Discussion
Hi All
I'm considering options for replacing my Mondeo 2.0 Ecoboost (I find the Eco part to be more of an ironic naming!) later on in the year and a big engined Jag is high on the list, namely the XF SV8 or XFR. I've found a bit of info on the R but the SV8 is not so easy to find info on.
I like the looks of the R and the seats are much better, but on the flip side the SV8 is much more discreet and I would feel happier leaving it parked up away from home. Performance on paper seems not dissimilar?
There's a big difference in purchase price, say £10k-ish for similar mileage approved used cars. However I would expect this to be offset by residual values and for the R to be easier to move on after a couple of years.
What would be the difference in running costs? I presume the difference in fuel consumption would be negligible. What about servicing and other routine maintenance such as brakes? Does the SV8 share more parts with the other XFs, with the R being more bespoke?
In an ideal world, I'd take the R, but it'll be a bit more of a stretch financially so running costs will play a part.
Thanks in advance for any help!
George
I'm considering options for replacing my Mondeo 2.0 Ecoboost (I find the Eco part to be more of an ironic naming!) later on in the year and a big engined Jag is high on the list, namely the XF SV8 or XFR. I've found a bit of info on the R but the SV8 is not so easy to find info on.
I like the looks of the R and the seats are much better, but on the flip side the SV8 is much more discreet and I would feel happier leaving it parked up away from home. Performance on paper seems not dissimilar?
There's a big difference in purchase price, say £10k-ish for similar mileage approved used cars. However I would expect this to be offset by residual values and for the R to be easier to move on after a couple of years.
What would be the difference in running costs? I presume the difference in fuel consumption would be negligible. What about servicing and other routine maintenance such as brakes? Does the SV8 share more parts with the other XFs, with the R being more bespoke?
In an ideal world, I'd take the R, but it'll be a bit more of a stretch financially so running costs will play a part.
Thanks in advance for any help!
George
Don't overlook the XF 5.0 V8, non supercharged. This is the standard car for the USA market, and not marketed at all in the UK but was available to order. 384 bhp, so close to the SV8 and an unstressed engine too. No slouch either. What I really like is the combination of very good performance and yet it's a car that wafts about easliy too. I've had one since June 2014 and so far it's been really excellent. Mine's a Portfolio Plus so has loads of additional stuff too.
The only potential issue is finding one with the colour combination and spec. that you want. Mine is emerald fire and a barley interior, which is very close my ideal combination: ideally I'd like ivory inside. The sun roof was the clincher maybe!
R.
The only potential issue is finding one with the colour combination and spec. that you want. Mine is emerald fire and a barley interior, which is very close my ideal combination: ideally I'd like ivory inside. The sun roof was the clincher maybe!
R.
The Leaper said:
Don't overlook the XF 5.0 V8, non supercharged. This is the standard car for the USA market, and not marketed at all in the UK but was available to order. 384 bhp, so close to the SV8 and an unstressed engine too. No slouch either. What I really like is the combination of very good performance and yet it's a car that wafts about easliy too. I've had one since June 2014 and so far it's been really excellent. Mine's a Portfolio Plus so has loads of additional stuff too.
The only potential issue is finding one with the colour combination and spec. that you want. Mine is emerald fire and a barley interior, which is very close my ideal combination: ideally I'd like ivory inside. The sun roof was the clincher maybe!
R.
Interesting proposition. I'd like to try it back to back with a SC engine. On paper 0-60 is close, but I wonder how 0-100 would look. Plus there's quite a difference in torque figures. How's the fuel economy? I know I shouldn't get too caught up on that with such a car, however I do feel if I were bank-rolling 15mpg I'd rather it was in the faster car. The only potential issue is finding one with the colour combination and spec. that you want. Mine is emerald fire and a barley interior, which is very close my ideal combination: ideally I'd like ivory inside. The sun roof was the clincher maybe!
R.
Looking at what's for sale right now, £20k-ish will get me into a low mile 5.0 Portfolio, an R in the 80-100k miles range, or a low miles SV8 with plenty of change.
I'd rather get a good SV8 than a rough XFR personally. There's nothing in the running costs, although they slightly favour the R. The difference in power is quite noticeable on the move, although the R is arguably overpowered based upon how rarely anyone actually *needs* the difference.
Both are good cars, and either is a lovely drive.
