The forgotten Jaguar
Discussion
Never liked them, so of course I bought one. Which model is it? The widely derided S Type.
Now I've never been a fan of the looks (although they are growing on me) but after my last car failed it's MOT miserably, what else do you do except make a silly offer on a 16 year old Jaguar, because they won't accept it. What's that? They HAVE accepted it on condition that it's sold as seen? Oh. Ok then.
So I've become the custodian of a V6 automatic S Type, with 12 months MOT! Woo! What did I get? Well, it's surprisingly rust free, with a nice leather interior, good tyres, a whisper quiet engine, and a smooooth automatic gearbox, no warning lights, and an uncomfortable feeling that I virtually stole it from the vendor.
It glides along like a proper luxury car should, instead of being hobbled with a "sporty" ride that no-one actually asked for when driving to Tesco.
Suddenly I've got a new found respect for these cars, yet strangely I haven't seen a single other one since I got mine. Can they really be hated so much?
And before anyone mentions rusty sills, I'm not looking - therefore they are fine...
Now I've never been a fan of the looks (although they are growing on me) but after my last car failed it's MOT miserably, what else do you do except make a silly offer on a 16 year old Jaguar, because they won't accept it. What's that? They HAVE accepted it on condition that it's sold as seen? Oh. Ok then.
So I've become the custodian of a V6 automatic S Type, with 12 months MOT! Woo! What did I get? Well, it's surprisingly rust free, with a nice leather interior, good tyres, a whisper quiet engine, and a smooooth automatic gearbox, no warning lights, and an uncomfortable feeling that I virtually stole it from the vendor.
It glides along like a proper luxury car should, instead of being hobbled with a "sporty" ride that no-one actually asked for when driving to Tesco.
Suddenly I've got a new found respect for these cars, yet strangely I haven't seen a single other one since I got mine. Can they really be hated so much?
And before anyone mentions rusty sills, I'm not looking - therefore they are fine...
I like these - aside from one fussy thing and that is that the rear door handle is lower than the front. That and the Urinal centre console on the early ones...
Like I say aside from that I've always thought there's something about these Jags, even if they are a little challenging to some eyes.
Like I say aside from that I've always thought there's something about these Jags, even if they are a little challenging to some eyes.
Love their styling; always have.
Really wanted an S Type R after I'd owned a few MG ZTs; but they're so small inside it's unbelievable! I couldn't fit into the drivers side properly at all; that was with the seat right down, right back and the steering wheel adjusted as much as I could.
That ruined it for me haha; never looked at them since
Really wanted an S Type R after I'd owned a few MG ZTs; but they're so small inside it's unbelievable! I couldn't fit into the drivers side properly at all; that was with the seat right down, right back and the steering wheel adjusted as much as I could.
That ruined it for me haha; never looked at them since
Enjoy the car OP, looking forward to pics - they're better than people think (coming from a die hard BMW/Mercedes fan.
I inherited my father's 2005 3.0 that he owned nearly from new and could never be parted with, a car that was irreplaceable in his eyes, not even by one of the many immaculate XJs we test drove (he'd never kept a car longer than 4 years before that). I won't be able to part with it for obvious reasons but leaving sentiment aside, I do believe it's a great car and does luxury right.
The early ones were released too early imho, they hadn't ironed out the niggles but by 04 it was a cracking car in facelift form but a too little too late as far as the press we're concerned. Only downsides in my opinion is the laughably small boot and the interior is pretty cramped for the size car it is.
I inherited my father's 2005 3.0 that he owned nearly from new and could never be parted with, a car that was irreplaceable in his eyes, not even by one of the many immaculate XJs we test drove (he'd never kept a car longer than 4 years before that). I won't be able to part with it for obvious reasons but leaving sentiment aside, I do believe it's a great car and does luxury right.
The early ones were released too early imho, they hadn't ironed out the niggles but by 04 it was a cracking car in facelift form but a too little too late as far as the press we're concerned. Only downsides in my opinion is the laughably small boot and the interior is pretty cramped for the size car it is.
I have owned an S Type R for a little over 4 years now and I absolutely love it. It has not been cheap to maintain but it has been worth every penny and has had all the common big jobs done now. So comfortable and easy to drive, and amazing torque in any gear.
They do prove to be a bit marmite in the looks department, but then I used to think they looked odd, but now I love them.
