jaguar xk series 98-2000ish

daithi09

ok I'm not all that rich but thats why I love the credit union.. I want to drive something that looks good and is fun.. and a 4litre jaguar XK series seems like a good option (1998-2000).. just looking to find out the reliability and extra costs that it would be likely to cost me. and I know it'l cost a fortune on petrol also but just wondering what the MPG will be...If anyone has any other suggestions on what sort of car I could get for around 12000 it'd be much appreciated...not really into the boy racer look although power is a priority..

shabbyalonso

Hi daithi,
I can only comment on the size of the engine. I have a 4.4 litre engine and you're right, it is costly. However, it depends on how often you intend to use it. I don't do huge mileage by any means so I don't personally feel that it costs me that much to run. You will be looking at car tax of EUR1566 per year. Not sure of your circumstances but you will probably be looking at maybe EUR1000 for insurance.
Like all previously high-end expensive cars, that have depreciated quite alot, the cost of repairs do not depreciate! If you do go for such a car, you need to ensure it's a peach however this means more money for a good one. Avoid any big engined sports cars that haven't been looked after.
In truth, there shouldn't be many but hey, not everyone is a car lover!!
I do like the Jag xk series; nice looking motor but don't know much about their reliability/background. Hope that is of some use to you!!!

P.S. If you're looking for something more exotic than an XK, I'll sell you my BMW 840ci sport!!

daithi09

I would prob do bout 300 400 miles a week but I've being driving either vans(mine) or small cars(my girlfriends) nearly all the time for about six years now so I need something fun... maybe once or twice a year I'd end up driving someones V8 and have often promised myself something similar even if its just for a year or two.. thnks for the offer on your bmw (lovely car by the way) but I'm pretty much set on buying the jag... only problem i have now is selling a 05 transit for more than a tenner....that and should I go a few grand more for the supercharged....

Mr Benevolent

300-400 miles a week is gonna cost a bit. It gives about 4 miles to the litre (20mpg). Say 400 miles, that's 100 litres... gods, I don't even want to think about it :eek:

daithi09

about 116 euro a week, sure my van nearly costs that to run, attleast in a jag i wouldnt look like a traveller... although as my parents keep telling me and alot of other older wiser ppl, 'you shoud buy yourself a nice little toyota'...I know there right and I'm not looking forward to the i told ya so's... but your only young once..right?

cianclarke

True, but the jump straight up to a 4.4 litre in fuel consumption is MASSIVE.
I'm also only young, and went from 40mpg to 30mpg to 25mpg (1.6>2.0>2.5).
It'll be a serious shock to the system if you take that massive jump. There's easier ways to get oodles of power from a smaller, more effecient engine than an XK8 IMO.
Still a stunning car, but just my .50...

bookerboy

And whats wrong with travellers Dathi?I might even be interested in taking that van off your hands.Where abouts would you be living?

Vertakill

To the OP, I say... fkit. Do it. I did.

If you like cars and your sick of your current car and would like a nice fast car, you're most likely going to have to make some sacrifices. There are only a handful of fast cars (and I'm not talking about some knobs remapped Bora here either) that can deliver acceptable MPG's.

As you say, you only live once. The MPG will be worse, no doubt about it. But you'll just subconsciously spend less money on other things and slightly more on petrol.

It's not THAT big a shock to the system.
It's not like you're spending nothing on petrol now and all of a sudden your spending loads.

It's probably about 15mpg worse than what you're currently driving which, per week, isn't going to bankrupt you I imagine.

I went from a 1.8 Celica to a 3.5 350z and I didn't sh1t myself the first time I studied my MPG.
Allbeit it's probably not as significant as you're proposed change but you get the idea.


