Avoid 00-02

 

Hi Dave,

I just bought a 2005 S-Type 3.0 and so far, quite happy. Overall, it is probably the most developed of the models along with the XJ6/8 X300 and X308. Without knowing what your budget is, here is a brief description of the choices.

3.0 V6 - Well equipped enough for just about anyone and is peppy enough for me, but then, I'm 58. Has about 240 hp.

4.2 V8 - If you must have a V8, get one with this and avoid the 4.0s per Brutal. Comes with a bit more bells and whistles normally like memory seats, heated seats and the like. I would avoid one with the nav system as they seem to have more problems than I would care to deal with. If I need a map or directions, I get one from Google. Being a male, I would never stop and ask. Normally about 2-3K more than a 3.0 all other conditions being equal. Has about 300 hp.

4.2 V8 STR - High performance version with about 400 or so hp. It is supercharged so expect to pay more for maintenance. I haven't heard of major issues specific to the supercharged version, but STR owners would be a better source of information on this. Appeals to the gearhead set. Comes very well equipped with all bells and whistles, but expect to pay more in insurance and gas. Normally will run about 4-6K more than the 3.0 all other conditions being equal.

If you can, get a Certified Jaguar that has the extended warranty with at least 2 years left on it.

Download a copy of the JTIS manual that can be found on the General Tech forum, look for christo. While it may not have the exact year of the S-Type you have, pretty good for general reference and has the maintenance schedule.

Happy Hunting.

Mike

 

Excellent synopsis from Mike above. Like him, we recently purchased a 2005 S-Type 3.0. Plenty of power for us - we wanted a highway cruiser that my wife would feel comfortable driving and I wanted to minimize the insurance and maintenance costs so I didn't consider the regular 4.2 or the STR (but I do indeed love the look and performance capabilities of the STR). Our S-Type 3.0 fit the bill perfectly, and I never expected it to get better than 30 mpg on the highway but it really does....

The only thing I'll add to what Mike and Brutal said above is that in doing my research prior to purchasing our car, it became obvious that the Ford transmission in the earlier S-Types frequently turned into leaking, extremely high-cost headaches to fix. Once Jaguar ditched the Ford transmission and built the S-Type with the German ZF 5-speed transmission, tranny complaints on these forums declined dramatically. The upgraded 6-speed ZF transmission became standard beginning with the 2005 model year and it has thus far proven to be the best of the bunch. Of course, if you're looking for a manual transmission S-Type, none of this information is relevant to you....

Jaguar really stepped up their reliability and bang-for-the-buck with these later-model S-Types. They remain a hidden gem, so affordable to acquire after just a couple of model years, that very few folks here in the U.S. seem to know about. We've had ours since December 19th and absolutely love it. Every time I slide into the drivers seat I consider myself fortunate that I researched and located this vehicle. Probably the most car for the money I've ever purchased, and I've been buying vehicles since 1974.

Find yourself a nice one and enjoy it....

 

Other than the occasional coil pack ($63 at Jaguar) my car has been pretty problem free. Any other issues have usually been directly related to something stupid I did. The supercharged one is fun, but don't expect much over 15mpg.. All in all they are great cars, but avoid the earlier years (if your budget permits) to save yourself a few headaches and basically the only decision is a V6 or V8.. Eric

 

Jon, howd you like your 74 Pinto???? coils, coolant leaks occasional, and heater control valves sticking closed from lack of use, oh and a proper alignment since the 03 and up stype specs were changed along time ago, and I still see incorrect specs being used out there resulting in inner front tire wear from insufficient toe in

 

Brutal,

It was a 1974 Datsun 260Z and I loved it. First new car I ever had. I'm 6-foot-7 and that Z provided me with the most legroom I've ever had in a car even to this day because like the old XKEs, the hood went on forever. Kept that Z for 13 years and nearly 250,000 miles and never had to open up the engine. Wish I had it back today, in original showroom condition of course....

 

Lol, i had a 75 280 and loved it too. Heavily moddified(of course) removed front and rear bumpers, flaired, whale tail, lowered wide wheels headlight filled and moved into previous bumper location in grill...car hauled with engine mods pushed to 300hp, and with that light weight car flat hauled ***..which because of put me in pro solo scca racing were i got my lunch eaten regulary since that class was pretty much only full time race cars, and it was my daily driver in the air force.......
Or and back on the stype, since i just replaced a headlight assembly under warranty, check to make sure the assemblies arent broken inside by removing the radiatpr cowl to access the headlight connector for the high beams, grab the connector in the back and move around, if flops its broke, if firm youre ok(for now)

 

Hi Jon and Brutal,

I also had a Datsun, a '71 240Z. Had power nothing, no A/C but it flat hauled. Got me into trouble a few times on the back roads in Central TX. One time a friend of mine and I were headed back to base one late Saturday and he woke up to see telephone poles going by like a picket fence. He asked me how fast we were going, I said about 120. He was fully awake then.

Mike

 

Having owned 2 X Types, I'm an S-Type newbie - now have an 06 4.2 VDP. I spent 10 hours on the interstate today, running 75 most of the time, and, the car delivered better than 27 MPG on my 2 fill ups. The car gets about 4 MPG better than my 3.0 X Type ever did, and, has 300 HP on tap. I'm 62, and, the insurance hit was minimal.

Regards:
Oldengineer

 

since i just got my s-type r recntly, ill put my 2cents in.

I found mine by looking around ALOT........took over a month of searching, and searching. NOW i knew going into it (since i worked for a jaguar dealer previously) what i was going to be up against in the future . First thing i bought for the car, was a code scanner/reader. Best 62 dollars i spent so far. Being pretty good with cars, i know what codes to clear and what codes really mean something is wrong. I had a few MIL turn on so far, and being able to shut them off within a few seconds is definitly nice. Depending on your finances, there are many choices for you in the 3.0 and 4.2l versions, finding a str in really good shape is challenging. NOW, if you can find the STR in good shape, i average over 27 MPG on my last trip running the cruise on about 72 mph, for about 300 miles straight. I love the look and performance of the car versus the standard style. Im not much of a chrome person really, unless they are just wheels. Too many chrome accents for me on the other models. As a reference, i picked up mine for 16k with 25k on the odometer and the only thing really wrong with mine is the right front wheel has a very slight bend on the inside. So far everything else is perfect. I have found only really 2 other ones around me and the closest price to mine was 23k. I gave up the nav unit for 7k and thats really the only difference. (which i will be swapping in my aftermarket unit as soon as i strip down my Mazda 6 which is going back off its lease in about 3 weeks. I get better gas mileage in my jag versus my mazda 6 v6, it rides better, is much more classy, and when i hit the gas she goes, and did i mention.......she goes???

Synopsis, if you can find the STR man, you gotta at least think about it. Average around town is medicore though, about 18mpg for me. (which in all reality isnt too bad actually)

found this one on ebay, pics are very good of it: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jagua...fCarsQ5fTrucks

 

Just got an S Type myself. Depending on budget, go with a certified. My only regret is not holding out for the 4.2. My dealer gave me a 4.2 as a loaner while he was doing some work. Long story, but not the cars fault. I noticed that I got identical mileage with the V8 that I got with my V6. Same driving style. I will admit that I may be a more aggressive driver than some, but not that bad. I average around 21 with mixed driving. The V8 just felt better. As far as the rest, go with an '03 and up car since they addressed the issues and made a major update. (BTW the same holds true for anyone looking at a Lincoln LS, I know since that was what I started looking at before the Jag.) Look at how the car was maintained, look real hard for any signs of damage. That said, I love my car, even with the 6. It is such a nice and balanced car.