This S-type R has to be too good to be true???
Discussion
I have been looking for something quick and practical for a while now and the S-type R looks like it will tick quite a few boxes. I was looking at M5s but the jag is a bit more individual in my mind. something unusual. budget is £10-12K
Firstly am I going to find a good car at that price point or am I barking mad?
Secondly, this car has 35,000 on the clock and full jag history. I live in Teesside so its a trek down to look at a car that is clearly too good to be true hence your opinions are welcome:
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/j...
Thanks in advance,
Stephen
Firstly am I going to find a good car at that price point or am I barking mad?
Secondly, this car has 35,000 on the clock and full jag history. I live in Teesside so its a trek down to look at a car that is clearly too good to be true hence your opinions are welcome:
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/j...
Thanks in advance,
Stephen
I'm doing the same trawl as the OP. Have a '52 4.2 SE at the moment and have had three great years with it but ready for an upgrade (I'm bored!)and as I like the S so much, very tempted to go for a late STR.
However, as has been said five figures is plenty I think when a low mileage car from a decent dealer is available sub 10k. Mind you the one advertised looks like a stormer! Think £8k ish at the moment would be sufficient to bag a decent one knowing the value will still fall hard.
Look at the prices of late XJR's....now there's a thought!
However, as has been said five figures is plenty I think when a low mileage car from a decent dealer is available sub 10k. Mind you the one advertised looks like a stormer! Think £8k ish at the moment would be sufficient to bag a decent one knowing the value will still fall hard.
Look at the prices of late XJR's....now there's a thought!
I wouldn't be so worried about the future value. At the moment I'm not sure that you can buy a last-of-the-line low mileage STR for much less than that, from anywhere else. A national search on autotrader will only throw up a small handful of cars, and there are very very few with a combination of young age and mileage around.
Whilst it is true that there may not be the volume of buyers to support prices at that level, there are so few cars available that that does help to keep them up to a degree - because they are quite rare.
I bought an 06 STR about 7 months ago for £8k with 60k miles and I'd probably have to pay around £1k more to get one of a similar age and mileage - based purely on what is available on the market at the moment.
So whilst the 07 at £10.5k may be strong, there aren't many alternatives. I don't think this is seasonal either, I'd been looking for around 3 months before I bought mine (and have continued to keep an eye out) and there are rarely more than 3 or 4 late STRs available at any one time.
I say go for it as well - they are brilliant cars. Understated, comfy and supremely quick.
Whilst it is true that there may not be the volume of buyers to support prices at that level, there are so few cars available that that does help to keep them up to a degree - because they are quite rare.
I bought an 06 STR about 7 months ago for £8k with 60k miles and I'd probably have to pay around £1k more to get one of a similar age and mileage - based purely on what is available on the market at the moment.
So whilst the 07 at £10.5k may be strong, there aren't many alternatives. I don't think this is seasonal either, I'd been looking for around 3 months before I bought mine (and have continued to keep an eye out) and there are rarely more than 3 or 4 late STRs available at any one time.
I say go for it as well - they are brilliant cars. Understated, comfy and supremely quick.
dme123 you bring up a good point about XFs that I had not considered. I will be looking at this one tomorrow seeing as it's just down the road:
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/j...
A bit more than I was willing to pay and much higher mileage than the s-type I stated before. But there is something very different about the S (looks wise) that appeals to me. It's grown on me a lot where as the XF in the car park in work was wow to begin with then kinda blended back into the background after a while. Considering this will be my third car in less than 2 years, I think the next car has to have staying power. I dont think the S-type looks dated either because the XF looks so different, not like an older BMW or Audi looks dated as their design is more evolutionary. Plus I saw a MK II Jag at autosport earlier this month and appreciated the s-type in a whole new way.
So yes I take the XF SV8 point and will investigate it but im dubious.
LFB531: I did look at XJRs but by all accounts the s-type has a bit more cross country ability and considering i live near the north yorkshire moors, i think the s is more suiting.
DS76: thanks for sharing your purchase price, its great to have a bench mark!
Anyone know of any real show stoppers in the STR? I have been a BMW man for quite a while so when you mention VANOS I know what the deal is. Does the STR have any disaster areas? I will be reading a number of buyers guides tonight but I always take them with a pinch of salt because it tends to be only the bad points are (over)reported.
All your help is much appreciated, this fourm posting malarky is quite good!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/j...
A bit more than I was willing to pay and much higher mileage than the s-type I stated before. But there is something very different about the S (looks wise) that appeals to me. It's grown on me a lot where as the XF in the car park in work was wow to begin with then kinda blended back into the background after a while. Considering this will be my third car in less than 2 years, I think the next car has to have staying power. I dont think the S-type looks dated either because the XF looks so different, not like an older BMW or Audi looks dated as their design is more evolutionary. Plus I saw a MK II Jag at autosport earlier this month and appreciated the s-type in a whole new way.
So yes I take the XF SV8 point and will investigate it but im dubious.
LFB531: I did look at XJRs but by all accounts the s-type has a bit more cross country ability and considering i live near the north yorkshire moors, i think the s is more suiting.
DS76: thanks for sharing your purchase price, its great to have a bench mark!
Anyone know of any real show stoppers in the STR? I have been a BMW man for quite a while so when you mention VANOS I know what the deal is. Does the STR have any disaster areas? I will be reading a number of buyers guides tonight but I always take them with a pinch of salt because it tends to be only the bad points are (over)reported.