MPG aside, I'd worry more about reliability and the cost of tax and insurance.
The change in tax was the biggest killer for me, not the mpg. Anything 3.5 and upwards is around the 1.5k mark for the year and it's around 800'ish for 6 months...whereas you were probably only paying that for the whole year before.

bogmanfan

I have a '99 XK8 and I love it.
Fuel consumption varies between 15mpg for town and 30mpg for motorway. My trip computer shows 24mpg for the last 1500 miles, which included a trip down to Wexford and back. On a trip to Cork last year I got 30mpg (and not driving Miss Daisy style )
Reliability has been very good. I've had mine 18 months now. Had a mechanic give it the once over before I bought it. I've had the thermostat replaced and a pulley on the fan belt replaced. Total cost was e230.
Tax is the killer really, at 1500 for the year. Insurance for me (age 31, 3 years NCB) is 900 for the year.
HAving said that, the car has aged incredibly well and still looks amazing I think. Also, overtaking is a dream. There's just so much power and you go from 50 to 80 in the blink of an eye.
In short, find a good one and go for it.

daithi09

There is nothing at all wrong with travellers, Its just not the look I'm going for... Yeah I'm not actually selling the van for a tenner, prob around five grand, its 05....
Over the next 3/4 months I hope to buy my xk8 or xkr series.... it will be fun when it happens....

cianclarke

If what the chap above said on MPG (24) holds, scrap my original post and go for it. That's not much of a shock to the system, you'd manage...
And remember, it's not a million miles away from this:

Mr Benevolent

Meh, feck the fuel and ignore my previous post. Even if you only hold on to it for a year, go for it.

Hmmm, if I only do 200 miles a week, tax is that, insurance is that... I'd be broke and wrapped round a tree:D

Kersh

I have a 97 XK8. If you go for one from before about 02 then you need to make sure that the engine has been replaced, and the book is stamped to say so. The pre 02 engines had the Nikasil problem, that some BMWs suffered from, and you really dont want one with that problem, as the engines were done under warranty iirc.
When you ring a garage about a car, first to to do is ask has the engine been changed, if they say 'why' or 'no' then forget about it. I rang so many before I got mine.
You will get about 13-15mpg around town, and about 25-30 on the motorways. But it is a savage car. Are you buying here or in UK.

daithi09

I was looking at UK cars because I thought they'd be cheaper but its more or less the same with the vrt so I'l prob buy irish.. I've read a bit about that problem but wasnt 100% sure if was all of them or just some, so thanks for clarifying that, I'l have to keep an eye out.. I'l prob get one or two mechanics to give it a look aswell.. Am I right in saying this is the most reasonably priced sports car you can get for the money, that includes beautiful engiene, looks and elegance?

daithi09

Dont be teasing!

Kersh

They are savage cars for the money. You are welcome to come have a root around mine if you like, and see what they can offer. Just PM me if you want.

redman

just watch out for the nikasil issue (plenty info you can google on)

stratos

This is a repost of an earlier post of mine.

There are many potential problems with the xk8, Buy a good one and your in for a great car experience, buy a bad one and prepare to wave goodbye to all your money.

There is a book by Nigel Thorley "You and your Jaguar xk8" ISBN 1 84425 224 8, I recomend you buy this book before purchase, to know what to look out for. I ordered it from "motor books .co.uk"

The price for a 98 XK8 should be around 8000 Euros depending on condition and I did look at one for 6500 Euroos it was a little rough but was fine for the money.

Don't let all the problems put you off these are excellent cars for the money and really nothing drives like a Jaguar. You are right these types of car at this age are really only second car territory.

If your handy with a spanner you can service the car yourself and Spirit motor group even sell a kit complete with plastic seat cover.

Just some of the potential issues.
Nikasil engine failure.
Engine chain break.
Engine chain tensioner fail.
Water pump failure.
Gearbox failure.
suspension bushes and subframe mount failure.
Corrosion.
Crack formed in sill panel just under the door where panel weld has flexed.
Sore face from grinning everytime you see/drive/start/brush off/overtake in/rev the thing.

One thing to note the car is built on the old XJS floorpan with bracing plates welded onto it to give it strenght, corrosion sets in behind these plates and they swell with rust. It is a massive job to repair as the interior has to come out.

