Jaguar XK Convertible (2006 – 2015) Review

Jaguar XK Convertible (2006 – 2015) At A Glance

Good looks. Wonderful exhaust note. Fast-shifting automatic. Revised interior from 2009 very stylish.

Small boot. Fide on 20-inch wheels is too firm for most.

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

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Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Jaguar XK Convertible (2006 – 2015)'s top 3 rivals

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A real feelgood super saloon. Stunning performance from most engines. Luxurious refinement but still...

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Impressively refined with a smooth ride. Metal folding roof means it's as quiet as a coupe. AMG versions...

Audi A5

Thunderous performance from lovely V8 engine. Understated styling. Great handling and traction. The usual...

Ask Honest John

My car's road tax is £500+ per year. Is that correct?

"I have a 2011 Jaguar XK convertible. The road tax is in excess of £500 a year. Is that correct given the age of the car? I thought the tax decreased after a number of years. Thank you."

VED exemption for historic vehicles comes in to play when a car is 40 years old. Your car falls under the emissions-based system - basically, the more carbon dioxide it emits the more tax you pay. I think your model emits 246g/km of CO2 which puts it in the second to highest tax band costing you £565 a year. Do you use it all year round? Six months' VED is £310. There's a full break down on the Government site: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables/rates-for-cars-registered-on-or-after-1-march-2001

Answered by Keith Moody

Can I skip the oil and filter change on a low mileage car?

"I bought a Jaguar XK Convertible 5-litre last August. It was serviced in March 2019 at 76,600 miles and has travelled only 4000 miles since. It's used as a second car, no short trips usually 20+ miles. 'Service required' is showing in the display now. It was MOT'd in March so brake pads etc are okay. Does it really need an oil and filter change or would it be alright to carry out all checks but not change the oil for another year. I'm also not thinking of changing the car anytime soon so not concerned about the lack of a full service history."

Regular oil and filter changes are essential. The oil loses its lubricity over time, while the old filter will allow contaminants into the engine. Both will increase wear and tear, which is something you really want to avoid with something as complicated (and costly to fix) as a 10-year-old V8 Jaguar. If you plan to to keep it long term, don't skip or prolong regular maintenance. It will only cause you financial pain further down the road.

Answered by Dan Powell

How do I improve the bad radio signal in my 2007 Jaguar XK?

"I have a 2007 Jaguar XK convertible. The radio reception is very poor and appears to be because of a bad aerial. The rest of the sound system is fine. I wondered where the aerial is and whether it can be replaced/repaired."

That was a common complaint with the XK convertible (Jeremy Clarkson complained about it) and it was fixed on later models. A Jaguar specialist will know what to do.

Answered by Honest John

mis sold car purchased from marshals Jaguar

"Dear John We bought and paid for a Jaguar 2006 xk convertible from the Marshal Jaguar dealership on the 26/04/2015.We were unable to collect the car for another four weeks as it turned out the previous owner still had the v5.The car was advertised as having a full service history and one previous owner Upon collection of the car I noticed that the service history had a gap of 2yrs .The salesman assured me this was not a problem ,that I should take the car home and check for any other faults as I had a six month guarantee and that they would stamp the missing service history in this time . When we eventually received the v5 in our name with the change to personalised number plate, it then became apparent the car actually had 2 previous owners. I again contacted the garage one month before the guarantee would expire to get some other problems rectified and fill in the service book. The work was done and the salesman handed the service book to the man on the service desk. The service dept said they couldn’t sign it and the salesman asked me to leave the book with them. I contacted them a week later but nothing had been done and was told” it wasn’t a problem as the car needed servicing every 20,000 so there really wasn’t a gap”. I arranged to collect the book and insisted on seeing the manager. The manager I saw that day told me they had no history of the car or previous owner or advert on their system and there was nothing he could do anyway as it was above him. He told me my only option write to the manager explain the situation. Having done this he has replied saying. “As a result I am able to accept that the vehicle was mis-described as having a full service history or one previous owner. I am satisfied that these were genuine errors, but I also accept from your point of view the vehicle was mis-described Utilising the facilities available to us including the Seller Advance Valuation System I believe the real difference in value is approximately £250.00 and reflecting the vehicle is 9 years old where the service history and number of previous owners has a less significant impact. In the circumstances I regret I am unable to accept your rejection but in an effort to reach a compromise I am prepared to offer to carry out the next 2 annual services free of charge (the value of the services is approximately £995.00) and to make an ex gratia payment of £1000.00.” I paid £24,000 for this car. I keep a copy of the advert; I don’t want to accept 2 services as compensation. Nor do I believe this is an acceptable offer. He gives me 14 day to accept this final offer or it will be retracted. I know I should have pursued this sooner but was diagnosed with cancer 9 days after collecting the car, hospital appointments, operations and treatment has taken priory. Please advise me on an acceptable outcome in your opinion Regards Rebecca "

If a car is sold with "one previous owner", that literally means that there is one owner previous to the owner in the V5C. It is deliberately confusing to a buyer, but is literally correct. As for the missing service, that might have had consequences for which someone could have been held liable if the car was not as old as it is. In the circumstances, the offer you have been made is quite reasonable. However, you must get in writing that the 'free' services you have been offered will be full services to the full Jaguar standard at the ages and mileages the car will have reached at the service dates.

