2006 Jaguar XK8 consumer reviews

I've only owned my XK8 for six months, so I cannot speak to my own long-term experience, but I researched and followed these cars for four years before buying one. It's one of those cars you buy because you want one--bad. Jaguars, at their best, appeal to your heart. That doesn't mean you have to turn off your brain, though. I can say that my car was well-designed and well-built. It feels solid and tight and built to a high standard. I've owned mostly Japanese cars--Hondas, Acuras, and a Lexus, which I still own. These are not true sports cars; they are luxury GTs. That's important to note. I had a Honda S2000 before this--totally different animal. The X100 (XK8 and XKR, 1996--2006) is a heavy car--almost two tons, so even with a V8 under the bonnet, they aren't "fast" by today's measure. (The supercharged XKR is the way to go for those looking for more of that kind of thrill.) I gave my car a 5 for performance because to me it perfectly fits the bill for what it is. It's composed, quiet, and handling is capable, not corner-carving. The steering is precise but light. It does not wander on-center. The car is gorgeous inside and out, and the interior is bordering on sumptuous. The seats are the most comfortable and supportive for long trips I've ever owned, and I've had some nice cars. Mine is a Victory Edition final-year model, with the "soft-grain" leather interior. This leather is soft and supple but it wears really well. My interior looks new and my car has 52K on it. As for reconditioning and upkeep: these cars are all 20--30 years old. They will need this and that. Buy in the best condition you can find and you'll come out ahead financially over buying one that needs work. (Unless of course you're a skilled DIY.)

I owned a 2006 XK8 before purchasing my 2010 XKR, both are convertibles. This was a beautiful vehicle, and I loved driving it on trips and nights out. The car was not turbo charged but had sufficient power on the road, and plenty of speed. The only issue I had was that the battery would tend to lose charge and this affects the performance occasionally yielding a restricted performance or stall mode message. I started using a battery maintainer and this seemed to solve the problem. Other than that, the car was a blast to drive and I recommend it if you can find one in good condition and a service record with under 60,000 miles.

I recently purchased a 2006 XK8 to replace a 2001 that caught a deer. The '01 basically survived, but sadly the cost of replacing the hood drove the insurance company to total it. IMO, this is one of the most beautiful cars produced in the last 25 years. And there is nothing being built anywhere today that looks as good. These are not loud cars for as fast as they are (electronically limited to 155 mph). With the top up, you can have a very quiet conversation with your passenger. You might have to interrupt your chat briefly while overtaking loud muscle cars that sound like they're about to explode at high speeds, but that is a mild nuisance that will be left behind in short order. Also, the driver does need to actively watch the speedometer because of this. These cars are so quiet and poised it is difficult to tell the difference between 70mph and 100mph by looking out the window, especially if there is no other traffic. There are mechanical issues, especially with the older models. Most of the significant ones (timing chain tensioners and cylinder sleeves) should have been taken care of by now. And these were mostly already corrected in the post 2000 models. All 20 year old vechicles are going to have faults, but these are very solid vehicles, and with reasonable maintenance, they are very reliable.

Fantastic car for those summer outdoor outings with the convertible top down and the wind blowing through your hair.

Best looking convertible on the road. Well, maybe the Rolls comes close. New Jag styling is not as sleek and resembles other high end convertibles.

Taking this car out on the road for the first time, I was a little apprehensive about the lowness of the vehicle compared to the sedans I used to drive. But the car helds its own as it jostled amongst the SUV's and higher vehicles. Only when driving other sports cars did I realise that the XK is not that particluarly low. The car was a joy to drive and easily managed to transfer the power to the two rear wheels. There always seemed to be accelertion on tap available to nip in and out of traffic. Took the XK out on an open road and was doing 240 km/h (137 mph) without the pedal hitting the metal, but my sensibilities to realise that the laws of physics can be unforgiving slowed me down. And the handling of the car is second to none, since whilst the car held the road with no complaint, I was being thrown inside the cockpit due to my own foolhardy manouevers (got the bruises to prove it!). The boot is also large enough to accomodate a couple of golf bags (the criteria for Jaguar) but to me that meant that I could put my luggage and a small holdall when driving to the airport. The down sides for me are the fact that this car did not come with the manual option but relied only on automatic transmission. All very well for the amount of power available, but the gear changes seemed a little on the lagged side in my opinion. The biggest complaints are the brakes and cockpit size. The brakes were soft at best for this kind of car. I would have liked to have seen a more positive braking capability, like on the Nissan Maxima, on this kind of car. The cockpit size for people above 6 feet in height can also be a little problematic, especially with the convertible, whose top is a couple of inches shorter in height. Finally the wheels. At about USD 250 each for the cool 19" low profile tyres and with a lifespan of no more than 15,000 miles, they are an expensive item. All in all, a car with curves to take your breath away, the power to match and ignoring the little maintenance issues, a great car to buy. My only reservation is to buy new since the quality may not hold up with a used Jaguar with multile previous owners. She is a one owner gal.