With the launch of the diesel S-TYPE it was a case of better late than never for Jaguar when the model appeared in 2004 – its answer to the BMW 530d and Mercedes-Benz E320 CDi models that dominated the diesel executive car market at the time. 

The model appeared alongside a mid-cycle facelift for the S-TYPE that also saw it get revised rear lights and an improved interior, ready for its final four years on sale. The car was an instant hit. Any concerns Jaguar may have had about the brand’s ‘purists’ baulking at the idea of a diesel Jaguar were offset by the company car drivers and fleet managers who could now opt for the prestigious brand, and by the end of 2005 diesels accounted for over a third of S-TYPE sales. 

This one is a 2005 car – a high spec SE with a few extra boxes ticked off the options list and just three owners from new; one company and two private.

First registered in March 2005, 5h3 S-TYPE has had three owners. The first was a business in London, which acquired the car from the Guy Salmon Jaguar dealership in Portsmouth. It then passed onto a second owner at three years old who kept it for a couple of years, and then a third owner who had it for a decade. The service book is stamped up to 61,589 miles in 2013, and thereafter there are bills and invoices for more recent works.  Add to this The Jaguar has just had an oil service and two new injectors as well as replacement filters.

The S-TYPE presents very well inside, with barely any wear to its light grey leather seats and very little deterioration to the driver’s seat bolster. The cabin is clean and tidy, with smart pale maple veneers, and all of the dials and controls appear to operate as they should.

Finished in to-order black, the S-TYPE is in SE specification and looks extremely smart, sitting on factory-option 12-spoke alloy wheels.

It presents well for an original 17-year-old car that has never seen any body repairs, with no notable damage or deterioration to any of the panels or trim. Look closely and you’ll spot a small dent in the offside rear wing above the bumper, and there’s also a very slight crease in the back bumper, but neither of these are substantial and the black bodywork hides it well. 

The vendor reports that the underside is solid and that the car has never had any welded repairs.

With 204bhp on tap from its twin-turbo V6 common-rail diesel, the Jaguar is certainly no slouch – and the power delivery arrives early, too, thanks to the model’s substantial toque. This is the same engine as used on the Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover Sport, so it’s no surprise at all to find it eager to get underway. 

It’s quiet and refined and has covered less than 100,000 miles, making it a perfectly viable daily driver. The car has just had two new injectors fitted and is sold with no known mechanical issues, according to the seller.

This is a really smart example of the S-TYPE TDVi – a car that offers all of the style and comfort of a Jaguar S-TYPE but with an extra layer of frugality. 

It looks great and has a decent service history, with a low number of keepers and sensible miles. A modern classic that you can use every day, and which shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to run.