Answered by Honest John

On the inside of an Jaguar XK Convertible (2006 – 2015)

• Boot space is 200–313 litres

Inside most of the design nips and tucks are low key, save for the adoption of an XF-style JaguarDrive transmission control, a circular chrome dial which rises from the transmission tunnel when the key is engaged and the starter button pressed. It's a gimmick, but fun, and easy to use.

As for the general fit and finish, areas where in the past Jaguar sometimes lagged behind their competition, the paint and panel gaps all seemed good. Likewise the interior, trimmed with a slightly sombre selection of dark leathers and plastic finishes, was nicely put together, and there were plenty of attractive details, including neat clip on straps at the outer edges of the front seats to guide their seatbelts. Remove these and small children or masochistic adults don't tangle themselves in seatbelts as they climb onto the teeny back seats. Jaguar has clearly worked hard at this sort of thing, after producing cars like the S and X-Type with interiors which had a non-specific tackiness to them that was almost American.

Child seats that fit a Jaguar XK Convertible (2006 – 2015)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

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Driving Jaguar XK Convertible (2006 – 2015)

• Engines range from 4.2 V8 to 5.0 V8 385
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 18–28 mpg

One thing that's absent from the latest cars are 4.2 litre badges on their rumps. This is because they now employ 5.0 litre, direct-injection V8s which Jaguar claim are entirely new. Once again they're offered in normally aspirated and supercharged forms, and Jaguar says these rumbling power units are cleaner, quicker and more efficient than before. This does not make the XK the vehicular equivalent of an organic allotment plot, but in non-supercharged form it emits 264g of CO2 per km and returns a combined 25mpg. Don't be surprised if a yet more fragrant and frugal diesel XK appears in the not too distant future.

Performance improvements are notional, but then the XK was quick to start with. In standard coupe guise it now hits 60 in 5.2 seconds (4.6 for the XKR). All versions have been limited to 155 mph. The latest petrol engines make an interesting selection of noises, culminating in a sort of expensive hotrod roar, and will make this car go with indecent haste. The big news is the improvement in torque, or pulling power. In the case of the supercharged XKR, it's up by 12 per cent, whilst the normally aspirated versions see a whopping 23 per cent increase. This gives them terrific mid range urge without resorting to the car's considerable rev range, allowing for very rapid, but relaxed forward progress.

For those feeling brave/skilled/inane enough to make the XK stand on its cams, the rev counter pointer will speedily head for the red line as the outside world starts looking like a very speeded up version of Google's Street Map.

The six-speed, two-pedal transmission gets things done with the minimum of fuss, and is mostly smooth and quick when fully in control, kicking down rapidly when required. Occasionally there's a small amount of judder, notably at low speeds. The driver can take over using the near-obligatory steering wheel paddles, and will have nothing to complain about with the system's speed.

Despite being shod with huge, low profile tyres, and suspended to get round corners quickly, the car rides well. It's not soft but the XK's occupants are never pitched up and down, even on lumpy English back roads. There's also a distinct lack of tyre roar. The steering is light but not disconnected from the outside world, and the car corners with precision. Your correspondent kept the traction control on during his rain sodden drive and found that when all that power finally began un-sticking the back wheels it stepped in quickly to point everything in the right direction again.

That the XK is a good car made better by the improvements Jaguar has visited on it is hardly a surprise. It's handsome, sophisticated, and familiar enough not to alienate people who've bought Jaguar's big engined sportscars in the past, but clearly intended to attract those who might have chosen to shop elsewhere for a sports GT (viz; Merc, BMW or perhaps even Porsche).

The XK is good enough to do this, but in a world where all luxury car makers have suffered massive sales reversals, Jaguar will probably find getting bums onto its leather seats a challenge.

Jaguar XK Convertible (2006 – 2015) Models and Specs

On sale until January 2015

On sale until May 2014

On sale until December 2008

Good

Bad

What to watch out for

Recalls

Model History

• January 2009: XK 2010 MY changes were announced
• January 2014: XK Signature and Dynamic R introduced