2000 Jaguar S-Type review from North America

Stereo would occasionally get interrupted by what it thought was an incoming phone call. But considering that I never activated the car phone, those mysterious interruptions were erroneous. However, problem was quickly rectified under warranty by the dealership.

Historically, my wife and I have been very loyal to Lexus and Mercedes. We've owned everything from the ES300 to the SC400 to the GS300 to the LS400 to the RX300 to the E320 to the E420 to the CLK320, etc.

And BMW's, while wonderful on the road performance and handling aspects, just do not meet my luxury and aesthetics requirements.

But when I found out that a fairly new Jaguar S-Type (fully loaded) could be had for under $50K and had the opportunity to test drive one, I immediately knew that it was the perfect car for me. From an exterior standpoint, there's the shiny metallic paint and gorgeous body styling, with its elegant curves lead by a lunging Jaguar emblem in chrome. And as for the interior, the Jaguar designers did an outstanding job of fusing ergonomics with beauty. I am still awed every time I sit into the cockpit and am immersed with a plethora of quality woodwork, supple leather, and hi-tech gadgetry that syngergize to please my senses of touch, sight, and sound. It's got all the really cool features: super simple voice activation system, rear parking sensor, in-dash navigation system, glove box CD changer, dual climate control system with pollution filter, automatic telescoping of steering wheel and driver seat, etc.

And then of course there's the precision of the turns and the sure road grip of the Pirelli tires (sports package upgrade), not to mention the exhilarating punch of 281 finely tuned horses when the pedal is floored. Hands down the best car I've ever driven.