Always liked the shape and retro look. Different to all the common stuff on the roads today. The 3.OL early ones are no slouches either.....great, underated cars...
I had a '00 75 2.0 conn then two S-Types, an '02 3.0L and a '05 4.2s. No comparison, the Jags were far superior, and post '04 models are better. The 75 was very quiet and comfortable though, but the leather seats were not very supportive.
Absolutely love my STR, shes my daily driver. The sound of that lovely V8 together with the supercharger whine is breathtaking!! Great review mate. Hands down better than an M5.
Had this exact year/spec car for two years. It was a great car. Fast and zero problems. The only weakness was an open spool diff. If it had come with a LSD, it would have been better than an M5 (have owned two of those). Thanks for reminding me.
Nice to see my old car been praised thanks - I had a great six years of ownership with her and a trip to Innsbruck via Munich she drove flawlessly, managed a off the clock blast on the autobahn as well , some one has since taken the reg plate off her and back to the original reg for some weird reason originally I had the rims toned down to match the darker mood of the car overall .
Great video. I actually bought the S Type R that was featured on Top Gear (and on your channel) from Hobbs Parker. They are brutes of cars and I thoroughly enjoyed owning it - but I feel duty-bound to point out some potential downsides for anyone thinking about buying one - much as I loved it they can be prone to water leaks, rusty sills, dodgy electric handbrakes and several other common electrical gremlins plus MPG is horrendous. I got mine completely sorted but ended up spending a lot on it. At least it was saved and someone else is enjoying it now.
This is why I subscribed; you test cars no one else does. The Granada video was a highlight and perhaps soon a Cortina Mk III Estate, preferably in metallic brown, will join us?
I loved my STR. I had an XFR a few years after and, while most would say it’s a better car overall, the STR felt more special. Looks are always subjective but I thought the R embellishments lifted it.
We had one. I remember sitting in the back begging for dad to need to overtake something. It really shifted! Relentless power. Rode nicely too. R looks good. Can overtake with little room. Only downside if overtaking a queue of traffic is if something else pulls out in front and suddenly youre then overtaking at the speed of a mark 3 fiesta! Checked the MOT history and our 2003 car is still on the road passing MOTs first time. The MPG or lack of it was why it went. About 25mpg on a run and 20 overall. A 535 diesel seemed too tempting offering similar performance with 35mpg. But it never felt as quick nor as engaging as the v8 jag. I missed it. An LPG conversion might be the way forward here?
Love mine, someone done all the work needed before I bought it, it's had the typical mods done running somewhere from 430-460bhp and a ride as smooth as silk ideal for our poverty stricken roads today.
Nice power, they're great cars. I've swapped to a twin screw supercharger on mine and estimate it's around 550bhp now and more importantly much more torque which transforms the driving experience
The naysayer comments are hilarious. 90% by people who have never driven one. And some bloke going on that the engines were unreliable. Dross. So things to watch out for 1: rust. Sills under the covers if buying check under them else will disintegrate faster than.... 2: tyres. These eat them for fun, DO NOT PUT BUDGETS ON IT. It will ride like a very bad go kart on a road made of margarine. If your suspension geometry is out then your £1000 Michelin Sport Pilots will last you a year if driven in a fun manner so get that done or checked on the regular. 3: Arches. Its a jag, so consider the underside to be the metal equivalent of alka seltzer. Dissolves in water. Subframes are also a hotspot. 4: Buy a super cheap one if all you wanna do is throw it down a drag strip and then turn it to bean cans. However there are plenty of expensive ones with the same issues. Research the whole car and get it on a ramp if poss before handing money over for it unless its blindingly cheap. Anything sub £4k is blindingly cheap. 5: Supercharger pulley upgrades and breathing mods make a fun car even more fun. 6: The headlining will sag, pretend you are in a house of ill repute and live with it or get it professionally fixed, the screens don't have to come out and its not as expensive as you think. 