Review: Jaguar XK (2006 – 2015)

Jaguar XK (2006 – 2015): At A Glance

• Insurance Group 48
• On average it achieves 105% of the official MPG figure

Jaguar XK (2006 – 2015): What's It Like Inside?

• Boot space is 300–330 litres

Dimensions
Length	4791–4794 mm
Width	1892 mm
Height	1322 mm
Wheelbase	2752 mm
Full specifications

The interior of the Jaguar XK has a very upmarket feel, but manages to stand out from other premium sports cars giving it a unique and quite special feel. The finish is impeccable and the materials used have a high-class, tactile feel to them, making this a very enjoyable car to drive or to travel in. The XK is very well equipped as standard too, so pretty much everything is electrically operated while the sat nav (which is also standard) is a neat and easy to use touchscreen system.

The driving position is excellent, as you'd imagine on a sports car like this, with a low slung seat and plenty of reach adjustment in the steering. The leather seats offer great side and lower back support, yet are comfortable and cossetting enough for long journeys too.

When the XK was revised in 2009, the interior was revamped to give it a similar look to the Jaguar XF. It now has a more modern look with a clean and unfussy design. There's more metal trim used, while at night the interior takes on a whole different look. It uses blue lighting surrounds, like the sort found on Motorola RAZR mobile phones, giving it a high-tech appearance. No other car interior looks so good in the dark.

The traditional gear lever was also replaced by the trademark Jaguar gearshift selector - a metal dial that slides out of the central console when you start the ignition and then silently slides away to fit flush with the panel, when you turn the car off. It really adds to the that extra special feeling in this Jaguar. Other details such as the engine start button and electric parking brake add to the upmarket feel.

Luxuries such as climate control and heated seats are standard, but we'd steer clear of optional 20-inch wheels as they make the ride incredibly stiff and uncomfortable. The rear seats are fairly pointless, apart from use as extra luggage room, while the boot is quite shallow. It's a pretty good size though and a set of golf clubs will just about fit in. 

Equipment from launch (March 2006):

When first launched there was just one trim level which came with a six-speed automatic gearbox with paddle gearshift, a 7-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system, keyless start, 10-way adjustable heated seats with driver and passenger memory, bluetooth, 18-inch Venus alloy wheels, dual zone automatic air conditioning, metallic paint, cruise control, an electronic park brake, an in-dash six CD changer, rain sensitive wipers, reverse park assist, Trac Dynamic Stability Control, Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).

Portfolio comes with 20-inch wheels, heated and cooled seats, suedecloth headlining, a heated steering wheel and a Bower and Wilkins premium sound system.

What's the Jaguar XK (2006 – 2015) like to drive?

• Engines range from 4.2 V8 to 5.0 V8 385
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 18–31 mpg

The Jaguar XK performs superbly thanks to the thunderous V8 engine that provides effortless pace and a great noise to accompany it. Originally this was a 4.2-litre engine with 300bhp that was more than enough for most with a 0-62mph time of 6.2 seconds. It's got a very distinct character and pulls exceptionally strongly across the rev range, yet is still silky smooth and sounds great whether you're accelerating hard, or just gently cruising along. This is down to the fact the sound of the engine has been tuned along with the exhaust to give it a sporty character.

All cars come with a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard which has a normal mode plus a sport setting, which holds higher gears and speeds up the changes, although they're already incredibly swift. There are paddle shifts on the steering wheel too, allowing you to change gear yourself and giving the XK more of a sports car feel.

At the beginning of 2009, the Jaguar XK was revised and a new 5.0-litre V8 engine replaced the previous 4.2-litre unit. As you'd expect, it's even more powerful with a storming 385bhp on tap. It has masses of torque too with 513Nm, giving it muscular mid-range performance and meaning you rarely have to actually rev the engine to its maximum to tap into the available power.

This extra power brings the 0-62mph down to just 5.5 seconds and it feels quicker on the road too with a more instant response when you ask it to accelerate. Despite the increase in power and size, the new engine is actually slightly more economical with an average of 25.2mpg plus CO2 emissions are lower. A newer six-speed gearbox was introduced along with the trademark cylindrical Jaguar gear selector that rises from the central console.

On the move the Jaguar XK is very nimble thanks to the use of aluminium in the body shell which keeps weight down. It's rear wheel drive which means it's very well balanced and great on demanding roads, but it's never unruly and always feels composed and planted, helped by responsive brakes. Facelifted models from March 2009 come with a system called Jaguar Drive Control which has three seperate settings, controlled by buttons next to the gear selector. There's a standard mode, a snow mode plus a dynamic mode which increases throttle response and quickens the gear changes.

Despite its sports car pedigree, the Jaguar XK is just as easy to drive in town thanks to lighter steering at low speeds. Visibility can be a bit of an issue as the bonnet is so long while the rear is tricky to judge, but usefully, parking sensors come as standard, so you don't have to worry about scratching the bumpers.

Engine	MPG	0-62	CO2
5.0 V8	25 mpg	5.5 s	264 g/km
5.0 V8 385	25 mpg	5.5 s	264 g/km

Real MPG average for a Jaguar XK (2006 – 2015)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

What have we been asked about the Jaguar XK (2006 – 2015)?

Every day we're asked hundreds of questions from car buyers and owners through Ask Honest John. Our team of experts, including the nation's favourite motoring agony uncle - Honest John himself - answer queries and conudrums ranging from what car to buy to how to care for it as an owner. If you could do with a spot of friendly advice before buying you're next car, get in touch and we'll do what we can to help.