Hi~

I'm in the market for a used 07-09 XKR in the Seattle area and am very curious to XKR performance in the rain. Have any of you owners ever felt unsafe driving in the rain? Danger of hydroplaning? How do you drive in the rain?


Thanks for the input!

 

I've driven mine in some pretty heavy rain but haven't had any particular concerns.

Obviously you have to be concious of driving a powerful, rear-wheel drive car so drive accordingly, but no worse than any other car to be honest.

Plus, the auto wipers work really well, unlike my other car where they never seem to be at the right speed at the right time .

 

I have Kuhmo tires on my 2K XKR; very good road manners in the rain.

 

I drive back to my garage if it's gonna rain. Sad I know, but that's just me....no performance in rain at all lololololol

 

I agree with Windigo... I'll grab my Landrover even my wife's XF is it's raining. LOL

Seriously, We just had a huge amount of rain this past weekend and I did not notice any issues that I would say are unique to the XK. In FL during the summer months we get at least brief rain most afternoons.

 

I've driven mine in rain without any real worries other than being conscious of large puddles. I grew up in the Seattle area and the only other thing you need to consider are the hills you would be subjected to. I wouldn't hesitate to drive an XKR in the rain in Seattle. If you drive downtown Seattle you might find it bothersome with the steep entries to some of the hills.

 

You shouldn't have a problem with an XKR in the rain....unless you are trying to catch a GTR.

 

Find the right All Season tires and you'll be fine. I drive my Z06 in the rain and even cold and snow on the GY run flats and have never had any issues.


You do have to respect the laws of physics though and mentally place an egg between you and the accelerator, brake pedals and approach maneuvers gingerly.

Tom

 

You may want to look at my "drowned Kitty" post from a couple of weeks ago. Do not for any reason attempt to go through any puddles that may be over 6-8 inches deep. You can do serious damage to the engine. That said I have had my XKR on high speed autox and open track events in the rain. It handles well and the nanny(ESP) will stop most of your driving errors from causing a problem. The only issue that can get you into serious trouble is that the car with the factory alignment is set up to push (understeer) and the ESP does not compensate well for this condition. This can get you into trouble with spirited wet driving if you're not ready for it to occur. Most drivers tend to handle this poorly and add more steering input which is the wrong correction and will worsen the situation. Remember lift on the trottle, reduce steering input and if that fails a very light application of the brakes will help you correct. (don't mean to insult anyones driving skills but it may help some)