So, I saw this model on ebay, a 2007 coupe with "16,000 miles": