Is the 4.2 worth it over the 4.0?
Discussion
Not necessarily. Nikasil blocks should outlast steel 
the 6 speed on the R is not better than the five speed according to some who have had both. If you get a pre March 2001 car then you still pay £185 tax instead of £400. The 4.2 is more powerful and more economic. If you want an XK then the 4.2 is probably a better buy than the 4.0 but I would not use that as my sole purchasing decision.
the 6 speed on the R is not better than the five speed according to some who have had both. If you get a pre March 2001 car then you still pay £185 tax instead of £400. The 4.2 is more powerful and more economic. If you want an XK then the 4.2 is probably a better buy than the 4.0 but I would not use that as my sole purchasing decision.bigdavy said:
Yes because the nikasil issue doesn't affect the 4.2.
I also believe the tensioner issue hasn't raised its head in the 4.2's either, but i'm happy to be corrected on that one.
IIRC the metal bodied tensioner was fitted at the same time as the 4.2 engine was introduced, and was only available as a retro fit upgrade on earlier 3.2s and 4.0s some time later - possibily 2005?I also believe the tensioner issue hasn't raised its head in the 4.2's either, but i'm happy to be corrected on that one.
There were a small number of substantially pissed - off peeps who had already forked out for a whole chain and mk 2 tensioner upgrade on early cars, only to be told sometime later that the mk 2 tensioners had started failing too and they needed to have them removed and the metal bodied ones fitted.
P700DEE said:
Not necessarily. Nikasil blocks should outlast steel the 6 speed on the R is not better than the five speed according to some who have had both. If you get a pre March 2001 car then you still pay £185 tax instead of £400. The 4.2 is more powerful and more economic. If you want an XK then the 4.2 is probably a better buy than the 4.0 but I would not use that as my sole purchasing decision.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_172916 the 6 speed on the R is not better than the five speed according to some who have had both. If you get a pre March 2001 car then you still pay £185 tax instead of £400. The 4.2 is more powerful and more economic. If you want an XK then the 4.2 is probably a better buy than the 4.0 but I would not use that as my sole purchasing decision.It is now 1st MArch 2006...which means to have the new shape Jag you would have to pay GB £400...unless you get one of those journalist ones.
At the risk of sounding like a boy racer; you can easily squeeze an extra 30bhp out of the 4.0 XJR. Just ask NormanD he's on about a million-billion horsepower on a standard gearbox.
I would love the 4.2, it's quite clearly a step forward but that's not what I want, I like the fact my engine is nikasil, my panels are steel, my switchgear is looking increasingly archaic and if I put a private plate on it I can play "guess the decade of production"...
I would argue the X308 XJR is/will be a classic but I reckon reliablity issues have lost a lot of fans. Not me though. Not yet at least!
And in terms of MPG... Come on... there's about £8000 difference in cost between lower ends of both models and the road tax has already been covered. You're not really going to save money. You're just going to put it in the coffers in a more long winded way.
If my engine pops I'm going to try squeezing a 4.2 in there though..
I would love the 4.2, it's quite clearly a step forward but that's not what I want, I like the fact my engine is nikasil, my panels are steel, my switchgear is looking increasingly archaic and if I put a private plate on it I can play "guess the decade of production"...
I would argue the X308 XJR is/will be a classic but I reckon reliablity issues have lost a lot of fans. Not me though. Not yet at least!
And in terms of MPG... Come on... there's about £8000 difference in cost between lower ends of both models and the road tax has already been covered. You're not really going to save money. You're just going to put it in the coffers in a more long winded way.
If my engine pops I'm going to try squeezing a 4.2 in there though..
G_T said:
At the risk of sounding like a boy racer; you can easily squeeze an extra 30bhp out of the 4.0 XJR. Just ask NormanD he's on about a million-billion horsepower on a standard gearbox.
In the case of the "Million Billion" BHP crowd, the 5 speed box might be better. MB continued to use that box for high torque apps even after they'd brought out newer more gear ones. The SLR uses the 5 speed box. Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff