XKR 4.2 v XK 5.0

[flying-banana]

I'll hazard a guess that this one has been discussed many times... what are the pros & cons of an XKR 4.2 against an XK 5.0?

I had an S type R for 7 years, and have had my XFR for nearly 3 years, but fancy an XK now, I can't really justify looking at decent XKR 5.0s, but which is the better alternative, an XK 5.0 or a nice, but slightly older XKR 4.2?

Does anyone have much experience of both? ...and which one would everyone go for?

[Simpo Two]

I'd base my choice on overall spec rather than just this criterion. Also bear in mind the facelift - all 5.0s look like they've been kicked under the headlamps IMHO

I have a 4.2 XK. In normal driving it's pretty slow out of the trap, but move the lever to 'Sport' and stamp on it and it flies quite fast enough. MInd you if I'm going to hammer it I prefer I manual box as per TVR. Trying to race a big auto just doesn't seem right to me.

[flying-banana]

I think there are enough nice examples of both on the market, and I'm not too demanding with my spec requirements, that I should be able to restrict my search to one or the other, and I will probably have to travel some distance regardless, which isn't a problem, but I don't want to be making endless journies up & down the country just for the sake of it

I do agree that the earlier cars i.e. 4.2s rather than 5.0s, do look better

Whilst the XFRs performance is pretty addictive, I rarely remember feeling short of power/speed when I had the S type R, so don't feel the need to go for an XKR 5.0...famous last words!

[olliete]

i find my x100 4.2 xkr fantastic in the mid range but it is not a sports car, it just can't be hustled due to its heft and size.

that said, the midrange is fantastic - it really doesnt come into its own until 30mph, next thing you are doing 100mph. if the 5.0 has a more intuitive gearbox then it could be a more sensible option. i find that the auto box in my car is frustratingly lazy, even in sport mode.

[flying-banana]

All the X150 XKs use the 6-speed ZF box, which is the same as the S-type R that I had & the XFR that I've got now, which really works quite well... with the S-type I left it in Sport mode all the time, but with the XFR I only need to use Sport mode for 'special occasions'

Have you had the oil changed in your gearbox? Despite Jaguar saying the gearboxes are 'sealed for life', ZF recommend changing the oil every 60k, and it can make quite a difference

[Simpo Two]

flying-banana said:

I think there are enough nice examples of both on the market, and I'm not too demanding with my spec requirements, that I should be able to restrict my search to one or the other, and I will probably have to travel some distance regardless, which isn't a problem, but I don't want to be making endless journies up & down the country just for the sake of it

I do agree that the earlier cars i.e. 4.2s rather than 5.0s, do look better

Whilst the XFRs performance is pretty addictive, I rarely remember feeling short of power/speed when I had the S type R, so don't feel the need to go for an XKR 5.0...famous last words!

In a way, beyond a point, you don't have to prove anything. Rumbling through villages at 30mph in a Griff 500 on tickover you think 'Yes, I could do 150 through here if I felt like it, but I don't'. Nothing to prove.

I think the best place to find lots of XKs under one roof - like 20+ - could be Chiltern Jaguar. Visit, kick tyres, pick brains, learn. Oh and have £2K deposit lined up if you fall for one like I did

[flying-banana]

Simpo Two said:

In a way, beyond a point, you don't have to prove anything. Rumbling through villages at 30mph in a Griff 500 on tickover you think 'Yes, I could do 150 through here if I felt like it, but I don't'. Nothing to prove.

I think the best place to find lots of XKs under one roof - like 20+ - could be Chiltern Jaguar. Visit, kick tyres, pick brains, learn. Oh and have £2K deposit lined up if you fall for one like I did

I agree about the 'nothing to prove' although an XFR is a bit more 'under the radar' than a Griff!! Fun either way!

I used to be a couple of miles away from where Chiltern used to be, and 5 miles from Kings Road... a bit further away these days, but will be worth a visit as they usually have a varied selection

[Simpo Two]

flying-banana said:

I agree about the 'nothing to prove' although an XFR is a bit more 'under the radar' than a Griff!! Fun either way!

Agreed; I was referring to whether you had an XK or XKR.

A supercharged 4.0 would have been my choice for an upper model if I was Marketing Boss at JLR. And some nicer buttons inside. Gotta have nice buttons.

I don't think my XK is loud but neighbours say they can always tell when I'm leaving 'cos it sounds different from anything else

[threadlock]

As luck would have it, someone very familiar with the 4.2 XKR posted his thoughts about the 5.0 XKR having swapped one for the other at the weekend.

