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Although I’m new to the marque, I couldn’t be more pleased with my 2008 XKR coupe.
Reliable, comfortable, (mostly) quiet, roomy (for essentially a 2 seater) velocity!!
Best car I've ever owned. And the least thought-through purchase. 4 hours before I bought it, I had never ever considered a Jag. At all. tberg recommended it on our back then common Pantera forum. Had time on my hands, saw ad, drove to dealer, test drive, haggling, signed. Then back home to tell my wife I bought a Jaguar. "But you never talked about Jaguars?" No, but one can get wiser... Still... :-)
If I would have found the web site before I bought my XK I don't know if I would have bought it.
I just want to be assured that I didn't by a POS
I have been in my '12 XK for a little over 4 years, best car I have ever owned from a reliability and quality standpoint.
Unfortunately this forum will turn into a mechanics paradise, that is just the way it goes when a car goes out of production like the X150 line in 2015. When people buy new they get on the forum with love in their hearts, exploring the community and don't have a care in the world with a perfect car and full warranty. Without new owners popping in to dilute the older vehicles and the repair questions it leaves us with the only new people signing up looking for buying advice on used cars and needing direction with problems. I have seen this same transition in other car models I have owned.
This is to be expected, the X150 spans back to 2006, cars with double digit age and sometimes 3 or 4 owners are going to need TLC.
If I would have found the web site before I bought my XK I don't know if I would have bought it.
On the contrary, I bought my XK becauseof this forum. I'd always loved the way Jags looked, and when I decided to indulge again in a two-door, I decided to consult with this group first since I'd never owned a Jag and was only generally aware of the marque's unfortunately bad rep for reliability. But I realized I'd never actually known anyone with direct experience so my perception of Jag reliability was really just hearsay upon hearsay and not necessarily applicable to modern Jags. So I did exactly what you're doing now and came to realize that rumors of Jag unreliability are grossly exaggerated. As others have pointed out, people that are happy with their vehicles generally aren't going to pop onto a forum just to say they aren't experiencing any problems, so problem posts are naturally overrepresented. But if you actually ask, happy owners are more than willing to let you know about their experience like I am now.
Coincidentally, today is the 4th anniversary of my XK purchase, and I love it more now than the day I took delivery. I've had exactly two instances where I thought "Crap. Maybe what they say about Jags is true." The first was when my battery ran low and the car did not behave how I thought a car with a low battery would behave. But sure enough, this forum came to the rescue, and I learned that low batteries and XKs just don't mix. A very easy fix (CTEK and/or daily driving beyond the block), but without the collective wisdom of the forum, I probably would have ended up having the car towed to the dealer which would have left a really bad taste in my mouth. The second instance that made me question things was when I accidentally opened the top remotely in the middle of a raging thunderstorm and the top partially jammed. That turned out to be a one-off occurrence that was my fault since I think the wind misaligned a pin in the top in my frantic attempt to stop the Jag Wrangler from completing the operation. Cee Jay from this forum was good enough to respond with a pic of his top assembly that led to me figuring out what was wrong. Other than that, I've had no major issues in 4 years and roughly 40,000 miles of ownership. When I was negotiating for the car, I had the dealer throw in an extended warranty which expired just today. As I recall, the warranty would've been about $3,500 if I didn't get it rolled into the price. It would've been a losing bet. My biggest claim was for a water pump that my dealer was able to replace preemptively for the updated version. In a last hurrah for the warranty, I asked the dealer last week to look into a slow cooling AC. There's a TSB that I read about on this forum that just calls for a valve to be replaced, but the dealer is trying to finagle replacing the entire compressor instead of just the valve. Even if they pull that off and get it covered under the warranty, my total claims would only be about half the cost of the warranty. So long story short, I've been quite happy with my XK and I think you will be too.
Ironically, some of the folks I know who "warned" me about getting a Jag still have trouble acknowledging that I've had far less issues than some of them have during the same timeframe.
Unfortunately this forum will turn into a mechanics paradise, that is just the way it goes when a car goes out of production like the X150 line in 2015.
it's the value for price/pain. at least in the US, the XK/R is still unjustifiably marred by jaguar's reputation from everything else it's done poorly before. the XK/R's target market was mostly people who are not interested in turning a wrench on it (regardless of whatever else in their garage they might do that on, but surely 50% or more do none of that, ever). parts are reasonable, depreciation is huge: it's just an incredible bargain for self-starters. i am only a little mechanically inclined and only a few years' experienced in it, but the value proposition is just so obvious. on the price side, anyone can have most any mustang/camaro/challenger/etc., but they aren't as special. and on the self-service side, well anyone can try to keep an M6 running, but my god the horrors that await you if you try. i couldn't find any other RWD V8 GT car that offered any better confluence of all factors.
