OK guys,

Here is a point for debate for everyone with an S-Type and maybe another car in the family.. take a look at this article and look down from the cheapest cars to service and see where the S-Type is..

https://www.startrescue.co.uk/news/m...m_medium=email

I have an S-Type as everyone knows - just under 100,000 miles on the clock, and a C1 (school run) that has 40,000 miles on the clock. My wife is always very keen to point out to me that the C1 is a much cheaper car to run (no I am definitely not letting her see this artcle lol) and I constantly struggle to define to a non driver that there is a massive difference in what you get between cars.. but I put a lot of the costs difference down to the mileage differential and I am sure S-Types were out before C1's hence most have more miles on the clock than C1's and I believe higher costs related to this.. there is a percentage of additional cost to parts for servicing but putting the S-Type where it is in the list?

So - open to debate - what do we all reckon on this article?

 

This is a poorly written article of little value. There is no reference/link to the study and data. 250,000 service records. How do we know that there wasn't only one S-type serviced and that that this particular car had more items serviced that all the other cars in the study. This would skew the S-type to the top of the list. There is no indication of what is included in the "day-to-day servicing and maintenance, alongside repair costs." Oil changes only? Brake jobs. (What is "day-to day" servicing and maintenance"? Checking the tire pressure?)

Fake news!

 

Yep that was my thought too - as it may be inclusive of dealership servicing costs when most of us know how to change oil, pads, filters etc keeping our costs down.. interestingly S-Types are listed as more expensive than an XK :-)


Now you know why I put this article forward for debate :-) Interesting to see what everyone thinks :-)

 

One of the issues that worries me is that this article has gone out to everyone who is a member of their breakdown service - and it gives a slewed picture of S-Type ownership.. :-(

 

Well oil changes on an S-Type are a PITA what with that belly pan and if you send it out to a Quickie Lube type place they will screw up all the fasteners, lose them or tighten them incorrectly and that can lead to all sorts of issues.

My old 2001 Ford Wagon was the easiest. I never put it up on jack stands for an oil change. Just a floor jack to the left corner and the filter and drain plug were right there. You really didn't even under the car. Well not much ...

HID headlamps on an S-Type ... there are not enough curse words in the english language for that abortion.

The engine compartment is pretty crowded so like many modern cars it can often be a PITA. But most modern cars aren't any different.

But a lot of the plastic stuff in the S-Types engine compartment breaks easily or just fails. I suppose that could be affective the rating?

 

The only factor I go by is my own personal experience of caring for the many different vehicles I have owned since I obtained my drivers license in 1969. What I can say with confidence is that our two Jaguars (now down to just one, my wife's 2006 XK8) have indeed been the most costly vehicles to keep in proper running condition that we have ever owned. This is in DIY time as well as money spent. We love the Jaguars, enjoyed them both for very different reasons and purposes, but there is no getting around the fact that they have required more maintenance and repairs than any other vehicle we have owned in nearly 48 years of driving....

 

I think the satisfaction of working on my car and seeing the looks it gets because of its beauty and performance far outweighs the day to day cost factor...I can live with the higher cost of gas and honestly the repairs I have done I really enjoyed the challenge..I have owned the car about 18 months now and still relish the day I bought it ...and the old saying you get what you pay for applies with me anyway...a not so common str or a common altima...I take the str...just my opinion

 

The stats make no sense to me unless they are referring to just one service.
I suspect they are referring to one service cost only, but is that a major or a minor service in each case? The average of £200 seems a bit light for the most recent cars.

Most older cars including Jaguars will not see a main dealer for servicing.
Most cars come with service contracts now don't they? They certainly do with the PCP contracts.
The purchase cost of all of those cars is an integral part of the running costs.
A pre-owned Vauxhall Adam will cost at dealer prices between £6000 and £15,000 and at the end of the day its a tiny shopping car. A used S type (Non STR) can be bought for between about £600 and £2000. Easy enough to buy one for cash. The other cars will more than likely be bought on credit. That monthly credit payment will be part of the monthly running costs.

Parts costs for Jaguars are about the same as an equivalent Ford Mondeo of the same age. Parts choices for newer cars are more likely to be main dealer options. Whereas the Jaguar has a large choice of well established parts specialist because of the brand. Jaguar are likely to be an enthusiasts car rather than a shopping car which is more of a utility vehicle.

Difference between an S type and a C1? Hmm how long have you got for the list?

The Alfa 147 is listed as low service costs... eh?
Not according to this report. But any Alfa having low running costs? I mean come on?
Alfa Romeo 147 | Auto Express

 

Since I began driving in the 1960s, I have owned nearly twenty Jaguars as well as other brands such as Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Morris Mini, MG and Opel.

Perhaps it's just my personal experience, but I have never been left at the side of the road due to an electrical fault or mechanical breakdown in a Jaguar. This is more than I can say for the others, especially the Audi A4 Quattro.

I purchased my X200 4.0 litre from a bloke who did NO maintenance on the car, but complained about it needing work! Can you imagine? After an engine overhaul due to neglect, she is as dependable as any other vehicle and the cost of maintenance is far less than the Audi and several of the other brands I've owned.

 

I've owned a number of "top brand" vehicles, usually towards the end of their service lives, and have participated in each respective brand's forums. Either Murphy's Law rears its ugly head in each, or simply, every luxury brand has its laundry list of quirks and expensive repairs.

Most of the STs I see around here LOOK like they're being maintained, and unfortunately a few that appear to be run into the ground. So, comparing MY older vehicle choices, my ST handles extremely well for a 17 year old car, while my others, regardless of how much I was willing to spend, never drove like they were in their prime.

 

Agreed Warspite - I have had Fords, Vauxhalls, Datsuns, and even a Fiat Yugo over the years and none of them (current C1 included) give the quality of drive experience that my Jaguars have.. even the good mid range Fords and Vauxhalls don't give me the same feeling of everything is right when sitting behind the wheel.

If I have anything other than a Jag the interest just isn't there - but the costs...

I had a Ford & Vauxhall with the timing belt fail, a Vauxhall with head gasket fail, a Ford with wheel bearings and uiniversal joint fail, the Datsun just so much rust, the Yugo a piston ring went on, and on all three had exhausts fail - the X308's all had bigger costs with rust and major mechanical failures due to their age, The X-Type had radiator, and sills fail, my current S-Type had an alternator fail, a metal coolant pipe corrode through, and currently still has a small coolant leak.. on all of them I have done my own servicing, all have been high mileage cars.. Out of all of them the X-Type was the only car that I trusted implicitly and kept for four years I think it was, and the S-Type well, time will tell as only in my second year with her.. but based on everything so far my S-Type has been the cheapest car to repair/service with just one exception an old heavily rusted Escort estate that I had for 6 months and sold at a profit (somehow).

 

So based on my experience I would say my current S-Type is way cheaper to run (exc fuel) than the majority of my cars over the years :-)

 

I just keep a bag of new stainless-steel replacement fasteners and bolts in the glove box that my local garage can use if they lose or snap any! (I think these also fit other areas on the car as well like the bumper covers??

 

Careful with the ones along the front as the original length ones are too long and as the belly pan vibrates they run against the aluminum oil cooling tube/hose assemblies. Mine are trimmed now. You can check by banging on the belly pan to hear/feel the clicks.

 

absolutely....I found this out the good old hard way, but before any damage done....I keep a boxfull of assorted plastic push pins...I guess that is my biggest maintenance issue..replacing them when I take something off