7: Whats it do to the gallon? MPG is important for many, if its important for you, sod off to the nearest Hyundai dealership this is not for you. 8: Most of the S-Type R's were exported to usa and japan (I think) so if you want one, grab one now. It will appreciate in time if you are young enough to benefit from it. If not then at least your grand kids can fight over it once you are forgotten about. 9: If you think this is a mondeo in drag then you are an idiot, anyone who says it is then remind them that you dont have the time or the crayons to explain why they are an idiot. 10: Electrics can be a bit wobbly and earlier cars seem to be better than later ones in my experience weirdly. But nothing on these is irreparable. 11: (Yes this, like the car and the amplifier in spinal tap goes to 11). Service the gearbox, Jaguar says its sealed for life. Balearics is it. Get a good indy to sort it. DO NOT TAKE IT TO JAGUAR. If ive forgotten anything then it means you are doing your own homework which with these is vital. Get a good one, enjoy it on roads that dont need some lifted 4x4 to wobble around on. No its not an M5 killer but who really cares that it cant beat a 20 something bavarian super saloon. Its a great car in its own right and it means you can get M5 similar performance without shelling out a fortune (oh and generally being disliked by normal people on the road too). Yes the M5 is epic, but so is this in a different way. More like Raffles the gentleman thug rather than Hans the the bavarian hitman accountant. Laters.
I do like the retro styling on these S types it was from the era of retro styling other motor companies did it and l know it was much melined for its styling but its a Jaguar and it looks like a Jaguar and it looks so much better than the BMW you look at the BMW and think huh nothing special big deal if it goes fast but you look at the S type and all l think is what a beautiful car it is perfection the interior and exterior perfect
Not often you find a car channel, especially hosted by (do not be upset) a younger person, which is not quite irritating. You've gained a subscriber! All I ask is you continue to NOT put awful annoying noise (I believe some deaf people call it music) and silly gimmicks. 👍💪 Thanks.
I owned one for 2 years a while back. Lovely ride and handling. Just a shame the V8 engine of that era was very muted by Jaguar. Sadly mine had to have a new gearbox (under warranty) although it was about 7 years old when this happened.
Buy one guys before they're gone, they are a blast to drive I've owned one here in Palm Beach Florida for a year now and have not seen another R on the road LOVE IT, they're only going up in value, snag on while you can they are the next Jaguar Classic to collect. Two Thumbs Up for sure.
I never had anyone not say anything even remotely negative about mine. Praise came from teenagers to older folks. Car styling tastes obviously are very different here in contrast to where this reviewer calls home.
I love my 2003 S-TYPE R. Beware of "cheap" ones though - hidden rust under the sill covers and wheel arches, water ingress and oil leaks. Mechanically all fixable, but better to pay a little more and start with a solid original example first then work through any isssues 👍. Great video btw 🙂.
Love these owned my one for 5 years now 2005 facelift and it's brilliant and soo much fun to drive, I also own an Audi S8 V10 and a Maserati Quattroporte Evo and I prefer driving the Jag to all of them, and surprisingly it's very good on fuel economy for a 4.2 , Great cars!
Agree they're amazing! Ive had mine for over 10 years and now swapped the supercharger to add over 100bhp. It's even more of a wolf in sheep's clothing now!
Actually the x350 superv8 or xjr was faster as it was lighter than the s type with it having the aluminum bodyshell,oh and the original 1960s s type was a great looking car and better driving than the mk2.
I liked (and still like) both variants for their styling. Maybe I'm one of the few, but it certainly wasn't cookie cutter and I much prefer it to the somewhat similarly themed concurrent E Class and the inital version of the Bangle Butt. If I didn't already have one more car than I can drive regularly, I would still consider one of these - it would probably have to be an R now, since I would not be buying it as a daily (for which the regular 4.2 might be better suited). Having owned one supercharged car, they're just loads of visceral fun ;) Reputation held me back. One quibble - a decent S Type R here in US for 7k pounds? Nuh-uh.
lets be real, this could never touch an M5 in terms of performance. this would have been out at the same time as the E60 with the V10..Not sure why the reviewer is comparing it to the previous generation bmw....