They do prove to be a bit marmite in the looks department, but then I used to think they looked odd, but now I love them.
StuntmanMike said:
I don’t know anything about them really, but I always liked the styling.
Why were they derided?
To a large extent it was badge snobbery, wasn't it? Jaguar brand was seen as devalued once they were bought by Ford and the S Type was the first Jag launched after the Ford takeover (I think) and was based on a Ford platform that was the successor to the one used for the Granada. Hence the S Type was seen as a sort-of rebranded Granada sell-out and not a proper plucky, independent Jag. I have no idea if it was actually a good or bad car on its own merits. X-Type took a lot of similar flak since it really was a Mondeo in a suit, with relatively few people seeming to care that in spite of the lack luster Ford brand, the Mondeo was actually rather good as front wheel drive saloons go.Why were they derided?
StuntmanMike said:
I don’t know anything about them really, but I always liked the styling.
Why were they derided?
Many people found them ugly, and on the early models the interior was geniunely ghasty. The 5 speed auto on the early models was not up to European standards, and bear in mind this was competing with the E39 BMW so it couldn't afford to be anything less than brililant.Why were they derided?
The update in 2001 improved the interior, suspension, gearbox, and V8 engine and then in 2004 they facelifted and improved it a great deal.
I enjoyed my 2004 but the diesel engine was underpowered and thirsty, with a V8 or 3.0 V6 it would have been an excellent car.
ETA - They can suffer from absolutely catastrophic rust. Get your plastic sill covers off and poke around.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 21st July 22:26
I've never worked out why they seem to be so unpopular - I've always thought they looked great since I first saw one!
I'm a serial BMW owner, but have never owned a Jaguar and do find myself idly browsing classifieds for manual 3 litre S Types from time to time.
But some photos from the OP would be appreciated!
I'm a serial BMW owner, but have never owned a Jaguar and do find myself idly browsing classifieds for manual 3 litre S Types from time to time.
But some photos from the OP would be appreciated!
SirGriffin said:
Never liked them, so of course I bought one. Which model is it? The widely derided S Type.
Now I've never been a fan of the looks (although they are growing on me) but after my last car failed it's MOT miserably, what else do you do except make a silly offer on a 16 year old Jaguar, because they won't accept it. What's that? They HAVE accepted it on condition that it's sold as seen? Oh. Ok then.
So I've become the custodian of a V6 automatic S Type, with 12 months MOT! Woo! What did I get? Well, it's surprisingly rust free, with a nice leather interior, good tyres, a whisper quiet engine, and a smooooth automatic gearbox, no warning lights, and an uncomfortable feeling that I virtually stole it from the vendor.
It glides along like a proper luxury car should, instead of being hobbled with a "sporty" ride that no-one actually asked for when driving to Tesco.
Suddenly I've got a new found respect for these cars, yet strangely I haven't seen a single other one since I got mine. Can they really be hated so much?
And before anyone mentions rusty sills, I'm not looking - therefore they are fine...
Don’t really recall any hate. Well apart from on Pistonheads. They sold well and Reviewed well. Maybe being a little too over dramatic methinks. Now I've never been a fan of the looks (although they are growing on me) but after my last car failed it's MOT miserably, what else do you do except make a silly offer on a 16 year old Jaguar, because they won't accept it. What's that? They HAVE accepted it on condition that it's sold as seen? Oh. Ok then.
So I've become the custodian of a V6 automatic S Type, with 12 months MOT! Woo! What did I get? Well, it's surprisingly rust free, with a nice leather interior, good tyres, a whisper quiet engine, and a smooooth automatic gearbox, no warning lights, and an uncomfortable feeling that I virtually stole it from the vendor.
It glides along like a proper luxury car should, instead of being hobbled with a "sporty" ride that no-one actually asked for when driving to Tesco.
Suddenly I've got a new found respect for these cars, yet strangely I haven't seen a single other one since I got mine. Can they really be hated so much?
And before anyone mentions rusty sills, I'm not looking - therefore they are fine...
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/u3hRzhnG.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/u3hRzhnG" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/u3hRzhnG.jpg)
All I have at present.
I'm getting to like the looks more. However, much as I love wood, the pale maple dashboard is horrid, and some of my passengers haven't held back their lack of admiration. Never mind.
But I must say, I can't believe 1. how rare the S type seems to be, and 2. how much attention it seems to attract.
