Greetings everybody, newb here. Been lurking for a few days, decided it was time to register and start getting more familiar with the XK / XKR, as I have a feeling it'll be in the running when it comes time for me to go car-buying.

Here's my situation, please feel free to share any experiences or suggestions... one of the reasons I registered here is because there seems to be a broad knowledge / experience base as far as car brands go. I'm curious as to how this community feels with regards to the direction I'm headed, so fire away!

Ok, so 2 summers ago I went car shopping and wound up buying an '09 Mazdaspeed 3 (new at the time). I bought it primarily for "practical" reasons... it did most of what I wanted for a reasonable cost. 2 years later though, it just doesn't have that "something" I'm looking for. Even reasonably priced cars are still pretty expensive, and I think I've decided that if I'm going to spend money I might as well get something I really care about owning. It doesn't exactly make you go "oh, wow" when you see it, if you know what I'm saying.

So I'm thinking about trading / selling that car and buying something else. Time frame is probably about 6 months from now, depending on what direction I decide to go.

Heres what I'm looking for in a car: I commute 2 days a week (usually) but its a relatively long drive at 65 miles each way. 98% of the way is either 2 lane road at 70 MPH or 4 lane highway at 75... the whole way is pretty much a straight line. My current car tends to drone... the boy-racer inspired exhaust is pretty loud, and being an open hatchback you get a fair amount of road noise in the cabin. I even stripped the car out and put in sound damping (sort of like dynamat) and a layer of mass loaded vinyl (helps with blocking lower frequency noise) which helped quite a bit but its still not where I'd like it to be.

I'm married, no kids and with no plans for any, so usefulness of back seats is not a priority. I also have a 4WD pickup I can use if I need to get somewhere in the occasional snow that we get. I wouldn't say I'm ruling out 4 doors but I will say that I'm way more attracted to the shapes I've seen in coupe form. Gas mileage isn't a huge concern, but I am also not interested in being ridiculous... I'd like to at least get into the 23-24mpg range when cruising at 70. I'll be looking for an auto transmission this time around... the manual doesn't bother me but my wife can only sort-of drive my car which is pretty annoying for both of us.

I began by looking at new cars, a reflex as I've never bought used before. I went and looked at / sat in the Mercedes C350 and E350 coupes. Looked at the audi S5 which is a nice looking car but I would probably be more interested in the 2013 model which is getting the twin turbo 6 (as opposed to the current gen with the V8). I walked all over a BMW dealership but didn't see anything that jumped at me... something about the styling, in general, just doesn't do it for me. I didn't ask to drive anything since I'm still a ways out yet from actually spending money. I think the priorities summary would be comfort, style, price range, speed, in that order. Price range, in general, tops out around 60k. If the perfect car came along I'd just save for a while more but for the sake of argument thats the range I'm dealing with.

Last week a friend of mine bought a used Cadillac CTS, and I couldn't believe the price he paid for it. Got me interested and looking around the used market, which opens up a ton of options yet also muddies the waters a lot. Lots of really really cool options all of a sudden, but also raises some questions about what kinds of baggage those options might bring along with them.

For instance, a car that really caught my eye was the Maserati GranTurismo. It looked like one of those could be had, used, within my price range, but after reading around it seems like the costs of ownership are... significant. I'm not at all adverse to paying for maintenance, but I don't think bringing the car to a dealership every 5,000 to 10,000 miles is really what I'm looking for here either.

Which brings me here to this forum. To my eye, the XK / XKR seems like a decent compromise... really nice, distinct, almost exotic-ish styling but without falling off into Maserati / Ferarri territory where people tell you you're crazy for changing your own oil or that the clutch needs to be swapped every 10k miles. I'd really like to buy something and put 15 to 20k miles a year on it for the forseeable future without worrying about it too much.

Anyway, this is way longer than most will probably want to read which I apologize for. I'd be interested in hearing any experiences that might be somewhat similar to mine, or any suggestions that would be relevant to my situation. As far as the XK goes, I'm thinking I'd like to stay in the 2010 and newer range unless there is a compelling reason not to, mainly for the new engine / styling but also because I'd like to keep it for a long time (those are my thoughts this far, anyway).

Thanks for reading!
TheMCP

 

Hi there, firstly, great and detailed post about what you want and why, thanks

I unfortunately aren't particularly well placed to advise you, other than to say they're gorgeous and I want one too......some day!

There are a bunch of really knowledgable guys here both in this section and the XK / XK8 section that will advise you in great depth I'm sure.


Hope we can help you to get the car you deserve....

 

Welcome to the forum. Let me see if I can answer your questions.

