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The biggest worry when the S-Type was launched back in '99 was its residual value. However, figures show that the S-Type holds its value reasonably well, on a par with rivals from BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Fuel consumption isn't too bad, either - especially taking into account the car's not inconsiderable performance - while insurance and servicing costs are also in-line with the car's peers. Because this latest model was released in 2002, there aren't many around just yet, but we'd recommend waiting for one rather than plumping for a pre-facelift version ('99-'02), which was off the pace even back when it was launched. The 2002-onwards car is the more desirable, and we expect residual values to reflect that fact as time passes. The S-Type was always pretty good value for this class and the 2002 revisions make it better still. It comes with a shed-load of equipment and is competitively priced, too, so it's one of the best-value executive cars you can buy.
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