It's pretty flattering... http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/jaguar-s-type-review/

 

Yes I have. And in other areas I remind others that the XF that has gotten good reviews in the press is just a refined / reskinned S Type. Further proof of how good the initial car really was. The same could be said about the LS. Another very under rated car.

 

My initial research in mid-December convinced me that if you're looking for a luxury highway cruiser, the S-Type delivers far and away the best bang for the buck as long as you buy at least 2 to 3 model-years back. After 5 months with the car, I still believe that....

 

That was beautifully written and I don't say that very often. Its a shame that the S-Type never got the credit it was due, it truly was an iconic car.

 

I'll take my STR any day over the XF. Eww....it looks like a Buick.

Shame they are done with the S-Type, but on the bright side it makes my STR that much more rare and unique compared to all the other junk on the roads. But when it's time to sell and buy something else...I fear that search is going to be very difficult. Guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it...

 

Absolutely. I feel that the automotive press is looking so hard for something "new" that they ignore something that is brilliant, iconic and legendary right under their noses. Instead all you get is a race for horsepower which is only one tiny facet of the overall picture. Look at the lines of the S-Type and you see Jaguar motoring history jumping out at you. You see the original S-Type, the Mark II and the muscular front end of the racing C-Types of the 1950's. And the car that replaces it? I finally saw it two days ago and I was shocked and disappointed in the new XF. It looks nothing like a Jaguar. There are no styling cues that tie it to the Jaguars of old and it looks sterile, cold and spartan. The sheetmetal looks like a spaceship with no defining theme. Had it been introduced as another brand I would have said that it looks interesting in a comic book kind of way but it wouldn't be anything I'd ever want to own. I wish Jaguar well and hope it does well. If it does it wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong but it makes me value and cherish my S-Type more than ever because this may be the last real Jaguar.

 

I actually like the XF. And I have issue with it as well. You can definitely see the Aston influence in the lines. The XK as well. The nose, well I guess they were trying to create a new identity. As a car, I like it. As a Jag, I'm a bit disappointed. If they needed a family line, there are ways to tweak heritage that makes it fresh. But that takes work, and is hard to get just right. So, they took the "Asian" path and copied something successful.

 

I see it the exact same way. This reminds me of what happened with Jaguar 40 years ago. The 1968 Jaguar XJ6 was given rave reviews by the press for its styling and performance, yet it shared the same exact engine, suspension and brakes as the Jaguar 420, which it replaced. The old Jaguars prior to the XJ6 reflected a happier time for the economy, the country and the world. The introduction of the XJ6 coincided with a period of relative social upheaval and economic crisis (inflation, recession). The colder look of the XJ6 partly reflected that. Beginning in 1995 with the X300 XJ models and then again in 1999 with the introduction of the S-type Jaguar regained its footing in the styling world. The economic problems have never abated, but became relatively better during the late 1990's to the early 2000's.

Similarly, the XF is coming about in a bad period. With the introduction of the XF and the upcoming XJ sedan, it looks like we will have to go another 30 years before we get a decent Jag that reflects its heritage. It is criminal what Ian Callum has done to Jaguar. He is Jaguar's version of BMW's Chris Bangle. I hope someone at Jaguar has sense enough to put a muzzle on him. Sir William Lyons would spin in his grave if he saw the Lexus (oops, Jaguar XF).

 

They should have spent some time doing it. They need to have someone who actually remembers the heritage to bring it into the cars.

As for Aston lines, I don't see them in this car. Fortunately, the XK is much harder to ruin than a sedan, I guess.

 

Interesting observations guys, and it's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who feels that way. As far as the XF is concerned I would have loved it if the front end had some sort of connection to Jaguars of yore. The rest of the car isn't bad as far as sheetmetal goes but it's the interior that completely floored me. It looks cold, hard and sterile which just turns me off. I guess I need to stop being such a traditionalist and open up to change. I'm sure I'll warm up to it eventually. But it does make me value what I've got that much more.

 

Here are a couple of the Jags that have been accused of "looking like" Aston's.