My bimmers were way more expensive to maintain. You should have a competent mechanic do all work if you aren't handy.

 

Don't buy it! I hear this all the time; I have owned BMW's, Mercedes and now a Jag S and yes they are all expensive to maintain if you do not know what you are doing. If you can change your own oil, brakes, shocks belts, air filters and do minor diaginosis these cars are cheap and engineered for people to work on them. I you need someone to change your oil then just pass and go get yourself a Honda. A experienced mechanic will smell you like dog sh@*.

 

Oh very droll Shawnethan! But there is strong element of truth in what you say. Owning even a modern Jag. is not really for the inexperienced unless you're pretty well-off. The clue is in the (website's) title. It's an ENTHUSIASTS club. In fact I'd go so far as to say that an old Jag. is probably easier to fix IF you can get the spares. Indeed, this will apply to most pre-1980s cars. Why? NO COMPUTERS!!!
So...if you're not handy around cars and fixing them up, you must, absolutely must have a friendly, experienced, honorable mechanic at hand. Now why do I have a mental image of dollops of brown stuff around a rocking horse?
Leedsman.

 

From comparing repair prices for my S-type 3.0 and a few of my friends that have BMWs they seem to be about the same, expensive. I totally agree that you can knock a lot of the maintenance prices off if you're able to do the normal oil/air filter/brakes etc yourself. I remember when I had the check light come on for mine and tried to get the codes read and they told me that it would be their $110/hr minimum. It just turned out to be the air filter, $38, thankfully that I was able to troubleshoot myself.

So if you are truly considering buying one make sure that you know what you are getting into and just research out some pricing of even the normal maintenance items. Both of them are out of warranty now, so you are on your own if something like your tranny goes out which I've seen priced @ approx. $6000, which you would probably have to get done at the Jag dealer as they may have to reflash the computer as a part of it.

 

Andy, I think you should definately get the 2005. 2005 everything was updated and all the glitches, etc were fixed. 2005's look much better from the back and front. The back has the full strip of chrome.

'Jaguars are expensive to maintain' is more of a myth, if you take care of the car, and get the oil changes, etc done you shouldn't have a problem. The ones that were expensive to maintain were the 2000-2004. Stick with 05' and up.

 

Roflmao,wow this guy is cold. But true.

 

The major mechanical updates came in 2003. The 03 isn't that bad. I have had no trouble with mine so far. I have heard that the 2000-2002's were the ones to avoid. Whichever car you get, I would drain and fill the trans fluid immediately. If you don't like spilling oil over the place, get it done at a respectable shop. It should cost you around 250.00.

 

But he said the 2004 and 2005 are same price. The 2005's look so much better, they have all the updated features. I would never get anything less than 2005 because it looks too old, thats just me though.

 

Aside from a 'different' trunk lid, please explain to me what all the updated features are.

 

Wasn't that covered recently? Anyone recall the thread?

Basically some cosmetic changes which you either love and will pay for or you don't.

 

The trunk chrome strip? The front mesh grill? The interior? The lights on the sides? The 2005's look totally different.

 

The front mesh grill? Nope, same. Optional mesh grill was on STRs since way back.
The interior? Nope, same
The lights on the sides? Nope, same
The 2005's look totally different. OK.

 

One post from this person. Ignore.

 

Actually, I remember now that the new dash instruments came out in 2005. I prefer the older design.

 

For me, it would be a tossup. They slightly updated the look of the dash and the body panels for 2005. The wire mesh grill didn't become standard until about 2007 or 08, I think. I think that the radio is slighly better on the 2005 in that it has Bluetooth capabilities.

In my prior post, I was saying that the major mechanical updates took place for the 2003 model year, which included an updated interior, a new autobox, revised suspension, a 4.2 L V8 engine, and a revised 3.0 L V6.

 

This is not the link Jagv8 was thinking about but I thought I would toss this in for the OP

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=34709

 

Hi all, yes they might be exspensive to maintain & dont do a great deal to the gallon, but my Jaguar S Type 4.2 V8 gives me more smiles per mile than any car I have owned, so worth every penny.
Regards Steve

 

mikey, what the hell are you talking about?
the 2004 vs 2005 mesh is different. anyone who knows a thing or two about jaguars will right away know if its a 2005 and up or 2004 and under..

The cars do look totally different to someone who knows jaguars and knows the details, but to the average person they would never be able to tell the diffe. and thats not even the main point, the main point is the 2005's are much more reliable.

 

Yup. Good advice. Thanks.