JAGUAR S-TYPE
If you’re looking for a comfortable modern classic at an affordable price then you need an S-Type in your life. Want to buy the best? Here’s how…
‘There’s no arguing with the comfort and refinement on offer’
When Jaguar needed a rival to the all-conquering BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, then-owner Ford decided that the S-Type was the answer. Code-named X200 and sitting on the rear-drive DEW98 platform that also underpinned the Lincoln LS, the retro-inspired styling wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, some observers viewing it as a poor pastiche of the much-loved Mk2.
Launched at the 1998 British Motor Show in Birmingham (almost exactly 20 years ago), it went on sale in March the following year, and proved to be a strong seller, despite the opinion-polarising looks.
Okay, so the cabin plastics of early cars weren’t entirely befitting of a Jaguar, and the raiding of the Ford parts bin slightly undermined the traditional Jag appeal, but there was no arguing with the comfort and refinement on offer. In fact, that remains the S-Type’s strongest suit today and with tidy examples to be found from upwards of £1500, it certainly represents plenty of luxury for the cash. That there’s a model for most tastes and pockets helps, too.
Launch models featured 3.0-litre V6 or 4.0-litre V8 engines – later changed to 2.5 and 4.2 units respectively – and both are smooth and punchy. Constant development was the name of the game here, though, and alongside a much-improved cabin, buyers would later get a choice of a frugal but enormously torquey twinturbocharged diesel or a properly rapid supercharged ‘R’ variant. With 400bhp on tap, a snarling exhaust note, and rearwheel-drive handling thrills, the appeal of the latter is obvious. Less appealing is the niggling unreliability that can accompany a neglected S-Type, so viewing plenty of cars before taking the plunge and spending as much as you can afford would be wise moves.
And with so many for sale at any one time, there’s really no excuse for landing yourself with a duffer.