Hi all, new to the forum here. A little back story - I've had a 2008 BMW Z4 coupe 3.0si for the past few years and have been looking for a change. Ideally wanted something with back seats so i can fit the two little ones (5 and 3) which brought me to the XKR. After laboring through every boring alternative (SUVs/Wagons/Dad cars) my wonderful wife told me to stop lying to myself and just get a 2+2.

I have a PPI Scheduled for Friday on an 06' XKR with ~50kmiles, and am getting a little excited/anxious/nervous. I've read through all the good and bad, understand that its a 10 yr old car, but still slightly fear the unknown. I guess all i'm looking for is sometime to tell me it will all be OK and it will be worth listening to my heart and not my head. Life is too short to drive an econobox, right?

 

Yes it's a 10 year old car, but it's a JAG!!!!!!!!! See what the PPI shows, then if all checks out, go for it - realize that you have already given yourself access to the BEST DAMN TOOL a Jag owner needs in his/her tool box - this forum

 

The '06 model has most of the earlier car's issues resolved. Check the stickies on the main page for things to look for if you haven't already been there.

My blue cat is an '01 and is my daily driver. It now has 140k miles, over 40k of those under my ownership. She has been very reliable, allowing for the usual things you would expect of a 15 year old car.

Getting the PPI is a good insurance policy. The only other thing I would suggest is to really check out that back seat. Only tiny humans will fit there. The coupe is slightly better than the 'vert. I have put adults back there for short trips, but no one has made that choice twice.

Good luck.

 

Your moving from a girls car, to a man's car... And your scared? Stay with the z4, for real.

As far as reliability, that xkr is almost bullet proof. Suspension bushings on these cars are more like 'wear items', like brake pads. That's it really.

 

The Last of the X100 XKR's were and are special. Not quite an exotic, but as beautiful, as fast, and as rare as an exotic.
The power, the style, the grace, the pure joy of driving such a car is not easily exceeded.
You will never regret owning it, and will remember it fondly, even lovingly till the end of your days.
When battery powered self driving cars dominate our world, designed, built and forced upon us by panty wearing girly men afraid of thier own shadows, you'll be able to say "Once, I owned a supercharged Jaguar, it was beautiful and it had a steering wheel that allowed me to take it anywhere I wanted to go, and it was so fast! I can still remember the howl of the supercharger when you pushed hard on the accelerator...so utterly cool"
Regards,

 

What they said, just one more consideration though...test fit those lovely young ladies in the back seat first! To call a XK8/R a 2+2 is an exaggeration! It may have a back seat but try driving it with the drivers seat moved forward enough for a kid to put their feet between the front seat back and the rear seat.

 

At that age, kids need to be in car seats. 2 of them. Forget about the XK8 for a while and move on. The only "window" is when the kids are out of the car seats, but small enough to somehow not feel completely cramped, and can possibly ride sideways, one at a time. Just my take...

 

I was in the same boat as you, and ended up with an XJ sedan. Florida law requires kids through age 5 to both be in car seats, and the NHSTA suggests much longer - see Car Seats | Parents Central | Keeping Kids Safe

So as much as I wanted an XK convertible, I took an "appetite suppressant" on that idea, as I couldn't see a feasible way to get kids in the back in a car seat and still be able to drive (I'm tall).

I am loving the XJ. It is fast and fun to drive, and most of all - provides my precious cargo with the safety they need.

I watched a car pull out into traffic on a poorly-timed left turn and get broadsided by TWO cars. There was a 3 or 4 year old in the back seat, properly secured in a car seat. 10 minutes after the accident he was out playing in the grass while the cops did there thing. That wouldn't have happened had they been crammed in the back of a car with just a seatbelt.

So I'm not preaching for sure - just sharing why I decided to delay my dream of an XK for a while.

Good luck!

 

Much as I would like to tell you to go for it...the kidlets will not fit. Not car seats, and not for but a year or two at most (and then only if the front seat occupiers are short legged) after they are out of the car seats.

