Hi!

Doing some shopping for a weekender convertible/cabriolet. The forefront was a 911 Cabrio and a Maserati GranTurismo Convertible (GranCabrio). The Maserati was edging out the 911 due to the back seat being actually usable.

I've never been huge on Jags before as my only exposure to them were the last gen XJ series with the bubble headlights. I didn't care for that design in any marque, even my beloved Mercedes. But after seeing a few F Types around town I was curious. Then I saw the one lone, single, XK on the road. It had similar lines as the Maserati! Had slightly more back seat room than the 911! I've been looking into them for the past few months and am now more curious than ever.


- Is there a difference between the XK and the XKR? I ask because in doing online research I see things like XK is non supercharged, XKR is supercharged, no option to specify XKR convertible but lots of AutoTrader listings have the car listed as an XKR.

- I see some options as CPO but many more, and closer options, are non CPO. How reliable in the end would a 2013/2014 XK be?

- My wife is a short woman. With the passenger seat pulled up a bit, could a child seat fit in the back? (This question will probably result in me getting something boring and ugly like an E550 Cab but oh well)

- Will the later year models see similar electrical bugaboos that you see in some of the earlier years?

- Could any current owners share their experiences with me?



TIA!

 

Back seat is actually about the same as 911. Have you driven the Maserati? The back seat is essentially a child seat as it is on the XK. There are members here who put their kids in those seats in lieu of a child seat FWIW. E550 is the most utilitarian of your picks and is awesome as convertible (friend has a Renntech E550 that I have driven a few times). Steering feel is nothing to write home about. Maserati as much as I love the marque, is not an inspiring ride IMO. The interior materials feel cheap and handling is not there. Sounds great from the outside, but inside isn't sounding the same. Can't go wrong with 911, especially the S version or better. The base cuts some corners on power and braking.... If you get a newish XKR, that car is beast. As reliable as any competing car for real. The seat position won't make much difference on the rear child seat and front leg room is quite good. She won't have to move the seat that far forward. Have you also considered a a DB9?

 

> Have you driven the Maserati?

Yup! And took the kid's seat with me and tested it out. Decent fit overall, wife was comfortable and baby's feet weren't pinched.

> Maserati as much as I love the marque, is not an inspiring ride IMO. The interior materials feel cheap and handling is not there. Sounds great from the outside, but inside isn't sounding the same.

This is what steers me away from it. It's not a sports car, it, like the 991 911, is a really comfortable "GT" that has the guts when you need em. The sound is absolutely what made me love it, along with the looks. Which the Jag comes close to (sound/visuals). I love the 911 shape as well but while they sound good they were never great sounding cars IMO.

That and reliability. Maserati has reliability issues, but the GT not so much. Hear the same from Jag but they have a better dealer network so I'm a bit more comfortable in it. Plus I can find some 2013/14 models still CPO...

Which brings me to:

> Have you also considered a a DB9?

My budget is around 70k. That puts me in 2013 for both a Maser, Jaguar, and 991 911 CPO territory, or possibly a new/CPO Mercedes C43/C63/E Class Cab if I wait till the end of the year when some returns start coming in. DB9 in that price range puts me at 10 years, Aston's have reliability issues similar to Maserati, and a worse dealer network in my area.


All of the last gen XK have the same 5 liter V8, right? Just more sporty tunes for the XKR/XKRS? Is the XKRS worth it over the XKR?

There is an XKR within driving range that has the black out options. Looks fantastic. Don't see any XKRS on the various sites with similar black out trim.

 

First, I have had a few Jaguars - 13 to be exact. Old, new, supercharged, and normally aspirated. I have taken some to over 150K miles. To answer your questions:
1. IF properly maintained I have not found them to be any less reliable than their contemporaries. If NOT maintained they can be a nightmare. Low mileage will not guarantee you a less trouble free car.
2. The back seats are pretty useless for driving very far. Small kids in the back for a short drive is probably OK. I would not think of a 100 mile drive like that. A child seat should probably fit, but can't guarantee it.
3. If the batteries are not fully charged the cars are prone to all sorts of electrical weirdnesses. Drive them regularly or keep them on a battery maintainer/trickle charger. C-Tek seems to be the preferred one here. I don't use a battery maintainer as I drive my cars and have only seen problems when the battery is getting old. The newer ones are certainly better than the earlier ones. Ford made great improvements to quality when they owned Jaguar. But the earlier ones were a LOT easier to work on.

The supercharged cars are REALLY quick. Nobody will call the normally aspirated cars slow. I live in an area with too many cops that don't have enough to do. They will cite you for 1 MPH over the limit on city streets and it is too easy to hit 26 MPH with a REALLY quick car for me. So I am fine without the extra 130 HP.

Good luck! They are great cars!

 

"Will the later year models see similar electrical bugaboos that you see in some of the earlier years?"...


I have the first year model 2007 and it has less electrical issues than the later models as far as I am concerned. I also believe the earlier 4.2 engines have less issues as well. If it were me shopping, I would look for a 2007 to 2009 model with the original shifter (not the rising one) and no R versions either. You can get splendid one for around 20K-25K. But that's just me.

 

There's a lot more to the XKR than just a supercharger and fancy brakes. The price difference is worth it. The XKR-S is worth the bump on the XKR IMO. The RS models are really the pinnacle for Jag and are just that extra special...

 

You are right. You get some badges with an "R" pasted on the car, vents on the hood, four exhaust tips that look cool, and a really cool sound as the supercharger spools up.

My XJ is supercharged. Been there, done that.

 

I thought suspension and steering rack are also different, no?

