XK as the daily drive QQQQs

[Four Cofffee]

I have a Merc E320 and a Lotus Elise (S1) but have been looking for something with which I can replace the two, useable year round and about which I can feel like I do about the Lotus (after 5 years I still get that fantastic feeling when I open the garage door). The only thing which floats my boat and ticks all the boxes is the XK. I do around 15,000 miles a year mainly on longer runs on business so no major luggage issues, no kids and a non-driving wife. Company pay the usual 40p a mile for my fuel.

So...

Coupe or drop head?

XK or XKR?

Low miles or newer one with more miles?

How practical, cost effective and reliable (sorry abouut those 3, not much passion in that!)is the XK as my only car and daily drive?

How much can I expect to pay in servicing, running costs, warranty etc. on a 5 year old car? (is the warranty worth having/paying for?)
I knoiw that with the Elise some colours are harder to sell and are a bit cheaper ( e.g. Yellow, purple0 does the XK have a similar peckinmg order or is it more about the paint/leather combo?

What extras are worth seeking out?

I really can't settle with very light interiors but how would a Black or Grey interior affect future resale? I can feel the necesary 'rush' with the dark paint and black interiors.

[XKRacer]

Go as new as you can anything around 2003 is pretty sorted but dont discount the ealier cars any glitches such as nikasil and tensioners should be well sorted.

Convertible or coupe is personal choice, I go coupe everytime, the scuttle shake drives me nuts!

I have never had any real probs usual wear n tear stuff the 6 speed boxes are known for torque converter failure just make sure you get a good service history even though sometimes these are not worth the book they are stamped in.

I would allow a couple of grand a year for servicing and any other issues providing the car has been looked after well.

Rust areas, check the front footwells and rear quarters abover the bumper, front footwells have a secondary plate used during production which trap water and rot the floors out, the rear have a boot vent either side and the flimsy rubber sometimes gets stuck open and allows dirt and water in causing the panels to rot from the inside out.


Stay away from Purple/Amaranth cars and Teal interiors, desirable things are big brakes, 20" wheels, recaro interiors, memory pack and basically as many extras as possible. 2 tone interiors are also well sort after

You will always hear horror stories and good stories it is a bit of a gamble as it is buying any secondhand car. And I would not bother with warranties myself but if you are not spanner happy it might be an idea.

Good luck

Edited by XKRacer on Monday 30th August 11:45

[X100]

An xk is going to do everything you require to a point. You will loose the flexibility or the Merc and the thrill of the lotus, but replace it with refined luxury and ellegance.
In your circumstance i would opt for the newest car possible in favour of an older low miler. You would certainly benefit from the 4.2 6 speed post 2002 which have hardly any reliability issues.
I would also go for the coupe for its better security and simplicity, and it also gives better headroom and has "nearly usable" rear seats.
I would no bother with a warranty, many are worthless, with endles exclusions, your cash would be better put aside as a contingency fund.
Servicing is reasonable, a major 60k at a good indepandant is around £500.
10k services are only oil/filter check levels etc.
Colours/ interiors premiums are negligable.
Options to look for-
Cold weather pack- heated seats /front screen
powerfold mirrors
memory seats
premium stereo
Cruise is essential, and think standard on later models
I would chose xk8 over the R for simplicity again and reduced servicing. The R is certainly faster off the mark, but will never replace the experience of piloting the Lotus.
Just for your perusal-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2003-JAGUAR-XK8-COUPE-AUTO-B...
All of this are just my thoughts from being involved with these cars for the last 8 years. Hope it helps, and let's see what others think.

[SeismicGuy]

That particular one on ebay has much more mileage than I would be comfortable with. Here is something to consider though. I am in California and when I started my search for a used XK8/XKR, I quickly discovered that the offerings here in the states were much lower priced than those across the pond. I am not sure why this is the case but the difference in price for comparing similar years/mileage cars in the US were typically 1/3 to 1/2 of UK price.

Also, the cars here are typically lower mileage and also subject to much nicer weather conditions year round. So you might do well to plan a trip here to find a model or browse on the internet on places such as autotrader or ebay to go window shopping.

Doug
2005 XKR Convertible
Los Angeles, CA

[pr100]

Youth is probably more important than low mileage because a lot of parts deteriorate with age, even/especially if the car is rarely driven. I have owned various 4.2 xk/r/coupe/convertible Jags and very little has ever gone wrong with them. I had a sensor problem with one which made the engine cut out unexpectedly (dangerous) and a battery drain issue with one which was had all the latest gizmos but was rarely driven... and that's it! Extremely reliable and only the expected outlays on servicing, new tyres and rubber suspension parts.

I prefer the convertible because it has better lines imho and, when dropped, lets you hear the exhaust properly. And having had more than one coupe roof damaged by a bouncing stone on the motorway, the soft top is more resilient as well as being easier to keep clean imo. But it will cost you more to buy.

I always get my Jags serviced by a franchised dealer and it's worth agreeing/negotiating the price before you book it in. I have found servicing costs reasonable and not a great deal more than lesser lights such as Alfas and Suzukis. Around £300 for a cheap one and up to £500 for a big one.

As with all cars except some Italian marques, the easiest colours to sell are shades of grey/silver and black. Light colours, such as silver, will stay looking clean for longer than dark colours and they will also show up stone chips less than dark colours because of the colour of the undercoat/primer.

Interior colours won't matter much. Older men and some women tend to prefer light colours but they show age and dirt more.

Based on my experience (no problems), third-party warranties would be a waste of money. But others will tell you different.

[SeismicGuy]

One severe warning regarding the convertibles. I, for one, definitely wanted a convertible since I never owned one and weather here in California is certainly conducive to owning one. Moreover, in the States, the convertibles are much easier to find than the coupes. However, there are one or two characteristic problems with the convertibles, the most common one being leaking of the hydraulic lines above the windshield where the latching mechanism is. Replacement of the lines takes about 6 to 8 hours of labor and requires removal of much of the interior. So if you are looking at convertibles you should ask if the lines were every replaced or if there ever was any leaking.

Doug

[Four Cofffee]

Good advice there folks, many thanks