Final post on this page: https://www.jaguarforum.com/showthread.php?t=11052...
I found it very interesting.

[Triple7]

5.0 everytime...

[flying-banana]

Triple7 said:

5.0 everytime...

5.0 XK over a 4.2 XKR?

[flying-banana]

threadlock said:

As luck would have it, someone very familiar with the 4.2 XKR posted his thoughts about the 5.0 XKR having swapped one for the other at the weekend.

Final post on this page: https://www.jaguarforum.com/showthread.php?t=11052...
I found it very interesting.

if the budget stretched to a nice low mileage, low owners 5.0 XKR then I wouldn't be here asking people's opinions, I'd be off looking to buy one... but unfortunately the budget only realistically stretches to either a nice 4.2 XKR or a nice 5.0 XK, I've got an XFR at the moment, and had an S type R before, so I'm familiar with both supercharged engines, but how does the 5.0 n/a engine compare?

[8bit]

threadlock said:

As luck would have it, someone very familiar with the 4.2 XKR posted his thoughts about the 5.0 XKR having swapped one for the other at the weekend.

Final post on this page: https://www.jaguarforum.com/showthread.php?t=11052...
I found it very interesting.

That would be me

Until I got my new car last weekend I'd have said it was an easy choice - 4.2 XKR before a 5.0 XK any day. Now though it's a bit less clear cut than that.

In the 4.2 XKR's favour, despite similar power figures the XKR is significantly faster. It's a little bit lighter for a start and there's far more in the mid-range thanks to the supercharger. From a standing start there's not a lot in it but from 30 or 40 the XKR will leave the XK behind rapidly. I've been on PH and Jaguar forum runs with 5.0 XKs and the difference became apparent quite quickly.

But to echo what I said in my post on Jaguarforum.com, the 5.0 cars are not just an engine refresh and minor facelift over the 4.2s, most aspects of the car have had some attention paid to them. The build quality seems better, certainly on my car the interior is of a better overall fit and finish and the result is a more accomplished and modern place to sit. The suspension is firmer, the steering is more positive and better weighted and the transmission, while still a 6 speed auto, is revised so is more intuitive and responds quicker to manual inputs. It is a better car in pretty much every aspect, when you add it all up.

I'm assuming here that the 5.0 XK is the same as the 5.0 XKR aside from the supercharger. The old 4.2 rode very well but push hard enough and it became apparent that it was hiding it's size and weight, albeit doing a good job. The 5.0 feels heavier; less like it's hiding it's weight but more like it's managing it better. The firmer ride and more communicative front end make it feel significantly more like a sports car than a GT. Not to say the 4.2 handled badly, just that I enjoyed it in a different way and it rewarded a smoother hand more than being hustled, at least past a certain point.

Which one suits you better depends on what you value more but certainly neither is a bad car and you'd find plenty to enjoy in both. Nice problem to have but I don't envy you having to make the decision

[Simpo Two]

8bit said:

The suspension is firmer

That would be a big minus for me; the XK is quite bumpy enough on UK roads, and the seats are not the best padded to compensate.

Roads get more and more crap yet people want harder and harder suspension. I don't get it.

[a8hex]

I'd have thought that the non supercharged cars were lighter than those with the chargers. The Wiki page doesn't show different weights, but carfolio quotes the 5L NA as being a little lighter than the 4.2 XKR, but there's not much in it.

[Triple7]

flying-banana said:

5.0 XK over a 4.2 XKR?

Yes, the facelift car has a lot more going for it, upgraded interior, dynamic settings, prettier and newer.

I would however look under the sofa for some pennies to buy a 5.0XKR.

[8bit]

Simpo Two said:

8bit said:

The suspension is firmer

That would be a big minus for me; the XK is quite bumpy enough on UK roads, and the seats are not the best padded to compensate.

Roads get more and more crap yet people want harder and harder suspension. I don't get it.

So while the suspension is firmer I also find it more refined - you can feel what the road is like but it's less crashy over the bumps. Difficult to describe, I didn't want it to be any "harder" than the old car but I prefer how the newer one rides along the road. It is enough to inspire more confidence in corners though.

a8hex said:

I'd have thought that the non supercharged cars were lighter than those with the chargers. The Wiki page doesn't show different weights, but carfolio quotes the 5L NA as being a little lighter than the 4.2 XKR, but there's not much in it.

