelonas

 

To me the 03-04 have a more aggressive exterior styling with the driving lights and rear spoiler trancending over the entire trunk lid. Brembo and driving light delete 06-08 STR's began having chrome exterior accent trim and less agressive looking wheels, which IMO signified a return to luxury cruiser status. Go with your gut fella. I could've chosen a newer model STR, but the 03-04"s struck me as the sexiest and most agressive "R"'s. Otherwise, go with the gut.

 

good stuff here.. btw.. what do i look for if i want a factory system that will allow direct ipod connection?

i understand ill certainly have to buy parts etc to do so, but still.. any word there?

Great stuff so far guys thanks a ton.

This really helps me narrow my searches and become more proficient in my shopping and learning thats for sure..

 

Easy and cheap: plug it into an FM transmitter.
Expensive: get jag's ACM.

Plenty of threads, just search on ipod

 

This thread might help you? https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...-type-r-36578/

And have a look in the XJ X350 forum for the ACM, big thread about it.

 

It's SUPPOSE to be in the center console, not to say people haven't mounted it elsewhere...I bet you could look at a dozens of STRs for sale and never see one...The parts are expensive but it's also super labor intensive, it's a lot more than a few splices...You have have to remove nearly a third of the interior...lol

 

Brembos are on the 05s...

To add, the 05 has an aluminum hood and hidden sprayer nozzles...

 

What hidden sprayer nozzles?

 

They were embarrassed?

 

Wondering if he means the headlamp power washers. (Required by law here for HIDs.) They hide under little covers and pop up to squirt water. But, they're not year-dependent.

 

The windshield washer fluid sprayers...
03-04 have the nozzles mounted on the hood...
05-08 have the nozzles mounted onto the wipers...Sleeker look and I'd guess about .000398457489% more fuel efficient...

 

LOL! You dudes are pretty quick.

 

The stereo thing is probably the least import aspect if driving the car is what you're all about. But it's also the most vexing. The non Nav equipped cars tend to have the fewest options on them and are more rare. The Nav option also completely changes how you control the rest of the car. I simply don't use the Navigation part of the car. I'm old school and I don't get lost easily plus I prefer to map out my routes ahead of time on trips anyway. I agree that this Nav system is not very easy to use and so we don't ...

Then there's whole map update thing. It's $200 for a new DVD and forget about finding one cheap that's current and will work. There are endless DVD bargin hunting threads on here and for the most part it's usually someone who got lucky and found a legitimate copy for $100 or so.

Mostly likely you will end up with car with the Nav screen which means that your audio options are greatly limited but completely horrible either. There are a few people on here that have enhanced their systems (w Nav) if you want those killer window glass flexing capabilities.

The ACM (Jaguars audio interface module) is $200-$300 from a dealer. It does open the audio system up a bit and with excellent sound quality. The FM transmitter thingies are junk if you're at all an audiophile. The ACM will work with the Ipod but from what I observed you lose any Ipod based control capabilities and the audio system DOES NOT closely integrate with typical Ipod or really any mp3 player capabilities. I'm not an Ipod user so let the experts fill you in on the details. I picked a nice Sansa mp3 unit and I use that with FLAC audio mode via the aux-in capability also present in the ACM. That produces really great CD level sound and I can use the mp3 player to make selections. The ACM will also allow USB input from flash memory. Except on my car (very long story) LOL! Personally, if you have the Nav I think the ACM is a requirement.

Then there's the whole phone integration issue. Jaguars built in systems are rare and bloody expensive. I have no idea how good they are as I've never experienced one. Keep in mind that while they were all developed by a high quality supplier but it was done quite a few years ago and there have been precious few updates made available. So far from what I've seen none of the Audi & BMW stuff marketed by this supplier works with the Jag version.

http://www.dension.com/jaguar/startupguide16-4-09v2.pdf

Systems like Parrot can be used for the phone integration it's just a bit different when doing that with a Nav car. Some of those also provide Ipod integration but getting them connected properly for a high quality audio signal is still the issue. The Nav based stereo has no aux-in unless you get the ACM. That's the bottom line.

 

The Nav is the same as in the X-Type & X350 XJ. I for one don't really have any issues with it. It works great for me.

Yes the originals aren't cheap, but many people have made backup copies of thier discs, which work fine.

I sure hope you meant to say "greatly limited but not completely horrible"
Again, the Premium Sound in the S-Type is basically the same as the X-Type. I recently retrofitted the OEM Premium Sound Amp, and put in all new speakers; Focal splits & Kicker subs. The sound is brilliant (for the money). You won't win any SPL competitions, but it's not bad at all. The factory speakers do leave much to be desired. But the factory amp is great for only 40W per channel (320W total). And you get full control over the sub level, and there's DSP, which is pretty cool. The integration into the factory touchscreen is very nice.

There is a V2.1 firmware for the ACM which unlocks the controls on the iPod, so that problem is bypassed. Yes the controls through the touchscreen & steering wheel are limited (it emulates the CD changer) but then you can select tracks on the iPod itself. No problem. The ACM is the only means of getting digital quality audio into the factory head unit.

I retrofitted the factory Bluetooth into my X-Type. Yes it was an expensive excercise, but that's because I was impatient & didn't wait for good deals on the parts secondhand. IMHO if you stick with the factory SatNav, then the OEM bluetooth is the way to go, because the phone button is always there on the dash. If you don't have the OEM kit, then pressing the phone button brings up the very frustrating message "NO PHONE, This system does not have a phone connected" and you can't get rid of it.

The Parrot's bypass the head-unit completely & go straight to the speakers. Very problematic for the premium setups. And IMHO if you use them for audio as well, defeat the purpose of even having a stereo in the car (they use a built in amp).

Neither does the non-nav OEM system.

As you can see from my sig, my car has the factory SatNav / Touchscreen, and I have retrofitted the OEM Bluetooth, ACM, and OEM Premium Sound. This is one way to go about it.

The other is to rip out the lot and put in an aftermarket double-din with all the fruit; Nav, Video, Bluetooth, etc. get yourself a couple of amps in the trunk, and new speakers.

Depends on if you want to keep the car "original" or not.

If i'm not mistaken, most STR's will already have factory nav & premium sound. If so, then I don't see the point of ripping it all out. If you find one without Nav, or with Nav but no Premium Sound, then the double-din is the way forward.

Retrofitting the OEM nav into a non-nav car is possible (complicated) but I for one don't really see the value in it.

Last thing to consider is re-sale. A car without built-in Nav (factory or aftermarket) should be easier to sell. Flip side of this is ones without should be easier to buy for a good price.