6. Jaguar S-Type 3.0
Jaguar's middle offering is the oldest sedan in its lineup and the most senior one in our test. The S-Type was designed as a retro throwback to the 1960s-vintage Mark II and 3.4/3.8S models in the late 1990s when many automakers were exploring their roots. That all will change, as the current car will be redone in a year or two using much of the bonded and riveted aluminum structure and suspension of the larger XJ sedan.
Right now it shares a platform with the Lincoln LS and Ford Thunderbird, but very little with other Jags, which means less economy of scale than its competitors. The S-Type 3.0 uses a reworked version (Jag heads on a Ford block) of FoMoCo's Duratec V-6, which can get noisy when pushed, but its flexibility is aided by a six-speed automatic transmission. Unfortunately, the S-Type clings to the hoary J-gate transmission selector, which makes quick manual gear selection a chore. A four-wheel upper/lower control-arm suspension gives a supple ride at cruising speeds; however, damping is marginal, and the car wallows and pitches when driven aggressively. Brakes don't fare much better; though vented discs are fitted at each wheel, the pedal gets mushier as the brakes work harder.
Narrow in width, shorter in height, and with a sharply curving retro greenhouse, the S-Type feels smaller than other cars in the test group. And it is; rear-seat room is cramped. Up front, taller drivers can get comfortable behind the wheel only by dropping the seat cushion to the bottom of its travel and raking the seatback way back. Connolly leather and stained bird's-eye maple trim cheer up the cabin, but the dash graphics are flattish, and the monochromatic displays for the audio and climate-control systems look like 1980s refugees.