I meant that the 5.0 cars were heavier than the 4.2s. Carfolio stats are somewhat patchy too and you can't really be sure if the figures stated are dry weight, kerb weight etc. I was given to understand that the 5.0 cars started off around 100kg heavier than the 4.2s and the 'charger and associated hardware won't come to as much as 100 kg I'd have thought.

Triple7 said:

Yes, the facelift car has a lot more going for it, upgraded interior, dynamic settings, prettier and newer.

I would however look under the sofa for some pennies to buy a 5.0XKR.

The aesthetics are entirely subjective, I still think the 4.2 XKR front end is the best of the bunch - the narrow vents under the "cheek pouches" on the early 5.0 cars still don't sit entirely comfortably to my eye but it's a small price to pay for me. The later, facelifted cars with the slimmer lights don't look good to me at all, with the exception of the 5.0 XKR-S. But you're right about the dynamic mode, that's worth a lot.

I'd have to agree on holding off until funds allow for a 5.0 XKR, or until they can be had for around budget though...

[threadlock]

flying-banana said:

if the budget stretched to a nice low mileage, low owners 5.0 XKR then I wouldn't be here asking people's opinions, I'd be off looking to buy one...

Fair enough. But I'd rather have a higher mileage XKR 5.0 than a low mileage XK 5.0 or XKR 4.2.
My XKR 5.0 has done 70k miles and you wouldn't know it. They wear their miles very well if they've been looked after as well as mine has.

[flying-banana]

threadlock said:

flying-banana said:

if the budget stretched to a nice low mileage, low owners 5.0 XKR then I wouldn't be here asking people's opinions, I'd be off looking to buy one...

Fair enough. But I'd rather have a higher mileage XKR 5.0 than a low mileage XK 5.0 or XKR 4.2.
My XKR 5.0 has done 70k miles and you wouldn't know it. They wear their miles very well if they've been looked after as well as mine has.

I guess the main thing is finding a 'nice car', one that's been well looked after, rather than becoming obsessed about mileage, well looked after cars wear their mileage well; but it shows when you see one that has not been looked after

I'm not doing big miles these days, so happy to find a nice one, look after it, and keep it longer than usual, and I've got the itch for an XK, so want one, want one now!

[flying-banana]

8bit said:

Simpo Two said:

8bit said:

The suspension is firmer

That would be a big minus for me; the XK is quite bumpy enough on UK roads, and the seats are not the best padded to compensate.

Roads get more and more crap yet people want harder and harder suspension. I don't get it.

So while the suspension is firmer I also find it more refined - you can feel what the road is like but it's less crashy over the bumps. Difficult to describe, I didn't want it to be any "harder" than the old car but I prefer how the newer one rides along the road. It is enough to inspire more confidence in corners though.

This is probably the influence of the adaptive dampers

8bit said:

a8hex said:

I'd have thought that the non supercharged cars were lighter than those with the chargers. The Wiki page doesn't show different weights, but carfolio quotes the 5L NA as being a little lighter than the 4.2 XKR, but there's not much in it.

I meant that the 5.0 cars were heavier than the 4.2s. Carfolio stats are somewhat patchy too and you can't really be sure if the figures stated are dry weight, kerb weight etc. I was given to understand that the 5.0 cars started off around 100kg heavier than the 4.2s and the 'charger and associated hardware won't come to as much as 100 kg I'd have thought.

I don't think the weight differences are huge, and won't make much difference to how they feel, the adaptive dampers will make a bigger difference

8bit said:

Triple7 said:

Yes, the facelift car has a lot more going for it, upgraded interior, dynamic settings, prettier and newer.

I would however look under the sofa for some pennies to buy a 5.0XKR.

The aesthetics are entirely subjective, I still think the 4.2 XKR front end is the best of the bunch - the narrow vents under the "cheek pouches" on the early 5.0 cars still don't sit entirely comfortably to my eye but it's a small price to pay for me. The later, facelifted cars with the slimmer lights don't look good to me at all, with the exception of the 5.0 XKR-S. But you're right about the dynamic mode, that's worth a lot.

I'd have to agree on holding off until funds allow for a 5.0 XKR, or until they can be had for around budget though...

I am inclined to agree on the looks, the 4.2 XKR is probably the best looking... I am leaning more & more towards a 4.2 XKR as time moves on...

Edited by flying-banana on Monday 15th October 22:43