Both are good cars, and either is a lovely drive.
exactly same decision I had to make as wanted to spend max of 18k really on a car to use as an everyday,i had already owned a xfr few years back and loved it but this time wanted a second car so my hunt started the xfr's I found were all high miles and in an abused state as not at main dealers ended up travelling quite a few hundred miles to purchase a 30,000 mile full history sv8 pretty much fully loaded and in very nice condition.Apart from a few niggles which ive now nearly sorted im loving it,park it anywhere no one takes a blind bit of notice of it as looks like a rep mobile he he.The engine is so smooth and lovely and quiet,returns mid twentys and I honestly don't think its going to lose much more money over next few years as I paid 16k and will keep it for 3 years and clock up no more than 5000 miles per year and I would hope I would still get 12k for it in a few years time not bad for luxury motoring.
happy hunting there getting scarce now simon
happy hunting there getting scarce now simon
I've just traded my SV8 for a facelifted 2012 XFR. The only reason I didn't keep my SV8 was because I didn't trust it to stay fault free. The SV8's were the earliest XF's so you can get the usual early production issues. The later ones and the XFR's shouldn't be as problematic. Even still with my XFR I've taken out the dealer extended warranty to give me 3 years peace of mind.
Now I'm in the XFR it's an improvement over the SV8 in many many ways. They look better, the seats are better (you sit on rather than in with the SV8), they sound better as standard but it feels so much more focused. I had dynamic suspension on my SV8, but even still it's night and day. Both play Jekyll and Hyde very well though, nice and sedate until you bury the throttle! The running costs seem to be cheaper on the XFR, but not so much as it matters. Tyres, servicing and brakes parts seem as cheap as a decent hot hatch but it'll be fuel and depreciation that'll kick your butt. On a motorway run it'll be mid 20's but for short cold journey's it'll be around 10. My average is about 14.5 but I do a lot of short and b-road journeys.
For me the SV8 was a dabble with a big power rear drive car and after 12 months I decided to go for it proper and ended up getting the XFR. Warranty concerns convinced me to change, but I'd still be happy in the SV8 if I trusted it (I would recommend new rear tail boxes though (I have some in the garage), it sounds far too quiet as standard).
Just my experiences, but hope they help
Now I'm in the XFR it's an improvement over the SV8 in many many ways. They look better, the seats are better (you sit on rather than in with the SV8), they sound better as standard but it feels so much more focused. I had dynamic suspension on my SV8, but even still it's night and day. Both play Jekyll and Hyde very well though, nice and sedate until you bury the throttle! The running costs seem to be cheaper on the XFR, but not so much as it matters. Tyres, servicing and brakes parts seem as cheap as a decent hot hatch but it'll be fuel and depreciation that'll kick your butt. On a motorway run it'll be mid 20's but for short cold journey's it'll be around 10. My average is about 14.5 but I do a lot of short and b-road journeys.
For me the SV8 was a dabble with a big power rear drive car and after 12 months I decided to go for it proper and ended up getting the XFR. Warranty concerns convinced me to change, but I'd still be happy in the SV8 if I trusted it (I would recommend new rear tail boxes though (I have some in the garage), it sounds far too quiet as standard).
Just my experiences, but hope they help
The Leaper said:
I reckon that my XF 5.0 V8 non s/c averages about 23 mpg. On the regular long run to Cornwall using A roads and occasional motorways I get around 26 mpg. None of this is trying to be as frugal as possible, something I'll have a go at one day.
R.
I've done the 'frugal' test, Sunderland to Coventry and back, mostly motorway and cruise set to the legal limits.R.
33 mpg, not bad at all.
Thanks to everyone for their responses. Some interesting points and good to hear opinions from both sides.
Ultimately I'd like to go for the R, but it will require saving for a bit longer to make up enough of a deposit to keep the loan payments somewhere I'm happy with. I think possibly it will be worth the wait. I suppose I need to go out and try both and make up my mind.
Your comments certainly haven't put me off the SV8, I'm sure it'll have more performance than I'd ever need and feel like a rocket coming from a 2.0 turbo. Plus as much as I love the racy looks of the R I like the subtlety of the SV8. I can't help feeling the R may present the better ownership proposition financially, initial purchase price aside. To my mind it is likely to have better residuals and be more desirable when it comes time to move it on?
Interesting to hear comments on the fuel economy of the 5.0 NA. The Mondeo gets me low 20s on my commute (only 4 miles so on a cold engine) and low-mid 30s on a long run with cruise set to 70. Not a million miles from the V8, although of course twice the cylinders is always going to result in much worse economy.
