Thinking of buying a 2010+ XKR Convertible
 

Greetings from Snohomish, Washington USA,

I'm thinking of selling my Lexus LS460L and XJS convertible and buying a 2010 or later XKR. I also have a 2002 XJR but I just can't part with that! I am wondering if any of you have some advice. I would appreciate ANY advice you may have!

I say 2010 or later because I want the increased horsepower. I like the cost of the 2010's vs. later year cars but I'm undecided if I should spend more $$ for a 2012. A 2012 would have the updated headlights and should have a remaining factory warranty.

I do have a few questions:

*Is it worth paying extra to get a select edition and have the extended Jaguar warranty? From what I've read, these cars have been unusually reliable so maybe paying a premium for a car with a warranty isn't worth it? I realize it's a crap shoot.

*Besides the updated headlights, are there any other changes beginning in 2012 that would justify paying more for a 2012 instead of a 2010 or a 2011?

* I've heard the computer/navigation screen is slow to respond and overall not well designed. Were there any improvements in later cars? Is it really that bad?

*Besides the obvious things in buying a used car, are there any issues specific to these cars I should watch out for?

*I understand the leather dashes are prone to shrinking. Did Jaguar produce cars without leather dashes?

*And lastly, does anyone know of a good car with less than 20,000 miles that is going to be for sale? I'm fine with looking all over the USA. I'd be interested in red, black, or blue.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Danny

Thinking of buying a 2010+ XKR Convertible
 

Good luck. I'll miss that beautiful XJS!

The later cars have a reversing camera, which is a 'nice to have'. Other than that, there's nothing else that I can think of.
The quality of the cars is outstanding. The leather dash issue has affected a few owners. I'd suggest that by now, the problem would have occurred if it was going to.

There are some excellent extended warranties out there.
I'd certainly recommend one for peace of mind.

Enjoy the search!

Funny but I wrote a post similar to this a year and a half ago. It was either get a nice 2010 or go for the extra dollars for a 2012. After doing my homework and seeing that the 2012-2015 (last MY) I wanted the extra gingerbread with the 2012 changes , LED's , Horiz side vent and backup camera. The other problem I had was with color. My choices in order were , BRG , Red and Blue. I found anyone of these colors were difficult to find . Also I wanted a CPO car with under 10K miles. The hunt took 6 months and finally one popped up and I got it. So if you like the small updates (you can't make a 2011 look like a 2012 without big $'s) then go for the 2012. Now if I had extra dollars or could trade up I would have liked to get a 2014-15 XKR-S in any of my colors. Oh it had to be a convert. as when you look there seems to be a greater selection of coupes.

There is a beautiful '10 silver coupe listed on ebay in the mid-$30's and taking offers (for potentially less). And it only has about 30,000 miles on it. If silver fits into your color choices, you might want to take a look.
Jaguar XKR 10 XK Supercharged XKR Coupe | eBay

I have the 2014 XKR and test drove a used 2011 before buying. The 2011 is much louder with an unrestricted muffler. You can rev it in neutral and it will roar. Flooring it on the road is like hearing machine guns going off. They quieted down the newer ones to not compete with the F type. I also like the redesigned front on the newer years. A little food for thought.

Just looked through the pictures and saw this car was manufactured in 11/2008. That would have made this car an MY2009 or really early production. I was under the impression MY2010+ were the only ones with the 5.0L engine.

I didn't realise that! Mine was always loud but you are right about what happens when you floor it, when I was on the track there was video and it is like sonic boom with this almighty roar when the pedal is mashed. Unfortunately in the coupe you don't hear it so much, I wish I could wind down the back windows.

There is no difference in the 2010-11 and 2012-2015 exhaust systems. The performance exhaust and the standard exhaust on both year range models are the same. The 2011 you test drove must have had an aftermarket exhaust.

I agree. I drove a 2010 XKR convert with the PAE and it was no different from my 2012 PAE system. The standard exhaust is quieter.

The only real potential issue that I have heard about regarding the 5.0 L models is the potential for the water pump to fail at a young age. There are no technical bulletins out regarding this so you just have to be aware of the potential problem. In the search box above type in 5.0 water pump failures and you will find a thread regarding the problem. Enjoy your hunt and be patient eventually you will find something close to or exactly what you want.

The 5.0L VIN range and 2010 MY officially started at B32753 but there seems to be a few cars around that were earlier than than. This car I have linked to before is VIN B31936 with a warranty start date of Oct 2008.

