Just test drove a very nice low mileage 07 XKR. Great car. It is a lot of fun under full throttle! Coming from a low mileage 06 XK8, the ride felt pretty firm. More like I could feel every bump in the road on secondary roads. Sure it's a high perf car w/ stiffer springs, redesigned alum body, etc which are all good. If I buy, will fully enjoy on winding roads. I've also driven an 08 XK which felt more comfortable, reasonably fast and handled much better than my trusty XK8. Seems like the XK leans more to luxury and XKR is full time sports car.

Test drive did not include freeway time (clogged w/ rush hour traffic). With good tires (and correct tire pressure) is the XKR a little more comfortable on the freeway?

 

Tire size and brand/model plays a factor in the ride quality of the /R models. 20-inch wheels give a lot more road feel than the 19 inch ones. Still though, the /Rs are more stable/harsh on the roads. I don't even notice anymore, other than hitting an especially obnoxious part of tarmac.

 

plus ...
All other things being equal ... and assuming no suspension/alignment issues ...

Tire pressures and age also make a big difference in ride quality, as well as tire type (all season, touring, Ultra High Performance etc.) and treadwear rating, as harder rubber compounds wear longer and may ride harsher. Rubber dries out and gets harder with age, which adversely affects ride comfort. The lower the tire profile, the shorter the sidewall, with less flexibility to absorb impacts, which results in harsher ride comfort.

Jaguar suspension engineers have worked wonders with XKR ride comfort and 20" wheels with ultra-low profile tires, as I don't find the ride comfort of my 2009 to be harsh or uncomfortable on my Hankook V12 Evos, a Max Performance Summer tire. Of course, it's not as comfortable as my 2013 XJ (also 20"wheels) with Continental DWS-06 Ultra High Performance All Season tires because it has air suspension (rear) and taller sidewalls that better absorb bumps in the road. Fortunately, our roads are pretty good and potholes are few.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Knew what to expect when I did the 2nd test drive. It's firm but comfortable. Just had to adjust after a very comfortable XK8.

Yes I bought it. Great combo of precise steering, tight handling and supercharger power. Good road feedback. The sound. Freeway is smooth but slight barely noticeable ongoing shudder. Feels like tires almost slightly out of balance. Pre inspect guy recommended brakes/rotors. Pads 2-3 mm. Both F&R rotors have a noticeable lip (approx .55 mm on front). Do the worn rotors factor into the slight shudder? Shocks look good (no leaks). I haven't driven the car enough to know if CATS working correctly.

Have 19's. Front tires are new Pirelli Zeros. Rear tires are Pirelli Zeros which are 8 years old. Lots of tread. Pressure 30.5 all tires. Still need to get tires rebalanced.

 

Best advice: get rid of the dreadful Pirelli PZeros! The F-Type forum list has a huge amount of information about alternatives, but the favoured tires are Michelins and Continentals. My own experience with replacing the PZero tires on my F-Type with Michelins was that both handling and ride quality were vastly improved.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'll check out the F type forum. Have Continental Extreme Contacts on my 06 XK8. Hard to compare performance since the ride is so cushy but comfortable and quiet.

 

others may disagree; Me, time for discs and pads. “shuddering” is not what I want in the brake feel.
Plenty of opinion about tires in this forum. But do all do agree on one thing: The right tires make all the difference.

 

Sorry, shuddering wrong choice of words. I meant slight vibration while driving. Depends on speed. Tire balance next week.
With my 06, it was a slightly bent right front rim so shop will check for that.

 

My follow up report after driving for a couple of weeks. Best Jag I've ever owned (this is the 3rd). Comfortable, capable high performance car. I don't even notice the slightly different (still comfortable) ride anymore but handling is so much better. Still feels like a GT on the highway. Smoother on freeway/bridge connects than my 06 XK8. Brake upgrades next on the list. At idle, the faint whine and low exhaust grumble are a reminder of what the car can do. My wife did the 0-60 test. Now she wants one too. Maybe I'll give her the 4.2 and get a 5.0 SC.

 

I don’t trust a tire that is over 6 years old, mine turned 6 this year. You say the rear tires are 8 years old, definitely time for a new set. Getting a fresh set of Pilot Sport AS4’s as we speak. I’m excited to feel the difference between them and the old AS3’s.