I went for a test drive in a 2006 S-type R at a dealership yesterday.

I must say I was rather dissapointed after reading a number of good things about the car. So maybe I got a bad one?

45K mikes. Has lived in snow country, No paint left on the calipers. They're supposed to be Brembos so I was kind of surprised that they're cast iron? I have racing Brembos on my race car. humongous sized calipers in cast iron seems dumb to me.

Brakes worked but were extremely sensitive at low speeds. Very hard to modulate.

But it was the transition from stop that was just terrible. It doesn't do much of anything at first stab and then as you push it more urgently because traffic is approaching FAST it takes off in a snap. The traction control activated a couple of times and I was just trying to get going as smoothly as possible. I felt like a new driver trying to drive a clutch for the first time. Is this the transmission lurch I've read about?

It's hard for me to believe any of this is normal. So ... if it is screwed up what's going on here and why is the Jaguar dealer offering this with their extended warranty? Presumably, they've gone though the car so that it qualifies for coverage. It's a big well known, long time dealer too. Salesman said it was normal ... But he also said the car doesn't have one-touch down windows either. They didn't work if it does. I thought this car at least that and maybe one-touch up as well?

Not impressed so far.

Straighten me out.

Bob S.

 

Only certain years of the STR used Brembo Calipers. I don't think 06 was one of them. It's not that they had no paint left, it's that they were never painted from the factory.

The lurch is different. Its when you're coming to a stop and the car does an abrupt and hard downshift that feels as though you almost got lightly hit from behind in extreme cases. Either way the car feels like it wants to lurch forward, almost as if you had not enough gas and let out the clutch fast.

AS far as the acceleration and braking, I've only driven an str once, and it felt fine. Don't forget these cars are drive by wire, so you may have to be a bit more aggressive, and adjust your style with the go pedal to get the car to do what you want. Same with a car with big brakes, cast iron or not.

Now as far as one touch up and down, yes the car has it. Sounds to me like this car had a battery replaced recently and the adaptations aren't there, and the windows aren't programmed. Close the window, then hold the window switch in the up position without letting go for a couple of seconds, then repeat when you open the window, then the one touch will work. If this guy is a Jag salesman, he's a tool.

The car "learns" your driving style over the course of a few hundred miles, and there is a bit of a learning curve to a drive by wire car. Take the car on a longer drive, and experiment, you may be pleasantly surprised. Oh and find a new salesman.

George

 

Brembos were discontinued by 2006 so you didn't have a car with Brembos.

Drive another, whichever you buy, as the one you drove doesn't sound entirely right.

It will have one-touch (down & up) but sounds like it's been lost - which happens every time the battery is disconnected. What kind of dealer doesn't even know THAT!! To re-program, hold down button for a few secs after window is down and likewise when it's up. I guess it's even in the handbook lol

Hi George - beat me to it!

 

Were the earlier ones cast iron or what?
Any reason one or the other are more expensive to maintain?

That's not what I noticed. I mwant from s ysndstill or a slow roll as I tip in the accel pedal it did nothing and then with a further stab it lunged a bit. I didn't notice a doenshift but maybe that's what it was. So maybe this because a battery was replaced? wWhat ever it is it sucks. My 2001 Sable station wagon drives better than that car did andbeleive me that IS an insult. I got to drive another car but they'tre fairly rare.

I drive a lot of types of cars and for what is supposed to be more of a driver's car ala M5 or perhaps a S6 these brakes were way too sensitive. More like a mid 80's Cadillac or Lincoln towncar.


I don't think anyone will let me drive it quite that much ;>)) but I can ask ...

I need to try another example.

Thanks for the lenghy rerply George.

George[/quote]

 

I think this may be what's happening???

Variant 2 : In addition, when you slow very gently to a creeping halt without actually stopping and then gently try to accelerate - there is a slight hesitation when the engine revs higher, then the gearbox engages the drive wheels with a jolt. This varies from a harsh jolt to snatchy.

 

Not all STRs drive like that......Your does not have Brembo's which is a shame.....I love have 4 pistons at all 4 corners.....

The one touch just needs to be reprogrammed.....

Also take it for a test drive and take it to Advance auto parts or similar and have them read the ecu to see if there are any hidden codes.....

 

This bit from EVO magazine seems to describe what I noticed too.

"The only serious flaw in the R's dynamic make-up, however, was its response to the brake pedal. For general road use there was no doubting the power of the impressive-looking callipers and ventilated discs, but they were always rather grabby, making it near impossible to feather the brakes to bleed away a little speed, while when hauling down from high speed the pedal feel could be spongily inconsistent. I mentioned all this when BG54 DZZ went to Guy Salmon Jaguar of Northampton for its 10,000-mile service, but was told that this was 'how you'd expect an S-type R to feel'. Which was a pity, because it dented what was otherwise an extremely accomplished chassis."

Is that unfair?

Bob S.

 

Hard to say as you dont have the brembo's.....it takes a few mins to get used to cause they grab and grab HARD......but I can drive the car like any other and not notice anything....

 

You want to drive one with Brembos AND where the battery hasn't just been disconnected. When it's re-connected the car has to relearn (same as with most modern cars) and will NOT drive like it should until it does that.

On my 2004 STR I haven't had braking as Evo describe but who am I to disagree with Evo?

 

Precisely. Once you get used to the car, and have the open mindnessness to adjust to it, it drives smoothly as a town car. When I first got the STR I couldn't believe how powerful the brakes were, but now I don't even notice. Same with the very small lurch it has....I can brake and gas in a way that eliminates almost all lurch.

I think older gentlemen have less tolerance for these types of things and like the car to drive "right" the first time. As for me, making these adjustments were just 2nd nature and within a week (probably days) I was driving smooth.

