Dino, I purchased a 2005 XKR Coupe about two years ago after much research and much searching. The car has been excellent in every way and I could not be more pleased. In todays marketplace these cars are an absolute steal. Aside form doing my homework and taking plenty of time to find the car I wanted I attribute my success with the 2005 XKR Coupe to three important factors: 1) seeking advice from members of this Forum, 2) following a proactive service schedule, 3) not drving the car like a drag racer. The year 2003 forward XK8/XKR cars appear to me to be very well engineered and very well built. In the marketplace they suffer from the legacy of first generation models. This is good if you are buying but not so good if you are selling. However, having owned the 2005 XKR for the past two years the thought of selling is not on my list. Gas mileage for the XKR has been around 16-17 mpg in town and 21-23 mpg on the highway.

One last thing...find a good Jag Tech that you can take your car to for the service it deserves. This Forum has reagular input from some very talented Jag Tech experts and I am sure they would be happy to help you find someone of comparable caliber in your area.

Happy hunting and enjoy the road ahead.

Tim V.

 

I second the advice double dino, 2003 and up are solid cars...even though I am still whining about my suspension/tire wear.

XK8s will get better city/highway...look closer to 18/27 if you can keep it at the speed limit, which at times is difficult.

 

Dino,
I am a newbie but did mega research and drove a few owners nuts. I had the privelage of travelling for business and working in a few test drives. I found the coupes back as far as 2000 to have good condition if under 50,000 miles. Convertibles as recent as 2005 were very shakey and already starting To rattle. You find a lot of posts on this forum and other places for engines prior to the chaneover in 2003 to the 4.2L. This gets you out of the timing tensioner issues, early Nikasil issues, etc. I was also able to find a 2003 coupe with inder 35,000 mi. that was "certified" by Jaguar. The Certified part took care of headrest mechanism cables (often a problem - every car I drove), windshield seal air leak, rear side window seals (check these to see if they re pulling away from window they can be anywhere from $180 to $850 each depending on phase of moon) and a few other little items that would have been at least $1,500 or so from the dealer.

I believe 2003 was a transition year with early models still having the 4.0.
Cup holders are prone to failure through 2003. Can be $325 to replace at dealer.

Short of a 1969 FHC XKE, these are the most beutiful mass production autos out there. You will not feel Mercedes envy or BMW envy in any way (maybe a Bentley or Maserati will still get a drool going but you wont find any better bargain into super luxury than a used XK8/XKR.

Others here can provide better input regarding the XK8 VS. XKR I believe there was a period where the XK8 had a sealed for life transmission wht the XKR having a more robust, serviceable design (I think as provided for Mercedes). I think this issue also dissapears when you get to the 4.2L version.

If the car you are considering has a navigation system. Make sure it is working. Dsic compatibility can be an issue.

I found paying for a buyer's inspection at a local jag dealer very worthwhile. They charged $250, I got the seller to pay and they picked up on a leaky heater hose (dealer was about $525 to replace, seller had an after market shop take care of at about $180.00 - it is a special hose with three ends).

Mileage is inversely propotional to fun. My XK8 can cositantly do 36 to 40 MPG on flat ground at 70mph. Put your foot into it at a low speed or stopped and watch the real time mileage go to about 4.5 MPG. Driving across the desert at about 80 from pheonix to LA we got about 25 MPG. around town about 20 MPG but I am still playing with my toy so right foot is a little heavy. The extra 100 HP for the XKR will cost across the board on fuel but lets you play with the vettes on a little more even footing.

Do not be afrraid. The dream is worh it. Just hold back a few grand to make it a non emergency and find a good, local after market shop (I am looking for one in Ontario Ca. area).

You have also found a very supportive group that you probably won't find with other makes.

Regards and good luck,
Steven (1avguy)

 

36-40 mpg out of one of these. I can't see that. I have tried that in my 97, all sorts of driving habits and never see that. I get about 26 HWY, 18 city~

 

I did a 3 hour fairly high speed all highway drive from Miami to Orlando (in the middle of the night) and got 29 MPH with an average speed well above the posted limits.

