Jaguar XK (2006 – 2015) Review

There are faster and more sporting choices than the Jaguar XK, but few get close to the British GT’s mix of effortless pace, handling and general feeling of invincibility. If you do want to go faster, there’s always the supercharged Jaguar XKR version to give the Porsche 911 and even the Aston Martin V8 Vantage plenty to worry about. Read on for our full Jaguar XK review.

The Jaguar XK represents the British firm at its best. It’s a luxurious and comfortable sports car with great performance, a high-quality interior and superb refinement.

This is a real feelgood used car that is always a pleasure to drive, with sublime engines.

It’s a wonderful grand tourer, too, with impressive long-distance comfort, while the thundering V8 engine - originally a 4.2-litre but later upgraded to 5.0-litre unit with a storming 390PS – provides the pace and rumbling sound you’d expect from a Jaguar.

It may not be the most involving of two-seater coupes from behind the wheel – compared to other models such as the Porsche 911 – but the Jaguar manages to blend comfort and performance into a very desirable package.

The Jaguar XK was also the first model from the brand to showcase the modern and sharp styling that’s now become a trademark across its line-up – a world away from the traditional look that Jaguar had been associated with for so long. It’s the same inside, with a sophisticated and distinctive cabin that’s finished beautifully.

In fact, there’s very little to criticise about the Jaguar XK, other than the boot, which is a little shallow, and the rear ‘seats’ which aren’t really usable as seats. But this is a sports coupe, after all.

It also has a classy image which is a cut above other similarly priced two-seaters of this kind in the used market, while for even more style there’s the Jaguar XK Convertible.

Fancy a Jaguar F-Type? Read our Jaguar F-Type review here.

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 onwards come with a system called Jaguar Drive Control, which has three separate 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 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, too. But parking sensors come as standard, so you don’t have to worry about scratching the bumpers.

However, the Jaguar XK is happiest when reeling in big mileages thanks to the composed ride and handling, and the effortless pull of its engines.

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 304PS which was more than enough for most, with a 0-62mph time of 6.2 seconds.

It has 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.

All cars came with a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard, which has a normal mode plus a sport setting. The latter 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 Jaguar 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 390PS on tap.

It has masses of torque, too, with 513Nm, giving it muscular mid-range performance and meaning you rarely have to rev the engine to its maximum to tap into the available power.

This brings the 0-62mph time 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 was slightly more economical, with an average of 25.2mpg. CO2 emissions are lower, too.

A newer six-speed gearbox was introduced along with the trademark cylindrical Jaguar gear selector that rises from the central console.

Every Jaguar XK comes with twin front, side and curtain airbags, ESP traction and stability control, ABS anti-lock brakes and a deployable bonnet that pops up to give pedestrians more cushioning in the event of an impact.

But it is too old a design to benefit from automatic emergency braking or lane keep assist tech.

In the very unlikely circumstances that someone might want to tow with a Jaguar XK, they will not be able to as the company did not quote any towing capacities.

The driving position is excellent, as you’d expect on a sports car such as 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 cosseting enough for long journeys, too.

When the Jaguar XK was revised in 2009, the interior was revamped to give it a similar look to the Jaguar XF. It gained a more modern appearance, with a clean and unfussy design.

More metal trim was used, while at night the interior takes on a whole different look. It uses blue lighting surrounds, giving it a high-tech appearance. Few other car interiors look 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 the car is not in use.

It really adds to the special feeling in the Jaguar XK. Other details such as the engine start button and electric parking brake also add to the upmarket feel.

The rear seats are fairly pointless, apart from use as extra luggage room, while the boot is quite shallow. It’s a reasonable size, though, and a set of golf clubs will just about fit in. 

The interior of the Jaguar XK is very upmarket, but manages to stand out from other premium sports cars with a unique and special feel.

The finish is impeccable and the materials used are high-class and very tactile, making this an enjoyable car to drive or to travel in.

The Jaguar XK is well equipped as standard too, with pretty much everything electrically operated.

A seven-inch touchscreen is standard in all Jaguar XKs and didn’t change throughout the car’s lifespan.

That’s no bad thing, as it was easy to use and matched most of its main rivals for functionality and connectivity via Bluetooth.

An early Jaguar XK of this generation in excellent condition with around 75,000 miles on the clock will cost around £12,000.

Compare that to a Porsche 911 of the same age and mileage, and it’s clear what a relative bargain the Jaguar XK is.

It’s the same story with a newer model, where you’ll pay up to £40,000 for one of the last Jaguar XKs in Dynamic R trim with 25,000 miles showing.

Look for a Porsche with a similar list of attributes, and you will have to up the budget by at least 50%.

Running a V8-powered sports car is never a recipe for low-cost motoring. However, the Jaguar XK at least makes good on its fuel economy claims of around 25mpg for the non-supercharged V8 models by delivering exactly that in the real world.

The even more rapid Jaguar XKR, with its supercharged V8, officially claims mpg in the low-20s, and also matches this in the reality.

Emissions ranging from 264g/km to 292g/km mean you’ll be shelling out the highest rate of road tax for cars registered prior to 1 April 2017.

Brace yourself, because this means an annual bill of £735 at the time of writing.

Insurance won’t be cheap, either, as the Jaguar XK range starts at group 48 and rises to the maximum group 50 for the more potent models.

Offsetting all this is the fact that maintenance of the Jaguar XK is not as costly as it is with some performance cars.

Independent specialists can help here, with lower labour rates than Jaguar dealers.

When first launched, there was just one trim level for the Jaguar XK, which came with a six-speed automatic gearbox with paddle gearshift, a seven-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system, keyless start, 10-way adjustable heated seats with driver and passenger memory and Bluetooth.

It also had 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).

The Jaguar XK Portfolio version was added and comes with 20-inch wheels, heated and cooled seats, Suedecloth headlining, a heated steering wheel and a Bower & Wilkins premium sound system.

There were a couple of special-edition models offered, but Jaguar only expanded the range latterly with the Signature and Dynamic R models.

The Jaguar XK Signature has 20-inch Kalimnos alloy wheels and a reverse parking camera, plus Luxury seats available in Ivory or Charcoal soft-grain leather. The interior also features Canvas Suedecloth headlining, Figured Ebony veneers and Bright Metal sport pedals.

The Jaguar XK R Dynamic aped the Jaguar XKR with its 10mm lowered suspension, Aerodynamic Pack to raise top speed to 174mph and a Performance Active Exhaust.

It also has diamond-sewn Performance seats in either Ivory/Charcoal soft-grain leather with Ivory contrast stitch or Charcoal/Red soft-grain leather with Red contrast stitch leather.

There are integrated head restraints and increased lateral and squab support, 16-way adjustment of squab, cushion, lumbar and bolster elements, plus memory and heating functions.

The interior Jet Suede cloth headliner is complemented with Piano Black veneers. Bright Metal sport pedals are also fitted as standard.

The Jaguar XKR had it own standalone trim spec with uprated suspension and brakes, Computer Activated Technology Suspension (CATS), Active Exhaust System, sportier exterior styling, 20-inch alloy wheels, sports seats and a unique ‘weave’ design for the dash trim inserts.