I do have an '08 XK which gets near 28 MPG (it reads out 27.6 right now for the past 1000+ miles of mostly, but not all, highway driving) at the very similar driving pattern as you described, 98% highway at near 70-72 MPH. Pure highway driving will top 30 MPG at 70 MPH if you are smooth on the gas pedal. Naturally, the mileage for city driving and aggressive highway driving would be lower.

My opinion is that, yes, you can get a Mercedes, Lexus, BMW for the same price but, they are dime a dozen. You ALWAYS feel special in your XK among the gray masses of cars. Nearly all times my XK is the nicest car in any given parking lot. That is a significant difference in ownership pride.

Yes, I would not recommend an Italian exotic either. I have owned two and known dozens of owners of such cars. They are NOT reliable and super expensive to work on. They should only be kept as toys, not commute cars.

If your top spending range is $60K you could be hard pressed to get a 2010 XK for it. Also, remember that it you are a DIY guy, you can not change your own oil in the 5L engine. It has to be done at the dealer as there is no drain plug on the oil pan.

For $60K I would also recommend a look at the 2011 XJ and XJL. Don't bother with looking at pictures, you have to see the car for itself and you have to sit in it and drive it. I think it is heads and shoulders above the competition in styling but, again, styling is very personal. If you look up cars.com you will find that the lowest priced 2011 XJs are already selling for near $60K and liable to fall below that in the 6 months time frame that you indicated. Also important with the full 2011 Jag line that they carry a 5 year warranty that includes all the maintenance with parts and labor. Thus, you have no worries for the balance of the warranty.

Back to the XK. Its auto transmission is a good one and the paddle shifters work fast and reliably. No real reason for a manual shifter here. Unless you really like to play boy racer, the power of the 4.2 l XK is quite good and the 5.0 is that much better. As and old, wild street driver and decades old track racer, these days the XK power is perfectly sufficient for me. Besides, if I feel like a boy racer, I take out my '93 twin-turbo RX-7 with all of its 2600 lbs weight and 500 engine HP on 91 octane gas and more (boost) with racing fuel. Only the most exotic, light-weight carbon fiber cars will keep up with it on the street or on the track. BUT.... OMG.... the exhaust drone in it....!!!; fine for short drives but, would give you massive headaches over any distances.

Strange that you mentioned exhaust drone in your Maxda 3. I assume that to be with the stock exhaust? If so, they made the same mistake as the "08 XK, which, IMO, is under-muffled. There is actually a factory warrantied fix for the drone but, in my case it simply moved the drone RPM. I am likely to install a second, straight-through resonator to cure it for good without loosing any power. Should be a cheap and effective solution. Again, most people never notice the drone, unlike in my RX-7 where you'd have to be completely deaf not to hear it.

As far as ride quality for those distances that we both drive, the '07+ XKs are decent with their electronic shocks. I have the 19" wheels which I would recommend over the 20" if ride quality is an important issue. For me it is and the handling limits of a 19" are so close to a 20" that 99.99 percent of drivers will never notice the difference in the limits but, will notice the difference in increased ride harshness. This '08 XK actually rides smoother over rough pavement than my '05 XK did riding on smaller 18" diam. wheels.

Do not expect race car handling from an XK, it is a GT touring car with decent and comfortable handling but, not like a pure bred road racer. It under-steers a fair amount in slower corners for safe handling near the limit and, unfortunately for me, there are no aftermarket, larger rear swaybars available to get rid of the under-steer. Again, fine for most driving conditions and people.

Hopefully the above info help in your decision making,

Best luck,

Albert

 

Thanks guys for the responses and the informative info... just what I was looking for. I'm glad somebody was able to make it all the way to the end, let alone respond .

Firstly, regarding the XK... I wouldn't be dead set on the '10 and later, my reasoning is really just that it seems to be the latest "major" revision. I'm a little curious as to reliability concerns since that was right around the time the ownership transfer to Tata was happening. My guess would be that there probably wouldn't be much, if any, difference in quality etc. but I've had a hard time finding too much info on that front. I suppose the biggest thing you're giving up going backwards from '10 to '09 or '08 is the engine, but to be honest I have not yet done a detailed look at what has changed over the years.

Honestly, the fact that there isn't a drain bolt on the 5L is... well it makes me sigh a little. The nearest Jaguar dealer is 2 hours from my house, so that is kind of important info for me. I wouldn't say it'd be a deal breaker but it definitely gives pause for thought so thanks for mentioning it. Maybe just a good reason to go for a road trip I guess (bright side?). It does make me curious as to how the dealer gets the oil out.

