I have had three XJ's in the past, and have had great luck with them. Also found the sticky with what to look for when buying an XJ very helpful.
I don't see the same kind of info under the XK area, so I wonder if someone could enlighten me on what to look for and what to avoid?
I am looking for a coupe, and wonder what the best or worst years are? Preferred engine - 4.2 or 5l ? - - the XKR might be fun, but from what I see the base should have sufficient horsepower for my use.

Trying to keep the cost below $25K or so.
Thanks for any help.

 

I did a cursory search, take your pick of these threads:

Jaguar X150 XK - XKR buyer's guide

Look out for very old posts, they may not be what you're looking for.

 

Pistonheads & Autocar

 

One remark only: in Europe (at least on the continent), asking prices have been going up continuously over the last years. A well-serviced post-face-lift XKR convertible will now easily fetch 55,000 Euro and more.

 

I purchased a 2015 XK coupe back in May, and I have since learned that several Jag dealers in my area, plus a few independent shops, will not service anything older than ten years. A few have told me they will go back as far as 2011 models, but that's it. If you're a DIYer, then great, but if you plan on using the dealer or independent garages for maintenance, then I would recommend looking at a later model. Good luck, and please post pics of whatever you end up buying. Cheers.

 

Unusually for any vehicle (and not just Jaguar), the XK 4.2 was just right at introduction and required very little subsequent development work. The 5.0 litre was not quite so good at first and I waited until 2014 to change my 2006 XK. Water pumps were a regular issue and injectors can fail. Transmissions have a bit of a reputation and plastic cooling system components don't last forever.

If like me, you are a supercharged individual ( ) and don't feel the need for one in your vehicle, the normally aspirated are less complex and less stressed. They also cost less.

An excellent buyers guide is The Essential Buyer's Guide - Jaguar New XK 2005 to 2014 by Nigel Thorley (ISBN 978-1-845848-06-4) which covers options and faults in his usual well researched manner.

The most important consideration with any used Jaguar is the service history. Neglect can ruin one in a very short time and regular attention to fluid changes in particular is critical. Even more important with the 5.0.

The youngest examples of the XK are now nine years old and the original models are seventeen years old. Our US members set great store by low mileage but light, regular use is to be preferred to months under cover in the garage. Trim items are becoming increasingly harder to source and are expensive. Assess any missing or damaged parts carefully.

The most frequent question we are asked is about Smartkeys. Make sure any prospective purchase has two and they both work. Replacement is expensive and frustrating.

Graham

 

Completely agree w/ moderator's comments on good service history a must and light use being better than always stored. Both the 4.2 and 5.0 are great cars but the 4.2 is generally a little less expensive. Also the 4.2 motor has a reputation for being bullet proof. Argument for the XKR, besides the 420 hp, are the suspension upgrades. XK is a little more on the luxury side, XKR is a comfortable high performance sports car. I was originally looking for an XK because figured NA had fewer potential problems. Drove an XKR and decided to go for it. The 4.2 XKR is a blast (so to speak) to drive. The 07-09's seems to the sweet spot for reliability. Good luck with your search.

 

Thank you so much!

 

I had a 1998 and a 2005 xk convertible. I loved them both. But in Houston, it is hot a hell here. Seven days in a row of around 100 degrees this week. There are maybe a couple of weeks of really good weather during the year to drive a convertible. So I decided on a coupe. First of all don't get in hurry. Take you time in finding your car. I looked on and off for 2 1/2 years before finding my car. I wanted a 5.0 newer (2013) XKR black/ black. I could not find the right one. Finally one came up online on a Sunday in Kansas City. Put 1K down on Monday to hold it for 3 days. I wanted a one owner that was as picky as I am. I wanted someone that took great care of their cars and did any work that needed to be done with low mileage. It was hard to find the right one for me. I bought my car online and had it shipped to me site unseen. But I did my research. I called the Jag dealership in Kansas City and talked to the service manager for about a hour about the car. All the work was done on his warranty. After talking to him and seeing all the pics that were sent to me, I pulled the trigger. Granted I had done some work on it since I got it but it is a sweetheart to drive now. Know what you want and wait till you find one that is in the best shape with low miles you can find. Good luck.

 

Here's a 2012 XK with14,000 miles on Bring-A-Trailer, currently bid to $15,000. Azurite Blue with Caramel leather.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...k-convertible/

 

If blue is your color this looks good. Don't worry about the minor accident listed on carfax. Maybe it will keep the pure jaguar buyers away. Like I said, looks good and the price is right.

 

Great color combo but "minor damage" includes new hood, new top, front fenders, front bumper, sensors, headlights, rear quarter panels, etc, etc. This is somehow the result of a "garage door incident". It will be interesting to see final price.

 

With the type of body construction involved in the manufacturing process of our XKs including a plethora of rivets, I don't see how repairing body damage on one with other than minor (scratches and small dents) will actually bring the car's integrity back to factory specs. I'd prefer to purchase only an untouched XK, of which there are plenty out there.

 

Price is 7 days out. It will be interesting to see if the damage keeps the price down. In CA, this would probably be a salvage title car. My guess is someone will buy it and resell. Looks great, low miles, CA car all help. Not sure I understand the "pure Jaguar buyer" comment. I'd pass on this car whatever brand it was because of extensive damage.

 

That type of work requires Jag trained and authorized repair shop to even get parts which have jigs etc for correct alignment.. That may not apply when using used panels etc.