Whewww! I thought I was the only one who hates the jags, especially comparing the flagship the xj vanden plas??? to all the others out there.

Whoops original thread is about the s-type R. Looks good though compared the non-type R.

 

Let us not forget that Ford has a big stake in Jag. But I have heard Ford is considering pulling out of Jag... If true, maybe Jag will get better or maybe they will just go under

 

But they look sooo good!! Yea, build quality is below average as everyone here is saying. I would love to own a Jag someday, but I would definitely need a second car as well.

 

I agree!

~Josh

 

They look good on paper, sitting in your garage, or cruising down the street when they are actually running, but they don't look so good sitting on the back of a falt bed being taken in for repairs, which is where it will spend alot of time if its your daily driver.

I'd say just wait and buy the new LS.

 

I bought an '03 R after having my 400 for the last 4 years - so I can give a few opinions on the subject.

In short, I haven't missed my GS...yet.

Jag is placing well with JD Power in initial quality at this point in the game. So, while I understand the old stereotypes regarding Jaguar - I don't believe they're as accurate as you might think.

Re: quality: The R is every bit the quality of the GS and then some (which it should be for the original MSRP). Switch gear, tactile feel, and materials are all on par with or above my '99 GS. Highlights for me included the leather on the seats and the materials used on the dash and center console. The wood is plentiful and tasteful.

Reliability: hell, who knows I've only had the car for 5k now but all is well at this point.

Handling: Think of an M5 with some smoothness built in. Across my old C5, STS and GS, this car best combines taut, precise, handling without beating the hell out of your kidneys. Steering response and frame solidity inspires confidence and trust. This is where I was trying to get my GS with L-tuned but never accomplished. It's slotted somewhere between a 545i and an M5 (last gen) in the feel department. The weight is above 4,000 and while the car doesn't feel big it does feel extremely solid.

Power: Has to be felt to be believed. Someone mentioned the IS350 earlier and I chuckled. While on paper the stats may be similiar - in terms of real world, it's a different story. 90% of 400 torque is available at something like 1,800 RPM. The acceleration, with added super charger whine, feels almost dead on to my old C5. There's an unmistakable push in the back that's tough to duplicate without a huge and proper torque curve. No need to rev or for the transmission to downshift - the thing just goes.

Design - purely subjective but, for me, I like the boldness from the everyday. 275/18s on the back with 245/18s on the front give it a very aggressive look.

Now if the thing ends up in the shop - my tune may change quickly but it was maintenance free for the prior owner and so far so good under my care. FWIW, maintenance is free of charge until 50K or 4 years.

Bang for the buck? Resale values are on par with Infiniti; i.e. you would be flushing $$$ down the drain buying one new. On the used market, for this type of power in a sedan, you're looking at AMG, M5, RS6 - all of which are very good company but also $10 to $15 more. If you don't mind downgrading interiors, then the CTS-V is an option.

If you have a need for speed with four doors and you're on a budget - the R is a steal. Considering they brought about 500 a year to the states, you certainly won't see them on every corner.

Downsides? Interior room is less than the GS. Again think of the last 5 series. Seats - while not an issue for my frame, are very sport oriented, heavily bolstered and fairly narrow. I'm 5'11/175 - if you're pushing 200+ or over 6'2, my suggestion is that you sit in one first prior to buying. FWIW, you can't sit in a regular S-type to get a feel - the R has different seats.

Don't bang on the R until you've driven one. I was hesitant to make the switch until I pressed the accelerator. It's a night and day difference from the GS in terms of feel regarding: power, steering and handling.

Good luck,
Eric

 

A shot of the interior...

 

I think Ford actually saved Jag.

We were looking at both the X-Type and S-Type, and neither appealed to us.

 

well..the stype R is a very nice car, fun....fast. as for the quality, i have to disagree cause the switch gear is the same as the ones in some fords.....example....window switches, climate control...the electronics are straight out of the fords parts bin.

over all....it is a fast car, fun to drive.....but long time reliabilty.....im not sure.

 

Regarding the switch gear...

BTW, I'm no fan of Fords (at least since the 1st and 2nd Gen SHOs) but the switch gear feels and clicks everybit as good as my GS. If it's the same as other Fords - then Ford has made some huge strides.

Additionally, I can tell you that I had an X-type as a rental and I think the car was a total bust. For a regular "S-type", I would not have let go of the GS but for the "R" - different story.

Like I said, if you're looking for 400bhp in a 4-door automatic - the "R" is tough to beat on the used market (assuming you can find one).

Good luck,
Eric

 

Put it this way... my opinion on the car is that when I saw one with a 50,000 price tag at the Lexus dealer, I said it was a complete piece of garbage... but when I saw the almsot identical car at a wholesaler here for only $30,000, I thought totally different about the car.

 

Would you like to see that interior in something else I have personally owned?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cadil...spagenameZWDVW

The similarities are striking. The steering wheels are practically identical. Look at the door handles.