I had one new and it was superb behind the wheel. The front style was meh. A great Jag. This restyle and power up started with the XJS, the Jaguarsport XJRS. I have one still, better than the base car.
Not if you get a 2003 S-TYPE R. Nearly 4,000 of them made in the first year of production. £325 per year currently. Later cars will be more expensive to tax for sure.
Jaguar did the best thing that they could do with this - they blacked everything out. That way the eye wasn't drawn to it's shape or details, which were - frankly - dated before it hit production...
I am 76 and have seen a lot. But taking a comfortable luxury car and spending a lot of money to destroy its original purpose, and turning it into a hot rod street car, when yes! we have very restricted speed limits on our roads. ..?.?. Jaguar is not the only car maker doing this as the demand for the speed image status is very fashionable. I have seen the car change from a practical machine in my time, into an expensive entertainment vessel, with the assistant of the entertaining T.V shows like "Top Gear". Why? Well speed is something most of us can no longer really enjoy legally, so we go for the next best thing and that is "impressions".
I have a 1993 charade g200 1.3 16v rs sat on my driveway in Lincolnshire if anyone wants a project 90s hot hatch sleeper, needs a little work for the mot but well worth doing. Solid car, runner, reply here if interested and come take a look
This was nothing more than a rebranded Ford. Too many cheaply made parts. This car never should have been branded a Jaguar. When people speak of their issues with modern jags being unreliable more than likely they refer to this monstrosity or the X-type. Now the XJ and the XK were truly pure works of art
I'm sure, the S-Type R is a great car and the styling upgrades really worked well, but to be brutally honest (and as a Jaguar-fan and -owner I hate to say that): if I had to choose between an E39 M5 and an S-Type R I'd take the BMW without a second of hesitation! Sorry 😜
I occasionally look at these. What puts me off is the cheap looking leather and automatic gearbox. Don't doubt they're great cars but personally for £4/5k I'd opt for a slower/older/better built Merc or BMW over the Jag. All it really has going for it is the looks and engine.
Always liked the shape and retro look. Different to all the common stuff on the roads today.
The 3.OL early ones are no slouches either.....great, underated cars...
I could never see anything wrong with them personally.
Always liked the S type looks. My Dad had one in 2005. It’s biggest issue wasn’t the E39, it was the Rover 75.
Rover 75... excellent car... very underrated.
I had a '00 75 2.0 conn then two S-Types, an '02 3.0L and a '05 4.2s. No comparison, the Jags were far superior, and post '04 models are better. The 75 was very quiet and comfortable though, but the leather seats were not very supportive.
Absolutely love my STR, shes my daily driver. The sound of that lovely V8 together with the supercharger whine is breathtaking!! Great review mate. Hands down better than an M5.
Your videos are really on point Joe… I love your delivery, I always learn something new and they’re the perfect length to go with a cup of tea.
Thanks Mark, means a lot! :D -Joe
Had this exact year/spec car for two years. It was a great car. Fast and zero problems. The only weakness was an open spool diff. If it had come with a LSD, it would have been better than an M5 (have owned two of those). Thanks for reminding me.
I had a 2002 of this car years back when it was 6-7 years old. Great car with no issues at all. Fast and reliable.
🤩Mines is identical to this one but with the wood grain interior. I love this car. 🤩
Good choice!
Nice to see my old car been praised thanks - I had a great six years of ownership with her and a trip to Innsbruck via Munich she drove flawlessly, managed a off the clock blast on the autobahn as well , some one has since taken the reg plate off her and back to the original reg for some weird reason originally I had the rims toned down to match the darker mood of the car overall .
Great video. I actually bought the S Type R that was featured on Top Gear (and on your channel) from Hobbs Parker. They are brutes of cars and I thoroughly enjoyed owning it - but I feel duty-bound to point out some potential downsides for anyone thinking about buying one - much as I loved it they can be prone to water leaks, rusty sills, dodgy electric handbrakes and several other common electrical gremlins plus MPG is horrendous. I got mine completely sorted but ended up spending a lot on it. At least it was saved and someone else is enjoying it now.
