Thinking of buying an S type

[LeeM]

Im currently driving an 04 Merc CLK320, but am falling more and more for the looks of the S type, Ive found an (07) - Jaguar S-Type 2.7 D V6 XS that I like the look of, but am still apprehensive about moving away from the merc.

Has anyone made the same move, or perhaps the other way and what are your thoughts.

Also, Is the 2.7 gutsy enough? I like the XS body styling and grilles, but don't want to drop too much in power from the merc.

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

Hello Lee

My partner and I own two Jaguars - a '07 XK X150 and an identical S to the one which you are interested in : a '07 2.7 D V6 XS.      Although we haven't/didn't switch from a Merc, we have no hesitations about our choice with the S.

Points -

the twin turbo "Lion" V6 has tremendous torque and is plenty quick enough; perhaps a comparison on one of the usual internet sites would give actual figures, in terms of accleration from rest/on the move etc. but you will find that the power unit is very responsive and you will usually run out of pluck way before the S runs out of steam!

The gearbox, provided it is in good fettle, is very smooth and, of course, has the Sport override setting.  No paddles on the S - manual override is by way of the J-gate.

Fuel economy on runs usually pans out at around 40ish, although some may get a little more; round town not so good....low to mid 30s.   It should be remembered that the "Lion" power unit takes quite a while to warm up in cold weather (aided by a Webasto type engine heater) so fuel economy on short runs can be affected.

As we are sure other members of the Forum will point out, the diesel S has 2 EGR valves etc and a DPF........."DPF full" warnings can be quite common if the car has a history of pottering around locally.  This was the case for us, but after a couple of months we switched to premium fuel.....Shell V-Power/BP Ultimate etc and the problem has been solved.  We should say that using Premium fuel is pretty essential if you want to avoid the annoying DPF warnings.

There are a lot of bushes on the suspension of the S....any undue wear can affect the handling, whilst, as Joe.dot.com (elsewhere on the Forum) will stress........sills,sills,sills!!   The sills of the S are hidden behind plastic covers and all sorts of horrors can occur there.

Although some of the points on another current thread concern the V8 S-type, many of them are relevant to the diesel as well.

The later S, with mesh grille etc can still turn heads; we know which we should prefer.

Good hunting!!  (and happy growling)

[LeeM]

Thanks for the help all 

[Old Peter]

Welcome to the club, Lee.

I bought my S Type 2.7 Diesel almost 5 years ago.  It is an SE on an 07 plate with a lot of optional extras,  in Indigo Blue with Dove Grey leather and trim.

She has done 77k miles, and has returned at best just over 50 mpg, but on a normal long run around 45 mpg, using cruise control set at 70 mph on those road which permit that speed. I also use premium fuel, with the occasional slug of Millers Eco Plus diesel into a full tank, which keeps the fuel system clean.  I have never had a problem with the DPF and since using the above additive no problems with EGR valves.  I do mostly short journeys too.

The V6 engine is very smooth and when you press the S button you will be surprised at is speed from 20 mph to 70 mph. Being a diesel, it will also pull anything short of a Sherman tank.

A great car!

Regards,

Peter.

 

Below is my  S type, and another S Type in its racing trim at Gaydon Motor Museum. 

Both have the sane engine!

[LeeM]

Thanks again,

It's now only a toss up between an XS s type or I'm thinking of upping budget to 8k and getting an XF, seem to be a few decent looking ones around for that money with 80ish k on them.

[LeeM]

Thanks again,

It's now only a toss up between an XS s type or I'm thinking of upping budget to 8k and getting an XF, seem to be a few decent looking ones around for that money with 80ish k on them

 

Edit : the more s types look at, the more confused I'm getting.

I thought the lower front and rear mesh grilles were only on the XS but a lot don't seem to have them. Also, the XS dont seem to have a touchscreen nav which I believe is easier to integrate with phone etc.

Ideally I want anything that isn't a V8, with full mesh grilles on front and rear, with touchscreen nav. Don't care about interior trim type as I can alter that myself.

Can someone help with models that may have these features, or are they options, so search through every stype until I get lucky?

Edited February 27, 2018 by LeeM
Edit

[Guest]

Hi Lee and Welcome to the Club,

Personally I think the key point to bear in mind for choice of S Type is what mileage you're likely to do. Short journeys at low speeds will induce DPF problems with the diesels but these can be overcome by using premium fuels together with an occasional journey at over 50(ish) for around 20 miles. Short journeys also pose problems for the battery for both petrol and diesel versions but these too are easily overcome with a suitable charger - the key problem is that if the battery charge is not maintained at a suitably high level all sorts of warning lights can light up and may need to the use of a ODB2 coder reader to clear them.

Mesh grills, front and rear, were offered as standard on only a small number of S Type editions and were offered, if I recall correctly, as a factory option. There is a strong trade in after-market grills that can be installed at reasonable prices. I think it would be best to focus on getting a structurally and mechanically sound car and add these shiny bits afterwards.

Regarding the Touch Screen Nav; again I think these were first introduced in 2003 facelift which disposed of the old, and to my mind better, dashboard. If not already factory fitted in the car of your choice these too are readily available and with a little knowhow can be installed easily and a relatively small cost.

Cheers and keep us posted.

Steve