Hello folks and happy thanksgiving. I am in the market for a STR as I have always wanted one and the time is come for me to get another vehicle. I have found a low mileage one and will go to the dealership soon to look at it. Anything special I should look at, the car only has a bit over 40k miles on it. Are there any differences between the 03-05 STR's?

 

05strjag, don't blame ya for wanting the STR machine...dang of a beautiful beast. Ok, check its CarFax, but don't completely trust it. Many autos are in wrecks but not reported. Check under the fender and bumber skirts and under hood for paint mismatch and overspray. Check tires for excessive wear, as this should be a price lowering consideration. Check brake pads, ask for service records, etc. The 03's and 05's are both screwed very together very nicely, with the 05's having a more canted front grill/hood rake with driving lights deleted. The 05's also have a rear deck spoiler that doesn't trancend over the rear fenders. Others will soon mention more dissimilarties. What's the asking price, color, options, extended warranty, etc.? An 05 with 45k miles will likely sell for $15,900. I feel your excitement.

 

Are there any drive train/mechanical differences between the 03/04 and the 05's? Thanks for the info. I can't wait to get one, I never leave any of my cars stock and I know there is a lot of potential in the STR. I was actually close to buying an 04 S Type V6 Blue with White leather 2 years ago that only had 23k miles. The car was so clean I didn't mind the fact that it had a V6...

 

No drivetrain/mechanical difference until 06, which received variable cam timing. Agree...the "S", regardless of configuration, is a sexy car.

 

How much extra power does the variable cam timing give? Are the 06's noticeably faster stock for stock?

 

No more power. It's to reduce emissions to comply with tighter laws.

 

A highly debatable consensus is that the 05+ is more reliable than the '03...I had an '03 and just about everything that could go wrong did...Now I have an '05 and over six months of ownership, only a few things have gone wrong...

Rules for buying a STR...
First, check the color of the coolant, if it's green, pass on the car...
Second, do NOT buy one until it's seen by a mechanic...
If the mechanic finds a coolant leak, demand he locates the source...Reason is it could be a $50 hose, $125 tank or a $1000+ infamous under the supercharger leak...
That's really it for major items...Everything else is just a formality or just wear and tear that you can try to use as a bargaining chip...

The transmission can be "moody" and have a "hoot", have a lurch, but this neither seemingly decrease trans life...

With tires, overwhelming majority of S-Types eat the inside of the tires, so much so that Jag updated the alignment specs to counter this inner tire wear...Make sure you check the INNER tread on the tires...New tires generally run over a grand...
Check to see if the heat blows hot and the A/C blows cold...$200-$500 if not (several possible problems)
4 new rotors costs nearly $500...
If it's equipped with Nav but missing the Nav CD that's about $200 from a forum sponsor
A new keyfab ranges from $200-$300 using ebay and have Jag cut/program it...

 

Bacardi summed it up neatly and concisely.