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Jaguar XK

Coupé is perfect for golf club car park – but will driver’s drivers fit in boot?

Jaguar XK

By David Johns

February 2010

As editor of the UK’s leading motoring magazine, it won’t come as a big surprise to find out that I’m a keen driver!

But I’m not just talking about cars. While I love getting behind the wheel of the latest new models, there’s nothing better than spending some quality time driving 18 holes on my local golf course.

It’s the good life down to a tee! Especially if I can combine both – the perfect car with the most beautiful golf course. On the face of it, there’s no more appropriate vehicle to whisk you from home to clubhouse in style than Jaguar’s XK. Its image has well heeled club captain written all over it.

Except there’s a problem. This driver couldn’t get his drivers to fit into the boot. That’s right – the ridiculously short and shallow luggage bay in the Jag wouldn’t take my full set of clubs. Or golf trolley, for that matter.

Okay, so not everyone is going to want to stuff bulky sporting kit into their XK, but the point I’m trying to make here is a general one. For such a big car, the Jag has very little space inside.

Besides the boot – which is smaller and much less flexible than our more compact long-term Audi TT – the interior of the XK is lacking usable and genuinely useful space.

I’ve also encountered one or two quality issues, such as the flimsy plastic catches which hold the large rear shelf in place. These continually come loose, leaving the shelf dangling in mid-air! And for a car that is only just coming up to the 14,000-mile mark, the driver’s leather seat looks particularly tired and worn.

Yet despite these failings, the good news is that the XK does have a real sense of occasion. The cabin is as British as traditional roast beef, with lashings of chrome over the instruments and controls.

There are neat touches, too, such as the gear selector which rises up out of the centre console when you press the pulsing red starter button. And the Jag has one of the simplest and most user-friendly touchscreen entertainment and sat-nav systems you’ll find in any car.

Outside, the XK is a real showstopper. Few vehicles in the world are as beautiful or attract as much comment. And then there’s the engine – a 5.0-litre V8 which pushes out 380bhp. It sounds wonderful, with a deep rumble that’s enough to shake the neighbours out of their beds as I set off to work in the small hours.

Mind you, fuel economy hasn’t got any better since my report on the Jag in Issue 1,087. It’s still struggling to reach 20-21mpg. With figures like that, this is a car to use with care, unless your credit card is particularly flexible!
And that’s another pity about the XK. It’s perfectly suited to carrying you in comfort as a high-mileage cruiser, but you’ll need deep pockets to enjoy it at its best.

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6 Comments

don't care Jag is #1

the proportions of the XK are spot on. the BMW looks like a mammoth with small eyes - it just doesn't work at all. there is nothing subtle about its design, its all "look at me i'm mean!!". merc....well i'm tired of their design trends, it just p***es me off when i see a new merc and its not what i expected it to be. so far no merc has benchmarked the looks of the modern cls which is pretty good looking and what a merc should be like but for me personally its always the XK. i just hope the new revamp does not come with a square grill. jag coupes always had oval grills and that is one aspect that should not change on the revamp.

By corsamani on 15 February, 2010, 8:15pm

The poor fuel economy is the reason I would never have one of these cars. 15,000 miles a year would cost a fortune. Yet the sales success of the 635d seems to have passed Jag by. Why can't they fit the brilliant 3 litre diesel?

By romeara on 16 February, 2010, 9:34am

Iain

I went to my local Jaguar/Aston Martin showroom a few months back to compare the XK and Vantage. The Vantage ride was too firm and I was shocked at the tiny, shallow boot on the XK - I mentioned golf clubs and was assured that 2 bags and clubs would fit, but I was sceptical. For a relatively large coupe, I thought the luggage space was very poor and that, plus the poor consumption put me off the purchase. Does it really need an engine as big as that?
Looks are all very well but after a while the drawbacks would be hard to live with.

By Wyllie3 on 16 February, 2010, 11:21am

I'd worry more about the first year £20k depreciation, 15,000 miles is only going to cost another £1k over a diesel anyway...

By jengy on 16 February, 2010, 11:38am

Comments from a real owner...

I actually owned a 2007 model year XK. I traded it in 2 months ago for an XF (family reasons).

I managed to fit my golf bag, trolley, driver and woods, shoe bag, etc. into the boot with no problems. I can only assume the tester hasn't bothered to turn them sideways before he puts them in!

As for the fuel consumption. I managed 23 mpg as an average. That was fine. I'd covered 90,000 miles in 44 months and loved it. I only wish I still had it. But it isn't that practical a car when you have a family.

I agree that Jaguar should put the 3.0 diesel engine in the XK, and I understand they are testing a version of this very car at the moment. Whether they launch it or not is another matter though!

But I'd buy another one without any hesitation.

By Steve100 on 16 February, 2010, 1:53pm

GearHead

Classics, Jaguar has nailed it with the XK Coupe since 97', with it's classic reinterpretation of the original XKE. In doing so, they have produced two more iterations of the classic Coupe.

Consumption for me is an environmental consideration, not a financial one. I only put about 3000 miles a year on my XKR.

By 3Deuce27 on 16 November, 2010, 6:53am

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Second opinion

I agree with David that driving a car like the XK demands some practical compromises, but for me, it’s more than worth it. While the Jag isn’t perfect, it’s still one of the most desirable coupés on sale today. It’s soothing on long journeys yet invigorating when you want it to be, and the styling uses elements of the company’s heritage without detracting from the modern overall appearance. Inside, I love the classy mood lighting and cutting-edge design, although the level of wear on our car’s driver’s seat is surprising.

Owen Mildenhall
Senior road tester



Other Reports

REPORT

On fleet since:October 2009
Price when new:£66,995
Running costs:None So Far
Mileage:13,964/20.1mpg
Costs to date:None
Engine / Power:5.0-litre V8/380bhp
Options Fitted:Adaptive cruise control (£995), DAB radio (£350), active front lighting (£430)
Trade-in Value Now:£44,250
Insurance Group / Quote:47/£2,889
Costs:N/A
Any Problems?:None
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