Little blog post I stumbled across today, in a series called 'depreciation kings'

Well, we all know luxury cars, particularly european ones, tend to shed value really fast, but the S-Type is undoubtedly up there with some of the worst (*cough* AMG cars, *cough*)

On the flip side, if you've taken the opportunity to jump on an S-Type after the original owner, or two, or three... you may find yourself in one hell of a car and value proposition... well maybe... if you're inclined to DIY and bring 10 year old jag's up to date...

The article's author obviously isn't intimately familiar with the S... Yes the launch S from 99 to 02, was plagued by cheap parts sharing from the lesser fords, but by 03, the revision to the interior, suspension, transmissions, etc, really brought the S-type to a more competitive state...

Sadly, the damage had already been done, and the car is now forever associated with the "taurus" by even more astute 'car guys',

Oh and of course, there is the styling... Already looked dated at the time of release... I love my STR, but heck,even the more aggressive body work of the 03-04 R's... the front maw of the S is just... eh... yea........

When they did the minor body revision in 05, they focused on the wrong end of the car in my opinion. Rather than giving the rear-end the b6 audi treatment, they should have done something about the front-end.. which they did.... imperceptible tweak no less... by 03 we already had the bentley continental GT, perfect front end to ape onto the S-type imo...


Ah well... here's the link, check it,

Depreciation Kings: Jaguar S-Type

 

Just personal taste, isn't it. I don't like the Bentley (although I'd be pleased to be given one) and do like the 03-04 STR front.

I'm sure a case could be made for a changeable front to suit different tastes. Ought to be quite a cheap option.

Not quite so possible here / Europe due to laws about pedestrian impacts. And yes I do think pedestrians should stay off roads such that impacts are vanishingly rare but the legislators think otherwise apparently...

---

The odd thing about the S-Type is that Ford/Jaguar/press/etc behave as if it didn't sell well but actually ALL jags sold fairly poorly with the S-Type being #2 after X-Type (sometimes #1). Where are the moans about the very low numbers of the XK? Weird.

 

just a matter of taste, no 1 I have own jag xj8 for yrs & if it is taken care of it is a
car that when you see it you know what is, I can not say that about many cars for most look the same, 2. when I drive my jag down the street there are people always giving me the high five or stopping me to say how much they like my jag xj8 people like me do not buy the car for resale valve but because they love jags & all the attention they get when they drive it. Drive & enjoy for there is no other car that will get the attention that jaguar does when it is driven down a street

 

eh, XK, being a sports coupe, isn't expected to be a volume mover, and even the XJ, it competes in market with 7-series, S-class, etc, which do not sell in mega numbers either, (US sales stats)

The X and S are in the mid-size range where all the volume is in this market, and where competition is hottest. They were also the entry-level cars to the brand, and the prices reflected that. So I don't think ford/jaguar/press were being overly harsh in criticizing the poor sales.

On the other hand, the mid-size sedan category is by far the most competitive segment in north america. Superior offerings than the X or S have given the 3-series, C-classes and such their best shot, and failed. It's highly contested, and I think jag did okay in that sense.

On the flip-side, I enjoy the relative obscurity of my STR thanks to these factors.

 

Yes I have posted about this before. Here is another link. Not a bad car just unpopular. Which is much more important the higher you go up the style ladder!!

Cars That Depreciate In Value The Most

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...crash#slide-10
.
.
.

 

I wonder what the XF numbers are each year - anyone have them?

At least in Europe there are too many car makers chasing too few sales in every segment and overcapacity so the future is tough.

 

Being a second-hand vehicle buyer, I love depreciation. It made our 2005 S-Type the best bang-for-the-buck rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan I could find in December 2008 when I went looking for a luxury highway cruiser. I still feel the same way about it. It's been a great car and I hope it still has quite a few years and miles left for us....

 

As the previous owner of an XK-150S, the S-type R was absolutely everything I wanted for years, once Ford got the production quality sorted out. The retro look takes me back to Jag racing days, and when I see an XF today there's a small feeling of disappointment.

I guess I'm just a dinosaur, but my STR is admired everywhere I go. I want to bring the car up to "nearly-as-good-as-new" condition bodily and mechanically. So far, front-end professionally repainted, wheels restored, 30 extra HP added, and one day that twin-screw S/C from Avos will give an extra punch on those special occasions. The leather seats have absorbed liberal doses of Gliptone leather conditioner and are begging for more, and the car looks and smells like new. I'm as happy as a pig in sh*t.