Bought my 2009 XKR Portfolio Coupe 6 years ago with a hair over 50k miles. Just flipped over 100k. Love this car. I use it as my daily driver and it’s never let me down. Keep the maintenance up and have repairs made as needed just like any other 10+ year old car. It ain’t cheap to own but it’s worth it for the driving pleasure. A head turner that gets unsolicited comments pretty much every time I drive it.
For the past 20 years there has always been at least 1 Jaguar in our garage. We have leased & purchased them since Ford saved Jaguar from extinction. We are the original parents of our 2007 XK convertible which we built, leased, then purchased. We have had 0 regrets and only smiles when that V-8 roars to life. I joined this forum when I experienced the dread A/C “Duckbill” problem and with the excellent advice from this forum, fashioned my own tool and fixed it. I intend to keep this XK as long as I am able to drive. So to your concern of the varying “problems” you see listed on this forum for 2007 + XKs, don’t let that dampen your spirits about your XK. Some problems arise from not reading the owners manual, especially with convertible tops; others due to previous owners lack of maintenance or mistreatment of their XK and now the current owners are here to find help. I use this forum for the wealth of confirmed “fixes” for mechanical quirks that come up or for background education prior to taking my car to my mechanic. These are machines with lots of moving parts that will need to be maintained; and equally important DRIVEN & Enjoyed.
On the contrary, I bought my XK becauseof this forum......”
So did I .
3 years ago I was shopping for the best car, best value in thrills, I could find for under $10,000 in the whole of the USA. When I saw what the XK’s were going for I couldn’t help but recall the fantastic driving experiences I’d had in my Jaguar e types some 40+ years ago.
I won’t say the ‘02 XKR is more fun than my e types were. Time colors, & clouds the memory. But it’s the right car for these times. Finding the forum sealed the deal for me.
Excellent point about a lack of positivity. Take my severely sparse post history as a sign that my '12 XKR has been rock solid over my ~3 years of ownership. Several 500+ mile runs up and down I-95 and nary a complaint from the car. Easiest oil change I've ever had as well!
I bought my 2012 XKR used in 2014 with 6,666 miles on it. It was a CPO car from the dealer that serviced it. Car was almost brand new. Paid $75K for it sight unseen . The car was everything I had read about and had expected. Beautiful lines and a smooth performance car. The paint was excellent along with the convertible top. It drove well and was a great cruiser and trip vehicle. Being they were also rare it was a head turner in our local area. The 510HP was a blast to drive and would never let you down. Being a CPO car there were a few issues that came up but nothing that wasn't fixed and nothing that prevented me from driving the car. I drove it 17,334 miles in the 5 years I had owned it and sold it in Dec of 2019 with 24,000 miles on it for $30K. It was driven and not worn and was dealer serviced. If it wasn't for my life changing situation I would most likely still have the car. Great reliable good looking car for me. Enjoy the ride.
Unfortunately this forum will turn into a mechanics paradise, that is just the way it goes when a car goes out of production like the X150 line in 2015. When people buy new they get on the forum with love in their hearts, exploring the community and don't have a care in the world with a perfect car and full warranty. Without new owners popping in to dilute the older vehicles and the repair questions it leaves us with the only new people signing up looking for buying advice on used cars and needing direction with problems. I have seen this same transition in other car models I have owned.
This is to be expected, the X150 spans back to 2006, cars with double digit age and sometimes 3 or 4 owners are going to need TLC.
Enjoy, I think you made a good choice.
Totally agree, was just explaining this to my stepson yesterday. The only thing I'd change about your statement is I'd start with the word "fortunately"
No Quarter (Mikael),
I remember when I made that suggestion to you on the Pantera forum, but was surprised (shocked is probably more appropriate) when it seems like the next day you purchased an XKR. I'm sure glad it worked out for you or I'd have had to take the blame. I can honestly say that my 5.0L XKR is the single biggest reason I stopped driving my Pantera for several years. It was quicker, easier to handle, I could drive it with shoes on, I didn't have to wrestle the steering wheel, and it was better and easier for me on the track. I have reached the 180,000 mile mark, and it still looks nearly new, drives great, and still gives me pleasure driving it everyday. So happyy you've enjoyed yours.
I am picking one of these up next week from one of the forum members and just can't wait to join the club. I never considered a Jaguar but came across an 04 XJR this past spring, purchased it, drove it from Scottsdale to Philadelphia and was hooked. Love the smooth power, subtle timeless looks and the overall quality. What I didn't expect was that overtime the large 4 door sedan just felt a bit odd. Like putting on a beautiful suit tailored for someone else. Realized the XKR basically had all of the things I liked about the XJR but with a little more wow factor. I think it will be a perfect fit for me this time.
