Good day, good people.

I have a conundrum. As a working professional in a number of roles, I have been driving the American version of the Ford Mundane-o (Ford Fusion) for years now. Its a fine car, but its an appliance. It moves my body, not my soul. I have a '67 Camaro project, but I doubt that will ever be a daily driver. So, hear me out and weigh in on the daily driver rumble, if you feel so inclined. Here comes our contenders:
The first is a 5.0 XK NA. I find the car dreamy and the absolute last word in class. I think it'll have enough gusto, but it won't egg me on as much as our last contender. I have, however, read on the forums about water pump failures and tensioner/timing chain issues to name a few. I've also read that these are laborious and expensive repairs, and in some cases, the 5.0 can consume 3 water pumps in 75k or so miles. That is worrisome.
The second is a 4.2 XKR. I find her dreamy as well, and I understand that the 4.2 is a bit more conditioned and reliable than the 5.0. That said, I would want the supercharged 4.2 over the NA, and I have heard of i$$ues with repairs/reconditionings of the superchargers.
The last is an S550 Mustang GT, preferably the '18 or newer. I know, I know- but hear me out. I know that I want a piece of the mustang heritage. That,, and when outfitted with a couple of tasteful additions from the Shelby store, I know I'll feel the connection to Lee Iacocca, Carroll Shelby, Jack Roush, and the motoring past of mustang. Now, I know the GT would be less costly to maintain and run, but I am confident that I would end up doing bolt-ons anyway. That, and I know the GT would be an instigator of the local talent, cops, and my own temperament. That, and as indicated in previous posts, it doesn't have the gravitas of a gentlemanly Jag.
So, please weigh in. Be objective, be subjective, be direct. I do routine maintenance myself, but I won't get into a motor on a car that isn't my old Camaro. That said, I make a solid living, but I am by no means wealthy. Perhaps most importantly, would a couple XK owners feel as kind as to weigh in on the repair costs of what I outlined above as well as general running costs.
Thanks everyone, and happy holidays!

 

While I find all three 'sort of' in the same league, the Mustang just isn't SPECIAL. Now, I right now own two Mustangs and I think they are great. However...... they just don't give me that special grin when I drive them.
Therefore, for a daily driver I'd not partake the Mustang over any XK. Do you want to be a part of a crowd of the very common Mustangs, or stand out with extra style and class?
That said, which XK? Or more properly, an XK or an XKR?
While there is the possibility of problems with the water pump on the 5.0 (mine is original at 69,000 miles, but the plastic pipes under the blower have started to ooze), I find the 5.0 models slightly more refined in appearance, both inside and out.
Of the three, I'd choose the 5.0 XK and keep a couple hundred $$$ in reserve for possibly a water pump replacement.
Course, I'd add a fourth option, and that'd be a 2012+ XKR. Then I'd absolutely choose that fourth option.

 

of those, i can only vote for the 5.0 XK NA since that's what i picked.

but, if you forced me to pick a mustang to add to the poll, i'd take a '99 to '01 svt terminator cobra. i agree with CJ mustangs have no specialness to them, but because of my age and the date range these specific ones would feel a little special.

 

And keep the debate clear. What year of car in each category are you considering.
Comparing a 2012 car to a 2018 could hardly be fair if the maintenance was not up to date. Let alone storage, mileage, general care, …
Cars require maintenance. Some seem to be surprised by this fact.

 

There are certain itches that need to be scratched over the years. Sounds like you need to get some more American Muscle seat time in. IIRC the 2018 vintage Mustang was designed by Moray Callum, brother to Ian who designed the DB7 and XK150.....so I understand the draw. Every car has its weak points from a maintenance perspective. With that said, the XK 150 platform has proven to be on the reliable end of the spectrum. A water pump should not be a deterring factor since its relatively easy and inexpensive to replace. I would be more concerned with continuing factory support on the XK in the coming years.

For me, I never buy something that I would see at every stop light.....and thats the Mustang. I want something more unique or special. I rarely see another XK driving around town or on the freeway. With that said, the aftermarket support on the Mustang is endless. If you feel a connection to Shelby, Roush etc....get the Mustang and enjoy as its also a good looking car. I was looking for a specific color combination in an XK and If I threw in XKR on the want list, I would be waiting years to find one that fit the bill. Besides, I already own a supercharged 5.0 in another car so the NA 5.0 is fine. I say fine but it has plenty of power for my uses.

 

I've had both a Mustang and now an 2010 XK, the Mustang was a high performance 289 / 4 speed, but does not even come close the my XK in performance or looks.
My XK has 53K and still original water pump along with everything else except tires, brakes and battery.
It's a real head turner and people always have lots of questions about her. I would go with the XK.

 

Thanks, all. Some of you were helpful

 

Okay, the poll was closed and you didn't state your final opinion.
Wassup?

 

The Mustang won't have the fit and finish of the Jags, but will have better future support both parts replacements and aftermarket upgrades, it's more muscle than refined GT. The Jag Eaton superchargers are not that much of a problem as some might think and easy to service. I have and have had the newer engines and despite the increased power, I loathe the poor engineering and perpetual failures. The 4.2 engines are easier to service and more reliable. There are ways to get more power out of the 4.2 as well to put it on par with the 5 litre supercharged. Sadly though all X150 are doomed for parts replacements are barely supported.

