XKR (old model) - car seats and head room...
Discussion
(Reposted as like a loon I somehow dumped it in the LR section!)
Chaps, thankyou for your thoughts in my previous thread about XJRs. Thankfully wifey is finally waking up to the fact that for not dissimilar money we could drop into an XKR which would hack motorways just as well, and be a little bit more fun to boot. So a couple of questions if you don't mind....
We had an 1999 XK8 Cabrio a few years ago - beautiful car, lovely if a little underpowered engine, beautiful interior. However, there was the problem that at 6'2" and wife at 5'10" we could never quite get comfortable in the seats, and found the headroom a little lacking - fine with the roof down (obviously!) but long journeys gave us both neck ache.
So the question is, if we went for the same sort of age XKR coupe (IE the original seat design) would we have the same issues, or is there more headroom in the coupe? Also, the car would occasionally need to take one, or possibly two children - so we would need to put in our Britax Renaissance car seats - now slapping one in the front is easy, but again the question is could we fit one in the back... by moving the passenger seat forwards a tad I suspect we could get the length, but given the sloping roof I would question whether there is enough height for 3 yr old in seat... Finally, when did the new-shape seats first appear and are they better in terms of comfort / seat height?
Any thoughts would be appreciated, whether on the above issues or anything else I should look out for / consider above and beyond the excellent XJR/XKR buying thread?
Many thanks.
Chaps, thankyou for your thoughts in my previous thread about XJRs. Thankfully wifey is finally waking up to the fact that for not dissimilar money we could drop into an XKR which would hack motorways just as well, and be a little bit more fun to boot. So a couple of questions if you don't mind....
We had an 1999 XK8 Cabrio a few years ago - beautiful car, lovely if a little underpowered engine, beautiful interior. However, there was the problem that at 6'2" and wife at 5'10" we could never quite get comfortable in the seats, and found the headroom a little lacking - fine with the roof down (obviously!) but long journeys gave us both neck ache.
So the question is, if we went for the same sort of age XKR coupe (IE the original seat design) would we have the same issues, or is there more headroom in the coupe? Also, the car would occasionally need to take one, or possibly two children - so we would need to put in our Britax Renaissance car seats - now slapping one in the front is easy, but again the question is could we fit one in the back... by moving the passenger seat forwards a tad I suspect we could get the length, but given the sloping roof I would question whether there is enough height for 3 yr old in seat... Finally, when did the new-shape seats first appear and are they better in terms of comfort / seat height?
Any thoughts would be appreciated, whether on the above issues or anything else I should look out for / consider above and beyond the excellent XJR/XKR buying thread?
Many thanks.
RedLeicester said:
So the question is, if we went for the same sort of age XKR coupe (IE the original seat design) would we have the same issues, or is there more headroom in the coupe? Also, the car would occasionally need to take one, or possibly two children - so we would need to put in our Britax Renaissance car seats - now slapping one in the front is easy, but again the question is could we fit one in the back... by moving the passenger seat forwards a tad I suspect we could get the length, but given the sloping roof I would question whether there is enough height for 3 yr old in seat... Finally, when did the new-shape seats first appear and are they better in terms of comfort / seat height?
Coupe more headroom than convertible, for sure.If you are both tall, forget anything getting in the back as well. But there would be room for a 3 year old re: height to fit in the back.
New seats arrived for 2001MY. they are a lot deeper, so you would get less head room than the older 'Recaro' seats.
TBH, the XJR would be a far better bet if you intend to have the kiddies in the back. The XKR is a strictly 2 seater, with the ability to get a couple of small/adults kids for short hops.
HTH.
G
Triple7 said:
TBH, the XJR would be a far better bet if you intend to have the kiddies in the back. The XKR is a strictly 2 seater, with the ability to get a couple of small/adults kids for short hops.
HTH.
