The OP never said how much he intends to spend. That makes a HUGE difference.

 

Mechanically the 2003-2006 cars are nearly identical. I prefer the 2003-2004 cars because I don't like the blunt looking nose and the lower side sills they added in 2005. But that's all a matter of personal preference. A few years ago I looked at the 2005s and wished my car looked like that. A year later I liked the look of my 2003 better.

Someone in an earlier post said don't get a 2002 or earlier car no matter what. I disagree. They can be dependable and reliable, but any older car is going to be more prone to have problems. If you're handy with tools and don't mind getting greasy, then one of the 4.0 liter cars might be ideal, especially considering how cheap they sell for these days. And if kept in good condition, the price has probably already hit rock bottom. 1970's XKEs are selling for $50,000 or more these days. When brand new the sticker price was only $6000-$7000. I'm not saying that a late 90's XK8 is a good investment, but there aren't very many cars out there that won't lose a significant portion of their value over time. You could buy a 99 XK8 for $6500 today and probably sell it for that much 5 years from now. And 15 years from now you might be able to sell it for double that. It's not a sure thing, but it's definitely a better investment than a brand new Cadillac.

 

I am looking to spend in the neighborhood of $20 K. Less is always better, however the quality is most important.

 

I have had my 2001 XK8 since 2003 , It was a Jaguar Select warranty car.
One of the biggest issues are the tensioners.
It was my daily driver.
Like most things newer is most often better technology and with added gadgets.
In Oct 2012 , a friend found a 2005 XK8 Conv with 15K for under $20K.
I would try to find one with the 4.2 engine and low miles.

 

My research in November/December 2011 pointed to the 2005/2006 final production run of these cars (all built in mid-2005) as Ford/Jaguar's best efforts to get the XK8 series as close to bulletproof as possible with an added bonus of really loading up the final run with extra features. We wound up with my wife's 2006 XK8 Victory Edition convertible that she continues to love more than any car or SUV she's ever had in 40-plus years of driving....

 

I'm in the 2005-2006 camp. When it comes time in the summer I'll be on the hunt for an XKR Coupe

 

How you watch out for the chain tensioners?

 

go to the sticky thread and do a word search on chain.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ts-data-29800/

 

After spending the equivalent of a new F type on my wife's 2006, I have to say no fckinbg year!!!