All your help is much appreciated, this fourm posting malarky is quite good!
As with any car there are recurring issues, and online you tend to get a slightly unbalanced view of them - rarely do people bother to sign up to a forum just to say how happy they are with their car and how good it has been.
I'm not suggesting by any means that they can't go wrong (they do, and will) but perhaps no more or less than any other. The things that I discovered when doing my research from memory were:
1. Issues with the electronic park brake (but on the later cars this seems to be far less common - maybe just because they sold fewer cars and therefore there are less reported issues, or perhaps this was sorted)
2. Coolant hose underneath the supercharger - leaking issues above a certain age/mileage - generally reported to be around 90k miles or so - you should be ok with a low miler for a while. Can cost around £500-800 to fix
3. Heating/ventilation system motors - mine makes some grumbly noises from time to time, and after the ignition is off sometimes. I could get it sorted but will probably just live with it as I only do around 3k miles a year and it really doesn't bother me so much.
4. Suspension arm bushes.
So in my very humble opinion, just be aware of the usual care points and checks as when buying any car. Fuel bills aside, the Jag has the lowest main-dealer servicing costs I have ever had (Lotus, BMW, Mercedes, Audi all among them) - £229 from a main dealer for a car of this type I find incredible.
Having said all this, mine will probably now blow up on the way home.
I'm not suggesting by any means that they can't go wrong (they do, and will) but perhaps no more or less than any other. The things that I discovered when doing my research from memory were:
1. Issues with the electronic park brake (but on the later cars this seems to be far less common - maybe just because they sold fewer cars and therefore there are less reported issues, or perhaps this was sorted)
2. Coolant hose underneath the supercharger - leaking issues above a certain age/mileage - generally reported to be around 90k miles or so - you should be ok with a low miler for a while. Can cost around £500-800 to fix
3. Heating/ventilation system motors - mine makes some grumbly noises from time to time, and after the ignition is off sometimes. I could get it sorted but will probably just live with it as I only do around 3k miles a year and it really doesn't bother me so much.
4. Suspension arm bushes.
So in my very humble opinion, just be aware of the usual care points and checks as when buying any car. Fuel bills aside, the Jag has the lowest main-dealer servicing costs I have ever had (Lotus, BMW, Mercedes, Audi all among them) - £229 from a main dealer for a car of this type I find incredible.
Having said all this, mine will probably now blow up on the way home.
Supply and demand, this is a late R type low mileage and retail has it at 11k so the seller at 10.4K is on the money, CAP 7500-8600 dependent on state, so this car will be pushing top end of CAP. But remember this was 45k new and it will be 6 years old in 4 months, as mentioned early XF's are now falling into its price bracket and will force it down further.
I'd be looking at the low milage STR, not a high milage XF SV8.
Any Jag is going to depreciate, they all do, but if I was going to bet on one that would hold it's money better (or rather lose money less quickly) it would be a low milage minter rather than one with high miles, even if it is a newer model. Think how many miles it will have on it in 4 years and then think how easy is it going to be to sell on. It's not such an issue with brands with a reputation for longevity, but i'm not sure that is the case with Jag, deserved or not.
Also a last of the line car is more likely to have had any 'issues' ironed out whereas the opposite is generally the case for an early examples of newer models.
Just make sure you're man enough to handle the power
Any Jag is going to depreciate, they all do, but if I was going to bet on one that would hold it's money better (or rather lose money less quickly) it would be a low milage minter rather than one with high miles, even if it is a newer model. Think how many miles it will have on it in 4 years and then think how easy is it going to be to sell on. It's not such an issue with brands with a reputation for longevity, but i'm not sure that is the case with Jag, deserved or not.
Also a last of the line car is more likely to have had any 'issues' ironed out whereas the opposite is generally the case for an early examples of newer models.
Just make sure you're man enough to handle the power
Based on current values 03 go for about £6K so £1k a year is not too bad on depreciation. It looks a good one, Sat Nav can be updated to 2012 maps for £5 , it has the Bluetooth and iPod cable and all the toys 
Mines just a 4.2, couldn't justify the R as I also have an XKR convertible. Go for it !
Mines just a 4.2, couldn't justify the R as I also have an XKR convertible. Go for it !That 15k XF above looks as though the back bumper has been repainted, badly!
I've been looking at cheapo XF SV8s, but can't see any below 15k at the moment.
The STR is a good car, but the XF is a better car, imo. My brother had a S Type but the na 4.2 V8, and he now has a XF 3.0d S, and is a much better car (as it should be being a LOT more money). If you can stretch to an XF then I'd so, I love mine and really want a V8 though, and the SV8, once it drops a bit more in price, will be on my shopping list.
Don't be worried about a leggy XF, mine has done 122k...
I've been looking at cheapo XF SV8s, but can't see any below 15k at the moment.
The STR is a good car, but the XF is a better car, imo. My brother had a S Type but the na 4.2 V8, and he now has a XF 3.0d S, and is a much better car (as it should be being a LOT more money). If you can stretch to an XF then I'd so, I love mine and really want a V8 though, and the SV8, once it drops a bit more in price, will be on my shopping list.
Don't be worried about a leggy XF, mine has done 122k...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251207541289?ssPageName=...
Plenty of alternatives if you search e-bay but I was luck to get at £5
Plenty of alternatives if you search e-bay but I was luck to get at £5
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