Jaguar S-Type parked in front of an historic Tudor style residence on Reserve Street, Boonton, New Jersey. Two fine examples of the designers’ best attempts at replicating British charm and glory.
As you long time CC hangers-on know, I now have three classic cars from the late 50s/early 60s in my stable. But the fact is you really need a “modern” car for day-to-day reliability. So I thought I’d share my experience owning this used Jaguar S-Type, one of the few modern cars I could find that really appealed to me on an emotional level.
Before I bought the Jag, I had been driving this 1991 Chrysler Imperial. (Sadly, I don’t have good pictures of it, so I had to snag this photo from an old Google street view.) Now the Imperial was one gem of a car, but I had been driving it for a long time. Also, I broke a plastic trim piece below the headlights while polishing with a buffer. And you know how when you break something and it can’t be fixed, and it’s staring you in the face all the time? Well, that’s how I felt about it.
Now I always liked these S-Types, even when they first came out in 2000. There were other similar “retro” cars introduced around the same time: the Volkswagen New Beetle, the 2002 Ford Thunderbird, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, etc. But I liked the Jaguar S-Type the best.
Trading an Imperial for an S-Type, 2017.
So because I’m always cruising Craigslist, I finally found one locally–for $3,200! (Quite a difference from the $42,000 list price in 2005). “Yeah, you know–depreciation, man!” as Ray Charles would say in The Blues Brothers. 🙂
And it was red; that was important. Specifically Radiance Red. I thought the S-Type looked best in that color. I also liked Jaguar Racing Green, British Racing Green and Seafrost as well. Pacific Blue (an elegant deep blue) might also be nice. But all of these colors were rarely ordered–most S-Types are silver, white, or some shade of gray.
I think the designers did a good job reinterpreting classic Jaguar styling cues into a modern form:
1962 Jaguar Mark II
2005 Jaguar S-Type
The 2005 version was altered in small ways from the original 2000 model. Specifically, the taillights are different, the dashboard was revised, and a new transmission was introduced.
The classic Leaper–little touches like this make the car really special. This Jaguar is not just another “rolling appliance”–I get a lot of compliments on it!
Inside–lap of luxury! Real wood and Italian leather abound (It’s a Jaguar, after all!) I put in a custom shift knob with polished blue/green marble insert with silver Jaguar insignia.
Back seat is OK for children and dogs, but not adults for a trip of any length. However, both seat backs fold down, extending trunk load space. I’ve been able to bring home many large, bulky Craigslist treasures that wouldn’t otherwise fit because of this wonderful feature!
But what is this car like to drive? Well, overall, very nice! It feels like it cost $42,000, but that’s hard to express in words. The engine (base 3.0 liter V6) is about as smooth, quiet, and powerful as you would ever want. Most of the time the engine is nearly silent, except when you step on it and then you hear a muted, but powerful “growl”. The transmission is not as smooth as I’d like it to be, especially the 1-2 shift; but it has six speeds which gives you the kind of performance and economy you want, and most of the time it’s OK.
The ride is firm yet supple–I would call it an excellent “touring suspension”. The power steering is taut and responsive yet very easy–this was the greatest contrast with the ’91 Imperial, which required constant little corrections on the highway and the steering felt rather “numb”. In short, this Jaguar is a precision instrument with a high degree of refinement.
Not just a “rebadged Ford” but “MFD BY JAGUAR CARS LTD COVENTRY ENGLAND”.
Ford owned Jaguar at this time, and many components are sourced from Ford. However, the car was made in England and has decidedly different looks and personality from contemporary Fords. That Ford DNA is probably the reason I have not had too much trouble with this Jag. I’ve had to spend a fair amount to get the Check Engine, ABS, and Traction Control lights to go out, and I needed all new brakes, but that’s not too bad for an 18 year old car with 122,000 miles. Good kitty!