I will make sure I find an XJ / XJL to drive in the coming months... I think the pictures look pretty good, especially as 4 doors go, so thats a good start. I saw the MSRPs on those and assumed they were way out of reach, but maybe not.

I should make sure to clarify on my current car, its a Mazdaspeed 3 not the base 3. The speed 3 comes with a factory turbo and a pretty loud exhaust... its not over the top like some aftermarket exhausts but its definitely got a good bit of noise to it. I understand that there are aftermarket systems that increase power and actually decrease the noise level, in fact. On my first drive home with the car I happened to be speeding (imagine that) past a policeman... I tapped the brake to shut the cruise off and coast to decelerate, and I remember thinking "boy I just basically announced to that guy that I was speeding" as the car let out a loud "BRRRRRrrrrrttt". With something like 275HP and about an equal amount of torque, its no supercar but it does go pretty well. Not sure you'd want a whole lot more power in a FD car, as stomping the gas can make you torque steer across a highway. I think my main beef with it is that I walk out in the garage, and its just "yep, theres my hatchback". Life is too short to drive a car one finds boring, no?

I actually like the idea of GT handling and ride. I'm a little surprised at the lack of cars in this segment (coupes that are at least relatively fast, yet made for people who don't want to declare war on their kidneys). I live in the middle of the US, and when my wife and I go on vacation we usually drive, since we're within 20 hours both NYC and LA (its not that bad once you've done it a couple times). I think I probably have to go find a 911 to drive for the sake of due dilligence, but I have a feeling I know what I'm going to find when I do. Pure sports cars are great but I have to be honest with myself here... most of my driving is pretty boring and I'm usually looking to unwind and relax. I like having power since on the 2 lane road I mentioned, people have a tendency to drive in lines 3 or 4 in a row... and get stuck behind a semi. When passing zones come up, its a good idea to take advantage. Thats about the extent of my aggression though.

Thanks again and all other suggestions or information are really appreciated as I start this search.

 

Given your parameters, I think an XK or better yet, an XKR, would be perfect. The other cars to consider might be a Mercedes SL550 (though you probably have to dip to an '09 model for your price range), and a BMW 650i (though personally, I dislike the styling, and in this price range and for the purposes you mention, styling is a huge factor, if not the primary one).

Really, though, the XK/XKR is in a class of its own. My only experience driving XKs/XKRs was driving XKRs at the R Performance Academy, where we were flogging these cars through corners as fast as we could drive them. I would say the R tuning is about the perfect blend of performance and street comfort. The R tuning gets rid of most of the understeer and yet retains a ride better than the German cars. So get an XKR if you can find one, preferably one of the later ones with the 5.0 liter, 510 bhp engine.

 

Well... it definitely sounds like you're in the same boat as a lot of us that make our way here are. My mom has an 09 Mazda 3 (with the middle engine), and it's a very nice FWD car. Great handling, but yes... loud. I have an 03 Z that is... very loud. Mostly due to the lack of sound deadening (and I, like you, went in with dynamat) but the Borla doesn't help much. And driving from Seattle to Portland in it left my ears ringing a bit. My wife drives a 10 Juke that is also a loud little monster.

I've always wanted a convertible, so I had been saving up to get one of the new Camaro Convertibles -- (don't judge me!) as I really am quite fond of the styling. But the interior styling was gimped to say the least (no auto climate control... no NAV other than onstar... goofy control layout), and the quality of the materials was just... ok. I started to think about a CTS-V and was checking used prices as well when I noticed AM Vantages creeping in to the 70s. And that's when the light bulb went off that Ol' Ian had jumped ship from AM to Jag, and was responsible for the XK. I promptly went to the local dealer and tried an 11 XKR and was done for. I also tried to go the BMW lot to find something, but all the designs were underwhelming to the point of not even driving anything. I drove an SL550 (I think it was an 09) and while nice, was... soulless. No fun. But the hard top convertible was nice and quiet. The 911 is a great car but... I think Porsche's bang for the buck is a little overwrought for what I was looking for. I still am a power freak, so I set my bar at finding a good 10+ XKR in a color combo I liked. What I found was an almost 2 year old 10 with only 3k on the odometer.

I have a pair of dealers within 30 minutes of me, so the maintenance wasn't something I thought about too much. Getting the oil changed at the dealer is about a $150 ordeal every 15k miles or 1 year -- whichever comes first. It's 8 quarts of synthetic plus a 30 dollar filter so... <shrugs>. On the plus side, the 5L is a Ford derivitive motor, so while it's a Jag/Land Rover engine, it takes its roots from years of Ford V8s.

