ho-hum, another 1000+ mile RT in the XKR, no drama to speak of just smooth as glass high speed touring on deserted 2 lanes roads. Spent this last Saturday and Sunday driving from NE Oklahoma to NE New Mexico. 1,213 miles round trip. Very enjoyable, especially the lack of traffic. Several times I could drive for 1-2 hours without seeing another car, truck, or semi. It's big sky country with mountains far in the distance. Great for letting your mind empty itself out of all the crowded thoughts that are usually part of modern life.

In the high plains of New Mexico, destination was Las Vegas, New Mexico (where my sister was recovering from a burst appendix) the car got a nice bump in gas milage. My usual highway mpg @ 75-80 mph is 21.5. Up in the thinner air of the high plains, elevation 6,000 feet +/-, I had a nice bump up to 26 mpg. Nice while it lasted. Had about 45 minutes heavy rain, otherwise mostly sunny with scattered clouds occasionally. Got a great drivers tan (left arm only)

About 10-11 hours of driving each way, Wanted to get on down the road, asap, so no scenic shots of the XKR framed against the vacant landscape. Maybe next time.













Z.

 

What's the mileage on the car?

 

Did you drive on old Route 66?

 

when I purchased the car January 2 2018 it had 116,000 miles on it . Today the mileage is 138,971. In 16 months I've put just about 23,000 miles on the car. No breakdowns, and not much repair expenses.

About the perfect amount of mileage by my standards. I never buy cars with low milage. They haven't been tested by usage, and cars that sit without being driven for long periods deteriorate and often have many issues that subsequently surface. The previous owner had the tensioners self destruct @ 115,000 miles and took care of that repair, as well as replacing the water pump at the same time. It has had new shocks, they were installed somewhere around 60,000 miles, IIRC.

Under my watch, the only item replaced, other than regular maintenance & wear items, has been the CPU fan. During start-up on very cold days It started squeaking like it had a dry bearing. So I replaced it. Otherwise, I've had just the normal expenditures; brake pads, front brake rotors, tires, battery, air filter, and oil / oil filter changes.


The many cars I've worked on that did sit unused for extended periods of time always needed a year or two of constant repairs before they could be considered reliable and road worthy. In my experience 125,000 miles more or less, is a good indicator that the car has seen enough action to be reliable.

not this time. I drove straight west on US Highway 60, then on to US Highway 64 and US Highway 412


Z

 

Zray,

it’s always good to see the X100 used as it was designed for. A lot of Forum posts are on problems, so good to hear your great experience on this road trip without any trouble.

 

I have taken a few trips from southern New Jersey to New Hampshire and with all the driving through the mountains, I would put about 1500 miles on it each time.
That is one of my favorite road trips.
I stay in Lincoln, NH. The mountain loop that I do is from Lincoln up I-93 through Franconia Notch then take Route 3 to Twin Mountain, then down 302 past Mount Washington. In Bartlett turn right on Bear Notch Road (closed in winter) to avoid congestion in Conway. At the end of Bear Notch Road make a right on the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) and take it back to Lincoln. Great scenery and fun roads and things to stop and see, like the Cannon Mountain Tram and the Mount Washington Cog Railway and Mount Washington Hotel.
If you do go to Conway because your female copilot wants to hit the outlet stores, the Conway Scenic Railroad is very cool. You just sit and watch the mountains go by.
Our cars were built for this kind of trip. Two upright suitcases in the back seat upside down and everything else fits in the trunk. Nothing to blow away when the canopy is stowed.
If you don't stop much you can easily do it in an afternoon, but I'd give it a day and enjoy the cool stuff on the way.
If you are in the area, go to Sugar Hill, just north of Cannon Mountain, especially the Sugar Hill Sampler store. You don't need to enter the store, just park in the lot.
Look east on a clear day, especially later in the afternoon. You'll understand.

 

I have done a similar drive in New Hampshire a couple of times. My wife loves Conway so we do go there but its a very scenic area. And in Conway the old Jag looks right at home among the Mercs, Beemers, and Audis

 

these cars are meant to be driven - glad to see you enjoying her!!!

 

Barry,
I have family in New Hampshire so I was taken to that area as a child, then I took my children there, and I still go there once a year. The scenery is spectacular. There is so much to see and do, no matter what activity level you prefer. One day I'll drive the Jag through the mountains and the next day I'll park the Jag at a trailhead and climb a mountain, although that part is getting harder. The next day I let my legs recover and maybe drive to Cabot Creamery, a good way to spend a day of questionable weather.
I go through Conway once in a while but the traffic usually keeps me away. Bear Notch Road is one of my favorite for the Jag and it cuts off Conway so that works for me.
I once stayed at the Mittersill Alpine Resort on the north side of Cannon Mountain. It's old so if that isn't your thing, don't stay there. Queen Elizabeth signed the register when she stayed there, when she was "just a princess". Outside our condo was a park bench that seemed out of place until I saw that it was a great viewing spot looking east to see the last of the day's sun on Mount Lafayette. The mountain turned colors like orange and purple. It was like someone was dipping it in sherbet. Then I understood why the bench was there.
The Whale's Tail is a great water park in the summer. If it's cooler, go to Muddy Paws for a dog sled ride. Bring dog biscuits and you'll be very popular.
The trained bear show at Clark's Trading Post is a must and take the train ride. It's fun.
My condo company has a new building in the middle of Lincoln. So I'm in the mountains and within walking distance is a brewery, winery tasting room, a 24 hour supermarket that sells beer and wine, a Mexican restaurant, miniature golf, movie theater, dollar store, restaurants, and shops. Security? The police station is next door, not that there is any crime anyway. And the moose tour bus leaves from the front lawn of the condo building. All of this in the mountains. I think you can see why I go there.
Loon Mountain is a couple miles away, which hosts the Highland Games in September. It's a really fun Scottish festival with competitions, Scottish games, music, vendors, beer. It's lots of fun. I almost bought a kilt last year. This year will be my third time at the Highland Games.
After many years of vacationing in that area, I still find new things that interest me and the Jag is the perfect car for the trip.