The problem is, eventually this car may become too old for daily driver use. What will I replace it with? My previous DDs include a 1987 Pontiac Grand Prix (in black), the ’91 Imperial, and this Jaguar. What recent cars have that same kind of classical elegance and élan?
Yes, there’s a difference!
Some candidates I’ve been considering:
2008-2013 Cadillac CTS. It has a definite Cadillac identity. One thing I don’t like is the way the sheet metal is formed around the rear wheel. Looks ill-proportioned somehow. Harley Earl’s GM would never put out something like this!
2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ. I’ve never owned a Lincoln before. The grille evokes the first Lincoln Continental. The interior seems quite nice. And there are three chrome stars on the front clip!
2017-2020 Lincoln Continental. May be out of my price range. Coach doors would be nice, but probably unobtainable. The “Butt-Head mouth” grille is not the prettiest thing ever. Is this as good an investment as buying a $13,000 1957-58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham in 1964 for $950?
Those are the only ones I can think of right now. Any other suggestions? Too bad Packard went out of business–I’m sure they’d be building something I’d like. Or would they?
This would be a good QOTD. A little impractical, but I would add the C7 Corvette to this list. They put a grille from a 53-55 Corvette on the front and improbably made it work (especially the models with the chrome bar across the middle of the grille). It is also the last of the “cab backward” Sting Ray style Corvettes that traces its lineage all the way back to the C3.
The C8, on the other hand, is a bit of a mess with all its creases, ducts, and huge butt (necessary to carry two bags of golf clubs they think their customers insist upon). It’s a sports car, not a golf cart, but I digress.
Go and buy the Cadillac Convertible That the car wizard has for sale ! He has fixed everything , so it will be a reliable driver .. Sweet
What to get next is a great question, and one I have been struggling with. The older I get, the more “personality” takes a back seat to utility and a lack of drama. If I was going to look for a used sedan higher up the food chain, I might think about a middle-aged Genesis (whether while or after it was a Hyundai). I will admit that I have done no research on them, though. But a Toyota Avalon would be hard to beat for comfort and quality. Perhaps a later Chrysler 300? Now would be the time to get that big V8, because they are fast disappearing.
I just got a 2012 Avalon and it is incredibly boring. My twin teens are driving it now and for a while I thought it would be a nice replacement for the Crown Vic Sport – but the Avalon is absolutely no fun to drive. No personality. A very competent boring ZERO of a car. Glad I got it for the kids. It will last years. Years of excrusiating dullness, that is. The car is so boring it has become the last out of the four cars in our family that I want to drive. I do not recommend them unless you want to punish your 16 year olds.
I am in the same camp, after over 30 years of driving, mostly “vintage” vehicles, I finally bought a new truck for myself last year. I wondered if the lack of character would bother me. The answer is no, I am just really digging not having to fix things all the time, and my wife likes knowing that the next breakdown is not right over the horizon.
An Avalon would be a great choice, A Genesis or a Chrysler….
I always liked the new Continental and was disappointed it didn’t hang around too long. Very subtle yet distinctive design. I know you prefer sedans, but what about an Infiniti FX? I though the original was hideous…until I started absorbing the design.
I haven’t seen many (recent) reviews of the S-type and your general experience tracks with ours in regard to Ford-era Jaguars – i.e. surprisingly better than expected and different from most everything else out there. I believe the engine is the same as in the X, just oriented differently.
Next car? I’d toss the last of the classic shaped XJ8’s hat into the ring from the time before Jaguar decided to go in a non-Jaguar styling direction, so a 2009. Generally lower mileage, generally very well-kept (budget buyers didn’t apply), and if the S-type represents classic shaped Jaguars well, then the XJ8 does so even better.
That or a Chrysler 300C or S with a V8. Having had one, it’s very comfortable, is going to be far cheaper to correct anything that might go wrong relative to a Jaguar, handles surprisingly well for such a large car, and really fits in with your overall Detroit vibe.