Ultimately I'd like to go for the R, but it will require saving for a bit longer to make up enough of a deposit to keep the loan payments somewhere I'm happy with. I think possibly it will be worth the wait. I suppose I need to go out and try both and make up my mind.
Your comments certainly haven't put me off the SV8, I'm sure it'll have more performance than I'd ever need and feel like a rocket coming from a 2.0 turbo. Plus as much as I love the racy looks of the R I like the subtlety of the SV8. I can't help feeling the R may present the better ownership proposition financially, initial purchase price aside. To my mind it is likely to have better residuals and be more desirable when it comes time to move it on?
Interesting to hear comments on the fuel economy of the 5.0 NA. The Mondeo gets me low 20s on my commute (only 4 miles so on a cold engine) and low-mid 30s on a long run with cruise set to 70. Not a million miles from the V8, although of course twice the cylinders is always going to result in much worse economy.
jamieduff1981 said:
Wow that's a lot of fuel.
My R-S is averaging 21mpg on B-roads with a little bit of city driving and a lot of gratuitious noise generation.
Mine is all about my journey and driving style rather than the car. It can easily be better. In a Megane 250 I barely got more than 23 as an average. I tried a 2.2d XF on my work commute and that was 22mpg. The joy of living 4 miles away!My R-S is averaging 21mpg on B-roads with a little bit of city driving and a lot of gratuitious noise generation.
gds54 said:
Thanks to everyone for their responses. Some interesting points and good to hear opinions from both sides.
Ultimately I'd like to go for the R, but it will require saving for a bit longer to make up enough of a deposit to keep the loan payments somewhere I'm happy with. I think possibly it will be worth the wait. I suppose I need to go out and try both and make up my mind.
Your comments certainly haven't put me off the SV8, I'm sure it'll have more performance than I'd ever need and feel like a rocket coming from a 2.0 turbo. Plus as much as I love the racy looks of the R I like the subtlety of the SV8. I can't help feeling the R may present the better ownership proposition financially, initial purchase price aside. To my mind it is likely to have better residuals and be more desirable when it comes time to move it on?
Interesting to hear comments on the fuel economy of the 5.0 NA. The Mondeo gets me low 20s on my commute (only 4 miles so on a cold engine) and low-mid 30s on a long run with cruise set to 70. Not a million miles from the V8, although of course twice the cylinders is always going to result in much worse economy.
With this it seems like you kind of want the R, but aren't really happy to shell out the extra. Sounds like where I was last year! They'll all depreciate down, especially when the new XF comes out. Leave yourself a good exit route and change to an R when the prices are better. I lost a lot on trading my SV8, but am happy with the experience it gave me.Ultimately I'd like to go for the R, but it will require saving for a bit longer to make up enough of a deposit to keep the loan payments somewhere I'm happy with. I think possibly it will be worth the wait. I suppose I need to go out and try both and make up my mind.
Your comments certainly haven't put me off the SV8, I'm sure it'll have more performance than I'd ever need and feel like a rocket coming from a 2.0 turbo. Plus as much as I love the racy looks of the R I like the subtlety of the SV8. I can't help feeling the R may present the better ownership proposition financially, initial purchase price aside. To my mind it is likely to have better residuals and be more desirable when it comes time to move it on?
Interesting to hear comments on the fuel economy of the 5.0 NA. The Mondeo gets me low 20s on my commute (only 4 miles so on a cold engine) and low-mid 30s on a long run with cruise set to 70. Not a million miles from the V8, although of course twice the cylinders is always going to result in much worse economy.
Can't help much with the comparison, but I picked up an XFR a few weeks back and it's an awesome bit of kit.
Averaging 19/20mpg on a tank with mixed driving. I have a pre-facelift so the fewer gears in the box won't be helping. One thing to be aware of is the tank is tiny. 250 miles to a fill if I'm lucky but usually somewhere between 200 and 250.
Am I right in saying there is a non-XFR 5.0 SC XF model? I think that's the 'sensible' buy as a remap will take you up to the same level of power the XFR can attain but without the XFR costs. You'll lose the suspension / bodykit / other XFR specific bits but whether that's important - and worth the additional cost - will be up to you.
Averaging 19/20mpg on a tank with mixed driving. I have a pre-facelift so the fewer gears in the box won't be helping. One thing to be aware of is the tank is tiny. 250 miles to a fill if I'm lucky but usually somewhere between 200 and 250.
