Considering nearly new Jag XKR - advice needed

[EdJ]

Hi guys - I'm considering a nearly new Jag XKR. Can those of you who have one give me some pointers as to what to look out for, what options are considered essential, how well these cars are selling (ie how close to sticker price are they going for?) - I will be going to a main dealer.

Any thoughts, help, appreciated!

Cheers

Ed

[Triple7]

Hi Ed.

I assume you mean the new aluminium XKR.

I was unsure about new or used. I wanted to get the exact spec I was after, but I didn't think the premium of driving out the dealership was really going to be worth it. (Although I have enjoyed this experience before!

In the end my mind was made up for me. While I was working out a deal on a new car, but with compromised spec. (my budget was £70k) and I was offered a dealer demo., with the exact spec and colour combo I really wanted. This car would have been £75k if ordered new.

So I took the car and haven't looked back.

So what to buy? Well don't buy any XKR that is older than a '56 plate. XKR's on '06's are pre-production/press cars. There are some around at much lower prices. The new XKR was launched in Nov '06. The first batch of cars (mine is one of these) all came pre-specced and quite well equipped.

Must haves for me are:

Luxury Sport Interior in Ivory (£3250 extra!!!!) (Far nicer than standard leather, plus the dash is leather and the adjustable seats are way more adjustable!)
20 inch Alloys
Premium Jag Sound System

Plus I wanted:

Heated front screen
Adaptive lights. (Not really worth it, but I like them)
Ali weave trim.

Keyless entry is nice, but not a deal breaker nor is adaptive criuse control, front parking sensors, TPMS.

In Sept '07 came the 2008MY. Jag increased the price by £5k, but included some of the options as standard (e.g. 20 inch alloys, premium sound etc.) They also changed the interior slightly, IMHO to it's detriment. They changed the head liner and added piano black to some areas (why?) and changed some plastic trim. So is it better to have an '08MY?? Not necessarily, if you buy a 2007MY, make sure you have the spec that is now standard on the 2008MY.

Prices, well I could get about £5k off a new one back in Aug '06. Minus the VAT, £10k, a new car as soon as you drive out of the dealers will be £15k less than list price. Prices are trading slightly lower than book, so I reckon you could buy a car like mine for mid £50k's. Cheaper if less spec/bad colour/mileage. in the end, the dealer is going to sell you a car at what they think you are prepared to pay and how much they need to make from it.

Nothing to look for on them. Happy shopping. Go to a Stratstone Jag Dealer. Yes, sometimes they get bad stick, but I have never had an issue I used Stratstone of Mayfair.) Reason I say use them, is that they have the largest network, hence more choice and more bargins. There are a lot of XK8's around, they aren't really good value, because the extra money paid for the XKR over an XK is worth far more when it comes to sell.

All the best.

Edited by Triple7 on Tuesday 5th February 15:42

[steelej]

The new XKR is awesome and you will love it, the must have options for me were:-

20" Wheels
Front parking sensors(it's a long car)
Premium audio (sounds great if you have the DSP settings correct, lol, sorry Kryten)
and Lux interior (it really is much nicer than the standard one)

But I also went for
heated front screen
keyless entry
Intelligent lights
garage door opener

Infact the only options I didn't take were Tyre Pressure monitor and adaptive cruise.

Let us know how you get on, Have you seen any you like so far? if so what prices and spec?

John.

[EdJ]

Thanks for the quick and informative replies!

Yes I do mean the new aluminium XKR. I would love to get a new one, but I'm too worried about residuals. I've been looking on the Jaguar website and saw a few interesting cars for between £55k and £60k but it's very interesting to get the low down on spec.

From my research so far, I'm keen on the adaptive cruise (what does adaptive mean? all I really need it cruise to stop me speeding in roadworks), the B&W sound package, the garage door opener and based on your comments, the lux trim! I'd ideally want ipod connection and bluetooth - are these standard?

Thanks again for the replies - really appreciated.

Ed

[Triple7]

EdJ said:

Yes I do mean the new aluminium XKR. I would love to get a new one, but I'm too worried about residuals. I've been looking on the Jaguar website and saw a few interesting cars for between £55k and £60k but it's very interesting to get the low down on spec.

From my research so far, I'm keen on the adaptive cruise (what does adaptive mean? all I really need it cruise to stop me speeding in roadworks), the B&W sound package, the garage door opener and based on your comments, the lux trim! I'd ideally want ipod connection and bluetooth - are these standard?

Residuals. Buy a 1 year old plus car, for £55/60k and get all the spec! I looked at a PCP's and (in order to see residuals) and saw a 2 year old car will be around £45k trade and £35k after 3 years. 50% over 3 years, pretty standard for expensive machinery.

The car comes with Bluetooth as standard, check the Jaguar website for mobile phone compatibility. Cruise control and active speed limiter are standard fit. The 'adaptive' cruise option has a radar in the nose and will automatically brake/accelerate the car, to maintain a set gap between you and the car in front. I've had it on my past 2 XKR's and loved it, most are wary as they don't trust it, so is not a popular option and maybe hard to find.