Jaguar XKR 5.0 V8 Facelift Convertible 2009 | Trade Me

I dont think it can be the 5.0 if it is October 08. The 5.0 engine didnt come out until much later than the XF launch in 08, though it looks from this video that they were at least testing it in November 08.
Listen the the engine in that clip, just awesome.

Danny, I just made the same decision and found a 2010 XKR (#36024 built in Sep 09 and not sold until Oct 2010) with 6,200 miles on it in white with the walnut trim upgrade that I bought from a local Craigslist private seller just under a month ago. I think the water pump is vulnerable up until a redesign which was phased in in the 2012/13 VIN range (search the forums for it and that will confirm). Compared to the 2007 XK 4.2 it replaced it is a lot more responsive due to the increased torque of the 5.0 and seems to be on the verge of how much power you really need in a road car. I had thought about an XKR-S but having experienced how rapid the XKR is, I don't think the extra 40HP of the R-S would make all that much difference. I get the feeling that the electronically controlled diff in the XKR is working a lot of the time to get that much power to the pavement without wearing out the tires. Features wise, the infotainment system is largely similar to the 2007 and seems to support later models of mobile phone on the hands free Bluetooth link. They have laid the home screen out a little differently and it still seems to be as responsive as the '07's screen was/wasn't (which I never really had a problem with as I didn't use it a lot). The XKR also has the Adaptive Cruise Control (which I had on my '07 as part of the optional Technology Package) and that is handy when cruising on the interstate. My XKR is out of warranty however the only issues I ever had with the '07 were the Adaptive Cruise radar working intermittently (was replaced under the factory warranty) and the a/c condensate drain dropping water into the passenger foot well (which had been corrected by the 2010 MY) so I think the extended warranty might be overkill as the only consistently vulnerable part appears to be a $200 water pump. Looking back on my '07, in the 6 1/2 years of ownership, in addition to periodic services at the dealership, the only parts I replaced were a thermostat (about $75), front brake discs (about $100 a piece) and brake pads/tires (which wouldn't be covered by a warranty anyway as they're considered consumables). So even with the a/c drain fix costing around $5-600 for the 4 hour job, I still came out ahead compared to spending the $2,500 for the extended warranty which I was offered in 2009 when I bought the '07 car.

I have sat in the car so can assure you it is. The build spec is attached.

How bizarre is that, they had a build date of Oct 08 for a MY10 car. Usually MY10 wouldn't be released until the second half of 2009.

LosRubios, thank you for this information!

Do you know which was the first year Bluetooth streaming for music became available? That's a pretty important feature for me.

It's nice to know the 2010's have adaptive cruise control. That's a great feature. I have it on my Lexus and use it a lot.

I'm happy to hear your 2007 was reliable. I've heard nothing but great things about these cars' reliability and that is one of the reasons I'm so interested. My Lexus is trouble free but the XJS is always needing something. I love the XJS but I'm growing tired of putting money into it. We'll be moving to a home with a smaller garage so I need to downsize from four cars to three.

Danny, I'm not sure about Bluetooth streaming audio however there is a cable in the center console which seems to imply I could hook a mobile phone up to the audio system. In the 2010 XKR it has the Bowers & Wilkins system. I haven't had time to set up the garage door remote or the hands-free on the 2010 as yet.
I had a '95 XJS V12 convertible before I bought the '07 and it didn't seem to need much beyond the usual consumables like hoses, brake rotors and shocks. I stuck it under a car cover for the next few years in the hope the XJS will follow the trend of the E-Type and appreciate in value in 10 years time when there are few around.

Just buy one and ask questions later. You are a Jag owner, so you know what to expect. The XK will meet or surpass you expectations considering what Jag's you currently own.

Personally, I'd go for the last iteration of styling if possible (2012?). I like the horizontal side grills better than the vertical one. Dial shift know makes the center console more tidy and modern.

The 2011 I drove had stock exhaust. It was a leased car by an elderly gentleman offered for sale through the dealer. I went back and forth driving between the 2014 and 2011 twice to make sure about the loudness difference and the 2011 is much louder than the 2014. Another important difference is on the 2014 when I rev it in neutral the rev limiter will cut in at 4000 rpm and on the 2011 I can rev it in neutral all the way up to the red line. Whether the exhausts are the same in both years the noise levels and rev limiter settings are definitely not.