Nice private plate on this car too, another fantastic video again, many thanks
Thanks again!
I loved the looks of the S type
S-type is the best looking sedan ever made. Timeless, elegance!
This was very interesting! I didn't know any of this. TY for sharing your expertise. It's super!! 🚗🚘🚗🐱
Glad you enjoyed it!
One of the best cars I have ever driven!! 👍👍👍
We agree!
Excellent video. Owning 2005 black on black STR Has been fun. With a few tasteful engine mods she generates 430 B.H.P. Its a blast!
Great cars, enjoy it!
This is why I subscribed; you test cars no one else does. The Granada video was a highlight and perhaps soon a Cortina Mk III Estate, preferably in metallic brown, will join us?
We'd love to drive a Mk3 Cortina Estate, really miss ours!
I loved my STR. I had an XFR a few years after and, while most would say it’s a better car overall, the STR felt more special. Looks are always subjective but I thought the R embellishments lifted it.
Totally agree!
We had one. I remember sitting in the back begging for dad to need to overtake something. It really shifted! Relentless power. Rode nicely too. R looks good. Can overtake with little room. Only downside if overtaking a queue of traffic is if something else pulls out in front and suddenly youre then overtaking at the speed of a mark 3 fiesta! Checked the MOT history and our 2003 car is still on the road passing MOTs first time. The MPG or lack of it was why it went. About 25mpg on a run and 20 overall. A 535 diesel seemed too tempting offering similar performance with 35mpg. But it never felt as quick nor as engaging as the v8 jag. I missed it. An LPG conversion might be the way forward here?
Love mine, someone done all the work needed before I bought it, it's had the typical mods done running somewhere from 430-460bhp and a ride as smooth as silk ideal for our poverty stricken roads today.
Nice power, they're great cars. I've swapped to a twin screw supercharger on mine and estimate it's around 550bhp now and more importantly much more torque which transforms the driving experience
My uncle had a black 2004 S-type R. He described it best, a luxury cruise missile.
Classic '90s Computer Science undergrad attire there !
The naysayer comments are hilarious. 90% by people who have never driven one. And some bloke going on that the engines were unreliable. Dross.
So things to watch out for
1: rust. Sills under the covers if buying check under them else will disintegrate faster than....
2: tyres. These eat them for fun, DO NOT PUT BUDGETS ON IT. It will ride like a very bad go kart on a road made of margarine. If your suspension geometry is out then your £1000 Michelin Sport Pilots will last you a year if driven in a fun manner so get that done or checked on the regular.
3: Arches. Its a jag, so consider the underside to be the metal equivalent of alka seltzer. Dissolves in water. Subframes are also a hotspot.
4: Buy a super cheap one if all you wanna do is throw it down a drag strip and then turn it to bean cans. However there are plenty of expensive ones with the same issues. Research the whole car and get it on a ramp if poss before handing money over for it unless its blindingly cheap. Anything sub £4k is blindingly cheap.
5: Supercharger pulley upgrades and breathing mods make a fun car even more fun.
6: The headlining will sag, pretend you are in a house of ill repute and live with it or get it professionally fixed, the screens don't have to come out and its not as expensive as you think.
7: Whats it do to the gallon? MPG is important for many, if its important for you, sod off to the nearest Hyundai dealership this is not for you.
8: Most of the S-Type R's were exported to usa and japan (I think) so if you want one, grab one now. It will appreciate in time if you are young enough to benefit from it. If not then at least your grand kids can fight over it once you are forgotten about.
9: If you think this is a mondeo in drag then you are an idiot, anyone who says it is then remind them that you dont have the time or the crayons to explain why they are an idiot.
10: Electrics can be a bit wobbly and earlier cars seem to be better than later ones in my experience weirdly. But nothing on these is irreparable.
11: (Yes this, like the car and the amplifier in spinal tap goes to 11). Service the gearbox, Jaguar says its sealed for life. Balearics is it. Get a good indy to sort it. DO NOT TAKE IT TO JAGUAR.