 

All good replies and information. I use the Akebono ceramic pads on my 2005 STR with the Brembos and am very happy. You will find the factory brake pads dust like crazy. Of course this was with the factory Brembo pads. While I have not auto crossed the STR I have raced for quite a while and am sensitive to brake performance. I find the STR to brake great and very easy to control. Easy or hard.

Your kind of on your own with the braking because the 2006 STR was the first year the Brembos were dropped.

Be sure and visit;

http://www.thelurch.com/lurching_zf_transmission.htm

The guy is over the top with his complaints but still you should always expect the worse and hope for the best!!!

One last comment. I don't know what the car your coming from is?? But the STR is a very smooth car. I really was quite disappointed after my purchase for a while. It's just the STR makes no fuss or noise and just goes!! It does not even do a decent burn out! But after having a few runs on the street I found it is MUCH quicker than I was giving it credit for. Zero axle hop or other launch BS!!

Also the car is slow from the factory. Much discussion on this and other forums. Jaguar definitely detuned it to some degree. A Stock STR will put down around 330-340 ft-lb torque at the wheels on a dyno. But the motor rated at 399 ft-lbs. Would you really lose 60 ft-lb in the drive train?? Well I don't know but it seems high.
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Not sure what you mean by that but I drive race cars and high perf vehicles a lot. What this car did was crap. If you've adjusted to lurches like this which were not slight or mildly annoying then you're just accepting crap. I don't believe that you are. So I'm going to try another one.

Let me clarify the braking issue. I wasn't talking about at speed. It was while rolling along a parking lot and approaching a stop sign. This characteristic I'm not so sure is due to a bad example since other than being overly sensitive they exhibited no other signs of issues.

Thanks for the inpout as it's all helpful.

Bob S.

 

I have 8 cars so I am used to variety.

Yes this is what I was expecting, a smooth and somewhat taut car but this one was not smooth.

I've been to the lurch website. Useful but I agree about being a bit over the top.

Look, you can read enough critical websites and to can talk yourself out of a free Ferrari.

Bob S.

 

The 60 foot seems slow cause the 2.87 rear end gear and going through the auto instead of a stick car would also help.....

ahhhhh a 6 spd manual STR w/3.55 gears and straight axle........ahhh I could dream....

 

Ok, I have an 06 STR.

Not Brembo's. In fact Jag only brakes all round. I have no problem with them or with any car I have driven with Brembo or with Jag.
Last time I looked Jag does a fine job with its own R&D and these brakes can hold their own.First time driving any car takes some time to get the feel for it.
I know the parts for these brakes a far more reasonably priced over Brembo.

The lurch is an issue with almost all Jags with the ZF tranny.
My has been fine since a reflash and learning my driving style.
The car is just plain FAST. nuff said....

 

Funny, your experience makes me wonder if it was even an STR, although with your experience I'm sure you checked for a supercharger! LOL Anyway, it seems that you just found a bad one with the full battery of minor issues associated with this car that hasn't seen proper service to correct them. Maybe it was just bad luck. I would look for another one. I guess I got lucky with mine. I love it.

That said, the STR is far less dramatic than an M5, which I also test drove. Despite the phenomenal power and handling, I found the Bimmer to be rather look-at-me boy-racerish for a daily-driven sports saloon, especially with its herky-jerky shifting in traffic and its 1,357 driver optional settings. But to each their own.

As for the poor brake feel on the street, this is easily correctly with a set of Akebono pads, as tbird6 stated. Although I found the Brembo pads more useful during hard driving on mountain switchbacks.

BTW, the reason I even suggested that this wasn't an STR is because twice now I've seen a 4.2L V8 S-Type rolling around here in the South Bay beach cities area with "R" badges and a rear spoiler. It has the standard chrome accents, headlights, taillights, front fascia, grill, V8 badge, and wheels & tires. I looks like a dealer or previous owner just added the "R" badges for show.

I know, I know, pure blasphemy! I'm sure the late 40-something year-old woman I saw driving it has no clue.

 

No I'm sure it was a real one. I'm becoming more convinced it was also a mess. One front tire had a bulge in the side wall too. Not a terrific sign of a well maintained car. The PO probably never got the annoying crap looked after.

After seeing a couple of comments about the brakes (brembo versus stock) on here is there any consensus about how they fared over the years of production?

I assume the Brembos are more expensive to maintain???

Are the rotors the same for all years?

Thanks.

Bob S. (not really interested in an M5)

 

I wonder if the car had been sitting for a while and that's why they'd disconnected the battery. And the brakes may have stuck somewhat due to lack of use. The R is hard to sell, it's by no means everyone's idea of the ideal car - for a start most people don't even know what it is.

The Brembos do cost more but not outrageously so. Easy to do, though (don't get me started on the EPB lol).

I believe the Brembos are the biggest rotors and there are all sorts of sizes for the other models. (And, whether they're solid or vented. Don't sweat it, just buy the right ones and we're all here to help each other.)

 

You also mentioned seeing the traction control light coming on a few times. I think the traction control on these cars is pretty sensitive and it tends to cut the power rather abruptly which causes the car to be jerky. This is especially noticeable when turning (such as pulling out into traffic) when you are trying to speed up and the tc is trying to slow you down.

 

Yes the Brembos are 14.3 inch diameter front rotors. The largest ever factory installed on the S Type. Be aware that in the last years (2006-2008) the STR could come with the chrome bumper trim just like the standard S Type. To add to the confusion the standard S Type also got the STR front bumper and grille. Stuff like chrome mirror covers are also available from Jaguar as an accessory.
Of course no one so far has admitted seeing a 2008 STR so we don't really know if they were produced or not??
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