Question for the team...
 

So...
I've posted about my 2010 XKR-- my warranty adventures, my cross-country driving adventures, all of it. And on one post, someone asked me a logical question: with all those issues that the warranty's fixed, maybe the problem is the car?

I love my XKR, but he's got a point. I've had a fair amount of work done for a car with about 35,000 miles. So I'm looking around.

And I'm not sure what to do, so I'm looking to the forum for input.

One the one hand: I know my car well by now, and a fair amount of the "issues" that come with a 2010 have been addressed. As of today, the car seems perfect.

On the other hand: We're talking about an eight year old car at this point. Maybe time to do a refresh.

On the other hand... no matter how I slice it, a newer XKR will be a financial hit.

On the other hand... this might be a good time to get a 2014 as one comes off of lease.

So I'm stalking four 2014 XKR's. They are all pretty much identical to my car and meet my "required" list: convertible, ultimate black, black interior with red stitching. (Downside: none have the advanced technology package, which I like. Upside: all have the jet headliner, which I don't have.)

Here they are. Curious as to your thoughts.

Certified 2014 Jaguar XK for sale in Fort Lauderdale, FL | Jaguar USA

Certified 2014 Jaguar XK for sale in Lake Bluff, IL | Jaguar USA

Pre-Owned 2014 Jaguar XK for sale in Wichita, KS | Jaguar USA

https://www.carmax.com/car/14505665

I'm torn between saying good things or bad because in the end it's your confidence in the car that inspires your enjoyment. The difference from knowing it's always ready to go vs. the knowledge that hopefully it's ready to go will affect your decision to drive it and certainly to enjoy it. The real question is whether your fear is justified and how you can mitigate it.

I do not think your fear is justified and I think you can plan your car events so a hiccup or burp doesn't ruin the experience. Honestly, just driving the car should make your day.

I do not think buying a newer version will do anything to increase the value of your enjoyment beyond having a warranty longer. The '14's are 1/2 the age and low mileage ones will have the same teething problems and garage aches as your current one does.

Have you considered early F-type? They are great cars.

Also, make sure to test drive other cars so you can calibrate your expectations/wants. 911, Mercedes SL, Mustang GT, F-type, Nissan GT-R, Corvette C7.

Personally, I have been through a number of cars with issues that were resolved during warranty. I had an Accord that had suspension issues, sensor issues, fuse box fire, cat failure early on. All fixed under warranty. Then the car was 100% issue-free until I sold it at 8 years old. It does happen.

All seem nice but Id stay away from the Carmax one. Personal preference but I'm not a fan of "No haggle pricing."

Think about this. If you keep your 2010 and have to put 20K in out of pocket repairs into it in the next 5 years (probably unlikely) you will still have paid less out of pocket than buying the 2014. All so you can get a backup camera :)

...and I'll add, one can get a backup camera for $400.
https://pearlauto.com/

Buying the 2014 will get you a newer car, but not necessarily one with a lot less mileage. The cars are the same with the exception of the rear view camera. The other option which is much rarer on the newer cars is the Adaptive Cruise Control which I believe your 2010 has but which most 2014s did not. I don't use mine, but if you're a fan of this option, it will take some searching. Finally, once you've fixed the items you've done already under warranty, you're just that much closer to a "new" car.

Mate,
The most important calculation you need to take into consideration is something entirely different.

If you sell your 2010 and buy another 2010, or even the SAME car back. You owe your Uncle $4k

Plus you buy warranty again for $3.5k. Moreover, you take a $10k bath on the car you sold and $5k on the car you buy.

If you buy a 2014 you owe him $5.5, plus $3.5k for warranty, $7k profit to dealer, and you start the discovery process all over again as to what is going to last past 40k miles.

It would be different if you were actually getting more car to offset your outlay. What are you some kind of martyr for testing Jags and paying taxes.

I have had 13 Jags over the years. Some new, most used. Plus quite a few miscellaneous older classics. It takes awhile to sort out the issues with almost any used car. It sounds like you are well on your way to getting this one sorted out.

At eight years old there are a few things age related things that I expect to go wrong with any car irregardless of mileage. TPMS batteries, any and all plastic or rubber parts will start failing, battery, A/C refrigerant will be leaking, and etc. Also all the fluids, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, etc should be changed before eight years. Then there are mileage related maintenance items such as tires, brakes, oil, wipers, etc.

If you are willing to keep up with these things then there is no reason NOT to buy or keep a car eight or more years old as a daily driver. I had 20 and 25 year old XJSs (V12 and all) and a 35 year old E-Type for daily drivers. Sure I had problems with them, but I also had problems with NEW cars, Jags, a Nissan Maxima, a Toyota 4-Runner, and a Mazda 929.

Finally I look at statistics. There are random failures and wear out failures. The random failures such as your E-diff and water pumps are going to be same for your 2010 or a 2014. Wear out/lifetime failures, such as TPMS batteries, tires and brakes will also be the same on either car. Four years newer will buy you a little bit here, but not enough to justify the additional expense, in my book anyway.

If I liked the car I would keep it. If I was worried about the reliability and maintenance costs I would flog it and not consider the same model as it will statistically have the same issues.

On a flip side, at around 8 years is when first round of issues start showing up. You are on the raising edge of the bathtub curve at this point.