 

I agree, I came from a BMW 540 to the STR and while the looks aren't the best, they aren't the worst either. I like speed and comfort that comes with it. I plan on keeping mine for at least another 2 years. I have had it since 2010, and currently only have 75k miles on it so I should be good for a while.

 

The thing I find most satisfying about owning my X-Type, and it holds for the S-Type and the XJ, is that they are unusual and people will notice them. Good or bad people notice them and you just can't really say that about a Merc, BMW, or Audi (and certainly not about a Lexus or an Infinity...).

Not really sure about the XF so far...
================================================
Jaguar - it's not an automobile, it's a Motorcar

 

I came from many years with Nissan/Infiniti and was looking at G37s, Maximas, Pontiac G8, and such. When I found I could own a Jag for less than any of the above, and a supercharged one at that, I couldn't put the down payment fast enough. Love the styling, fit & finish and of course the mystique. "You own a Jag?" Yes I do!

 

Love the XF... so sexy inside and out... yet at the same time... it's a huge departure stylistically from what I always loved about jags. I admired jag's growing up, particularly the XJ's, always had dignified badass british saloon look.

This is why the S-type's "retro styling" never bothered me, and I never really saw it as following in the "retro trend" of the day; Jag's have always kept a certain 'retro' look over the years, no different than Land Rover/RR's and Porsche 911's have maintained a certain shape and distinct look over the years, just updated and modernized.

With that said, as much as I love the new XF/XJ... the classic jag look has been completely abandonded in favour of a much fresher, more upscale, ASTON-looking designs, which again, is great and all, particularly for market appeal and completely the right direction to have gone for Jaguar... but still... They're not quite 'jags' anymore in my eyes... but don't think I could turn down an XFR for my STR in a straight trade that's for sure... But buying a new(er) XF? Something tells me maintenance is going to be even less-DIY than the S-type, and for that kind of money... eh plenty of other great luxury-sports bargains out there as well...

I'm not really feeling the front ends/grills of the new XF/XJ cars because they remind me of the new buick front ends a bit too much... heh...

 

I always get a kick out of Jaguar forum members who focus their purchasing decisions on depreciation, value, getting the best bargain, etc.

Who the hell cares -- what matters is that you love the car and it makes you happy.

If I always made auto purchase decisions with a mindset on getting the best value for the money, I would be miserable, and would probably hate all of the cars I owned.

I'm not saying make impulse purchasing decisions or buy what you can't afford -- I'm just saying buy what will make you happy.

I have never driven past a car to then give someone a thumbs up because I was so excited that they probably got a good bargain for their money.

 

I've always liked the look of the S-Type but I know Jag club members who think they're turds. Ah so what.

I have a hard time finding any BMW these days that's actually a beautiful design. They move a lot of cars and are obviously one of the trend setters for design.

Audi does a much better job of design IMHO. Having looked at their S models over the years yes they do have an appeal for me but OMG they are definitely not a DIY car for the likes of me. I'd rather be water boarded in Guantanamo that have to fix one of those. I expect the New 4WD Jags are probably just as bad.

I bought this car because I wanted something a bit quick and I couldn't spend the big money for a new one. It was a great deal and you don't see yourself coming and going.

However, there are a lot of s**t box looking S-Type out there now and not that many nice looking example left of the road. At least in the NYC metro area.

I doubt I'll ever see another opportunity like this again. No real complaints.

But just wait until that coolant hose under the SC goes out!

 

BrownRobin,

"Who the hell cares?"

I do. With a Masters in Economics and a Statistics minor, that's how I'm wired. No apologies - we obviously come from different perspectives, and there's nothing wrong with that....

 

Lol then why didn't you go with Honda or Toyota?

 

I liked the (5 series) BMWs up until the e60. Now they look too plain. Audis have really stepped up their game and the s5 is incredible. I just can't get past how tight their engine bays are set up.

 

Michael Star,

Notice I specifically said "bang-for-the-buck", not "cheapest to acquire/operate"....

There is a difference....

 

Corvette


Sorry I majored in econ as well (only a B.S. though)

 

OMG economists are drawn to S-Types!