New to the Jag market,
I have a potential to buy a 2010 XK Portfolio Convertible with 38,000mi for low $40k's.
Good car? Good deal?
Thanks for any insight...

 

Seems a bit high to me. 6 months back I paid mid 40s for a '10 XKR with less than 6K original miles. Car was/is perfect. As far as the car, it should be a great choice. The 5.0 L engine is a very significant upgrade for the year of 2010.

 

Thanks axr6 for the quick reply.
What is the diff between the XK Portfolio and the XKR?
Just a bigger engine? Also what does the Portfolio give you? Nicer trim and details or more solid bonuses?

 

You stole that car!

 

The main difference is that the XKR has the supercharged version of the 5.0 engine, putting out 510HP, vs. the normally aspirated engine being at 385HP. The normally aspirated engine is enough for nearly all driving conditions with plenty of power and very good fuel economy. You can get freeway economy in the upper 20 MPG ranges with the NA engine. The supercharged engine may be quite a few MPG less.

Not certain about what I am about to say but, the XKR got an updated steering rack as well. Comparing it to my '08 XK it is a big improvement in steering precision. Not sure if the '10XK has the same steering?

Also, the XKR suspension is more performance oriented with less understeer and tighter handling.

 

I'd go with 5.0 XKR over an XK Portfolio

 

Thanks.
Great feedback.
I'm going to have a mechanic look it over.
Anything specific we should look for?
Do jags still have the electrical issues? Drained batteries, etc.?

 

Jags do not have the SAME kind of electrical issues as decades back with Lucas components. The primary issues appear to be very large electrical draws when a door is opened or the car is awakened from its sleep. The recommendation from all sources is to lock the car doors upon leaving the car immediately and move the key a good 30 feet away. Much less distance and the key FOB keeps "waking up" the electronics, thinking that the key is close because someone is attempting to get into the car.

For the /10 XK(R) there was a TSB bulletin that instructed to re-flash the ECU to prevent the total run-down of the battery. That happened with my XKR. Apparently, the infotainment system does not alway shuts down in its proper sequence and keeps drawing 1.6 amps, enough to drain the battery in 2 days. You need to see if the TSB had been done, if not it is a few minutes of update.

Some people reported that occasionally the touch screen locks up. Never happened to any of my 5 late Jaguars. Altogether they are quite reliable these days. Water pump is probably the most serious of issues on the 5.0. They may start leaking and need to be replaced. Has not happened to any of my Jags, thus far either. Knock on wood... :-) but, they're all under warranty :-).

 

Thanks - terrific advice
I wonder since it's a 2010 if it's worth springing for an extended warranty...?
Also I have a mechanic who is generally pretty good with foreign cars but there is also a Jaguar dealer pretty close by. Any advice on where to get it serviced?

 

Yes to an extended warranty, but be careful where you buy it, as the price varies significantly.
For info on servicing (and where to buy the warranty!), join up with your local Jag club.

 

I just purchased a 7yr/55K miles warranty directly from the Jaguar dealer. It was their top warranty, covering nearly all components except wear items. I paid $3799 without any haggling. It is pro-rated, meaning that you get back monies for any unused portions of the warranty. Works out to be about $46/month for the length and well worth my piece of mind. Jaguar repairs can be very expensive!

For routine maintenance, any decent shop should do. There is not that much to it.

 

Welcome aboard. This is a really good forum. If it were me, I would have your local Jaguar dealer perform a thorough inspection before negotiating price or buying the vehicle.

 

I don't think you'd need a warranty and are better off with keeping the warranty money in your pocket if you'll ever need it. I would not be so hot on the mechanical inspection, but be more concerned on brake pad/rotor life, tire depth and the most important thing; the body. Bring it to a body shop over a mechanic IMO. The Jag is solid mechanically, but you'll never know about body work issues if done right or even wrong. Don't rely on CarFax to tell you whether the car has been in an accident. Leave that one for the experts that will tell you if it has been repainted or if there's damage...

Should you walk away from a car with paintwork? Only you can decide, but it should give you some bargaining power if it was not mentioned on CarFax and you find it. Heavy hit or something like that I would move on though.

If you got resources for both body and mechanical, why not!

 

I got the 6yr/60,000 miles warranty with $50 deductible and up to $50 a day for a rental car with tire/wheel damage (zero deductible) for $3781 (including sales tax). I purchased it 30 days before the end of the factory warranty. If you wait for the factory warranty to expire it is considerably more money. Yes it is pricey, but just one major repair can pay for it. I'm planning on using it for the water pump which is not a case of if but when. Although these cars are a big improvement in reliability from older models, they are still expensive to repair. Of course a warranty is a gamble and I hope I don't use it. I'd rather say I threw away the money than not having it and needing to replace a blown engine.

 

Thanks everyone!
Very helpful advice...

 

The prices of all extended warranties are based on only one thing, the odds are strongly in favor of the dealer making more money on selling you a warranty then he will ever make fixing your car. I prefer to keep the money in my pocket. The xk's in the past 6yrs have proven to be very reliable.

 

Sure - the warranty is a form of insurance. The decision to choose a warranty comes down to your view of the probability of significant repair bills, the difference between the cost of cover vs. potential cost of the repair and the value you attribute to ‘peace of mind’.

In my case, the Jag dealership offered me a warranty at $3,250 for 2 years, which didn't seem good value to me. The local Jag specialist offered me a new car warranty extension for 3 years for $1,650, which did.

Much as I love Jaguars, if it doesn't cost me that much in repairs from the ages of 4-7 years, I'll be pleasantly surprised. The fact that I take mine on the track occasionally also increases the chance that something may give.

The car in question is being purchased second-hand and may have some issues - or track days! - that are not known, plus the 2010 is the first of this engine, so none of us know what surprises may lay in store as it ages.

Each to their own!

Cheers,

Rob

 

To each his own indeed. All insurance is a gamble in favor of the seller, totally depends on the buyers risk tolerance and financial means to cover any losses.