I have been through 8-15 year old with a top-end car (BMW) before, was my first 'top shelf' car so I wanted to keep it forever due to sentimental reasons. However, by the time I was done with the first round of fixes I ended up spending $3000/year on keeping it running. I was somewhat relieved when the rust finally made it uneconomical to keep. In that time, among other things, I had to replace driveshaft twice, front end rebuilt about three times (was a weak spot, the car was too heavy for the setup), transmission rebuilt once, AC fully rebuilt over multiple failures, heater box rebuilt, radiator and pump multiple times, clutch fans multiple times, wiper motor multiple times... The car made to 400,000km but economically it wasn't worthwhile. I don't think other brands, including Jaguar, would be any different.

Running the numbers, getting out at 8 years old and getting back into 4 year old car with extended warranty would have been cheaper (but not by a lot) than running 8 year old car until 12 (or 15 years). However, dealerships add a lot of parasitic charges and may change your calculations. If you don't minimize these costs (private sales, aggressive haggling, paying cash) it can substantially change your math.

However, that was for a daily driver car. For a weekend car that you don't have to drive numbers will be different.

Often, buying a car is a decision based more on emotion than reason. It's just another love affair, and sometimes it lasts and sometimes it has a costly ending. All the due diligence can't anticipate the ups and downs of the actual ownership experience. And then there's always another new model with more seductive features. It's easy to get into the new model, but there will be costs. And no guarantee that it will be more satisfying.

Sin you just chose a bad car. I have 2 daily drivers from the 90's yeah thats 20 years old. They have needed virtually nothing. One is a top of the line toyota (lexus was not born) the other is a GM, it needed more things when it was under 5 years old. 3 differentials under 40,000 miles. It now has 210,000 miles on the last good diff. First intake gasket blew at around 40,000 miles- second intake I voluntarily changed at 250,000 miles.

FYI other than windshield wipes, no rubber has deteriorated whatsoever on the 20 year old GM. Much has changed in the car world.

Test drove an F-type. Loved it. But I need the XKR's "rear seat" - it really is a great storage area. Plus, I'm a fan of long drives and the roomier interior is better for two. My two cents anyway. (But yeah I dig those F-types.)

Used to own an SL and loved it as well. Other than a BMW, (and I've never been a fan), the SL (and, sure, the Mustang) is the only similar two-door that works for me. Just prefer the jag.

Agreed. But... they have awesome aftermarket warranty programs. (and at this point I'm a fan...)

Yeah, that sales tax issue is probably going to be the dealbreaker for me. In LA county it's 9 percent, so at a $50K sales price, I'm looking at giving California a free gift of $4,500.

Oh, and my insurance would go up by $70 a month.

On the flip side, assuming I bought from a Jag dealer I'd insist that the car was CPO'd, and I'd wait until that ran out before buying a policy.

I too owned multiple SLs. Still have one. My favorite SL is R129, the best looking lines and not overly mechanically complex resulting in a reliable car. Excellent M113 V8 engine pulls from low RPMS and interior has tons of room and big trunk.

For newer SLs (R230, R231) beware of hydraulic suspension, called ABC, that really makes these cars unmaintainable past warranty. It was standard equipment on R230, so these are all write-off, but only an option on R231. Personally, I liked R231 due to roominess and hard top convertible. For me, the choice was between SL550 and F-type, with Jag being better handling, available with a manual gearbox, better looking, and cheaper after discounts. There is no question that SL was roomier and had more luxurious interior. I ended up with F-type ending a chain of SLs.

Yes, I hear you on luggage room - F-type convertible has none. I still take my SL for long roadtrips because of that. However, comparatively speaking SL feels like a minivan if you drive it back to back with F-type.

I had an R129 (1999). It was, and still is, the best-built car I've ever owned. The attention to detail in even the smallest things was amazing.
(By comparison, the plastic push-in handles and covers in the XKR's trunk are disappointingly flimsy.)
Was thinking of a 2008 SL550. Just liked the XKR better.

What a coincidence. Same here - black on black 1999 500SL here. Other than rattling catalytic converter and transmission harness plug (that was caught early, prior to any damage) it was trouble-free car. Contrasting that to R230 that left a very sour taste in my mouth due to ABC issues.

You dodged the bullet. That 2008 would have ended up in the workshop a lot more than even a classic jaguar. My 2005 did see shop more than my own driveway. ABC was and is truly a disaster of unmitigated proportions. Sure, active damping hydraulic suspension is really nice... when it works, which is only some of the time and at a great expense.

YOLO= You only LIVE once!
You cant take any of these cars with you. All 3 of those cars are gorgeous.
Pick the one you like the most and drive the hell out of it!!!

It was put into perspective for me at my local tax office, where I pay in cash in person and ask for some tissues. The lady says 'what you crying about, do you know how much we have collected on 69 mustangs? more than Ford could ever dream of making'.

Its true, if the car has changed hands 10 times and gone from 5k to 50k. (p.s. Etype was $5k new) They have made $20k on a 5k car. Moreover, each owner thought that he would be better off selling.

Get this, I have a 77 toyota worth $85K- they only got couple of grand in taxes. And I dont have to pass any emission testing whatsoever. And its a total chick magnet- like a 100 times more than the jag (less intimidating and less bravado). Your XKR may become this car someday... when you are no longer attractive to the girls. lol.

The point is, if you get a 2014 because your car is 8 years old, you will be doing it again in 4 years and so on. Save your money till such time as they ban gasoline engines.