2005 Jaguar S-Type Review

Specifications

Stirred, Not Shaken

Suppose its 1962 and you have just pulled off a heist at Harrods Department store in jolly olde London Towne, England. Your wheelman will likely have your getaway car staged on Brompton Road, engine running in preparation for a quick getaway. If hes worth his salt or the bags of British pounds sterling you have promised to share with him, he will proceed to demonstrate his Stirling Moss driving ability at the wheel of a Jaguar Mark II.

The Mark II was the fastest British saloon car of its day, provided the 3.8-liter straight-six growled beneath its bonnet. If your wheelmans knowledge of Jaguars was a wee bit dodgy and he mistakenly acquired the leisurely-paced 2.4-liter Mark II, Scotland Yard would undoubtedly be on your tail faster than you could say, “Blimey, looks like were knicked.” You see, the speed of the Mark II 3.8 was equally as popular with the police as it was with the bad guys.

Its this legendary saloon car (four-door sedan) that Jaguar drew its inspiration from in designing the S-Type, which hit the market in late 1999 as a 2000 model. Although the styling of the S-Type is pushing six years old without any significant revisions, I continue to admire how faithfully its lines capture the spirit and exotic design elements of the 1960s Mark II., The nod to the mighty Mark II goes further than looks alone, however, thanks to the highly praised undercarriage architecture it shares with Fords Lincoln LS. But Jaguar purists need not feel that the British gene pool has been overly contaminated. The S-Type continues to be built in England using primarily Jaguar-exclusive parts.

For 2005, Jaguar designers freshened the lower front fascia of the S-Type and refocused the cats tail by subtly squaring-off its tapering trunk and rear-quarter-panels. As Malcolm the Jaguar rep pointed out, Jag styling evolves very slowly. Do anything too dramatic in restyling a classic cat and you can expect to hear from the legions of its loyal devotees. Therefore, a keen eye is needed to spot the re-shaping for 05, which gives it a stronger presence from the rear. Fortunately these alterations have not weakened the visual tie-in to the Mark II, which can be seen most dramatically in the grille and headlight arrangement of the current model. Jaguar keeners will no doubt spot the spirit of the Mark II in the rear windscreen of the S-Type as well.

Jaguar heritage is equally evident inside the S-Type. Settling into a Jag has always been a visceral experience denoted by the smell and feel of stitched leather upholstery and genuine wood trim, both of which are abundant in the opulent cabin of the S-Type. The Champagne and Ivory color scheme in my tester was beautifully matched to the bronze Madrona wood veneer gracing the dashboard, doors and center console. During assembly, each piece of veneer is hand matched to ensure color and grain consistency car-to-car, resulting in the exclusive claim that two Jags will display identical wood grains.

The interior fit-and-finish in my tester was consistent with premium-car standards and the non-organic materials used were first-rate. Ergonomically, this cat is well-adjusted and free of the peculiarities sometimes associated with cars from the UK. The heated, leather- covered front buckets provided fatigue-free support. Obtaining the perfect driving position was easily accomplished using a multi-function control to set the pedal distance plus steering wheel height and distance.

With plenty of legroom and headroom up front, the S-Type will accommodate drivers of all shapes and sizes, although rear seat passengers receive considerably less royal treatment. The roofline I so admire tends to restrict headroom for the over six-foot crowd, and if the front seats are positioned rearward, legroom and footroom are stingy as well. This is definitely not the rear seat cavern found in the long wheelbase XJ. When it comes to accommodating non-human items, the 60/40-split rear seat folds down, creating much more space than the 14.1 cubic feet of trunk volume; which is a fairly standard volume in this segment.

Falling nicely beneath the drivers right hand is a genuine wooden gearshift knob leading the shift lever through Jaguars traditional “J” shift gate. I particularly like this arrangement and find it more pleasing and intuitive to use than the current crop of manual-mode shifters.

If there is a shortcoming in the Jags office, its the single-disc, dash-mounted CD player. The audio system delivers high quality sound reproduction, but in a Jaguar one shouldnt need a case of CDs nearby to enjoy more than one disc per trip. A multi-disc CD player is available with an optional audio upgrade, but an undignified trip to the boot (trunk) is required to load the player mounted there.

But alas, driving a Jag is not about loading CDs, its about motoring through the countryside in comfort and elegance, past expansive pastures of green and stands of tall conifers, and thats just what the S-Type provides. Nothing in a Jaguar happens abruptly and the S is no exception. Placing my tester in gear discreetly connected its standard 3.0-liter (183 cu in) V6 to the rear wheels through a smooth shifting, ZF six-speed automatic transmission. The V6 utilizes four-valves per cylinder and variable cam phasing to generate 235-horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 216 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm. Jaguar claims a respectable 0 to 60 mph time of 7.5 seconds.

The V6 provides strong passing power at highway speeds and is struggle-free on hills. It may not pack the athleticism of the available 4.2-liter (256 cu in) V8 or its supercharged brother, but it propels the S-Type with suitable authority nonetheless. In doing so, it exhibits demure typical of the English, remaining a wallflower until challenged. Once awakened by a tap on the throttle, the V6 emits a well-bred growl while calmly hustling the saloon car forward. Jaguar has done a commendable job of tuning-in just enough engine sound to raise an eyebrow or two and prevent occupants from being lulled into a Lexus-like state of isolation.

The smooth, unflappable ride delivered by the S-Types fully independent front and rear wishbone suspension is very pleasing and more inline with Lexus products. The S-Type remains composed over rough roads, allowing only a minimum of shock and disruption to permeate the quiet cabin. Perhaps it comes with age or wisdom - Im pulling for wisdom - but I appreciate a high level of ride comfort over blistering road-holding capability. In the parlance of Agent 007, occupants of the S-Type are stirred, not shaken, when rough road is encountered.

Yet in spite of the ride quality, Jaguar engineers managed to imbue considerable life into the S-Types chassis, giving the mid-size cat commendable road-holding ability. Aggressive cornering is accompanied by only a slight degree of body lean, detracting little from the felines steady footing. The speed-sensitive, variable-ratio rack-and-pinion steering setup delivers quick, precise turn-in but is heavily boosted, which tends to dull feedback and road feel.

Rounding out the S-Types performance package is a set of powerful, four-wheel antilock disc brakes augmented with yaw control. These binders were always up for a quick stop, and if anything, were over-anxious to provide it. I prefer brakes on the less-sensitive side, but despite this idiosyncrasy, the S-Types brakes were easily modulated in all situations including emergency stops, which were consistently straight and true thanks to the Emergency Brake Assist system (EBA) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) technology. These electronic aids are standard S-Type equipment along with traction control.

Further enhancing safety and occupant protection is A.R.T.S., which is Jaguars Adaptive Restraint Technology System, again standard on the S-Type. It uses a series of ultrasonic sensors to ascertain the seating position and weight of front seat occupants, determines the severity of impact and deploys the front and side airbags with the appropriate level of force. A rear side-curtain airbag system provides protection to those in the rear seat. In addition to the airbag network, an
energy-absorbing seat design further protects occupants by dissipating the force of a crash.

To ensure the S-Type meets the varying expectations of purchasers, Jaguar offers the vehicle in several distinctive configurations. Those seeking acceleration performance superior to that delivered by the V6 can opt for the V8-powered S-Type 4.2. If its 294-horsepower fails to turn ones crank, by adding a supercharger, Jaguar has come up with a 390-horsepower solution termed the S-Type R. But if elegance trumps speed on a buyers wish list, the S-Type 4.2 is available in Jaguars famed Vanden Plas (VDP) edition. To further define ones self through ones motorcar, the S-Type 3.0 and 4.2 can be fitted with Sport and Premium packages.

After a week behind the wheel of this cat, I am quite convinced that Jaguar has successfully captured the essence of its 1960s Mark II in todays S-Type. This classy automobile delivers a tremendous amount of driving pleasure, heritage and panache, not to mention inspiring performance and luxury. Now, I am not advocating that anyone plan a Harrods heist, in fact I strenuously recommend against it, but should it come to pass, the S-Type is the modern incarnation of the fabled Mark II 3.8.