G
With the previous shape XKR you would have problems getting kids in the back because of the stupid new child seat law (yes it is stupid I have a letter from Stephen Ladyman, the minister, saying I can carry the kids in the back of my XK150 if I have the seat belts removed, but I must not carry them with seat belts - go figure). The rear seats in neither the previous shape nor new shape XKs are type approved as children's seats. Therefore any child under 135cm (IIRC) must be carried in a type approved child seat. FIA approval doesn't count. When I looked at getting a child seat into the back of an older XK, I could not get one in, in some other cases I couldn't get one in unless the front seat was actually touching the windscreen, which negates the front seat. I suspect that once the child reaches the legal minimum height they could only sit in the back sideways. So it really a 2+1 for short trips.HTH.
G
With the new shaped XK convertible there is/was a Jaguar recommended seat. It was possible to get the kids in with this, but the base of the seat was deeper than the seat squab, so the whole arrangement wasn't very stable. A better solution would be to have a mechanism that effectively lowers the top point of the rear seat belt, so it sits correctly across the child. This has the advantage of lowering the child's centre of gravity, how the bloody EU think you can improve child safety by balancing the kids on top of a tower I don't know. Anyway, lowering the effective anchor point height is not type approved and so is illegal in the EU.
OK rant over
I go and have a cold bath and try and cool down again.
Can we have a rant in a corner together.... don't start me on all this bananas legislation....
Righty, so we seem to have landed on the idea that kiddes just won't go in the back of the XK until they're capable of sitting with a proper belt on (sorry ossifer, the seat won't fit, so sue me etc). How hum, at least I can get one in front....
Righty, so we seem to have landed on the idea that kiddes just won't go in the back of the XK until they're capable of sitting with a proper belt on (sorry ossifer, the seat won't fit, so sue me etc). How hum, at least I can get one in front....
Triple7 said:
RedLeicester said:
How hum, at least I can get one in front....
I think you may need to get that confirmed as well. Maybe an issue here too, can't remember what the handbook says about kiddie seats.I know some of the safety people aren't to sure about air bags and anyone significantly below average height.
Not a problem with my XK, air bags weren't a common feature of cars in 1958 :-)
The wife on a guy I used to work with always reckoned the best car for a mum with small kids was a Lambo... Just strap the kiddie seats to the spoiler and then you won't have to listen to them.
a8hex said:
Triple7 said:
RedLeicester said:
How hum, at least I can get one in front....
I think you may need to get that confirmed as well. Maybe an issue here too, can't remember what the handbook says about kiddie seats.I know some of the safety people aren't to sure about air bags and anyone significantly below average height.
Not a problem with my XK, air bags weren't a common feature of cars in 1958 :-)
The wife on a guy I used to work with always reckoned the best car for a mum with small kids was a Lambo... Just strap the kiddie seats to the spoiler and then you won't have to listen to them.
Could someone possibly check their handbook and see if there's any info on kiddies in the front? Seat would be forward facing...
Taken from the handbook for a 98.75 XKR
DO NOT install a rearward facing child seat in the front passenger side. This is also shown on the label on the end of the facia. You can fit a forward facing seat with the seat in the rearmost position. Did they fit an airbag switch on later models ?
DO NOT install a rearward facing child seat in the front passenger side. This is also shown on the label on the end of the facia. You can fit a forward facing seat with the seat in the rearmost position. Did they fit an airbag switch on later models ?
P700DEE said:
Taken from the handbook for a 98.75 XKR
DO NOT install a rearward facing child seat in the front passenger side. This is also shown on the label on the end of the facia. You can fit a forward facing seat with the seat in the rearmost position. Did they fit an airbag switch on later models ?
Cheers for that, appreciate it. Thankfully both kids are old enough to be in forward facing, so it looks like it might be doable... As was said earlier, I think an XJR would be wiser, but that would depend on wifey getting over the whole pipe and slippers thing - worryingly she thinks it would suit me, just she refuses to use it for her!DO NOT install a rearward facing child seat in the front passenger side. This is also shown on the label on the end of the facia. You can fit a forward facing seat with the seat in the rearmost position. Did they fit an airbag switch on later models ?
