JAGUAR XK reviews

I retired 3 years ago and was certainly not going to be one of the ‘buy a Ford Fiesta then die’ brigade, so I bought a 2007 Jaguar XK with 70k miles on the clock. It was (is) immaculate and in my opinion, the best colour: Radiance red with beige and grey upholstery and walnut trim. Despite the large wheels and low profile tyres, it rides very well although on most surfaces but there is too much road noise, although the lovely V8 engine drowns this out when accelerating hard. Performance is very good and I’ve never got less than 25mpg which for a heavy-ish car with a 4.2 litre engine is not bad. A couple of very poor features are having to use a touch screen to alter heating controls etc. which is both awkward and in my opinion dangerous and inexplicably, there is no engine temperature gauge. Now the really bad part. Electronic reliability is shocking! There is always some message or other on the dash panel reporting the latest catastrophe from ‘key not recognised’ or ‘engine fault’ or ‘check pedestrian system’ (I don’t even know what this is) and it gives you no confidence that you will ever finish a journey, made worse by having to charge the battery every couple of weeks if the car is not used. There have been some other issues like body corrosion which is unbelievable on a modern car and the ac failed which cost £800 to fix. So overall, a nice looking well performing car let down by poor design and/build quality and as such, difficult to recommend.

Looks fantastic, sounds fantastic, goes like hell!

expensive but fun supercar

My 2008 XKR has been a problem since I bought it 4 months ago from Stratstone. A series of minor problems and faults followed by a major engine failure and complete engine replacement. The warranty covered most of the cost but Stratstone have been rubbish. The car is great to drive and very comfortable and I haven't seen any other reports of engine failures or other stories about unreliable XK's maybe mine is just a lemon. My advice is make sure you get a good warranty with the car and don't buy it from Stratstone.

very enjoyable grand touring car with very good looks and performance although not very good miles per gallon. Understand that depreciation is high so overall cost per mile is very high.

Have owned my 1999 Jaguar for ten years. Other than annual main dealer servicing, I have only recently had a repair bill - differential oil seal and cv joints. Not bad for a fourteen year old car! It still drives and looks like new! Although I have to admit my Xkr has only covered 30k miles.

Electronics and Software unreliable. Dealer servicing overpriced. Bodywork bubbling. Would not buy again

I always wanted a convertible, and I always fancied a car that really accelerates. The Jaguar XKR fills both of these roles admirably. It is the first car I have had in which you can feel the acceleration push you back in your seat! It isn't the only car I have of course, but it is quite practicable to use. The boot is a good size for touring and is not compromised by lowering the hood. I have occasionally used it to take rubbish to the tip (and got some funny looks), and I also carried a ladder in it - an advantage of not having a roof! I've even carried passengers in the back, properly seated, although not very far as you have to put the front seats a long way forward to do it. Another 6 inches length inside would have been good! Around 23 mpg on short runs is a bit expensive on petrol - sometimes when I fill up I am thinking "how much more is it going to take?" I try to remind myself how that used to be normal for any car - my Dad's Hillman Avenger 1300 only did about 26 mpg! Whatever the colour the looks are to die for - it would be worth buying a non-runner just to decorate the driveway! People look wherever we go. They're probably disappointed to see that we aren't movie or rock stars. I reckon that if the old XJS can be a classic - which some of them are now - then the XK should follow on. It looks as good as an E-Type, which would cost a fortune. And unlike Mercedes and BMW convertibles, there aren't too many of them - I haven't seen another one in our village of 3000 people.

A very comfortable and beautiful tourer with loads of leather, burr walnut, proper dials and with plenty of performance. Although average 23.5mpg mpg may not be economical for high mileage drivers, it is capable of upto 30mpg on a long journey at motorway speeds and the low used purchase price (when compared with the new price) means exceptional value for money. If you enjoy driving, don't mind an auto box and do modest annual mileage, then I would have no hesitation in recommending this soon-to-be classic British luxury touring coupe.

The most reliable and cheap to service car I have ever owned. A very pleasant surprise for such an expensive and high performance car. Considering the performance, fuel consumption is pretty good although the fuel tank is annoyingly small for a car than is otherwise a perfect Grant Tourer. Very comfortable, but still great handling and instils a lot of confidence in its inherent safety. I will definitely buy another - the 5.0l XKR is reputed to be even better.