I really have a hard time choosing to drive the Z over the XKR these days. The Z is much more surgical and precise in its handling. The brakes are easier to modulate (they're aftermarket StopTechs), and it does get better gas mileage. But the XKR is so damn shmexy. And comfy. And it smells good. And everything you touch is a high grade item. And it's quiet... oh so quiet. Almost too quiet -- the only time you get noise is when you romp on the gas. But when it does make noise it's a great sound... almost as good as an Aston Martin and FAR above most everything else. The 10 XKRs come with a dual mode exhaust so you can have that duality of quiet at cruising and loud while stomping on it.

I'm about 3 months into ownership now, and have no regrets whatsoever so far. My kids always push me to take "The Jag" whenever we need to go out. I'm still surprised as to how little luggage capacity it has though. I've had to use the back seats on more than one occasion to hold all the things I needed to take with me. But it's a niggle that I'm perfectly OK with tolerating.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd still take the car I found. There's really nothing out there like it. Even though GM did announce they'll be doing a convertible ZL1. /chuckle

 

IMHO, of all the cars mentioned here, none can hold a candle to the XK/XKR when it comes to looks. The design will turn heads faster than anything I've ever owned, including five 911s, two corvettes and an XK8. My '07 coupe is so stunningly good looking, I make up reasons why I need to drive somewhere.

 

I browsed around the web for a while yesterday looking for options for garages I could take a Jaguar to if I did decide to go that route, and surprisingly I couldn't find any. As I mentioned, the nearest dealership is about 2 hours from me (I actually have 3 different ones about 2 hours away), but I couldn't even find a shop that specifically mentioned Jaguar. I would think there has to be one... somewhere (I'm in southwest MO). I'm not sure if that should deter me or not. The prices for maintenance don't seem TOO terrible, from what I've read, but especially if I were to go with the 2010+... I'm apprehensive about spending 4 or 5 hours to go get an oil change.

Speaking of maintenance, the "select edition" certified used thing seems like a nice deal. I assume the 100k warranty is on the powertrain? No matter what, that'd be a nice load off my mind if I decide to buy something used. I wonder, do you think you could have a car you bought from a 3rd party certified by a dealership? I'd be curious as to the cost of something like that, as I like the idea of having peace of mind about mechanical issues.

 

I would think this an easy decision for the Master Control Program! I guess my advice would be to avoid cars previously owned by Users...

Seriously though, good luck to you.

 

I want him in the games until he dies playing

haha you got it... that reminds me I have to upload an avatar

 

You can get a 2012 XF for MSRP of $53,000, or something like that. That comes with 50,000 miles of warranty. It has the same engine, 5L V8 385HP, as the base XK and XJ. It is a sedan, and it does not look quite like the XK, but it is still a beautiful car. There are cosmetic enhancements, such as spoiler, in what they call the "Sports Package", which make it look a little better. Actually, if you look at profiles of the XF and XK, at first glance they look very similar, except one has 4 doors and the other, 2.

My wife and I take our XF on winding country roads a couple of times a week, and we love it. The car handles better than I do, meaning that I drive well above what the yellow warning signs tell me, but still well below what the car can safely handle.

This car works as a daily commuter as well as a road trip vehicle, and I will get more driving out of it under warranty than an equivalently-priced used vehicle. As for the sound, supposedly they pipe the engine noise into the cabin. When accelerating, the beautiful engine sound permeates the cabin.

I guess what I'm saying is, that for the same (actually, less) money, you can get a car that's very similar in many respects, to the XK, but is brand new, so will be under warranty longer and without any wear and tear from previous use. For me, that's important because I need the thing for commuting and don't want any out of pocket surprises, since I am not a mechanic and don't have time, if I were inclined, to fix the thing myself if it breaks.

I've had mine for about 6 weeks, and have put over 4,000 miles on it. It is a blast to drive.

 

I'd stay away from the XF. I think Jaguar made a mistake releasing it in its current form. I wish they could've waited it out for an aluminium rivet boded model as that is what modern Jaguar is all about (and a V8).

The V8 engine whether NA or Supercharged is one of the hallmarks of the brand and one of their strong suits. The engines are really reliable and do the job. I have been happy with the electronics and general fit and finish on my '04 VDP and am in the market for an '07-08 XKR. Well I should say I am inbetween the XKR and 997 Porsche. Most likely be a Jag though...

Good luck in your search and decision. I think you'll like an XK if it fits your lifestyle. Good balance of looks, ease of driviung, performance and daily driver.

