Hey Ya,

I have a high interest in purchasing a used Jag XK8 so I thought it best to jump into your forum with both feet and see if I can get a quick idea of what year XK8 seems to fare the best in terms of quality and durability (I know, we're talking Jags here but I'll say the "D" word anyways).

I'm hoping to get my hands on a 50-100k mile Coupe and immerse myself in learning how theses contraptions tick in comparison to lesser cars. I'm no newbie when it comes to car repair and mechanical performance modifications, so feel free to talk as sophisticated as you like.

Which brings me to my first inquiry... Is there a particular year XK8 that should be avoided because of serious design flaws, or does all years prior to 2005 pretty much turn out the same quality wise? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each particular year from 1997 up? Do the 1997's suffer from a lot of first year engineering bugaboos? Which year XK8's had the nikasil blocks?

Anyways, that's about it for my first inquiry, and if these questions have been asked a thousand times before me, my sincere apologies and a link referral to help me find my answers would be much appreciated.

Regards,
RJ

 

Well, they have been discussed before but I will offer my personal opinions before a link.

The first year, 97' had a number of serious issues that were slowly engineered out. By '00 most of the serious problems had been worked out. By '02 the car had reached an acceptable level of reliability. You can plot that comment against the market prices and see a direct correlation.

In '03 the XK8/R underwent a significant upgrade in both engine and transmission and the market price jumps in response.

The standard advice is to buy as late production and low mileage as you choose to afford. If you plan on doing your own work I would consider the '00 the sweet spot in price. All of these cars were really affordable before the economy tanked. They are cheaper now. If you plan on enjoying the free coffee and sodas at the dealer buy an '03 or better.

The Nikasil engine production ceased August 18, 2000 but a good one that has survived until now may be better than steel.

Start with this link and then spend this weekend reading a year or two of posts. I lurked on 3 forums for 2 months before I thought I had absorbed enough information to jump into the water.

Good luck in finding the perfect car.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...light=problems

 

good advice there... what you posted seems similar to the digging i have done up to this point.

what started this inquiry was a 1997 xk8 coupe for sale nearby for $5500.00. It has 70k miles and I was considering giving it a look, but what I've read so far about tensioner and nikasil issues on the earlier cars does have me a bit worried about even bothering.

 

zonker, good advice above from testpoint...he's pretty knowledgable when it comes to these models. I also agree enthusiastically, and recommend you avoid the 97-99s, no matter what the price; there are many issues that you will find yourself involved in, and it will give you alot of heartache. Get in the 2000s and up, as new as you can go. Even the higher mileage 03s would be my recommendation over the 01s and 02s with less. The 4.2L engine and 6-speed tranny are an important consideration over the 4.0L and 5-speed, at least in my opinion.

Good luck, and keep us updated on your progress. We like helping our new members spend their money on a 'new' car.