JAGUAR XK Coupe 2006 on

Firstly, a confession, I am a bit of a Jag man owning various marks for the past 20 years. This, combined with a basic hatred of everything that come out of Germany, would normally make an opinionated review not worthy of any attention.

I have just taken delivery of a XK 4.2 coupe (2007 vintage with 40K on the clock) to replace my XJ of similar vintage. A combination of the pesky kids now all grown up and driving their own cars (bought by me I hasten to add) has allowed me to indulge in a toy to add to my sailing yacht and motorcycle collection. I also confess to having owned a few years ago a drop head Aston Martin DB7 of inline 6 vintage, which has compelled me to pen this review.

Ownership of the DB7, whilst fulfilling a childhood ambition to be Mr Bond and undoubtedly a beautiful car to behold, left me with a very nasty taste of owning a true British heritage sporting coupe, such was the horror show of owning this prestigious mark. I will not bore you know with the details, it is suffice to say, I will never buy an Aston again, shame.

When the decision was taken to buy a sports car to satisfy my midlife crisis my shortlist comprised of two dreaded German contenders, the Mercedes SL and BMW 6 series.

After testing all the contenders I had the opportunity to drive the XK and in my opinion, this car puts the others to shame. Firstly it is beautiful, a great evolution of the XK8 and designed by the guy who did the DB7 so enough said. Secondly it is British (ignoring the corporation ownership) which satisfies my personal needs, thirdly, and most importantly, it is everything the Aston wasn’t, reliable, beautifully put together, fast (certainly for any driver in the UK) and practical.

I use it regularly for work and it’s as easy to drive, great on long distances and as user friendly as my wife’s Focus. Fuel economy isn’t great but if you can afford a car like this then don’t worry. Need economy buy a diesel BM.

I am so pleased with my purchase I would recommend anyone in my position to take a test drive in this remarkable car before parting with your hard earned cash.

Bought the car as a toy/present for myself after having to sell a much loved classic during a messy divorce. I wanted something reliable enough to go touring on the continent, fun to drive, practical and something a little bit different.

The thing with the XK/R is you get a lot of bhp for your buck. This car has astonishing performance, it is in the warp factor category and will blow away nearly anything else on the road, particularly in the mid-range.

But pure power belies the depth of this car. It is comfortable and if you want to drive it like Mrs Miggins down to the shops it's just fine with that with no hint of the latent power available. It's quite firm on suspension but much more controlled and nice on rough roads than a Porsche in my view.

My six and nine year old sit comfortably in the back (although I can see my 9-year old won't be able to in a year or so) and the boot is easily big enough for touring clobber. The looks are amazing (especially as I have Salsa Red and the Black Pack) and the first time I took it out someone commented on it.

Electronic integration is excellent with iPhone, iPod etc all nicely supported.

Fuel consumption is about 22mpg at the moment: it would rise on a run but I cant help hoofing it now and again - the noise is amazing and it always puts a smile on my face.

Everyone should try a car once in their life that has more power than they have bottle, and this is it. Buy one, you won't regret it!

Had the Jaguar XK for a month now. It is the most expensive car I have ever bought by some margin; but worth it.

The lines are simply stunning and it has the very rare quality of looking great from all angles. The shark type gills and the e-type front grill catch the eye in particular. Everyone who has seen it since I bought it, loves it.

The XK is great when cruising and excellerates very quickly as you might expect. I have just started to play around using the flappy paddles and the daily fuel economy has risen by 2 miles per gallon! (22 instead of 20). It feels great when overtaking. You can slip the car into 'sports mode' by moving the automatic gear lever to the left and the engine revs double and it becomes far more responsive.

Some reviews are a tad cruel about the practicality of the XK. Reviewers have said the rear seats are useless, but this simply is not true. I have two boys (9 and 6), and they fit in fine. They came with me for a test drive of an Audi TT earlier in the day and said the Audi was no where near as comfortable for them. The seats in the back of the XK ARE useless for adults but they were obviously never designed for them. The boot surprises everyone. It is a useful hatchback and can carry several big bags (or the 'standard' two golf bags if you prefer). I regularly carry a wheelchair in the boot, along with two school bags and a football and they fit with no problems at all.

The interior is as you might expect from a luxury car like the XK. Mine is full of leather and wood. The touch screen for the phone, CD and satnav is great and the bluetooth for the phone works a treat. The 6 CD system is very easy, but there is no iPod connection which appears to be an oversight (considering Jaguar are trying to attract younger drivers). Heated seats are brilliant on cold mornings and I really like the 'auto' settings for the wipers, lights and to clear the windscreen of condensation-everything done quickly and when you want it. Absolutely love the push button engine start-growls and puts a smile on your face every time without fail.

A great car and a pleasure to drive. Surely one of the most beautiful cars on the road in anyone's book.

There's no questioning the staggering beauty and beastliness of the XK's looks: far more aggressive than its predecessor, lighter, faster, and much better equipped inside. But the price tag is correspondingly high, even when you don't factor in running costs. OK, you pay for what you get; it won't come cheap, and that's just fine. But is it worth the extra? What makes a car worth more than, say, £10,000, the price of an equivalent mileage XK8? At £25,000, it should be demonstrable and clear. But beyond the nearly up-to-date interior (no MP3/USB port or digital speedo) and restyled lines that smack of Aston Martin - but just a whisker short of a DB9’s elegance - is it worth the extra? Yes and no; mostly, sadly, no.

It’s fast enough, with a smooooth, flawless transmission that kicks you in the back in speed mode. It will handle corners well enough at low and higher speeds. It looks gorgeous to the appreciative eye. But it’s harsh as hell at the back end with bone-jarring crunches over even small bumps. And, unless the roads are smooth as glass, the slightest damp patch has the traction control over-reacting and hard acceleration almost anywhere invokes either traction intervention or wheel spin.

Jaguar need to sort that one out. It makes it mostly unusable as a sports car in the way the designers proposed. I ended up asking myself, ‘what would make a car worth £25,000, or much, much, more?’ My conclusion was nothing, unless it’s the ego being flattered by a beautiful name like Bugatti. In which case, you’ll never be satisfied because someone else will always have a nicer car than you.

I’m going back to my old XK8: slower (a little), desperately dated inside (nothing the local car media and paint guys can’t fix) but it’s amazing value for money at under ten grand. Sorry Jaguar: the new XK just doesn’t outstrip the 8 by enough to justify the expense.

If you wish to own a car which makes you smile every day even when you approach it, the Jag XK is the one for you.

No good for a Sunday drive with your Granny in the back seat but in all other respects, superb.

Get your hands on a low mileage 2006 vehicle and you will save a fortune on the list price - cheap private reg and you're off!

I have had a 57 plate XKR for four months now. I really wanted an Aston Vantage or a Maserati GT, which I still think are prettier, and I considered a 911 for the drive reputation. I drove a 911 C4S and was immediately dissuaded by the horrendous road noise from the rear wheels, but the drive was otherwise great. The used price of the Aston or the Maserati is roughly half as much again as the XKR, and having driven the Aston, the XKR stays with it all the way. The XKR is faster than the Maserati. The Maserati is further disadvantaged by a reputation for poor reliability, high service costs, and limited service outlets, but the interior is stunning. My XKR was 3.5 yrs old but had only done 22k so it was almost new in feel. I was intending to keep it for only a year but its such a pleasure to drive that I may well ditch that plan. Its a purring luxury cruiser or in sport mode with traction control off its a wild growling beast. My Portfolio edition has a beautiful Bowers & Wilkins upgraded soundsystem which is better than a Bose system I had in an Alfa GT. The XKR is not practical for passengers in the back seats, even kids are squashed. In my opinion the aesthetics of the coupe are finer than the convertible, although I can see the appeal of the convertible for the few opportunities you would have to put the roof down in British weather. As the body is aluminium, its perfectly happy being left on the drive rather than being garaged when not in use. Its the only car I've owned where the combined mpg is actually better than that specified in the tech manual - I'm typically getting 24 mpg. The aftermarket fitted front park assist has failed and is not covered by the warranty but again, the Jag can be serviced by Jag specialists much cheaper than at a dealership unlike the Aston or Maserati. Compared to its obvious competitors, the XKR wins outright.

This car has been fantastic. Though not driven to it's potential by me, as i am not a fast driver. It is a luxury car that turns heads. The fuel consumption is no where near as bad as i thought it would be. It is very comfortable. Great fun and drives fab

The Jaguar XK is a magnificent motor - its only downside is that it doesn't ike snow & ice !.

This performance motor enjoys nothing more that to be cared for with a little TLC & it works like a trojen in return. I have used it daily for two years with not one tiny problem - it is totally reliable & a joy to drive.

I will be sad to see it go to be replace by a new onw !

Lovely car - can"t do without it! It look sgreat on the street and I love people looking at me.. .........................................................................................................................

Fabulous mild mannered GT car. Very smooth to drive and practical. Goes well when pushed harder and the lazy V8 comes to life. Sounds great and looks like the cat's pyjamas.

You can get plenty of luggage in it if you choose bags carefully. It will take a set of golf clubs or two weeks luggage for 2 (taking more than a swimming cossie).

Used day to day for work, mainly motorway driving. Uses less fuel than my Audi A6 and manages about 29 miles/gallon cruising but average overall about 26 mpg.

I love my big cat!