So I bought a V8 Jag with my student loan (2000 S-type 4.0)

So I bought a V8 Jag with my student loan (2000 S-type 4.0)

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Synchromesh

Original Poster:

2,428 posts

165 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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The Back Story

Once again, my 'mature' automotive tastes have got the better of me. My my E36 328i had got me through the working part of my university year and 14k miles, but with a yearning to get into something barge-tastic for the summer it was time for a change. The V8-auto itch needed to be scratched. To start with, the key contenders were the Lexus LS (thanks to their low values and bombproof reputations) and the X308 XJ8 (just because they're so cool), but on explaining this to a friend over dinner following a track day at Blyton Park, he mentioned that he'd only covered 900 miles in his S-type 4.0 last year. I had a look at it on the way home and said I'd get back to him once I'd sold the BMW. Fast forward two days to last Sunday, and PH'er McSam has handed over 900 crisp notes (well, a bank transfer, but that does't have the same ring to it) and is about to take the BMW away. A quick call to the Jag's seller to say I'm on my way up and Sam agrees to drop me off in Banbury on his way home. I love it when a plan comes together so neatly, even if this time it was pure luck. So, the big question, how much did it set me back? The same £900 as the BMW went for, but with a private plate thrown in. A decent trade-up, I think!

The Car

What you're looking at is a 2000 model year Jaguar S-type. It has the 4.0 AJ-V8 Jaguar engine producing 281bhp and driving though a 5-speed torque converter automatic transmission. Official figures are 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds onto a top speed of 150mph. It gets all the usual goodies like cruise control, leather and electric memory seats, but also appears to have been well specced from factory, with headlamp wash, a heated front screen (looks like a Ford-style 'Quickclear' one) heated seats, a sunroof, sat-nav and even voice control! Further to this, cosmetically it's been to made to look like the "R" model, with 18" wheels, a boot lip spoiler and chrome mesh grill. Finally, it has a tow bar, which could come in useful as and when I get a kart or track car.

The Good Bits

The main selling point for me was the previous owner - a proper car (and bike) guy who looks after cars with no expense spared. Two example of this: a) it was serviced on the dot in January 2013 and January 2014 despite only having covered 900 miles in between, and b) it was wearing Continental tyres which would've cost close to £1k. You don't buy expensive tyres for a car which is on its death bed! What else? It's got a thick folder with stacks of history. The mileage is 'only' 125k, which for me means that it's barely run in. It's had a new gearbox at 84k and an engine at 113k, which hopefully means it's got plenty of life in it. The interior is perfect with no rips of wear marks on the leather.

The Bad Bits

Only one item of electronics doesn't work, that being the electric mirror switch which refuses to send the mirrors down or left. A new item from Jaguar is £150+ so I'll be looking into cheaper solutions as and when it starts to annoy me. Externally, there's a scrape on the nearside corner of the rear bumper, as well as a couple of tiny rust spots on the leading edge of the bonnet and under the boot handle. The headlights are cloudy and could do with good polish too. The grill surround is in definite need of a respray but while the front bumper has quite a few stone chips, it doesn't warrant a respray yet. Finally, it's missing a centre cap on one wheel, and the rear plate is the wrong shape.

On The Road

To start with, this is quite different to anything I've had before, being my first V8 and my first auto. For me, therefore, it's probably the 'box that dominates the experience. It's absolutely lovely to tool around town in, without having to think about gears or use your left arm and leg, and makes being first away from the lights decidedly easy. It's definitely a 'box with the old school flavour though - you can really feel the torque converter doing its job and it can be reluctant to lock up. It'll then very quickly shuffle to top where there's no engine braking whatsoever. On a twisty road though, the box can just be frustrating. It does have a sports mode although it doesn't make as much of a difference as I'd have liked, and while the J-gate can be used to stop it going higher than 2nd, 3rd or 4th, it's slow to respond and jerks when moved into 2nd at speed.

