+1, a dollar saved is a dollar earned; richest people I know around me, and i mean genuinely loaded, massive business fortunes, didn't get there by spending frivolously, in fact, they're notoriously cheap for guys with their sort of net worth. It's usually the nouveau-riche or faux-riche (thanks to todays financing and leasing terms) that are flaunting the hardest.

With that said, a great deal of satisfaction I derive from my STR ownership is knowing how little, relative to price when new, and value, I'm getting for my money. Sure upkeep, fuel economy, tires, etc is hardly like driving a corolla, but cars I would consider 'upgrading' to from the STR cost about 2, 3 or 4 times more than my STR is worth right now.

Here in Canada, my STR sold for well over $80k when new... Even if I could afford an $80-90k luxury car new off the lot, I don't think I could justify that sort of cost, not when you're upside down on the car note from the minute you roll off the lot. No thanks, I'll let the guys with money to burn eat up that massive hit in depreciation, and scoop up a great deal a few years down the road.

Relative rarity of the S-type, particularly the R, is one of my favorite aspects of the jag ownership experience. I also am meticulous about keeping it clean and polished to the nine's, this way the classy Jag image is preserved, and I don't end up looking like I'm driving a run-down 10 year old jag; instead, I get people stunned to hear what year it is, how much mileage it has on it, and think its still a 20-30k+ car... The 19" forgestar's I put on recently also help kick some visual-*** too...

 

There is much less to that whole "Taurus thing" than many have been led to believe.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...history-34069/

 

Staatsof,

I do not consider myself an economist. I make my living these days by playing the options markets. High risk / high reward. Sometimes high risk / heavy loss. But my economics/statistics background sure helps me mitigate the occasional disaster....

 

If you're making a living doing that then I'm impressed and it doesn't really matter what you're called!

 

I own a 2001 Taurus equivalent, Sable.
It's been a decent useful car that at 140K very tough miles is near death.

But it has zero in common with the 2005 S-Type.

Saying there's a Taurus association is an idiots comment.

 

As a 6 year owner of a 3.0 and 3 year owner of a STR, I love it and care less what they say in the media. We all have different taste but everyone still loves a Jaguar period!!!!!! Since day one I got my 3.0 I was already planning ahead (in years) to get my STR. Its never left me on the side of the road at my worst moments (financially years back).

 

Obviously the exterior is the first (and only view) many people get of my S type and it still draws crowds that walk by slowly, stop, turn and admire. There are also the ones that actually make verbal comments on my S type. They think it's so much that it isn't; v12, 100K car, newer than it is, in a class all of it's own. Yes, most of these admirers are 'old school' baby-boomers, but some are not. I still love driving it every time I start it up. My 35 year old son can't drive it enough and my neighbors think I'm in a class all my own. I didn't by it to impress. I just wanted a wonderful car to drive/travel in and I love the rare looks that it evokes. It was a great buy for the money and still has been a good car with the typical car mechanical issues and costs that accompany a 10 year old car. I hope to keep driving it for many more miles, at least to 200K. It just turned over 166K. That's my 2 cents.

 

Yet another economist speaks up. I bought my '06 s-type VDP used a year ago at a decent price and have put 10k miles on it since. I love the retro look - it reminds me of the somewhat dilapidated XK-140 drophead coupe I owned in college. I got a whole lot of car for the price I paid for my s-type, and it is the sweetest highway driver I've ever owned. It won't be the cheapest car I've ever owned, but, dammit, I'm worth it.