B&W sound system is a la carte order only and I would imagine be very hard to find on the used market for a while.. It is however standard on the XKR Portfolio Limited edition, as are most of the really good options. Maybe worth a hunt, they retailed at £76k so you may still find some around, although only 60 or 80 were made. The B&W sound system is for 2008MY cars onwards. The ipod/USB connection kit is now available as a dealer fit option.

Anymore q's just ask.

[kryten22uk]

My choices were same as above too. You may have noticed by looking on the web or in the brochures, that the XKR comes incredibly well spec'd as standard. So even the "low" spec cars are high spec by any other brand comparison. You wont find anything like it on a BMW or Porker etc.

I think lux leather is a must. It really finishes the cabin off nicely. The cheaper new XKRs on autotrader etc dont seem to have had it spec'd though. Not any i've seen anyway.

I've got a garage opener too, but she keeps nattering on about Strictly Come Dancing, so I rarely take her in the car with me.

Get black and ivory!

[steelej]

No it needs to be black/black

John.

[Triple7]

Black and Ivory. Sorry John 2:1!

[steelej]

DOH! outnumbered

Black/Ivory is obviously too common

John.

[lowdrag]

I was at the press launch of the car in Stellenbosch and was mightily impressed with the integrity and strength of the car when seen in the white. Enormous chassis strength. We drove all types (the XKR wasn't out then of course) and really I question if the XKR is really necessary givent the difference between the old and new model XK. Just a personal opinion of course. Anyway, don't buy this one!

[kryten22uk]

lowdrag said:

I question if the XKR is really necessary givent the difference between the old and new model XK. Just a personal opinion of course.

You need to give the R a drive. You'll soon change your mind.

[steelej]

Totally agree, I had an XK for a few days just before the R came out and it's a totally different animal, the XK is fanastic but my only criticism of it was that it needed a bit more power, then along came the R, job done!

John.

[Beemer-5]

Great car, just the hideous depreciation lets it down.
Circa £250 per week, every week, in the first 3 years.

[Triple7]

Most of that hit is the first 12mnths, due to the £10k VAT.

Would cost you a lot more to rent it per week.

G

[a8hex]

Triple7 said:

Most of that hit is the first 12mnths, due to the £10k VAT.

Would cost you a lot more to rent it per week.

G

There isn't any VAT on cars. I know Gordon and his pals call it VAT but it aint. If I bought a diamond encrusted solid gold desk for my office () I could claim back the VAT, that what the Value Added bit means. If I buy a car from my business, no matter how much value it adds, I can't. So it aint VAT. It's sting the bloody motorists with a special car tax kinda of tax. Still I guess we should be glad that there isn't a special car tax at a specially high rate on top of which they also charge VAT.

[sliced bread]

[quote=a8hex Still I guess we should be glad that there isn't a special car tax at a specially high rate on top of which they also charge VAT.
[/quote]

Give it time, give it time.

[kryten22uk]

Beemer-5 said:

Great car, just the hideous depreciation lets it down.
Circa £250 per week, every week, in the first 3 years.

Given your forum name, i'm assuming you've been party to some hideous depreciation or two. Big Beemers are the pro's at that. Try investing in an M6 (with a decent spec); then you'll know depreciation.

I dont look at it as depreciation. I just know that it costs me £x per month to own the car I want, and thats that.

[kryten22uk]

Triple7 said:

Minus the VAT, £10k, a new car as soon as you drive out of the dealers will be £15k less than list price.

I don’t agree technically with this statement. The VAT is irrelevant to a purchaser; what is relevant is what the actual cost to them is. The difference between the price of a new car and the price of a secondhand car is the discount that the purchaser requires in order to accept a 2ndhand car. The more desireable the car the lower the premium. In many cases, you can sell a 2nd hand for a lot less of a discount than the amount of VAT.

The only way that VAT should matter is when it can be reclaimed (ie you take the car out of the country immediately), and therefore a purchaser would require a discount on a 2ndhand at least as great as the VAT otherwise he may aswell have bought new.

When you come to part-ex a car back to a dealer, they always feed you bull about the VAT in order to beat the price down. But you can be damn sure that when they're selling a nearly new car, they don’t start with the pre-VAT value and take a discount from that value.

[Triple7]

OK, you win!

I agree with buy the car you, want provided you can afford it. That's what money is for. Don't leave it to the kids!!!!!

G

[Beemer-5]

kryten22uk said:

Beemer-5 said:

Great car, just the hideous depreciation lets it down.
Circa £250 per week, every week, in the first 3 years.

Given your forum name, i'm assuming you've been party to some hideous depreciation or two. Big Beemers are the pro's at that. Try investing in an M6 (with a decent spec); then you'll know depreciation.

I dont look at it as depreciation. I just know that it costs me £x per month to own the car I want, and thats that.

I tend to buy either 3 years old or else 1 year old as a general rule, to avoid the worst of the depreciation.

But whichever way you wrap it up, or look at it, a car costing £65K, that is worth maybe £30K 3 years later, has cost you around £250 per week, every single week, which is horrific. That's without all the running costs or what the money would have made in the bank instead.

People often underestimate depreciation, wrongly concentrating on fuel going up 5 p a litre, which is the least of your worries!