Review
Jaguar XK cabriolet
Price: £71,430 - £82,530
/5
- Pros:
- Excellent performance
- Comfortable cabin and plentiful equipment
- Fantastic looks
- Cons:
- Requires regular refuelling
- Cramped rear seats
- Tyres are noisy at speed
reviewed by Carbuyer
"The Jaguar XK combines beauty, rapid pace, and an involving drive to create a fantastic sportscar."
At a glance
- The greenest
- XK 5.0L Artisan SE Convertible 2dr
£82,530 - The cheapest
- XK 5.0L Convertible 2dr
£71,430 - The fastest
- XK 5.0L Artisan SE Convertible 2dr
£82,530 - Top of the range
- XK 5.0L Artisan SE Convertible 2dr
£82,530
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The Jaguar XK is a beautifully styled sports car that also manages the rare trick of mixing an exciting drive with a quiet and comfortable interior. For that you can thank its superb suspension, the choice of two hugely powerful V8 engines and a slick automatic gearbox. The supercharged XKR version is a seriously rapid car, with its 5.0-litre engine producing 503bhp to allow it to reach 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds. The convertible version shares all the performance of its coupe relative, but opens up the XK's interior to the sun.
Drive
Fast, yet usable and comfortable at any speed
Powered by either a 5.0-litre V8 with 380bhp or a supercharged version of the same engine with 503bhp, the Jaguar XK is a seriously quick car. The top-spec XKR is massively so, with pace to keep up with all but the most exotic supercars. Despite this, the XK is easy to drive, as the slick automatic gearbox and powerful engines allow it to trickle along in traffic or cruise at speed without fuss. The steering is positive, while the XK's lightweight aluminium construction and finely tuned suspension balances road-smoothing comfort and fine control in equal measure. Add a terrific V8 noise – which is better experienced in the convertible - and the XK is a very enjoyable drive indeed.
Comfort
Comfortable and spacious in the front
Comfort is relative in sports cars, but the XK's smooth ride really impresses. While it's a comfortable car, there is some tyre noise at speed. Inside, the sumptuous leather seats move electrically and are heated, while dual-zone climate control keeps you cool. Front passengers will be comfortable, but those squeezed into the back are less well catered for. The rear seats are only just big enough for small children, although in reality they’re best considered as additional space for luggage.
Reliability
Reliability should be good
Jaguar has taken great pains to ensure its cars are reliable, and that's demonstrated in many ownership and reliability surveys. However, whilst Jaguar's XF saloon took the second spot in the 2010 Driver Power survey it only ranked 47th for reliability suggesting that trouble-free motoring isn't a given for the XK. The XK itself doesn't sell in great enough numbers to feature in the survey.
Practicality
Reasonable boot space for a convertible
Coupe or cabriolet, the XK is strictly a 2+2, seater, which means rear seats are only really big enough for small kids. However, with a large boot and that additional space in the back, the XK is surprisingly practical for such a sporting car. There's space in the boot for a couple of full-sized golf bags. The convertible inevitably loses some practicality thanks to the space required for its folding roof, but even with it down the boot has enough space for a reasonable amount of luggage.
Value for money
Compared to rivals the XK is a bargain
It's difficult to rationalise a purchase between £60,000 and £80,000 as good value, but look at the XK Cabrio's qualities, and it does begin to look that way. Certainly its performance is right up there with more expensive competition - the XKR in particular competing with several cars in Aston Martin's range, the Ferrari California, the Mercedes-Benz SL and Porsche's 911. Against such rivals it looks relatively inexpensive - even more so when you look at the long standard equipment list.
Running costs
Very expensive to tax and insure
Any car with a 5.0-litre V8 engine is going to need a lot of fuel and be in the higher tax bands. The XK is in the highest tax band meaning you'll pay £950 road tax in the first year and £435 each year after that, so the XK is never going to be cheap to run. Servicing costs shouldn’t be too bad, though - especially when compared to more exotic rivals.