RedLeicester said:
P700DEE said:
Taken from the handbook for a 98.75 XKR
DO NOT install a rearward facing child seat in the front passenger side. This is also shown on the label on the end of the facia. You can fit a forward facing seat with the seat in the rearmost position. Did they fit an airbag switch on later models ?
Cheers for that, appreciate it. Thankfully both kids are old enough to be in forward facing, so it looks like it might be doable... As was said earlier, I think an XJR would be wiser, but that would depend on wifey getting over the whole pipe and slippers thing - worryingly she thinks it would suit me, just she refuses to use it for her!DO NOT install a rearward facing child seat in the front passenger side. This is also shown on the label on the end of the facia. You can fit a forward facing seat with the seat in the rearmost position. Did they fit an airbag switch on later models ?
RedLeicester said:
Nah, car is merely a motorway hack to get us to and from meetings - "my" car is a TVR 
In that case the XJR probably makes a lot more sense. The practicality parameters of the XK and TVR would be too close (IMHO), there are occasions where a four seater is useful, particularly if you're encumbered with kids.a8hex said:
RedLeicester said:
Nah, car is merely a motorway hack to get us to and from meetings - "my" car is a TVR
In that case the XJR probably makes a lot more sense. The practicality parameters of the XK and TVR would be too close (IMHO), there are occasions where a four seater is useful, particularly if you're encumbered with kids.Motorway Hack - Saab 9-5 Aero (to be replaced with Jag of some sort)
Family school hack / holiday / practical wagon - Range Rover
Daddy's Fun Car - TVR
I would see the XKR as far more of a grand tourer than the Tiv, and certainly wouldn't be thrashing it to within an inch of its life when out on a track - that's what the Tiv is for. So the thought is merely to "upgrade" the hack to something rather nicer so wifey feels she has a "fun" car, and I don't miss too much of the Tiv fun when I am resigned to taking an auto barge!
Well that certainly complicates things somewhat, but then what a nice position to be in. The choice boils down to toy,toy,truck or toy,car,truck. Hmm difficult one.
Can't really help there.
I'd try taking the kids down to the showroom and seeing what happens when you try and shoe horn them into the XK, it might limit the choice. You're both tall and if your kids are like mine, they'll object when you suggest that they've got to have the legs chopped off so that you can have a new toy. Kids can be some damn unreasonable about these things.
The other thing to say, given your height, you might need to find an XJR without the sun roof, it steals 3 to 4 inches of headroom. I'm 6', but longish in the back, I had to choose an X300 without a sun roof. The new ali X350s have loads of space, but the X300/X308s are lower than many out and out sports cars.
Good luck sorting out your little problem. They're both great cars.
Can't really help there.
I'd try taking the kids down to the showroom and seeing what happens when you try and shoe horn them into the XK, it might limit the choice. You're both tall and if your kids are like mine, they'll object when you suggest that they've got to have the legs chopped off so that you can have a new toy. Kids can be some damn unreasonable about these things.
The other thing to say, given your height, you might need to find an XJR without the sun roof, it steals 3 to 4 inches of headroom. I'm 6', but longish in the back, I had to choose an X300 without a sun roof. The new ali X350s have loads of space, but the X300/X308s are lower than many out and out sports cars.
Good luck sorting out your little problem. They're both great cars.
Aye tis a nice position to be in. Appreciate all the help and advice Ken. Will hunt around and see if any dealers have the old shapes in - seems they don't like much other than the newer models. A pal of mine has a new shape XJR which is lovely, but not sure I want to go blowing that sort of money on a simple hack... bah, choices choices choices!
RedLeicester said:
Aye tis a nice position to be in. Appreciate all the help and advice Ken. Will hunt around and see if any dealers have the old shapes in - seems they don't like much other than the newer models. A pal of mine has a new shape XJR which is lovely, but not sure I want to go blowing that sort of money on a simple hack... bah, choices choices choices!
An old shape XJ (X300/X308) will be too old for a main dealer. You'll probably be looking at an independent Jag specialist. But hey they look better.Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff