SilverBeam
12-21-2005, 02:24 AM
I just drove a 2000 Jag S-type 4.0 1,000 miles this week. The car is a 2000 with (now) 73,500 miles on the clock.
Before I get into the lengthy negatives, let me start with the positives. This car is a smooth freeway cruiser. If you don’t want to feel anything, it’s a good car. The handling is pretty good for the size, and the dynamics are pretty good. I didn’t have any problems with oversteer or understeer in the car. It upshifts smoothy, and basically does its job well: to be a comfortable car you don’t notice.
Okay, now that I got that off my chest, lets get into the negatives.
Electrical problems: check engine light comes on randomly; the dealership says to ignore it. CD change is a MESS! Sometimes it doesn’t work; sometimes it’ll stop playing a CD ½ way through and skip to the next. Sometimes it won’t recognize a CD in one spot, but move it to another place, it and sees it just fine. Sometimes the display goes black, sometimes it flickers like a light switch rave, in any case, hitting the display fixes the problem. The only plus to the CD system is the fact that the 6 disk changer is located in the glove box (it takes up most of the space in there) so some problems are easy to fix. Windows aren’t one touch, really should be. Cruise control didn’t work. Back up sensors activated once, but only after we had stopped and were in the process of shifting into drive. We would of hit the curb if we were still moving.
Comfort problems: the seats are incredibly non supportive and under padded. After a few hours, your ass goes numb and you become very uncomfortable.
Random mechanical problems that may or may not be the car’s fault: Periodic smell of burning rubber. I checked under the hood at one point, the belts looked alright. HORRIBLY warped rotors. My friend’s dad (owner) bought supplies from dealership and did the change himself, the rotors warped instantly. Rumor on the street is that the dealership does this so you’ll fork over 500 for them to do the job. Bad shimmy in the wheel especially at 70 probably just needs a balance. Oh, and after we traveled 500 miles, the car wouldn’t shift from park into reverse. We had to force it twice. Not a good sign. Horn was broken, and the center part of the steering wheel seems to be prying up on the edges.
Those are the cliff notes, here is more info:
I drove the car the most of the trip. The shocks need replacing, but for the most part, it is a great car on the freeway, not really my style, but nice non the less. If you need to use the power from the 4.0, however, you have to demand it. It does not come on tap or on command. The engine seems to lack torque when it finally does do its bad downshift (give it a second or two and it’ll jump to 4,000RPM then a second later jump up to 6,000) it seems to be straining, struggling to do what you want it to do. It sounds like its trying very hard, but it isn’t roaring, it is this hideous sound as if it really does not want to do what you are asking of it. The engine seems to lack torque; it does not have that throw you in the seat acceleration like the BMW V8s. A few times, I really needed that power, and it wasn’t there.
The interior ergonomics are less than perfect. The knob to turn the lights on is ridiculous. It has automatic lights, but to turn the lights on, you have to turn the lights to the “on” position then pull out, which first disables the auto light function then turns them on. Your trip odometer is not visible at all times, and to get to it, you forfeit the view of the actual odometer. Actually, you do that to find out how many miles left on a tank, average speed, etc. The buttons to scroll through this are located on the dash next to the tach, in a difficult to get to reach while driving. The dash is also flat and tasteless. The seats aren’t all that stylish or comfortable. The car does not have enough storage. It might have room for 5, but it doesn’t have room for 4 people’s things for a four-day trip. We had mountains of stuff in the car with us. And the car only had one cup holder.
Everyone has heard enough about J gate. I didn’t really shift it to get pissed off at it, but I can see why it is annoying. My main problem with the shifter was the fact that it stopped shifting. After we returned home, and were dropping off the first passenger, I could NOT get the car into reverse. I turned the car on and off a few times, nothing. So I had to force it. The car flew into drive, then easily went into reverse from there. At the next stop, the same thing happened. I don’t know if it was tired or what, but I’ve never had a transmission do that after a 500 mile trip.
After driving this car long distance, and driving my dad’s 540 quite a bit, I’ll tell you straight up the 540 is a MUCH better car. At 105,000 miles (same year) the 5 doesn’t have nearly as many problems as the jag, is more comfortable for long trips, faster, sportier, able to do what you ask it to do much easier. And I think it has a lot more trunk space. The jag has a very low trunk, so even if it is long and wide, without the height, it is hard to make due. If you are in the market for a med. size sedan, don't even bother with the jag dealership. We were lucky to get home, and almost didn't when the transmission decided to stop working.
Before I get into the lengthy negatives, let me start with the positives. This car is a smooth freeway cruiser. If you don’t want to feel anything, it’s a good car. The handling is pretty good for the size, and the dynamics are pretty good. I didn’t have any problems with oversteer or understeer in the car. It upshifts smoothy, and basically does its job well: to be a comfortable car you don’t notice.
Okay, now that I got that off my chest, lets get into the negatives.
Electrical problems: check engine light comes on randomly; the dealership says to ignore it. CD change is a MESS! Sometimes it doesn’t work; sometimes it’ll stop playing a CD ½ way through and skip to the next. Sometimes it won’t recognize a CD in one spot, but move it to another place, it and sees it just fine. Sometimes the display goes black, sometimes it flickers like a light switch rave, in any case, hitting the display fixes the problem. The only plus to the CD system is the fact that the 6 disk changer is located in the glove box (it takes up most of the space in there) so some problems are easy to fix. Windows aren’t one touch, really should be. Cruise control didn’t work. Back up sensors activated once, but only after we had stopped and were in the process of shifting into drive. We would of hit the curb if we were still moving.
Comfort problems: the seats are incredibly non supportive and under padded. After a few hours, your ass goes numb and you become very uncomfortable.
Random mechanical problems that may or may not be the car’s fault: Periodic smell of burning rubber. I checked under the hood at one point, the belts looked alright. HORRIBLY warped rotors. My friend’s dad (owner) bought supplies from dealership and did the change himself, the rotors warped instantly. Rumor on the street is that the dealership does this so you’ll fork over 500 for them to do the job. Bad shimmy in the wheel especially at 70 probably just needs a balance. Oh, and after we traveled 500 miles, the car wouldn’t shift from park into reverse. We had to force it twice. Not a good sign. Horn was broken, and the center part of the steering wheel seems to be prying up on the edges.
Those are the cliff notes, here is more info:
I drove the car the most of the trip. The shocks need replacing, but for the most part, it is a great car on the freeway, not really my style, but nice non the less. If you need to use the power from the 4.0, however, you have to demand it. It does not come on tap or on command. The engine seems to lack torque when it finally does do its bad downshift (give it a second or two and it’ll jump to 4,000RPM then a second later jump up to 6,000) it seems to be straining, struggling to do what you want it to do. It sounds like its trying very hard, but it isn’t roaring, it is this hideous sound as if it really does not want to do what you are asking of it. The engine seems to lack torque; it does not have that throw you in the seat acceleration like the BMW V8s. A few times, I really needed that power, and it wasn’t there.
The interior ergonomics are less than perfect. The knob to turn the lights on is ridiculous. It has automatic lights, but to turn the lights on, you have to turn the lights to the “on” position then pull out, which first disables the auto light function then turns them on. Your trip odometer is not visible at all times, and to get to it, you forfeit the view of the actual odometer. Actually, you do that to find out how many miles left on a tank, average speed, etc. The buttons to scroll through this are located on the dash next to the tach, in a difficult to get to reach while driving. The dash is also flat and tasteless. The seats aren’t all that stylish or comfortable. The car does not have enough storage. It might have room for 5, but it doesn’t have room for 4 people’s things for a four-day trip. We had mountains of stuff in the car with us. And the car only had one cup holder.
Everyone has heard enough about J gate. I didn’t really shift it to get pissed off at it, but I can see why it is annoying. My main problem with the shifter was the fact that it stopped shifting. After we returned home, and were dropping off the first passenger, I could NOT get the car into reverse. I turned the car on and off a few times, nothing. So I had to force it. The car flew into drive, then easily went into reverse from there. At the next stop, the same thing happened. I don’t know if it was tired or what, but I’ve never had a transmission do that after a 500 mile trip.
After driving this car long distance, and driving my dad’s 540 quite a bit, I’ll tell you straight up the 540 is a MUCH better car. At 105,000 miles (same year) the 5 doesn’t have nearly as many problems as the jag, is more comfortable for long trips, faster, sportier, able to do what you ask it to do much easier. And I think it has a lot more trunk space. The jag has a very low trunk, so even if it is long and wide, without the height, it is hard to make due. If you are in the market for a med. size sedan, don't even bother with the jag dealership. We were lucky to get home, and almost didn't when the transmission decided to stop working.