2005 Jaguar S-Type Test Drives

Leaping into the Luxury Sedan Scuffle

It's got the British power and speed associated with Jaguar, but its Ford-inspired American flaws prevent it from effectively competing with classier counterparts from Europe and Japan.

It might be enough to spend merely $51,975 (versus $63,072 for the S-Type R) and get your hands on the non-supercharged 4.2-liter V-8 S-Type Sport, which will cart you to 60 mph a little less than a second slower, its 300 hp doing quite nicely, thanks. That's still not loafing speed, mind you -- 6.2 seconds to 60 mph makes the 4.2-liter S-Type as fast or faster than a lot of cars in this class. And although that's about a half-second slower than a BMW 540i, it's also a good $9,000 cheaper.

But what's different about the S-Type Sport versus the non-sport S-Type, which comes in at $49,975? A lot. In fact, there's enough distinction here (beyond the $2,000 premium) to vault the standard V-8 from merely purring loudly to baring its teeth, if not quite hissing.

First, you get CATS, Jaguar's cutely named adaptive ride control. (It stands for the ungainly Computer Active Technology Suspension; no wonder they just use the acronym.) In non-carspeak that means the car's shocks get stiffer as you get more aggressive, and softer as you back off. That's good, because the car also gets wider, lower tires -- 50 series rather than 55 series on 17-inch rather than 16-inch rims -- that would make the ride rough if you had to endure the suspension all keyed up in a constantly taut mode.

Inside, the Sport has beefier seats with more support, perforated leather trim, racier green gauges and gray bird's-eye maple veneer, plus leather trimming added to the wheel and shift knob. The car also has beefier brakes and gets a blacked-out front grille, so all the Jag-o-philes out there will know you coughed up more for your zooming kitten.

But seriously, is the Jaguar S-Type V-8 Sport more than just another mouthful of a car name? Is it up to the competition in both refinement and speed? Click below to find out more.