 

My 2002 XKR has 160,000 on her and runs better than when I got her at 60K. These were not trouble free miles, however by 2005-6 most of the problems had been worked out (save the green shower of the convertible models). I love mine and to preserve it, (by not driving it so much as I was put 20K/year on it), I purchased a 2010XKR coupe to use for the daily driver. I must admit two things, 1) I much prefer the shape of the X100 for its sensual, classic body, and 2) the 2010 XKR is so spectaculary advanced compared to its older sibling that there simply is no comparison. The power, handling, suspension is so good that it's unfair to compare. Having said that, I still love my 2002, and it's a thoroughly enjoyable GT that is very reliable. Getting two car seats in, however, will not happen. Good luck.

 

Where is the car located and price? I think the Xkr coupe is a beautiful car, but don't think it makes sense with kids. I have a 2014 Maserati GTS and that car actually has a back seat large enough for 2 adults. You may want to consider it as an alternative - if you negotiate properly, you can lease one at a reasonable price - you'd be surprised at the deal I got. If you don't end up buying the Xkr - I might be interested in checking it out if it is local to LA.

Jeremy

 

I solved this problem by having a second car with back seats to transport the family and dogs and keep the XKR for myself.

There is still enough room in the back of the XKR for shopping and occasional short trips with kids in the back if you have to, but it will be a squeeze as the only family car.

 

XK/XKR with two kids in the back is not happening. Get an XJ you will not be disappointed. Then buy the XKR for you and the wolf for date night, and work, and getting milk, oh shoot I forgot the bread... guess I'll have to drive it again.

 

Trust me, not even the Wizard of Oz Munchkins would fit into the XK8/XKR back seats. They are back seats in name only. They are really just spaces to hold your tools, towels, and a few small spare parts....

 

Hey Asper--being in Valencia I assume you are looking at the coupe at Hornburg in Newport Beach? If so I would go for it since at least one potential problem is eliminated (convertible hoses) and the coupes are kind of rare to boot.

Yes--the back seats are borderline useless but if the kids are only 5 and 3 they should be able to fit in "comfortably".

Doug

 

Thanks all for the honest replies so far, it has given me a little pause...

Maybe a little more context - My wife works from home, and takes care of all pick up/drop off activities for the kids. She has an SUV with a third row that functions as the family vehicle. The two seat Z4 Coupe is what i drive daily - round trip to work is ~10 miles and it is basically parked on the weekends. On occasion I take one child at a time to the grocery store, or to a birthday party, etc. but the difficulty is when i have to take both. Usually i take my wife's car, but she doesn't drive manual cars so leaving her with the BMW is non-productive.

I figured by having an XKR, i get to:And lastly, neither myself or my wife are very tall (5'6'' & 5'4'') so that just might work in our favor...

 

SeismicGuy, yes that is the one I'm looking at!

 

As a bonus, if you get the car in time we can meet up at the Queen's English car show in May Queen's English - Sunday, May 22, 2016

Doug

 

Possibly consider an XJR, I have both an X308 XJR and an X100 XKR Convertible. The XJR is MUCH better for daily driving if you have any passengers. The headroom is crap in my XKR and still not stellar in my XJR. The legroom in the XKR is non-existant and although I'm a tall lady at 5'10", there is NO room in back, even for some of my sub 5' sub 100lb asian friends. If we're going out for a night on the town, I just don't drive it. The XJR has not great legroom, but is acceptable for passengers with legs. The X308 and later X350 (aluminum and 4.2SC!) are great values now on the used market. You really will have fun with one if you go that route.

I actually provide my parents with vehicles, usually cheap domestic cars (Impalas and a Monte Carlo as of now), but my mom's Impala is definitely getting worse for the wear (its had a great run for very little cash). The Range Rover Sport Supercharged is right up her alley, good ground clearance, decent headroom, good cargo space, etc. It's also aluminum and won't rust like her Impala has. It's fun with either 400HP or 510HP depending on 4.2 or 5L spec; and a solid daily driver. A nice 4.2SC RR can be had for 16-25k (for lowish to low miles), and add 10k for a 2010+ with the 5.0L SC.

I have a tough time picking since I have no dependents or real responsibilities (although the 6LB 17yo blind cat is a handful), so I can daily driver whatever I feel like, and own several vehicles. I have a problem lol (my sig is accurate).

 

I have 2 kids (6 & 9). I picked up an '02 XKR convertible last summer as an occasional use car. The kids love riding in the car ... but only under certain conditions. Top must be up and they can't be back there for more than 10 minutes at a time. Anything more than that leads to so much complaining that it's no longer fun to drive.