XK8 Running costs

[doddze]

Hi I am at the early stages of looking at the XK8 for my next car.. will probably be looking at one 5 to 6 years old.

A few questions..

Aside from petrol , insurance etc what are the servicing costs on these car like. I am guessing for a car the age I am looking at there are plenty of independent garages who will service them.. I wont be doing more than 8-10k per year.

Also.. any pros and cons of supercharged apart from extra acceleration.

Will probably look at the coupe rather than the convertible..

thanks in advance.

[mxi933]

Ive just gone from a Cerbera to an XK8 - a marked reduction in performance as you would expect but these cars still dont hang around. Lovely smooth power delivery and I must admit I considered the question 8 or R - Im certainly not disappointed.

A good inde will save a packet on servicing costs but the biggest thrill for me comes with the feel good factor. The look is just superb. Every time I get out I cant resist looking back.

Get one - you wont be disappointed.

Oh and like you I much prefer the lines of the coupe over the convertible.

Hope this helps

[robocop]

If all is going well, then basic servicing is not too bad with these cars. Every 3rd year is a biggie but the others are a lot less. Plan on an extra oil change in between the services to keep the engine really sweet.

Here is Elite's basic price list (I am sure they wont mind me reproducing it here, as it is available on their website) - Excellent independent in Derby that have looked after my XK8 for 4 years.



I get about 18-20,000mls out of my Pirelli P-Zero tyres, which for me is two years 'spirited' driving and a full set costs between £600-700 depending on who you get them from. And that is changing them on the safe side with about 3mm left ... nearly twice legal limit.

I too prefer the look of the coupe - but the added benefit is about an extra 2" in headroom over the rag-top. At 6'5" that is important to me

XKR obviously has more poke, but also has a supercharger whine which can be annoying to some (like the whine from their owners about how good it is over an 8 ), and as you can see above, slightly more expensive servicing costs.

If you go for the 8, try and get one with CATS adaptive suspension (std on the R) - it feels completely different from a basic 8.

Good hunting!

Rgds
RC

[doddze]

robocop said:

If all is going well, then basic servicing is not too bad with these cars. Every 3rd year is a biggie but the others are a lot less. Plan on an extra oil change in between the services to keep the engine really sweet.

Here is Elite's basic price list (I am sure they wont mind me reproducing it here, as it is available on their website) - Excellent independent in Derby that have looked after my XK8 for 4 years.



I get about 18-20,000mls out of my Pirelli P-Zero tyres, which for me is two years 'spirited' driving and a full set costs between £600-700 depending on who you get them from. And that is changing them on the safe side with about 3mm left ... nearly twice legal limit.

I too prefer the look of the coupe - but the added benefit is about an extra 2" in headroom over the rag-top. At 6'5" that is important to me

XKR obviously has more poke, but also has a supercharger whine which can be annoying to some (like the whine from their owners about how good it is over an 8 ), and as you can see above, slightly more expensive servicing costs.

If you go for the 8, try and get one with CATS adaptive suspension (std on the R) - it feels completely different from a basic 8.

Good hunting!

Rgds
RC

thanks for the info its really useful.. will let you know how i get on.. Out of interest has there been many reports of the problems with the supercharger as i imagine they would be expensive to fix?

Edited by doddze on Saturday 8th November 21:39

[robocop]

doddze said:

thanks for the info its really useful.. will let you know how i get on.. Out of interest has there been many reports of the problems with the supercharger as i imagine they would be expensive to fix?

Not really Doddze, its quite bullet-proof. The common weakness on the AJV8 engine (both types 8 & R) are in summary;

1. Chain tensioners - check to see that the 3rd generation steel body type have been fitted. Early types have plastic body and can crack/break up. Disaster if not caught in time.
2. Nikasil - coating applied to early engines bores <2001, which broke down with high-sulphur fuels of that era. Have a blow-by test done to check this. Score of <40 lpm is a pass for Jaguar but aim to get one below 20 to be safe. Not a problem if ok by now.
3. Thermostat and water pump. Early plastic impellers broke and thermostats can fail causing overheating - which this engine does not like.
4. Regular documented oil changes are a good insurance policy. Check for good service history.

Can't think of any other major problems - its a very good engine really. Smooth and warms up very fast - a design feature. i am sure other may mention a few other points but those are the main ones I reckon.

Rgds
RC

[Scottish Exile]

robocop said:

Not really Doddze, its quite bullet-proof.

You been bringing your work home with you again

[Jaguar steve]

Gearbox and differential oil changes are essential too. They are supposed to be sealed for life which is very short sighted IMO. Budget for up to 3 hours labour at an indy and £100 or so for oil.

[theaxe]

Great cars, having had an 8 and an R I'd have to recommend going for an R if you can the difference in performance is significant. I also found the traction control to be less intrusive (although maybe that's because my R was a later model).

Either way I recommend taking a look at this thread for details of things to look at engine-wise. The XKEC is worth joining too.

[SeismicGuy]

As a recent first time Jaguar owner (previously owned 2005 XKR), there is one item that should also be mentioned for the convertible models. It seems that leaks from the hydraulic system are rather chronic for these cars and the repairs can be expensive ($1,000 or more). Oftentimes this can be covered under warranty.

Doug

[doddze]

thanks guys... who do you use for insurance? when i had the TVR I used heritage but the car was a bit older and a second driver.. this will be my every day drive..

Just trying to get an idea of all the costs beforehand..

Edited by doddze on Sunday 9th November 20:56

[__G__]

Go for the XKR mate.

I own an XJR and I can say there's no supercharger whine at all unless you're giving it a serious tanking.I find it extremely doubtful that Jaguar would skimp on the sound insulation on the XK models.

I can't speak with regards to XKR specifics but it's a fantastic engine (AJV8) and without the supercharger it will feel somewhat flaccid due to weight of the vehicle. There really is nothing quite like the immense torque that the supercharged engine can produce and maintainance of the supercharger is neither labour intensive nor particularly expensive as the components can be easily accessed. Replacement superchargers start at £300 but failure is not common belts can be changed by a novice and are under twenty quid.

By going for a supercharged car you're also not having to worry about variable valve timing issues! Although to be fair these aren't common either. The cars are largely well built and get a bad reputation purely on the basis of early problems mentioned above which, again, you will not have to worry about.

Nikasil lined engines stopped in 2000. So you won't have to worry about that. But if you do decide to go for something older try not to worry too much about the bad rap Nikasil has gotten. It's largely undeserved but it's still always a good idea to check the compression.

Buy the supercharger. Don't do things by halves.

[SeismicGuy]

I agree with G. I was looking for something to replace my 1995 Corvette and started looking at used XK8s which were quite adequate but when I started looking at XKR there was no going back to the XK8. The louvers in the hood alone are worth the price of admission

Doug

[onlynik]

I bought an XKR in April, and love every minute of it. I makes the daily commute vearable, as it is such a lovely place to be.

Gets all the best treatment, you'll love they way it looks.

[keslake]

Hi,

i agree with the R recommendation, i went for test drives in both and settled on an xkr 400 conv,2 months later and i still grin widely