Jaguar S-Type sedan 2005 review

But all this isn't new. My father had a friend who probably should not have been a friend, because in earlier lives they fought on opposite sides in the second European war.

But my father's friend was successful in the construction industry in Adelaide and bought a Daimler. Actually, it was a Jaguar but nobody told him it wasn't the German Daimler.

But I digress. The car was the first with the V12 engine. It was so silent my father later reported he could hear the dashboard clock ticking even when the car was cruising at 80km/h.

Silence remains Jaguar's forte. Even though the ride is a well-insulated leather-lined cocoon, Jaguar hasn't forgotten its past.

For even though the new – and that word will become more important later – S-Type gets quieter, it will still let you hear its growl when you squeeze its electronic throttle.

For 2005, Jaguar retains the retro-styling of the S-Type – a machine styled on the lines of the 1960s oval-grilled S-series – but hones the car to make it live better in a changing world.

Initial criticisms of the first-generation S-Type included a smallish cabin.

That's gone in the new model thanks to more deeply scalloped front seats that give the driver more lateral movement.

The rear seats appear to have more room – in fact the car will take two 1.8m rear passengers quite easily – though the complex suspension and rear-wheel-drive layout continues to crimp boot space.

The S-Type was always a lovely ride and, in the 3-litre V6 version at least, that hasn't changed.

The blend of ride comfort and handling is close to perfect though in comparison to other European rivals, the Jag does it differently.

Though it will hold its line beautifully through a corner to make it a superb winding road cruiser, the steering is nervously light.

You slowly get used to it but the feedback is close to zero, especially compared with the BMW 5-series.

But there is an upside. In the suburbs the steering is light and the wheel easy to twirl.

The engine may appear smallish for this type of vehicle, but the saloon gets along very quickly.

That's attributed to a nice balance of power and torque plus the silky ratios of the six-speed auto box.

Jaguar updated the S-Type for 2005 with a prettier tail and less fussy body panel details.

It also gets an aluminium bonnet to cut weight and balance the car out a bit.

The price has also been improved with this test car now selling under $100,000.