Well, we are all a little biased beings this is a Jaguar S forum however, Where do you think the S-type ranks in the wow factor? Being an owner of the 05' S 4.2, I think I have a little bit of a puffed up opinion of the car where as others might see it as blending in with the rest of the cars on the street. I know most of the time Valet pulls the car up and theres a few heads turned .. What do you think is having the Jag compare with the Mercedes, Bmw's etc...?

 

Heh heh. It's impossible to discuss such things without getting into stereotypes, image, and the like.

Jaguar isn't about "wow". "Wow" is for Corvettes and Vipers. Jaguar is supposed to be a bit understated. Those who appreciate what Jaguars have to offer will notice. Those who don't, won't. Sorta like wearing a Brooks Brothers suit :-).

Jag owners do benefit, though, from the exclusivity of smaller numbers. BMWs (and to some extent, MB) are so commonplace that they hardly rate a second thought these days....even some of the really neat models that by all rights *should* be given a second thought.

Aside.....

I was a bit hurt by a BMW owner recently :-(
I was filling my tank when a gorgeous, new-ish, 7-Series pulled alongside. I made it a point to compliment the owner on his beautiful car. Even if from nothing more than simple politeness I thought he might compliment my XJR in return.....but he didn't. Harumph!

Cheers
DD

 

I still believe that if you're looking for a smooth-riding rear-wheel-drive highway cruiser that delivers surprisingly good fuel economy, the S-Type may be the best bang-for-the-buck out there. Granted, all S-Types have their quirks that must be addressed, but once you get them sorted out and settled in, they seem to be good for the long haul. Ours has about 70,200 miles now and has not given me one lick of trouble in nearly two years. I have enjoyed just having to do routine maintenance and nothing else. You do have to watch the DCCV, the coolant expansion tank, the ZF shift cable bolts and electrical connector sleeve, the oil pan gasket, and the metal foil peeling off the door lock tabs and slicing up your fingers. But that's the roll of the dice with this particular car....

It's not a dragster even in STR format. It's not a stretch limosine. It's not a sports car. But it's a damn fine touring car for the equivalent of Honda money. Very few folks bother to do enough research on the S-Type to understand its capabilities. That's just fine by me....

 

I own one of each and both get wows. The wows for the Corvette are from the kids of all ages, the Jag gets them primarily from the greying crowd.

Nobody looks twice at a Merc or Beemer around here. Only the Aston Martins or Maseratis get more 'looks'.

 

I agree with pretty much everything said above, it is very sad knowing what we paid for the car new but hey you dont buy cars without knowing your going to lose money. I have the midnight blue Jaguar S type 4.2 with about 53,000 miles now and just recently had to replace the heater control module due to a coolant leak and then while they were fixing the coolant leak the dealer spilled coolant on the a/c control module which shorted it out.. had to replace that as well; Yea I was not happy. But I truly love this car it has an "understated" beauty as mentioned above and you do not see Jaguar everywhere around Vegas, BMW and mercedes are everywhere but when you see a Jag you appreciate it. Besides the coolant leak this car has been great and I think the interior is gorgeous compared to BMW and Mercedes although some may disagree.

 

In the late 90s early 2000 I think it was a nice run of the mill sedan with good styling and value comparable to the other makes mentioned compareable mid level sedans. Now it's older and just another car in the wow factor crowd, sorry your going to need a new XFR to get noticed in a jag. I don't drive it for others enjoyment but for my own. I drive a new upper end Mercedes daily and very much look forward to driving my 11k dollar book valued STR when I get home, I just like the car.

Comparing it to current luxury cars though it's showing it's age IMO in every category.

 

Doug, I would have complimented your XJR had I been there, especially if your hood was up (checking oil). I've seen pics of your engine bay

 

I pass a S-Type just about every morning on the way to work and see maybe one other during the day, but I see countless BMWs and maybe 10 MBs so I appreciate the S-Types for their rarity, if not their looks, and I do find them attractive, especially the oval grille.

However, in talking to car enthusiasts I find the car to be somewhat polarizing. No one I talk to is lukewarm about the body style. I like them, and if you like them that's all that really matters.

 

It's been my experience that Jags rate a bit higher than BMWs or M-Bs to the casual observer. They have better styling and nicer interiors IMHO. The BMWs have suffered somewhat under the Bangle regime while M-B has had its own issues with reliability lately.

 

Well I prefer the lines of the slightly older Jags. The XF series seem to be styled along the lines of all the other Lexii. I believe the S Type styling is almost timeless. Maybe because it's roots are from the original? And yes, maybe Jags are understated!

 

It seems that you either like the S-type's looks or you don't.
I have had many comments that the S-type looks like a Hyundai Sonata with a nose job! I get a lot more looks and comments with my 1997 Forest Green XJ6 Vanden Plas.

The S-type looks dated, but that was the point in it's design, to reflect a more modern look of the classic 1960s original S-type.

 

I think a huge player into it is what rims are on it and also the HID headlights... Those two things can make the car look much newer in my opinion...

 

If you look at the crumpet-collector factor the Jaguar wins hands-down.

 

I find crumpets hard to find around here nowadays... But then again, the same can be said for S-Types. I have always enjoyed driving "niche" cars and the Jag suits me just fine.

 

Have you tried the beach?

 

in England you can find crumpets in most superstores 6 for a £1

 

I take it you guys have never heard of Henry N. Manney III's description of the XKE being the greatest crumpet collector known to man. Crumpet in this case being an attractive woman.

 

I like eating crumpet!

 

But not in your Jag the butter would mess the leather

 

Quite. Food & drink are banned from the car.