Jaguar X204 S-Type, my 1st taste of UK bargain motoring

[Shabaza]

Cheap V8 cruisers with some character, far more interesting prospect then anything else at that price point.
Welcome to the UK (have no idea why you like it so much )

Do keep us updated on running costs and any work you have to have done, it is the PH way

[sixor8]

Except it's the 2.5 litre V6. Still cheap though IMHO.

I've considered 1 or 2 myself but peeking behind the sill covers put me off. Check for sill rust.

[MikeM6]

Sport220 said:

It’s the 2.5 V6, not a V8 sadly. Not quick, but I’m happy with it.

Reasons why I like it so much include:
don’t enjoy 25/30 + degrees C and getting sunburnt back “home”, people here are way friendlier and more sociable, music and clubbing scene is 1000x better, media better as well, B-roads and NSL, (almost) no toll roads, love a chippy, english breakfast, the accents and humour, loads of tracks and motorsport, three different countries in the same island which I very much want to road trip. NC500, Evo triangle, etc. Have been reading evo for about 10 years. Make double what I earned back home, not impossible to get to 3 or 4x. Having good disposable income without having to live in family owned property is invaluable to me. Cars are so cheap compared to where I'm from. And the automotive and motorsport industry is massive here.

Thanks!

Edited by Sport220 on Tuesday 11th April 14:09

It's refreshing to hear something positive about the UK for a change, so thanks.

I quite like these and have at times been tempted by the cheap S Type Rs that used to appear.

[jamieduff1981]

Nice car

I had a 3.0 V6 for almost ten years and really enjoyed having it. It was very reliable apart from a tendency for the rear brake calipers to bind - they were a common reason for me to have the back end up on stands with the wheels off but I had to do little to that car over the time and milage I had it. I did notice that the handling is only very good for a car this size providing the suspension geometry is correct. I replaced rear lower arm bushes and the rear upper arms entirely when their balljoints started moving. The rear tie-rods I replaced too. I am/was fussy about handling though - most people will drive until it's so sloppy it fails an MOT then do the absolute minimum. I on the other hand wanted it tight and driving properly at all times.

I still miss that car. So few today have been kept in good condition and have instead been run into the ground.

[jamieduff1981]

From memory the EPB module is on the CANBUS network. Do you have the electric systems manual already? It can be downloaded easily enough.

[anonymous-user]

That last image is one for the bad parking thread!

[Rowe]

EPB was battery related on the one I used to run.
I found that releasing it (with the ignition on) before starting the engine worked until the battery really was knackered.

We had a R and my 2.7 in our family. Great cars, though both succumbed to the rust gremlin.

Edited by Rowe on Friday 14th April 08:46

[Blackpuddin]

Dying batteries are responsible for a surprising number of faults on modern(ish) cars.
Welcome to the UK and to Jag motoring. This week's Shed of the Week might be of interest, it's a V8 for under £2k.

[EmBe]

I had a 3.0 XJ of the same vintage, even a slightly low battery caused no end of problems.

Also - Nice to hear from someone who appreciates the UK. So many people who were born here seem to do the place down, whereas if you travel around the globe it's soon apparent there are many, many positives to living here.

[SirGriffin]

Lovely car, mine was the 2.5, and was a lovely engine. The 6 speed auto box was smooth but witless, didn't have a clue what to do when more power was called for.

I have to say that the wood used in the S-Type was just hateful, mine had turned green...shame they didn't fit the better quality wood packs fitted to the US spec models, but then they didn't want people to have the luxury available on the XJ.

Nice cars but there was always something wrong with it...

[W00DY]

Great story and a lovely car in those colours!

[braddo]

EmBe said:

Also - Nice to hear from someone who appreciates the UK. So many people who were born here seem to do the place down, whereas if you travel around the globe it's soon apparent there are many, many positives to living here.

Yep. Most people in the uk haven’t seen enough abroad to know how good the uk is, and read too much of the misery-spreading tabloids and telegraph - those papers seem to love seeing the worst in things and making people miserable.

[emmetb]

Sport220 said:

It will be a £2,500 car once I’ve had those two jobs done (not far off as is), but at least everything will be working and I still think it’s a lot of car for the money.

I think you're absolutely right. My mate has had three of these and all of them have done plenty of miles with very few issues. They seem to have a bad reputation, but then so did the XJ350 I had which was one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned. I think as long as you keep on top of maintenance and watch those sills behind the plastic covers and the rear arches for the dreaded tin worm you have some luxury motoring on a shoestring budget. Personally I find the shape a little too retro, but that's just my opinion and counts for nothing in the grand scheme of things. The Jaguar forum is a friendly place and very helpful with any issues. Parts are also plentiful secondhand so that's also a big help.

[Bobupndown]

Nice car. A bit of diy spannering would keep costs down if you are able or have the inclination to.

[j4ck100]

Lovely car and welcome to the UK!

I've never driven an S type but have driven an X type with the same engine. I remember it being a creamy unit.

I do recall some people querying the point of the 2.5 instead of the 3.0 though where mpg difference is negligible. Having said that, I'd rather a clean 2.5 as yours appears to be, vs an average or bad 3.0!

[jamieduff1981]

I've had both at the same time. The S-Type is easily a nicer drive than the X-Type in AWD form. The X-Type isn't a bad car at all, but the S-Type is seriously under-rated. As for 2.5 versus 3.0 V6 - again I've had both. You can only tell the difference above around 4000rpm. The 2.5 runs out of puff whilst the 3.0 keeps pulling up to the redline. You get very similar torque out of them both at low RPM. They cost the same to build even if sold at different prices, the same to service and use almost exactly the same amount of fuel providing you're not driving flat out where, obviously, the 3.0 has a higher potential to use your fuel to generate power.

[Medic-one]

Welcome to the UK from a fellow foreigner & S-type owner!

I like the colour on yours, and can't go wrong with an S-type, I've been using mine (4.2 V8 'R') as a daily driver for the past 8 years now, still love it.

[Vsix and Vtec]

Excellent choice my friend, the 2.5 is a very reliable engine, and those face-lift S Type were really nicely put together too. I worked the a Jaguar dealer from 1996 until 2006, and I got to see the S Type come and go in both guises. The quality difference was evident from day one. That Ultraviolet is a lovely colour too, it seemed to suit the S Type better than some of the other models.

I think you've done well with this one, looks like a nice find and I'd be confident of it serving you well for many miles to come!