Don't let any of this put you off I don't think you will get a better car for the money, and while it's not a traffic light grand prix racer, it has more a sort of relentless accelleration that never seems to end and cruises effortlessly at point gaining speeds. If you are concerned by MPG it may not be a good idea, whilst 28 mpg is possible, it is a performance car and driving it hard becomes addictive at every possible chance.

People seem to think these cars are 1500+ Euros to tax but in actual fact it's only 900 Euros. You probably would drive a 2 litre car thats 600 Euros anyway. so it's only 900 Euros over that. The extra smiling will expose your teeth to air saving you a further 300 in dental fees. You will offer to be the designated driver all the time saving another 800 Euros in beer spending, can you afford not to buy one is the question.

Anyway hope this helps.
Last edited by stratos; 22-06-2009 at 16:58.

stratos

Just to add

There seems to be a few Xk8 owners here has anyone changed their own upper tensioners. I am researching doing this job and getting the cam locking tools. The cost by Jaguar is huge yet I reckon it could be diyed for about 200 Euros. Any thoughts anyone ?

unkel

stratos wrote: »

People seem to think these cars are 1500+ Euros to tax but in actual fact it's only 900 Euros.

The people seem to think right. In actual fact it's 1566 Euros

Linky

stratos

unkel wrote: »

The people seem to think right. In actual fact it's 1566 Euros

Linky

I was being trying to be funny... unsuccesfuly it would seem:rolleyes:.

unkel

stratos wrote: »

I was being trying to be funny... unsuccesfuly it would seem:rolleyes:.

To be blunt, there's nothing less funny than someone suggesting the tax is not that bad and then finding out for yourself that it actually is very bad...

BTW, I've paid the highest motor tax on several of my cars for many a year.

Mr Benevolent

...and the only way 'around' motor tax for most people is to buy, say, an A6 1.9TDI and chip it to the 2.5TDI output.

Well that's what I'd be doing anyway

galwaytt

Confab wrote: »

...and the only way 'around' motor tax for most people is to buy, say, an A6 1.9TDI and chip it to the 2.5TDI output.

Well that's what I'd be doing anyway

....which will use more juice than a 1.9 and last less/be more fragile than a 2.5 as well. The worst of both worlds, and .....false economy.

stratos

unkel wrote: »

To be blunt, there's nothing less funny than someone suggesting the tax is not that bad and then finding out for yourself that it actually is very bad...

BTW, I've paid the highest motor tax on several of my cars for many a year.

Okay I wasn't doing that Either. What I was trying to point out is that if you already drive a 2 litre car the tax on the 4 litre is only 900 or so above what you are used to paying. So as you are used to paying 600 it's only going to cost you 900 more than usual. To my mind this makes it SEEM more palatable.

I was never trying to mislead anyone into thinking it was actually less. It seems however like i might have. I actually doubt anyone would buy a 4 litre car without looking into how much the tax costs. However for the record these cars cost over 1500 Euros a year to road tax, And I do apologise if my dubious sense of humour misled anyone.

Like yourself I also pay this ridiculous tax level on my cars too, Offset by buying older cars and maintaining them myself and keeping them for aeons.

unkel

stratos wrote: »

if you already drive a 2 litre car the tax on the 4 litre is only 900 or so above what you are used to paying. So as you are used to paying 600 it's only going to cost you 900 more than usual. To my mind this makes it SEEM more palatable.

I couldn't agree more. It's just some sort of mental block most people in this country have about cars over 2l. After they have purchased a car, people rather have their money "disappear" (depreciation) than actually "paying" more of their hard earned cash for outgoings (tax), even if the former is 3 or 4 times worse than the latter

stratos

It made me smile the other day when a chap in a 2009 Nissan pointed at my Jag and said in a less than nice manner "you could save yourself a lot of money if you bought a car like mine" . He didn't believe me when I told him there was no way I could ever afford to buy or run a car like his.

Kersh

So, did you pick one up yet?