If ive forgotten anything then it means you are doing your own homework which with these is vital. Get a good one, enjoy it on roads that dont need some lifted 4x4 to wobble around on. No its not an M5 killer but who really cares that it cant beat a 20 something bavarian super saloon. Its a great car in its own right and it means you can get M5 similar performance without shelling out a fortune (oh and generally being disliked by normal people on the road too). Yes the M5 is epic, but so is this in a different way. More like Raffles the gentleman thug rather than Hans the the bavarian hitman accountant. Laters.
Oh, don't let the cat out of the bag :)
I do like the retro styling on these S types it was from the era of retro styling other motor companies did it and l know it was much melined for its styling but its a Jaguar and it looks like a Jaguar and it looks so much better than the BMW you look at the BMW and think huh nothing special big deal if it goes fast but you look at the S type and all l think is what a beautiful car it is perfection the interior and exterior perfect
Great car excellent video ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👏👏👏👏
Had one back in the day , awesome car.
It sure is!
Not often you find a car channel, especially hosted by (do not be upset) a younger person, which is not quite irritating.
You've gained a subscriber!
All I ask is you continue to NOT put awful annoying noise (I believe some deaf people call it music) and silly gimmicks. 👍💪
Thanks.
I owned one for 2 years a while back. Lovely ride and handling.
Just a shame the V8 engine of that era was very muted by Jaguar.
Sadly mine had to have a new gearbox (under warranty) although it was about 7 years old when this happened.
The S-Type R was heavier than the XJR of the same period. Smaller yes, but not lighter.
Buy one guys before they're gone, they are a blast to drive I've owned one here in Palm Beach Florida for a year now and have not seen another R on the road LOVE IT, they're only going up in value, snag on while you can they are the next Jaguar Classic to collect. Two Thumbs Up for sure.
All I can think about is the crash with F1 driver Antonio Pizzonia driving Steve Sutcliffe at Barcelona
Fabulous Car! Thankyou to Jaguar for bringing it to us!
Good looking car with classical looks .
Has anyone noticed a bit of FRANK SPENCER in the presenters voice betty
I never had anyone not say anything even remotely negative about mine. Praise came from teenagers to older folks. Car styling tastes obviously are very different here in contrast to where this reviewer calls home.
Great looking car. Always hankered after one but it would probably bankrupt me.
I'd love a black s type r any day of the week.
whats the reliability like?
I love my 2003 S-TYPE R. Beware of "cheap" ones though - hidden rust under the sill covers and wheel arches, water ingress and oil leaks. Mechanically all fixable, but better to pay a little more and start with a solid original example first then work through any isssues 👍. Great video btw 🙂.
Love these owned my one for 5 years now 2005 facelift and it's brilliant and soo much fun to drive, I also own an Audi S8 V10 and a Maserati Quattroporte Evo and I prefer driving the Jag to all of them, and surprisingly it's very good on fuel economy for a 4.2 , Great cars!
Agree they're amazing! Ive had mine for over 10 years and now swapped the supercharger to add over 100bhp. It's even more of a wolf in sheep's clothing now!
I always quite liked them.
Oh Joe, I hate you! Now I want one.
Correction - I actually NEED one.
Yes, you do! -Joe
@@ClassicsWorldUK Unfortunately my current budget only stretches to £2.5k. Probably get a leggy V6 S-Type for that.
You could buy a half decent one for that, do it! (Just check our buying guide video first 😉)
@@ClassicsWorldUK Already watched it. But no harm in watching it again before I take the plunge.
I LOVE MY STR... ONLY WANT TO GET ANOTHER ONE FOR MY COLLECTION
Actually the x350 superv8 or xjr was faster as it was lighter than the s type with it having the aluminum bodyshell,oh and the original 1960s s type was a great looking car and better driving than the mk2.
The 03-04 were the best looking. The 05 rear end was not as sharp.
looks fine, don't know what all the fuss is about. personally, I'd rather have it with some many spoke wheels, and in dark green.
I liked (and still like) both variants for their styling. Maybe I'm one of the few, but it certainly wasn't cookie cutter and I much prefer it to the somewhat similarly themed concurrent E Class and the inital version of the Bangle Butt. If I didn't already have one more car than I can drive regularly, I would still consider one of these - it would probably have to be an R now, since I would not be buying it as a daily (for which the regular 4.2 might be better suited). Having owned one supercharged car, they're just loads of visceral fun ;) Reputation held me back. One quibble - a decent S Type R here in US for 7k pounds? Nuh-uh.
I had a 4.2 V8, not an R, but hardly slow. Beautiful car, unreliable electronics, though.
Would the s type r not be more of a m3 rival? Always thought the x type was 5 series size?
The S type is a higher level car than the X type. The X was never offered with a V8
@@zachdebuhr6347 but size wise was the s type not smaller?
@kidcowdy1231 the S type has a 8 inch longer wheelbase
lets be real, this could never touch an M5 in terms of performance. this would have been out at the same time as the E60 with the V10..Not sure why the reviewer is comparing it to the previous generation bmw....
The s type r was introduced in 2002, with the same specs
after n52 vin numbers call x206 not x200 they have thousand of different parts inside and outside and powertrains
I had one new and it was superb behind the wheel. The front style was meh. A great Jag. This restyle and power up started with the XJS, the Jaguarsport XJRS. I have one still, better than the base car.
The road tax is what kills ownership unfortunately
Not if you get a 2003 S-TYPE R. Nearly 4,000 of them made in the first year of production. £325 per year currently. Later cars will be more expensive to tax for sure.
A wolf in sheep's clothing ❤
Jaguar did the best thing that they could do with this - they blacked everything out. That way the eye wasn't drawn to it's shape or details, which were - frankly - dated before it hit production...
I really like the S-Type, but then I like the original S-Type.
This was out at the same time as the e60 m5 with the V10 so wouldn’t even come close
And you could get it with a manual transmission. 🥰
I am 76 and have seen a lot. But taking a comfortable luxury car and spending a lot of money to destroy its original purpose, and turning it into a hot rod street car, when yes! we have very restricted speed limits on our roads. ..?.?. Jaguar is not the only car maker doing this as the demand for the speed image status is very fashionable. I have seen the car change from a practical machine in my time, into an expensive entertainment vessel, with the assistant of the entertaining T.V shows like "Top Gear". Why? Well speed is something most of us can no longer really enjoy legally, so we go for the next best thing and that is "impressions".
The S type was 'scuppered' by elecy problems and premature engine wear. The styling was fine. Do some research before uploading please
You do some research to,the s type r engine is bullet proof.great cars but x350 xjr or suoer v8 is better.
I have a 1993 charade g200 1.3 16v rs sat on my driveway in Lincolnshire if anyone wants a project 90s hot hatch sleeper, needs a little work for the mot but well worth doing.
Solid car, runner, reply here if interested and come take a look
I loved mine , until the steering rack went
This was nothing more than a rebranded Ford. Too many cheaply made parts. This car never should have been branded a Jaguar. When people speak of their issues with modern jags being unreliable more than likely they refer to this monstrosity or the X-type. Now the XJ and the XK were truly pure works of art
I'm sure, the S-Type R is a great car and the styling upgrades really worked well, but to be brutally honest (and as a Jaguar-fan and -owner I hate to say that): if I had to choose between an E39 M5 and an S-Type R I'd take the BMW without a second of hesitation! Sorry 😜
I occasionally look at these. What puts me off is the cheap looking leather and automatic gearbox. Don't doubt they're great cars but personally for £4/5k I'd opt for a slower/older/better built Merc or BMW over the Jag. All it really has going for it is the looks and engine.
All it has going for it are looks and engine? That's like 75% of what makes a car good😂
Great car but no M5 killer😂😂
It's just a poundshop XJR.
If Poundshop sold these I'd be first in the queue!
Adulterated Lincoln...toilet seat for a grille...swage lines inspired by spaghetti junction...not worthy of the Jaguar badge.
Bit bloated