 

brg, that's typical for the 4.0, with a couple more from the 4.2L and the 6-speed tranny. I can't see 36-40 mpg as being accurate either, unless that leg of the trip was all downhill.

Jkrubinlaw, 29mpg is doable with a little tailwind.

 

Unless it wasa like my father whp walked through the snow up hill both ways to get to school (in Fresno, CA). I was out playing around to see what it would do and did in fact run the same stretch of freeway both ways. This was not a true test in that this was steady state and going from jag's instant mileage gauge, not during acceleration to speed and yes it did hold in that range for several miles both ways. I run tires at about 10 pounds above jag recommended pressure. The "s" button is not engaged. And cruise control will take a good 30% off what a trained right foot does for you. This is not coasting down hill but gently relaxing down hill and not over doing the accelerator up hill.

Anyone want to bet a dinner at Morton's, come to southern california, we'll chat.

There is also something that I would love some background from a mechanic with 4.2L experience on why it is happening as there may be interaction with the cam timing, microprocessor and brakes. After getting up to speed, or as I crest a hill, if i graze the brake pedal, just enough to kick brake light on but not enough to engage brakes, the mileage jumps dramatically and will hold fairly high if the gas is then feathered. Does this action re-set the valve overlap back to minimum as the engine is not anticipating next move as acceleration or is something else going on?

The engine rpm does not change during this activity so it can not be an upshift.

I noticed nobody questioned the 4.5 MPG when floored and I doubt if anyone in the forum would invest in 300 to 400 HP to drive as described on a regular basis. The point is a naturally aspirated XK8 can get great mileage. There is a very low drag coefficient and rolling resistance is not too bad (tire pressure guys). A new buyer should not shy away as the mileage to fun ratio is very good.

There is a lot of difference in the 4.2L and associated transmission and the earlier models with very similar appearance, including appreciably more torque which makes a big difference when you leave the stop light but also when you want to push high gears at low rpm.

In playing with the cam timing on older alfa romeos (it takes about half an hour to change Vs. 0.8 seconds for the jag) at low amount of overlap, you get great mileage and great low RPM torque, not much high RPM HP. Lots of overlap, does not idle worth a crap, lousy mileage, eats porsches for lunch with a 4-banger. This feels a lot like what I am experiencing. Any knowledgeable mechanics out there to set me straight?

Regards,
Steven (1avguy)

 

Your One-ness,

I don't have specific knowledge to answer your question, but I don't believe there is any relationship between the brake switch and CVVT operation. It sure would make trail braking a bit of a futile endeavor.

 

Sorry for showing my ignorance, what is trail braking? Do you have any other possibilities on explaining the mileage jump. This can go from a reading of 25MPG to 60 or 75 MPG (sometimes 90) on the down hill then hover at about 38 to 40 in the flats until accelleration is needed. Holding steady same stretch will keep it at about 25 to 27 MPG with a little worse on cruise control.

Regards for your experience,
Steven (1avguy)

 

Not ignorance, and it is a new subject to me but I think is relevant...left-foot braking through entry of a corner, and keeping the car balanced by staying on the throttle through the apex. Normally you stab the brakes before corner entry when the front wheels are still straight, then power through the corner.

That technique wouldn't be too effective if tapping the brakes retarded the cam timing, and I think that the guys in the know would know that.

Here's another piece of vague information...I believe that injector pulse is inhibited on decelleration until the engine reaches a set RPM and then resumes. For sure that was how the V12 ECU's were set up, and the instant mileage goes infinite when you lift. I'm guessing that is what you are seeing.

 

Here's a better explanation of left foot trail braking technique, I don't think I botched the point too badly:

http://www.drivingfast.net/car_contr...ot_braking.htm

 

I love Mortons! I would think MPGs would increase a bit with higher tire pressures, but surely not that much. I'd almost take you up on that wager, but like my last few vegas weekends, I endup eating ramen noodles when I come home.

A true measurment will be the manual calculation after a good highway trip of fuel consumed vs mileage. Our trip computers are a little optimistic (as Seismicguy and myself have determined). If you do, please update.