Am I right in saying there is a non-XFR 5.0 SC XF model? I think that's the 'sensible' buy as a remap will take you up to the same level of power the XFR can attain but without the XFR costs. You'll lose the suspension / bodykit / other XFR specific bits but whether that's important - and worth the additional cost - will be up to you.
MrTurner said:
With this it seems like you kind of want the R, but aren't really happy to shell out the extra. Sounds like where I was last year! They'll all depreciate down, especially when the new XF comes out. Leave yourself a good exit route and change to an R when the prices are better. I lost a lot on trading my SV8, but am happy with the experience it gave me.
You're right, in a money-no-object world, I'd take the R. But it does cost a lot more for similar performance on paper, and I do live in a dodgy area (well, close to Bradford/Leeds) where a more subtle performance car isn't entirely a bad thing.Out of interest, was there anything in particular that made you feel like your SV8 was on its last legs? Looking at what's for sale right now and cosmetically a lot of them have faults, namely de-laminating windscreens, missing centre caps on alloys etc. Mostly niggly things although I wouldn't want to shell out on a new windscreen immediately after purchase. But, opinions I've read rate the drivetrain as pretty dependable.
eztiger said:
Can't help much with the comparison, but I picked up an XFR a few weeks back and it's an awesome bit of kit.
Averaging 19/20mpg on a tank with mixed driving. I have a pre-facelift so the fewer gears in the box won't be helping. One thing to be aware of is the tank is tiny. 250 miles to a fill if I'm lucky but usually somewhere between 200 and 250.
Am I right in saying there is a non-XFR 5.0 SC XF model? I think that's the 'sensible' buy as a remap will take you up to the same level of power the XFR can attain but without the XFR costs. You'll lose the suspension / bodykit / other XFR specific bits but whether that's important - and worth the additional cost - will be up to you.
I've seen this 5.0 SC in the US, but never seen anything in the UK. They do a 5.0 NA, and there was obviously the previous SV8 discussed above, which is the SC 4.2. I'm entirely 50/50 on whether I want the R's looks. My inner child certainly does, but I think there are a lot of occasions where discreet is better.Averaging 19/20mpg on a tank with mixed driving. I have a pre-facelift so the fewer gears in the box won't be helping. One thing to be aware of is the tank is tiny. 250 miles to a fill if I'm lucky but usually somewhere between 200 and 250.
Am I right in saying there is a non-XFR 5.0 SC XF model? I think that's the 'sensible' buy as a remap will take you up to the same level of power the XFR can attain but without the XFR costs. You'll lose the suspension / bodykit / other XFR specific bits but whether that's important - and worth the additional cost - will be up to you.
The R is (relatively) discreet as far as ubersaloons go. But if you know what you're looking for - then it does stand out.
You're probably right about the 5.0 SC XF being US only. I've more than likely picked it's existence up from the US based jag forums. Shame if it's not available over here.
You're probably right about the 5.0 SC XF being US only. I've more than likely picked it's existence up from the US based jag forums. Shame if it's not available over here.
gds54 said:
You're right, in a money-no-object world, I'd take the R. But it does cost a lot more for similar performance on paper, and I do live in a dodgy area (well, close to Bradford/Leeds) where a more subtle performance car isn't entirely a bad thing.
Out of interest, was there anything in particular that made you feel like your SV8 was on its last legs? Looking at what's for sale right now and cosmetically a lot of them have faults, namely de-laminating windscreens, missing centre caps on alloys etc. Mostly niggly things although I wouldn't want to shell out on a new windscreen immediately after purchase. But, opinions I've read rate the drivetrain as pretty dependable.
It wasn't "last legs" as such, but I had a load of warranty claims for niggles in the 7k miles I did. I like to keep cars as mint as possible and that was £1300 to extend the warranty or running the risk. Front wheels (the original Volans) are as rare as hens teeth used, so make sure it's driving with front end wobble. It also had minor cosmetic niggles that grated me, and my R has far fewer even though it has higher miles. Then the seats bugged me and I had walnut inside which I didn't like. I now have carbon, yum Out of interest, was there anything in particular that made you feel like your SV8 was on its last legs? Looking at what's for sale right now and cosmetically a lot of them have faults, namely de-laminating windscreens, missing centre caps on alloys etc. Mostly niggly things although I wouldn't want to shell out on a new windscreen immediately after purchase. But, opinions I've read rate the drivetrain as pretty dependable.
I also have a facelifted 6 speed and no start stop for those comparing specs!
Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff