Well I haven't bought it yet but I did but a deposit on a 2003 STR over the weekend. The wife and I miss my X-Type so we started looking for something nice to have again. Problem is, I don't know much about the S-Type R's. We haven't driven it yet because it was snowing/sleeting and the tires were BALD. The dealership is putting tires on it over the weekend and hopefully we'll be able to test drive it Monday if it dries up. It's a 2003 with 63k miles. What things specific to the STR's should we be wary of? What should we specifically take a look at? Thanks in advance! Hoping to become a member of the Jaguar family again soon.

 

DCCV
Reservoir tank
Hose under S/C
Tires
Gas

 

And SNOW!!! It has 400HP and fat tyres (tires), is RWD so hard to handle. You'll need winter tyres.

Beware speeding fines.

Other than the above you'll love it!

 

Examine the operation of the dual zone climate control very closely, will it blow hot, will it blow cold, do all the vents work, does the dual zone work?

What color is the STR inside and out? Does it have factory navigation system?

What is the dealer asking for this particular STR?

 

It's quartz with the black interior, no nav. They're asking $13,900.
Thanks for the tips everybody!

 

I am surprised no one mentioned the transmission!
When you test drive the car make sure you get the transmission fluid up to temperature(at least 15 miles),then watch for clunky shifts.Ask the dealer to change the transmission fluid etc.

 

Definitely look closely at transmission performance on the test drive, ask if there is any records relating to transmission service. The transmission is 'sealed for life', so in many cases, the fluid will have never been changed or any service performed, resulting in almost always a failure by 90-100k miles... or at least that's what I tell them when looking to drive down the price...

Price is a bit high, that's probably double what the dealer paid at auction for that car or what they paid out on a trade, you have room to haggle,

If you search this forum, there has been many discussions related to what to look for in a used STR, so browse through them,

 

Good advice thus far. Be sure to read the S-Type FAQ threads carefully at the top of this section of the forum. I agree that the car is significantly overpriced - sharpen up your pencil and negotiate a better deal....

 

They won't want to change the trans oil (after all, it's "sealed for life" aargh) so that may be a lever to get the price down.

 

See how old the battery is.

 

Check the 2 bolts on the tranny cable linkage.
Replace 2-piece lug nuts (if still there) with 1-piece solid lug nuts.
Check for squeaks on the steering column - may need a special ($12) additive.
Check the condition of the plastic thermostat housing - probably brittle by now.
Check the torque on the prop shaft bolts.
Check wheel alignment, set to new standards as per Brutal.
Clean or replace fuel filter.
edit - I nearly forgot...
Lubricate handbrake cable & check pads
Lubricate accelerator linkage.

 

Chickenhawk, ditto to all the preceeding. What does the CarfAx say? $13,900? More like $11,900 max. Though she has 63k miles, she's still 10 years old.

 

All good suggestions!

Only thing I will add is be brutal with the dealer. You can't GIVE these things away and it won't be sold quick.

Also there are people on this list who have access to wholesales auctions. Maybe post up what you are looking for?? You might be surprised what you can get one for.

Consider 2005 and up if possible. They seem to suffer less from the short shifting syndrome. That’s where the car shifts early (Like 5800 rpm or lower) when at WOT. It really does make a difference.
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Def. +1 to third....beat the crap out of the dealer. Even go as far as indicating it's a toss up between this STR and another. In other words: You, not them, have the ultimate choice to either move ahead or move on.