If I wanted a big car, I would look for a Tesla Model S, facelift model from 2017 and up with AP2 and MCU2.
Otherwise, a Model 3 performance would be my pick. Big enough for me, faster then most other cars on the road, and incredible fun to drive.
Have been using a Model 2 the last 4 years as my work car, and I have to admit that every combustion engine just feels completely outdated after that.
“mine” was a 2014 P85+, with the stiffer suspension and RWD nly, a real blast to drive.
My first question regarding a used Tesla – how much longer before I have to replace those batteries? Recently a young lady erred in purchasing an electric Ford E-Max and within months, the batteries needed to be replaced and it cost more than the car to do that. Ford kindly replaced her car with a gas-powered Focus of the same year and value. So – is this something we always have to ask when we see a used Tesla?
Interesting answer. I haven’t owned a 4 door sedan since the early ‘90’s, and then only briefly, an E12 BMW 528i. And a large sedan doesn’t really fit my style or needs. But my list would be very short: Model S. I’m thinking that Tesla’s history of software updates and the critical mass of the Tesla charging infrastructure make the Model S as future-proofed as any EV. Though a Chrysler 300 is pretty appealing too.
Gotta say I’ve always admired the S Type, a great balance of interesting and functional. Also got a say I’m not a fan of any of your ideas for replacement. Genesis’ seem like a sketchy proposition as well, complex car with Hyundai quality may not be a good long term proposition.
Maybe a Camry + an MX5?
I too looked at these and XJs as a daily driver to replace my 2003 Accord that I’m passing along to my son here in NJ. You lucked out, the examples I looked at had too many needs-Cats system lights, rust and abuse. I ended up with a clean 03 Aztek with 70k on the odo.
I’ve had 3 XJ8s, wonderful cars. I once test drove a V8 BRG S Type and almost bought it, but something else caught my eye at the time. I forget what. But I do love Jags. I also had that 3.OL V6 Duratec in 2 Mazda MPVs and I agree it can make some nice sounds. What’s really funny is I also used to DD a car very similar to that Imperial- a hidden headlight New Yorker 5th Avenue, may have even been a ’91. 3.3L V6, shiny gray paint with gray tufted leather interior. It was in FLAWLESS condition, so darn nice that I showed it at the Mopar Nationals! Wish I had kept that one.
What do I replace my Ford Crown Vic Sport with? That has been a big question for me. The Ford has exceeded all my expectations and it is still a hoot to drive. But it has over 250,000 on it. I hate the idea of parting with it. The Chrysler 300 looks mighty fine, but I’m not sold on the quality of material or workmanship. The Ford has been stupid-reliable and right up there with my old Valiants on bullet-proof dependability. The Continental is also tempting, but I don’t consider $30,000 for a used one to be a decent bargain.
I do not want an SUV. Must be American – built in North America. That makes me sound like a grandpa, but I don’t care. I don’t want to drive something shipped by diesel engine from the other side of the world and then pretend it magically showed up in the Midwest. The Escape looks like it is just a beefed up compact wagon – maybe it has some kind of personality that would work?
Quote: “The Chrysler 300 looks mighty fine, but I’m not sold on the quality of material or workmanship”
I have owned just about every brand of car and can tell you no need to worry. My 300C (Hemi) was very well put together, and drove so very solid and smooth. Surely due in no small part to the MB underpinnings. It stayed looking like new inside & out, even well past 150k miles. Reliable, too. And the thing that really sticks in my memory was the leather they chose – the SOFTEST leather of any car I’ve had, which includes Jags, Mercedes, Lincolns, Caddys and BMW 7 series.
Thank you!
Stephen, I like the 2017-2020 Lincoln Continental with the coach doors; however, what I really want is a slate roof on my home just like the one pictured above.
The first house I owned was in the same neighborhood, and it had a similar slate roof. Slate roofs are designed to last the life of the house:
Picture:
Stephen, I like the roof and I like the house; thanks for posting it.