 

Both the 4.2 and 5.0 are great. The problems you menuon the 5.0 are no worse than any performance automobile Water pump is an hour job and will cost you 100 bucks or less.
timing chain tensioners can fail like in any car
however ive never had to do it any any of my 3 xkr’s over the years. 4.2 is pretty much bullet proof but you need a supercharged version.
mustanges are great cars but like mercs , Audi and bmw ….a dime a dozen so nothing special there. If you want a 5.0 seriously conciser saving the extra for a supercharged version as the difference is way better in all areas
my2c

 

Thanks again to most of you. I am going to go with a 4.2 XKR. Seems to be the best bang for my buck given my current wants and budget. Cheers!

 

Good for you and congrats on the decision.

 

Recently acquired 4.2 2007 XKR - previously had a 2011 5.0 ... so my first order of business was to investigate mods for torque and horsepower. Went with Viezu V-Switch and their supplied pulley, I want to say $1400'ish USD shipped from England. Installation of the tune was a no-brainer, they have a good tutorial - you read your engine, send them the results, they send you the tune and you load it. The Pulley change isn't a must, it's not a radical difference- they claim 30 ftlb/hp and you can just do the pulley without a tune, I think they got me for $200'ish USD (was included in the $1400 total) for the pulley. The factory pulley needs cut off, the new one heated red hot and slid on to fit it, pulling it is a tall task with the limited space, breaks pullers, probably have to cut it off regardless and it's easier than the consternation of taking your front end apart for access.

All that said, I'm told the gain is 100ftlb and 75hp and I believe it ... having driven both the 5.0 stock and the 4.2 with the mods, I really believe the 4.2 to be quicker off the line and it NOT lacking when the engine is pulling at higher speeds. The tune also modified shift points ... very noticeable improvement in overall performance.

So save your quarters, nickels and dimes and if you want to wake up the cat - you'll be happy with the results.

I can enlighten with regards to pulley removal by cutting if anyone wants my take on that information ... it is not required for the tune, just an enhancement - if you can add lbft & hp for $10-$15 each lbft/hp my thoughts are why not?

This isn't a radical tune either, the pulley is mild, the tune is safe, no injector swaps, no plugs and so on ... straight forward stuff, positive results.

 

Awesome stuff. Really glad to hear that. Sounds like your cat has some serious claws.

 

My son wants an XK, XKR or XK8. He is now looking for one within his modest budget, but can't find a decent one near him (Seattle). It'll probably be a 4.2 XK8 to start, but those are hard to find in a coupe vs vert. He hates convertibles, though I don't know why.
Course, if someone in here wants to help him out......

 

excellent choice. I put 167,000 KM on my 2009 XKR 4.2 SC with absolutely zero issues other than regular maintenance and brake pads/rotors. Best car i ever owned. !

 

It's simple do you want to fix on it, or do you want to drive the heck out of it. If you drive/ abuse the Jag (any of them listed) as hard as you do/can the Mustang. I believe you will be under the hood more often, then behind the steering wheel of the Jag. Doll the Mustang up pretty, and Drive the He, double Hockey sticks out of it. It'll put a grin on your face for sure. Said a guy named Shelby!

If you want to impress the significant other, and go to dinner at a "Fine Restaurant" get the Jag.

Jack

OOOOOPPPPPPPSSSSSS I missed the part where he'd made a decision . That's what I get for skimming over the last several posts. My Bad.

 

1.Mustang is relatively easy to work on
2. tons and tons of stuff for it from body kits,interiors,suspension,brakes,engine hp mods,tuners etc.
3.the 18 GT will mop the floor with anything less than a 5.0 XKR,,with the right driver a bone stock 18 5.0 with the 10 speed auto runs high 11s,,
add tires,exhaust and E85 tune your close to the tens without touching the engine, nothing anywhere as fast for the cost.
4. Its way more common and nowhere near as special as a Jag..Looks of the 18+ is bland/catfish looking unless you put the Shelby front end on it.



My last car was a 14 Mustang ,had a 95 before that and an 88 before that,and my next was going to be an 18 Mustang but when I ran across my XKR it was 10k cheaper than the Mustang so I decided to give it a shot as I love the looks and the fact a lot of parts on it are from Ford..

 

At 11.9 it's even quicker then xkr 5.0 😮😮

 

A 2018 mustang (may) do 11.9 on a perfect day
however; at 3,700 lbs and 460 hp its pretty much tapped out in both power options and traction unless you have big money for a SC 8 grand and slicks…a tune does very little to a N/A engine.
A XKR with a simple tune and upper pulley (around 1,300$ ) will bring you over 600 HP plus and mid 11’s, With the Jaguar you have a far better automobile in every way plus 10-15-grand extra in your pocket over the cost of the Mustang That said, the Mustang GT is my favourite American car however, its not in the same league as a Jaguar XKR; a car that is actually a real GT.
my2c