Back in late 80`s Ford started to buy up popular European brands like Jaguar and Volvo and this was thought to be a good move for these European automotive companies because of the deep pockets Ford would use to fix their problems. Jaguar used cars like there XK8 model was introduced back in 1997 and there XKR model was introduced back in 2000. Both vehicles would now become more reliable due to the fact that Ford would now lend its hand in helping to fix some of Jaguars mechanical problems it’s had for years.
Both models use some of Jaguar best materials for a beautiful luxurious look to the cabin. Inside when you take a peak of the interior you will notice the rich Connolly leather seats with the burl walnut wood trim all throughout the vehicle. Some of the safety features that come standard with XK models are electronic traction control, anti-lock brakes, Dynamic Stability Control, Reverse Park Control, dual-stage front airbags, pre-tensioning front seat belts (that have load limiters) and front side airbags using advanced occupant sensing technology.
I found two fuel statistics for both the Jaguar XK8 and the Jaguar XKR. The XK8 had a fuel rating 13.5-litres, per 100km, for city driving and 8.5-litres, per 100km, for highway driving. The more powerful XKR model had a fuel rating of 14 to 15-litres, per 100km, for city driving and 9.5 to 10-litres, per 100km, for highway driving.
When the XK8 was introduced in 1997 it used a V8, 4.0-litre engine and this produced 290 horsepower. The XKR when introduced back in 2000 had a V8, 4.0-litre supercharged engine and this produced 370 horsepower. In 2003 both models got a boost in horsepower giving the Jaguar XK8 a total of 294 horsepower and the Jaguar XKR a total of 390 horsepower. Also in 2003 they changed the five-speed automatic to six-speed automatic.
Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of the Jaguar XK8 and XKR as a used vehicle:
1- There is a problem with the cylinder liners wearing down to fast if you don’t follow a strict warm-up to vehicle and you should try and use high sulphur in the fuel.
2- I could not find any crash test results from two leading American organization who handle these procedures.
3- More parts are readily available making them less expensive and giving either the XK8 or XKR a better choice for a used vehicle.
I hope this helps if you’re looking at Jaguar used cars like the XK8 or XKR.