In the months I've had it, I've come out of shops to find spotty yoofs pointing at it, looking through the windows, and on one occasion while sitting in it, a man stopped and cooed over it to his wife, who then noticed I was sitting inside and was highly embarrassed! The attention is a little unnerving to be honest.
But the thing that gets me - I've never seen another one! Not one. Normally when you get a car, you start noticing others around. But not with this Jaguar. Maybe why that's why others stare. So where are they all? Where are you fellow S type driver's? It's lonely out here...
Well it's been a while, so I thought I'd add add a little update on life with an S-Type. Bought as a cheap runabout, it's actually been surprisingly hassle free.
The more I drove it, the more it became clear how tired certain areas are, mainly suspension related, yet in truth it's not really too much of a problem because I'm not hard on my cars, and I'm long practiced at nursing along old wrecks! So what have the months thrown up?
As it had clearly towed, the rear suspension was very saggy. 2 second hand rear struts, in good condition, from an eBay breaker made a huge difference, and were easy to fit. A worn rear wheel bearing was sorted with a second hand complete rear hub - much easier than trying to find a 15 ton press! Those have been the biggest ticket items but hardly a disaster at £100 in total.
Other parts have been amazing cheap, so much so that the car has been quite cheap to run - yes really. It destroyed it's rear brake pads - a siezed caliper pin. A repair kit was £7, and new rear pads an incredible bargain at £5! Fortunately the disks were undamaged, so no problems since. A front wheel bearing was another bargain find at £18, and quite an easy fit. And a clearout by an ex dealer netted genuine front discs for £40 instead of £300 - not fitted yet. What's really helped is how well everything came apart - nothing snapped or rounded, a sign of better quality build perhaps? The Vauxhall was deemed scrap because everything was seized solid!
Further bargains? Well my insurance renewal was less than half the previous years premium for my last car, a Vauxhall. How in earth do they work that out? Hey, I'll just take it...
A bargain wood steering wheel improved the horrid greenish wood dash, and gave me working cruise control. Added to that is the surprising finding that it's averaging 37mpg, a mighty fine result for a creamy automatic V6, and you can colour me impressed.
It's slowly winning me round - still not really sold on the looks, or the tiny interior, or the impending sense of doom, but it starts first time, everything works, and it just...goes. You know full well that any other ordinary car would be less refined and "special", so it's nice to travel in. It certainly is viewed as very much more expensive by others than it was.
The only fly in the ointment is the horrible suspicion that it may require a new radiator soon, and I'm not sure I want to attempt that as it looks a huge job, including having to remove transmission fluid pipes. Yikes. And I'd like to service it, but the faff of getting to the plugs puts me off, as well as the expense of replacement coil packs. It's quite a poor design under the bonnet.
Still if you are handy with the spanners, I'd say it's worth considering the S-type - there appear to be some bargains to be had.
And rare - I've still never seen another one local to me!
The more I drove it, the more it became clear how tired certain areas are, mainly suspension related, yet in truth it's not really too much of a problem because I'm not hard on my cars, and I'm long practiced at nursing along old wrecks! So what have the months thrown up?
As it had clearly towed, the rear suspension was very saggy. 2 second hand rear struts, in good condition, from an eBay breaker made a huge difference, and were easy to fit. A worn rear wheel bearing was sorted with a second hand complete rear hub - much easier than trying to find a 15 ton press! Those have been the biggest ticket items but hardly a disaster at £100 in total.
Other parts have been amazing cheap, so much so that the car has been quite cheap to run - yes really. It destroyed it's rear brake pads - a siezed caliper pin. A repair kit was £7, and new rear pads an incredible bargain at £5! Fortunately the disks were undamaged, so no problems since. A front wheel bearing was another bargain find at £18, and quite an easy fit. And a clearout by an ex dealer netted genuine front discs for £40 instead of £300 - not fitted yet. What's really helped is how well everything came apart - nothing snapped or rounded, a sign of better quality build perhaps? The Vauxhall was deemed scrap because everything was seized solid!
Further bargains? Well my insurance renewal was less than half the previous years premium for my last car, a Vauxhall. How in earth do they work that out? Hey, I'll just take it...
A bargain wood steering wheel improved the horrid greenish wood dash, and gave me working cruise control. Added to that is the surprising finding that it's averaging 37mpg, a mighty fine result for a creamy automatic V6, and you can colour me impressed.
