Some SL's look good, but it's really dependent on the color scheme and wheels. I am not saying aftermarket kind of stuff, but some SL's got it and most don't. You when looking at which one that is. This forum is going to say an XK. For sure classier than an SL; but it depends on what is important to you.

 

Get the XK...........................its unique and you'll never see your self coming......

 

Interesting statement as I wonder what the extra 2 speeds would do. I find during my normal cruising around town I never get out of 5th and the car rarely goes down to 1st . I usually force it into 6th while driving on the local roads at 45mph. If I want to play in S mode then i find the transmission to be very responsive and easier then my old 3 peddle car. Just my observation.

 

Yes, I'd thought that 6 gears was plenty and that 8 would be a nuisance especially in manual mode (i.e. just adding more changes when you are having fun), but those who have used the 8 say that the box is massively quicker with the shifts so fast especially in the downshifts that it is much better.

 

Albert - the BHP that I quoted above is the calculated crankshaft hp. The actual as measured at the rear wheels is 337.71. If you want to see the runs pm with your email address and I will send you a copy. Ralph

 

Bruce - IMO, the 8 speed has only positives and no negatives; 1) It will provide faster accelerations, 2) It will provide a 10%+ increase in highway MPG.

Let's address each points: I am attaching a genetic dyno selection in the link below. Please click on the Mercedes C63 AMG dyno (very bottom of the sheet) for the purpose of explanation. As you can see the difference (red power curve) between the engine turning at 4500 RPM and 5000 RPM is a full 60 HP at the higher RPMs. If you have a wide ratio transmission (6-speed) you pull your car to the 6500 RPM redline but, when you shift-up, the RPM drops to 4500 in the next higher gear. In a closer ratio transmission (8-speed) the RPM may only drop to 5000 in the next higher gear, thus, your acceleration will be improved by the additional availability of 60 HP at each upshift.

Dyno Sheets | ECU Tuning Group

HP is the dominant factor in acceleration at higher speeds. It goes something, like this. You only need about 75 HP to sustain speeds of 100 MPH but, you need around 600 HP to sustain speeds of 200 MPH. All that exponential HP increase goes to push the additional air resistance out of the way of the car's front profile.

As to fuel economy; my experiences with the Jag 6 and 8 speed shows that the cruising RPMs at 70 MPH are approx. 2000 RPM with the 6 speed, while it drops to near 1500 RPM with the 8-speed. That extra 500 rotation/minute uses considerably more fuel. In my checking about 10+ percent difference.

As to 8 speed being a hassle for manual driving? No. Why not? Because manual driving should truly be only used for high performance driving. For anything else you should let the car shift automatically. For performance driving, on the other hand, you will likely only use 4 of the 8 gears, such as 2nd, 3rd, 4th and maybe 5th - if you really want to risk your licence :-). For most hard street or even track driving you likely be limited to just 3 gears, 2-4. Shifting 3 or 4 gears is really not taxing or confusing.

The Jaguar 8-speed is a truly wonderful device that I wish I had in my cars. It has "close" near racing ratios while the 6 - 8 gears provide superbly quiet cruising with zero engine noise and great fuel economy.

 

My observation on the 6 vs 8 is track based. The XKR with its 6 spd has trouble in power roll on at certain speeds vs the 8. The gear split is noticeable between them if you drive them back to back. I suspect without driving both you'll never notice.

 

The car is a blast to drive and it turn heads everywhere you go,and i get compliments about it everytime im at a gas station and that makes it so I can't go a day without driving it.As far as maintenance goes,they perfected the XK to never break down unless you do something wrong to the car seems like to me.The only issue would be your rubber hoses going bad.Anything else goes wrong with the car means it eventually broke cause something wrong the last owner did to the car

 

I don't think 8 speed F-Type R can beat a 6 speed XKR judging by how camaros use 8 speeds transmissions and my XKR gap those like they sitting still no matter how loud their exhaust sounds louder than my XKR lol.As i was saying,if jag use the 8 speed,it's gonna be slow like tje camaros are just judging by how they use the same transmission

 

To control the wind, there are two thing to do:
1. Get yourself an OEM or aftermarket wind screen (mine came with the OEM screen),
2. Get theJagWrangler.com Remote Top and Rear Window Control, which allows you to raise the rear windows with the top down (a used convertible may already have one from the previous owner).

With these you can cruise top down, windows up, with no buffeting. It’s great.

 

I recently made much the same choice and went with an XK. I only wish the XK had a hard top rather than cloth. My garaged, 2012 XK has only 20K miles and the top is in very good shape, but it's starting to show creases and I can't stand it. Makes me not want to cycle to top so often. But I otherwise love the car and from a looks dept, there's really no comparison.

 

xk production and technology is old. The body style came out in 1996 so design work probably started in 1992 or earlier and had a few updates since then but very little chassis wise just a few electronic components added. The Mercedes platform is much newer, modern and more capable.

 

I sold my SL500 to get a Jaguar XK. XK is obviously better looking... my SL was nothing but problems especially when the hydraulics on the power top go it turns into a huge nightmare if you can't do it yourself and cost you thousands ...the hydraulic suspension has many issues as well and they kind of fall apart especially interior parts t's really a POS that's why I got rid of mine and never looked back...

 

Barry you do realise that the f type (8spd) is quicker then the xkr (6spd) take a look at drag times 11.2 vs 11.5 same time on both cars

Also take the v6 s (380hp) it's just as quick a xkr 4.2 down the 1/4 mile with 40 less HP

 

As a long term and multiple SL owner, I can confirm that this experience is representative. The last reasonably reliable SL was R129 that last was produced in 2002. From there, in 2003 came out R230 equipped with hydraulic suspension (that is unmanageable once gets old, your car leaks fluid and sags to the ground like a broken lowrider), very flawed brake system (an intermittent electric fault can cause loss of brake power assist), and complicated hardtop system. So if you are thinking about buying a new or used Mercedes SL - don't.

 

Not having owned a Mercedes for at least 37 years I'm not competent to opine on them. The Jaguar now, particularly the X150 (XK series) is another question. The only real trouble spot in the 5.0 litre engined vehicle is the water pump. It will go bad in about 30 to 40k miles. Timing chains have been known to fail also but that is avoidable by changing the motor oil often, twice a year or every 5 to 7500 miles. If I were buying a used XK I would have a dealer run a PPI to certification standards and have a Jaguar certified body shop inspect the car as well. Total cost around $500-600 and you will be armed with a tool to assist in negotiating the purchase. Good hanting and please keep us apprised of your progress.

 

Mine is a daily driver and i have no battery tender....all is well! I chose the 2008 XK for the 4.2 L. Now that i have had for 6 months i wished i had waited on the XKR.....i just couldn't find one that fit my search at the time! and you are right...the later model XK has plenty of power. My friend has a 2012 Vert and in Dynamic Mode it is very quick!!

 

With respect, this is utter nonsense.