The car is very stylish, supremely comfortable and sufficiently practical for everyday use. Despite the soft-top the inside of the car is quiet and well-insulated. With the top down, the road noise can be excessive above 60mph although the detachable wind-deflector makes big difference. The hood does not intrude into the boot space. Rear seats are unfit for even small children or the shortest journey. The performance is more than adequate although the exhaust note is very muted except under hard acceleration. Grip is very good, you'd have to push very hard to go beyond its capabilities. The car is not frugal but 28 mpg is not unreasonable. Service costs at a specialist garage rather than dealership are fair. If you shop around for insurance, you should get well-priced cover.

Simple the best GT on the market without equal. Other than thirst,which are actually good for this level of car, the rest of the running costs are very good.

Overall an excellent car: good performance, comfortable and enjoyable to drive

A great car to drive, very refined, delivers it's power smoothly and the V8 growls convincingly producing a fantastic exhaust sound I could listen to all day. A very good looking car and certainly catches the eye of passers by. Running costs are a little high but small price to pay for the joy I get from the car. One criticism would be the rear seats which really serve no purpose at all. Jaguar could have made better use of the space.

The XKR is a beautiful looking car and easy and a delight to drive. Although I have not given it 5 stars for running costs and space, I didn't anticipate a five star rating when I bought the car; in other words it is as I expected. The car, bought used, was very reliable for a number of years and the maintenance costs very low indeed; in fact, much better than was anticipated. In recent times various components have started to fail and the car has become more expensive to repair, although not unduly so. However the main problem has been with certain electronic components which, unlike the more traditional mechanical components, garages find difficult to diagnose and treat any faults that develop.

Burr walnut, Conelly leather and graceful lines oozes quality and style. Fitted with 20inch Daytona wheels which look superb and are very easy to clean. Comfort, performance and reliability exceptional for the price that a good '99 example can be bought for. A true grand tourer. Main downside is mpg - averages 23mpg - although I obtain 27-30mpg on long runs if driven sensibly. Also, rear seats only usable by young children. Boot is nevertheless adequate for luggage of two adults. Overall, an absolute joy of aesthetics and driving experience - though would not suit all as only available with (very smooth) auto box.

We run three cars, a Range Rover and two Jaguars. I try to buy everything possible made in Britain. The Jaguar XKR was bought as a three year old (we always buy at this age ) and has been totally reliable now reading 62000 approx. The tyres are expensive but we drive with consideration of this fact. We knew this would be quite expensive to run but the cost is well outweighed by the great pleasure the car gives. We have the roof down in winter with the heated seats and the car heater set high !. I take advantage of the amazing performance to stay on the wrong side of the road for as shorter time as possible as I consider overtaking to be one of the most dangerous aspects of present day motoring. As I have been driving for fifty years I have passed through many changes in reliability etc. I consider this Jaguar to be the finest car I have ever owned. ( We have had XJ saloons of different models for the past 30 years too ) We consider ourselves fortunate to have been able to run such lovely British cars.

I love everything about this car from its power to its docility in traffic

Following a major life change, I decided to purchase this special car. The number available in Northern Ireland was limited so I ended up buying it through Auto Trader from Blackpool. Still, that gave me a nice first drive up through England and Scotland to the ferry. Nobody buys a sports coupe for fuel efficiency - I am managing to get around the published combined figure of 24mpg. Tyres and other major parts are quite expensive and surprisingly some of the best prices are direct from a Jaguar dealer for some parts. Performance wise, the power is there when needed and gives a surge of adrenalin every time the right foot goes down. Reliability wise, since I bought it nearly 3 years ago, I have replaced the rear shocks and all four tyres. The biggest issue has been a lack of compression which ended up being fixed with a new mass air flow sensor (cheapest source being the local Jag dealer). I now use higher grade fuel and run cat-a-clean through it every 3 months. All in all, I love having a head turning car.

One of the most reliable and cheapest to service cars I have ever owned. Remarkable considering the performance The V8 is naturally relaxed and effortless performance but the supercharger is always there when you want it. A perfect match with the Auto box. I very rarely feel the need to use the paddle shift or sports setting. I have owned many very fast cars, but this combines brilliant performance with comfort, style and the highest level of safety - it inspires confidence.