It's slowly winning me round - still not really sold on the looks, or the tiny interior, or the impending sense of doom, but it starts first time, everything works, and it just...goes. You know full well that any other ordinary car would be less refined and "special", so it's nice to travel in. It certainly is viewed as very much more expensive by others than it was.
The only fly in the ointment is the horrible suspicion that it may require a new radiator soon, and I'm not sure I want to attempt that as it looks a huge job, including having to remove transmission fluid pipes. Yikes. And I'd like to service it, but the faff of getting to the plugs puts me off, as well as the expense of replacement coil packs. It's quite a poor design under the bonnet.
Still if you are handy with the spanners, I'd say it's worth considering the S-type - there appear to be some bargains to be had.
And rare - I've still never seen another one local to me!
Edited by SirGriffin on Wednesday 16th December 00:37
Mr Tidy said:
I don't know why they get so much hate - I've always liked them!
Styling is largely subjective, but that's why people didn't like them. I certainly never found them as repulsively ugly and conceptually offensive as the squinty eyed X-Type 
The early cars could be a bit ropey but the later ones were good by absolutely any metric; the underpinnings were good enough to be competive until 2015 in the X250 XF.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 16th December 16:09
I think S-Types are a little bit ugly, but not 100% bad cars. I have been told one of the reasons for the unusual lines is because the doors were lifted from a Mercury or Lincoln or something, hence why the car as the odd swipe down the side.
However, as a 'bang for buck' motor there is probably not much to beat it. My lodger bought one for a few hundred quid a few years ago with a short MOT. It sometimes didn't start correctly, but it had the 3L V6 etc.
His plan was to use it as an engine donor for his MX5, but would only pull it apart if it failed it's MOT... In the end it needed a set of ARB bushes, and other than that has provided him with 2 years of trouble free motoring!
However, as a 'bang for buck' motor there is probably not much to beat it. My lodger bought one for a few hundred quid a few years ago with a short MOT. It sometimes didn't start correctly, but it had the 3L V6 etc.
His plan was to use it as an engine donor for his MX5, but would only pull it apart if it failed it's MOT... In the end it needed a set of ARB bushes, and other than that has provided him with 2 years of trouble free motoring!
I've always liked the look of them and think it's a proper jag.
But I've never taken the plunge, mainly due to looking at too many mot check reports at "suspension [insert pretty much every component] worn" or "excessive corrosion" year after year after year.
I suppose if you go with your eyes wide open that it'll probably cost suspension bits every year and constantly tracing clonks and thumps, and you are handy with a welder.... Its a right piece of car to have for next to nothing.
But I've never taken the plunge, mainly due to looking at too many mot check reports at "suspension [insert pretty much every component] worn" or "excessive corrosion" year after year after year.
I suppose if you go with your eyes wide open that it'll probably cost suspension bits every year and constantly tracing clonks and thumps, and you are handy with a welder.... Its a right piece of car to have for next to nothing.
OLD JAGUAR IN RELIABILITY SHOCK!
Yes indeed, 12 months in, and another MOT successfully negotiated, nothing much to report really - it just...goes. Starts each time, stops at the other end, and has proved quite reliable. New tyres fitted, but that's required on any car at some point.
Can that really be "Jaguar" and "reliable" in the same sentence? You read it here first...
The looks have grown on me, mainly because these days it seems so distinctive in a sea of Qashcows and other mind numbing SUV's. The refinement never ceases to delight, especially the superb, jewel like engine - the purists may sneer, Ford based it may be, but it's deliciously refined and willing. If you come across a clean one, don't be put off if it's a 2.5 like mine, it's plenty capable in every day use.
Yes indeed, 12 months in, and another MOT successfully negotiated, nothing much to report really - it just...goes. Starts each time, stops at the other end, and has proved quite reliable. New tyres fitted, but that's required on any car at some point.
Can that really be "Jaguar" and "reliable" in the same sentence? You read it here first...
The looks have grown on me, mainly because these days it seems so distinctive in a sea of Qashcows and other mind numbing SUV's. The refinement never ceases to delight, especially the superb, jewel like engine - the purists may sneer, Ford based it may be, but it's deliciously refined and willing. If you come across a clean one, don't be put off if it's a 2.5 like mine, it's plenty capable in every day use.
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