Hello all,

I've been looking around the market for my first "newish" car now that I graduated from school and will be getting a real job.

Anyway, some of the cars on the list were a Lexus ISF, Cadillac CTS-V, and of course, a Jaguar XK (or XKR if I can find one in New York).


Since I could not find that much online(trust me I did quite a bit of searching), I wanted to ask you guys how this car drives daily which I will be doing.

I just wanted a general idea of reliability of these cars, and how they handle the snow(living on Long Island I have to ask that one).

I'm not terrified of crazy repair costs. But I don't have much experience with cars from the UK and none of my car friends really do either.




This is my '97 Lexus SC400. I take care of it and I plan on keeping it as my project car. Can I rely on an XK/R as a daily?

I apologize for the long post everyone, but I gotta start somewhere.

Thanks,

infint3

 

Welcome to the forum infint3! I have been driving Jags for over 25 years, from XJS's through to XJR's and XKR's and every one has been a daily driver.

I have had my current '07 XKR for around 2.5 years and is probably the newest one I have owned. Apart from the usual service items, it has needed little money spent on it. The only thing I can recall changing was the little fan for the interior temperature sensor because it was a little noisy. The modern Jags are generally very reliable.

I have always found my Jags to be a handful in snow due to the width of the tyres but have never used Winter/snow tyres and understand they make a huge difference.

 

Gooday. I had a 4.2 XF (first of the new model - a few issues in the first year or so then smooth sailing for the next 3 or so), a 5.0 XF (no problems), and the 2011 XKR (no problems at all in nearly 2 years save for an intermittent adaptive headlight warning light, but nothing seems to be wrong with the unit).


As a daily drive the XKR is awesome and the XK would be even easier I think (the XKR can be a handful in the wet until you learn to be gentle with the accelerator). The ride is excellent, it is easy to park, it is even pretty easy to get in and out of, and it is all very practical - you'd be amazed how much grog fits into the back of these things! Just don't expect to fit people in the back regularly.

 

An XK/XKR with Bridgestone Blizzaks is amazing in the snow.

 

Jags make good daily drivers - in traffic, they're smooth, comfortable & relaxing to drive. But the sports models like the XK, and particularly the XKR, are also great for back-road blasts. I've had 3, and they've all been at least as reliable as any other car I've owned - it's hard to compare, because I keep the Jags much longer than other cars and so there's more time for age-related deterioration.

 

They are as reliable as any car you can think of from Europe.

 

Hi Potential new member.....

My only added advice is purchase a set of winter tires. All else reported, has been my experience, as well.
Happy Motoring....

 

An XKR in "Winter Mode" will make a lot of difference. It automatically 'eases in' the throttle and softens the shifts. This makes it a lot easier to maintain traction. HINT: It ALSO makes sort of a makeshift VALET MODE, since the Valet Mode on these doesn't actually change the performance parameters, just the locking sequences. Sure, a Valet could just push the button, but how many would KNOW about it?

 

Thanks everyone I appreciate the info. Anything else would be great also.

Also what should I be looking for when purchasing these cars? (etc. timing belt at 100k miles or when suspension parts usually start to wear out)

I really have only dealt with American and Japanese cars so i still don't know haha

 

Does Jaguar offer a 'tyre hotel' service in the US? Over here, they'll swap your summer/winter tyres & store the off-season set for you - or at least, they did; I can't see the service offered at present. Can't remember the charge.

 

Look for a soggy passenger footwell carpet - that indicates the aircon drain is blocked. There are some DIY fixes, but if they don't work, the drain is very inaccessible and expensive to fix.

If the car comes from a hot climate, check the dashboard leather, which can shrink & pull away from the edges of the dash.

The gearbox is 'sealed for life', but will benefit from an oil & filter change at 60k miles. When doing that, it's a good move to replace the gasket for the gearbox electrical connector, as that can become a source of transmission leaks.

 

No timing belts on these cars, they have chains which should last the life of the engine.

On higher mileage cars (75K-100K), replacing all fluids is excellent preventative maintenance. Spark plugs are also due at 100K. On non-supercharged models, replacement of the plastic thermostat assembly prone to cracks is also advisable preventative maintenance.

Suspension condition depends a lot on the environment and how it was driven, so I would consider that as needed.

Get a car with a documented service history if possible.

 

Wow I didn't even know that existed. I'm sure they take care of their owners more in the UK than the US.

We're lucky if Ford gives us a pen upon signing a lease on a car...

 

Flipside: you get better warranty options in the US, probably because Jaguar developed a bad reputation over there in the 80s. The 7-year/100k-mile extension for $4k is particularly tasty. We can only buy ours on a year-by-year basis, and it's not as attractively priced.