The engine is silky smooth right through the revs and this, coupled to the slusher and the sheer mass (1720kgs) means it never feels as fast as a V8 should. It's certainly not slow and has plenty of punch to get past people, but it doesn't feel any quicker than, say, my 328i, and that was 90bhp down. Also, it doesn't sound as good as V8 should, although I'll soon put this right when I remove the rear silencers! In the two tanks I've got though so far I've averaged 19mpg, although the majority of this has been around town.

Suspension wise it rides on coils, rather than the optional CATS air suspension. The ride is good, although I think going down to 17" wheels would reduce the high-frequency 'patter' you sometime feel on urban streets with the 35/40 profile tyres. Most impressive though, is the handling. This was a real surprise for me, as I was expecting any old barge like this to feel like a wallowey, erm, barge, all lost at sea. But it doesn't. The turn-in is sharp, steering adequately weighted and with some feel, grip is there in masses and for the taking. That's a turn-up for the books then.

Verdict

Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase - it's a heck of a lot of car for £900 (maybe even less if you deduct the plate). Despite its flaws (inherent and specific to this example), it's exactly the sort of thing I was after. The interior is a lovely place to be, my only gripe being that there's nowhere obvious to chuck my phone and wallet when I get in. It drives well, reminding me of an old American barge (Crown Vic etc) in its overall feel, and despite it not being the kind of car I'll go for hoons in, it can be thrown through bends with some delight.

So, plans for the future:
1) Sort out some of the niggles I mentioned earlier
2) Take it to Le Mans along with my fiend's XJ6 (look out for us on the PH campsite!)
3) Run it until I can't take 19mpg any longer or something borks (whichever comes first)










aspirated

2,539 posts

145 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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The only thing you should even consider doing with a student loan! wink

DS3R

9,784 posts

165 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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£900????????????? Crazy amount of car for the cash. Good find!

toyotapilot

26 posts

119 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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That's a hell of a lot of motor for £900. biggrin

The Nur

9,168 posts

184 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Legend. The best thing to do with a student loan hehe

Similar tastes to me also, I have an e36 328i and am considering either a Lexus LS400 or a Jag S-Type V8 next biggrin

Medic-one

3,105 posts

202 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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I can't believe you got so much car for so little money! Great buy!

TheJimi

24,814 posts

242 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Seriously, can anyone find a (subjective, I know) better car than this for £900?

A ridiculous amount of car for the money.

dowahdiddyman

965 posts

210 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Ladies and Gentleman we have the shed of the year winner I think. If the powers that be can find anything better for under a grand i`ll be very surprised.
Looks like an excellent buy and that`s got to beat using your student loan keeping the local weatherspoon in business for the next few weeks.

willmagrath

1,207 posts

145 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Good man. i too am thinking of spending some student loan on upgrading my car!

LHRFlightman

1,925 posts

169 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Bloody hell what a find!

Roadrunner23

541 posts

194 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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LIKE LIKE LIKE. A big thumbs up to you, a great investment of your student loan.

Dr G

15,147 posts

241 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Nine hundred pounds? You nicked that laugh

Spectacular cool

TheBigUnit

364 posts

191 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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What a fantastic buy. Well done OP!

Jimmy No Hands

5,007 posts

155 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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There's me thinking I had a steal at £1150 for an XJ6 with FSH and 77k miles! I like that very much. I'm enjoying my first Jaguar and its brilliant, utterly effortless comfort and waft-ability.

stuart-b

3,643 posts

225 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Why has it had a new engine, and gearbox? That's not exactly impressive!

petrolveins

1,780 posts

172 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Oooh that is lurrrrvvvvvley.

Looks very nice, love the interior.

ciaranthemurph

278 posts

205 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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That is a lot of car for £900! Nicely done. See you at Le Mans!

driverrob

4,686 posts

202 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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The very epitome of a PHer. clap

5potTurbo

12,464 posts

167 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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That's a corker for £900!
Top marks, than poor student. smile

A friend of mine in the Midwest U.S has run one of these for 4 or 5 years now, and he loves it. It's his daily driver, even in the deepest of Illinois winters.

Geekman

2,863 posts

145 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Can only echo what I've already told you several times since you got it - incredibly value for money, and makes my XJ look rather overpriced tongue out