I like that I don't buy them to resell anymore.

 

I'll agree with you on 1,4,5. The jury is still out on 2 (only had it a short while and it had been a bit neglected) and a "partial agree" on 3 (some parts are way to expensive).

On 6 I'm going to disagree completely and replace it with "ride comfort"

 

Affordability of parts in a foreign country for a luxury vehicle 10+ years old strikes me as unlikely! Parts are an OK price many other places and of course some Ford parts can be used.

I do like the looks, but naturally I wasn't making any kind of claim as to whether others do.

 

1) Pace
2) Grace
3) Poise
4) Classic but stunning lines
5) Balance
6) Handling
7) Smooth power
8) The colour
9) Huge spec
10) The Jag Leaper
11) The wheels
12) Its stance
13) Rear wheel drive
14) Sport button
15) switch-able TC
16) colour coded body trim.
17) The sport steering wheel
18) easy exit steering wheel
19) Hugging leather memory sports seats.
20) Just the way it makes me feel when I drive it.

 

I don't know if it's a plus or not but for me it is!

Jaguar keeps parts available for much longer than other car manufacturers that I have dealt with.

With my 2005 STR I can't think of one part that I have tried to order that is obsolete. Expensive, yes but I can still order them if I can afford to!

But my wife’s 2003 Lincoln LS has tons of parts that have fallen off the dealers parts list.

I tend to keep cars too long so getting parts is a big deal for me. And there are not enough Jaguars in the junk yards to supply parts here in the US.
.
.
.

 

No one on earth supplies OEM parts longer than Mercedes.

 

Things I love about my 2005 S-type 4.2 VDP in Radiance red:
1. Driving this car changes my perspective on life and how I feel, both for the better. It opens my perspective to experience both how good and how different a Jaguar is. I feel part of a select group of people who share this aesthetic, sensual knowledge that drivers of other cars don't experience. (Not to say there are not other marques that also offer a special experience - certainly there are.) Driving it makes my life richer. I am calmer; I feel more professional (and I am a professional).
2. More objectively, there really is something to the Jaguar feel and tuning: this car feels and drives like a luxury car but is a world-class sports sedan when pushed. It doesn't have to have a hard, bumpy ride (which you would feel most of the time) to be a sporting, balanced, precise road car the few percent of the time you actually have occasion to push it. What it may give up pushed beyond 9/10ths is more than made up for by the feel of the car the the other 90+%. Track car, no; great luxury road car, yes.
3. The styling is distinctive and unmistakably British and Jaguar.
4. The steering: it is very precise and light. It took me just a little while to really tune myself to the steering, and now I love it. Effortless precision.
5. The 4.2 V8 is a really good engine and is well matched to the character and capability of the rest of the car. It is smooth and luxurious all the time, fairly quiet most of the time, and when you get into the throttle it sounds really good and has good power, all while returning good fuel economy.
6. The interior materials on the whole are very good on the VDP trim: the leather looks and feels great, of high quality and like real leather, not plastic, and the car has over 9 years and 82k miles on it. The wood is good.

 

I like when I put the pedal to the floor and my TC starts yelling at me while the back end starts getting squirrely. This is probably due to my balding tires but it's still fun!

 

I just realized how much I like the cruise control -- when I push the button on the steering wheel and let off the accelerator, it just keeps on cruising. I know that sounds stupid, but most of the cars I've had didn't work that smoothly, there was always a slight slow down and re-acceleration upon releasing the gas pedal. On my S-Type, it works the way I'd expect it to work!

 

Both SWMBO and I have noted the same thing. Nice feature to get right.

 

I can really relate to your point 1 and to a certain extent 5 (but I only have a 4l)..

Point 1 was one of those things I just couldn't put my finger on, so we'll done for managing to put it into words.

Thanks
Mike.

 

I was reading Tee-eye's post, and have to agree with #6 -- the interior trim on my 2003 S-Type is superior to any car I've ever owned. Very well done, very tight, and very clean looking. I have about 35,000 miles on the car and it's like driving a new car. They really got this part right on this car, in my opinion.