 

I have not seen any differences in the steering or suspension for XK and XKR. The parts catalog shows a different rack for an XKR-S. The XKR-S probably has different suspension as well.
My brochure shows the following add ons to the XK to make it an XKR:




My NA cars has adaptive headlights and I would rather not have them as I don't find them useful and they are expensive to repair/replace.

 

I've got a 2010 XKR vert, previously had a 2011 XK (not XKR). Personally, I'd recommend the XKR-- I think it's well worth the price bump. I love it. But as you can see, others feel differently.
My opinion, though... if you're even considering the E550, get that. Why? Because on the other cars you mention, the XK included, the rear seat is really more of a storage area. That "seat" just looks so crazy uncomfortable to me, I can't imagine even a five-year-old would want to be there for more than a short trip. COULD a small child fit there? Sure. Would you want to do that, though?

While I'm asking questions, here's an obvious question no one's asked:
Have you driven an XKR convertible?

PS: I was doing a little looking around recently myself. You should be able to get a low-mileage CPO 2014-15 XKR vert for 55-60K. WELL within your budget. Tip: LOOK AT THE IN-SERVICE DATE. I looked at a 2014 CPO with ultra low miles... BUT it had an in-service of Sept 2013. So I'd essentially get two years of warranty as it would expire in September 2019.

 

Get the Jaguar XE, Range Rover Or the Jaguar Fpace, if you are looking to get a little bit of enjoyment in your life while juggling being a dad.
That kid will grow out of the rear seats faster than you grow out of negative equity.

You are right in suspecting that Jaguar offers tremendous persona and character- way more than cars. And now that they are more reliable than the other cars you mentioned; a no-brainier for those in the know.

 

Ignoring the seating issue you can get a XKR with the speed pack, lowered suspension a new aero package with front splitter and larger rear spoiler, same power but limiter adjusted to give max speed 174mph, you can then add on the black pack as well.

My car 2013 XK-R in MY 2014with above packs and climate pack

 

You have a point Fox,
At least, this helps him land his next bride.

 

We already have a Mercedes sedan and SUV as haulers/grocery getters/dailies. This is 100% a "drive to the park on the weekend" car.

 

Not everyone is into the speed thing. If you are, I don't think the XKR is a good choice. There are a lot of faster alternatives. As someone pointed out yesterday, a Vette. If you need to stick with Jaguar, an F Type R. I would probably go for another motorcycle, if I wanted something really fast and ignored the wife. Or if you want a blisteringly fast car with a real back seat, a Tesla D. The only downside to that one is there is not much you can do with the exhaust note.

I am happy and comfortable cruising in my NA XK.

 

I'd take the family and go test drive the one within driving distance. I don't think using the rear seat is a viable idea unless your family suffers from dwarfism. My wife's niece does and at 4' tall she wouldn't be comfortable in the back of my coupe. Maybe the vert is different by the chassis is the same between them. I don't think the seats will move far enough forward for a modern child seat either. Basically you don't buy the XK or XKR because it has a back seat. In the end at 70 large you are looking for a date night toy while the kid is with the sitter. After that it's just going to sit unless you run it to work and back. There should be more sane options out there.

 

I am 5"11 and my kids are 9 and 12. This was taken over a weekend trip (with luggage for four stowed in trunk), after a few hours of driving. The kids LOVE riding in the Jag with the top down. There is just enough room for their legs without being uncomfortable. It won't last forever, but it's been great for 5 summers now. it comes down to how tall you are in my opinion. if you're anywhere over 6 feet then it likely won't work.


Two kids...no prob<br/>

 

EloeOmoe,
Just an observation on your original post, how can you even mention any Maserati in the same post as you ask about the reliability of the XK/XKR? As lovely as the Gran Turismo looks and sounds, Maserati has some intensely major reliability issues. These are not isolated incidents, they are pretty much universal to the brand lineup and so widespread as to be an issue even on new cars. The 5.0L XK series is comparatively highly reliable and low maintenance. If you enjoy the power and a bit more crisp handling, then look at the XKR. There is effortless torque and speed and a taut, firm, but not uncomfortable ride. And I think nearly everyone on this forum would argue that the X150 is a better looking vehicle than the Mercedes. The big howevers are 1) X150 technology and info screen are not as up to date as the others, and 2) the carseat requirement, while possible is still not easily accomplished. As others have suggested, drive all of the cars, preferably in close time proximity, then make your decision.

 

I have owned two XK verts an 08 and a 12. I now own a 13XKR. IMO the XKR is a better vehicle hands down. In addition to the extra 125 horses that are very nice to have, it is better handling through the twisties and in dynamic mode the NA XK can't hold a candle to the XKR.

How important is the rear seat to you? If it is only a minor factor then go with the XKR otherwise the Mercedes 550 is the answer. I almost bought one several years ago, but when it came down to it, it is not Jaguar. What do I mean by that? A Jaguar is much like a thoroughbred horse and the Merc in comparison is similar to a Clydesdale. As for reliability the X150s are just as, if not more reliable, compared to Mercs and the Maserati isn't even in the same league.

 

Nah. If my priority was blisteringly fast, I wouldn't consider the Maser at all.

I just want a nice car that performs well, is comfortable, looks great, sounds great.


Yeah, the E550. But it's ugly and I want to diversify. :P




Jag doesn't have that great of a reliability reputation either. Also, the Maserati reliability reputation comes from the F1 Cambriocorsa equipped models, and it's less reliability and more a fault with the transmission they chose.

The GT is probably their most reliable vehicle.

My experience with the infotainment is 100% using it to play music and nav. As long as it does that I don't care. I never use built in NAV, etc.







Thanks everyone for the replies so far.