2007 Jaguar XK Review

Jaguar XK – Review: San Diego isn't South Africa or Spain, but it starts with an "S," has palm-lined beaches, and basks in some of the best weather found anywhere in the world. So, while Blackett and Chee crammed into airliners for all-day flights to Africa and Europe, I stuck close to home for my one-week stint in Jaguar's redesigned XK. Our test model this time around was an Indigo Blue XK Convertible with an Ivory Slate interior and a sticker price of $94,000. Jag won't like hearing this, but that's about $15,000 more than it oughta be.

Why We Drove It

If Jaguar offered you the keys to a new XK, wouldn't you drive it? Thought so. Actually, two of our writers spent quality time with this new Jaguar in Africa and Europe, so I needed some seat time in what is likely to be the sportiest Jaguar for many years to come. I have fond memories of the week, but in many ways the XK was a disappointment. It wouldn't take much effort to resolve most of my complaints and make the car worth full sticker price.

Performance

With its throaty growl and plentiful power, the Jaguar XK's 4.2-liter, 400-horsepower V8 is the best thing about the car. The blend of refinement, power, and fuel economy (we averaged 22.1 mpg during a week of driving) rivals the best engines from Japan. The transmission is satisfying, too, though the paddle-shifters decided to stop working and Sport mode wouldn't engage halfway through our run up San Diego County's Palomar Mountain. Shutting the car off and restarting it resolved the mystery glitch.

Handling

The Jaguar XK's wheelbase is too long and its track is too wide for it to be considered a true sports car. Rather, this is a grand touring machine with impressive grip and roll control, isolated enough from the road to maintain its compliant composure and connected enough to entertain most owners. The brakes are incredible, and coat the rims with a likewise amount of gray dust. Traditionally fluidic and disconnected Jaguar steering feel is not appropriate for the XK's sporting nature, especially with massive 255/35ZR20 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx front tires tugging at road imperfections.

Visibility

With the top raised, rearward visibility from the Jaguar XK's driver's seat is predictably poor. The rear window is thin, and sits high over the tall rear deck. Reverse park control is standard, showing objects' proximity to the rear bumper on the navigation screen – this feature is a requirement in the Jag. The side mirrors offer a clear view to the rear quarters, and forward visibility is good despite the long hood. At night, the left headlight beam throws a strange pattern that illuminates the road directly in front of the XK more brightly than 50-100 feet out.

Fun to Drive

Indeed, the Jaguar XK is fun to drive, as long as you're not trying to hustle it at maximum velocity down a favorite mountain road. Negotiating hairpin turns is not the Jaguar's forte. The car is quick, displays an intoxicating exhaust note, and is equipped with an outstanding braking system. The ride is compliant enough for pock-marked urban streets and firm enough to control body motions when thundering around sweeping curves. Plus, the Jag turns everybody's head, so if you get a kick out of being the center of attention, it's hard to go wrong with this car.

Front Comfort

Jaguar has designed a comfortable seat for the XK, adjustable in myriad ways including inflatable side bolsters, lumbar that moves up and down the seatback to accommodate drivers of differing stature, and a bottom cushion thigh extender. Soft armrests are located on the center console and the door panel. However, the steering wheel is too thick and covered in shiny leather than looks more like urethane. Plus, the door sills are too high and have a sharp edge, making this an uncomfortable spot to rest an arm.

Rear Comfort

Don't even bother going here. The Jaguar XK's rear seats are beautifully upholstered parcel shelves adequate for no more than children riding with Mommy to Montessori school. That these deeply-dished seats are essentially useless makes the tendency for the rear seatbelt straps to flap loudly in the breeze all the more maddening. Consider this car to be a roadster with an inconvenient trunk.

Interior Noise

When the Jaguar XK's top is down, the rear seatbelt straps sometimes flutter loudly in the breeze. Otherwise, the XK's experience is like every other convertible, except this car has a lovely exhaust note that never gets tiring. Top up, there's plenty of wind noise coming off the rear section of the cloth roof, and because the Jag is equipped with a cloth roof it's naturally not as isolating as a retractable hardtop.

Loading Cargo

Roomy enough for a weekend getaway, the Jaguar XK's trunk features a wide, low opening and plush carpet with classy chrome and rubber runners on the floor that only call attention to the cheap-looking plastic latch and sill guard. The lightweight lid is easy to shut thanks to assist grips on the inner side, and when the top is raised a protective cover can be removed to add a little bit of extra space. Take our word for it, however, the added room is negligible and doesn't trump the importance of top-down motoring.

Build Quality

Jaguar designs beautiful cars, and recent examples of the XJ and S-Type sedans displayed build quality on par with Lexus. This XK Convertible, however, had fit-and-finish problems. Most egregious on the outside were bad left front fender fit at the hood and A-pillar, an ill-fitting and flimsy fuel door that reminded us of a Saturn Ion's, and sloppy rear fascia fit at the right wheel well. Plus, panel gaps are larger than the competition. Inside, we found a bent piece of metal trim above the navigation system, but otherwise no issues.