 

I'll be heading up to my in-laws for Christmas weekend... there is a dealership not far from their house, so I'm planning on swinging by at some point (still never actually seen one of the new style Jaguars in person). According to the web, they have a couple new XKs and a used '09 in stock, plus a couple XFs so I should be able to get an idea of what these cars are like.

My main concern with these cars is still the distance to the dealership. I actually looked up some stuff on the oil change thing, and I guess its not as rare as I would have thought to change oil from the top as I thought. Vaccuum oil pumps aren't very expensive... hell if I didn't have to crawl under there to change the filter I'd probably buy one and do it that way on my current car. Anyway it wouldn't be a big deal to drive up there once a year to have the car gone over once a year, but if I get into a situation where its back and forth over and over that would be a big pain.

I just wanted to say thanks again to everybody who responded... I'm still a ways out from making a decision, but I've done quite a bit of reading and it seems unlikely that something else is going to suit my needs better. We'll see. I'll check back in periodically... thanks again everybody =]

 

Good luck!

 

Go for it, I say !

The only thing stopping me from having one is the dosh problem - I have First Class tastes but only a Standard Class income. Even so, I manage to run an XJ6 (X350 model) because these tend to depreciate much faster than the XK cars so are absolute bargains secondhand.

The only problem you would seem to have is no Jaguar main agent near to you. 2 hours away is quite a distance if you get a problem needing specialist knowledge. The normal servicing is pretty straightforward and well within the capabilities of a mechanic used to servicing up-market cars. Are there no competent independents near you ? I have now started to use an "indy" near me, and pretty good they are too, with access to all Jaguar TSBs etc.

 

There arent a lot of luxury / sports cars in my area... there may be a specialty garage, it'd probably be something I have to ask around about. I checked around the web and couldn't find anybody with a website that mentioned working on Jaguars specifically. Lots of white F-150 pickups though.

 

There probably aren't enough Jaguars near you for an independent to keep exclusively to that marque, but probably enough European up-market cars to keep a specialist busy servicing Jag, Merc, BMW, Maserati etc. Although they are all different cars they do tend to follow the same design philosophy if I can put it that way

 

As much as I would love to recommend a Jaguar, I think that much distance to a dealer would be a problem for me. I am currently an hour away and I don't like that. It would be one thing if it were only for once a year routine maintenance. You shouldn't count on that. Even something as simple as clearing codes becomes a chore if its going to take most of a day to do it.

If you can't find a competent local Euro Garage, I would keep shopping.

 

Rahto and I have nearly identical stories. Shopped around, decided on a select edition XKR coupe with 3k on the clock. You can't miss with the new XK. I think the coupe is particularly beautiful, but you can't undervalue having a drop top either. Bottom line is that for your priorities, the XK is the right fit. You put appearance 2nd, and can't touch the XK in terms of looks for anywhere near the Jag's cost. You need to be around one and check it out in person, really well crafted.

As to the dealer's distance, I don't see the issue. Under warranty, you'll only need to visit the dealer one time a year or like 15k miles. I have to hit the bridge and go to San Francisco for dealer issues. NBD, 1x/year I'll make the trek and spend a day in the city. They'll give a loaner if an issue necessitates overnight service. Two hours wouldn't shake me given you don't need to swap fluid often...

Find a nice 2007 XKR Coupe under warranty and jump on it! Go!

Skeeter

 

Ok, so I just got back from my little viewing trip. We went and looked at a few different cars... S5, E350, XK, etc.

First things first, there is no competing with the look of the XK. The other cars are all nice and I'd be happy to drive any of them, but the XK is a true attention grabber. Inside, you can tell where the extra 20k or so for a new one went, as while the S5 and E350 are both nice, they really are just not in the same class.

Ok, so here's my one issue with the Jaguar that I found (I didn't drive anything today, just looking / sitting in them). I found the driving position to be WAY more restrictive than I thought it would be. I'm not terribly tall... 6' 1"... but I really would have liked to move the seat back farther, with the seat reclined a bit more. Just when my legs started to get to where I wanted them, the seat would start to hit its limit and incline automatically. Its the kind of thing that, while isnt "bad"... I sure wish the seat would let me use those last couple inches before it hits the back seat (which is as worthless as advertised... I don't even see how they call those things seats). As it was in this car, I had to pull my toe up a fair bit to reach the brake pedal. Like I said, not terrible but definitely surprising. Am I missing something here (are the pedals adjustable? I didn't see anything to suggest that they were)? I like a bit more reclined driving position, but its nothing too extreme... I was surprised I couldn't get there. The physical appeal of the car is so great, this isn't something I'd consider a deal breaker anyway... but I thought I'd ask. I can't be the only one with this issue.