They’re doing roof work on the church next door now. It has a “slate roof” , most of which I understand dates back to the “early 1900’s”.
Ummm… Lexus? If you must have a luxury brand. Or Avalon, if not. Reliability trumps boring every time, and no one does reliable like Toyota.
Enjoyed reading about your S Type – almost bought one when they came out in 2000 but then looked at the Lincoln LS also just introduced. Was a bit pricier at $48000 but well worth it, still.have it & like it more with the passing years, runs great & not expensive upkeep.
I agree with your choice of a Lincoln MKZ, I even like the later ones with the sinister moustache grille, I love the swoopy roof and rear end. The CTS from ’08 and later are a good looking and put together car, I’m seriously considering an XTS in the next few years. Give a thought to a 2005-2014 Mustang, either coupe or convertible. They have a pretty good backseat and the coupes have a pass through. The early 200hp. six is more than adequate, the newer 3.7 puts out 300 hp. The V8s are good and have plenty of power.4.6 with 300 hp. and the 5.0 with 400+. I went with a ’06 GT because I wanted the retro looks, I’d bought a new ’07 Coupe with V6 and was very happy with it.
Noticed the license plate frame that says “Pellegrino.” By chance is you or your family in the motor vehicle business? In any case, very appropriate for you!
If you like the S Type, why not a late classic style XJ8 (X350) or a newer XJ (X351). I’ve no idea of the likely costs or your budgets, but they seem to build on your experience and tastes.
I suspect going to a Chrysler 300 (for example) after the Jag would generate a sense of loss of premium feel…..
My 2003 Jaguar S type. Leased it then bought it when the lease was up. A huge improvement over the 2000 model, which I also had but didn’t care for. It now has 66,000 miles and I still use it as a daily driver. No major problems yet, although I did have to replace the torque converter and starter. Here it is, all washed and polished and ready for a summer in the Michigan woods.
Here’s the image.
Try a small image size–then it should go through.
The Car Style Critic guy has a new post up about the Jaguar S type. Check it out.
I cringed a bit at the Cadillac. Definitely not for me.
I suppose I personally have a hard time wrapping my head around what exactly is “too old for daily driver use”. In my house, all of the daily driving cars have over 200K miles on them, and if there is ever any special mission that requires some kind of automotive heroics that the existing cars cannot handle, then there’s always a rental vehicle. That maybe happens a couple of times a year at most.
But playing along with the question, I guess that if I had to or wanted to acquire a newer, fewer miles, vehicle that did not carry with it quite as high a chance of unexpected failure (but let’s face it, anything could by definition fail unexpectedly), I’d either go with some sort of new crossover and/or something electric. I am not a fan of Teslas, but by the time this thought experiment might become real, I expect an even wider choice of electric vehicles than are currently available, so there’d be no need to go with a Tesla if I wanted something large and comfortable and reliable. I throw “crossover” into the mix because I guess if I were to get a new vehicle, I’d want something with maximum utility. I’m somewhat loath to tie myself to a truck – as practical as that might be – as my only vehicle, but something that had the utility of a truck and the passenger-carrying comfort of a car would possibly work. Hence, what is termed “crossover” in today’s market.
But really, I guess I’d rather just keep older vehicles on the road until I no longer need to be behind the wheel at all.
I’m surprised no one suggested a 2010 Mercedes C300:
Nice car, I like the color and in fact am going to look at one of its siblings in a very similar, if not the same, color by a different name.
Regarding what to replace it with I support the MKZ, though as a owner of the newer generation would recommend that one instead. We owned a 2010 Fusion Hybrid and currently own a 2015 MKZ Hybrid and think that the generational improvements are significant enough to justify any added expense. The added features of the retractable panoramic roof and massage seats are enough for me to make the justification but at least on the hybrid versions the powertrain is worth it too.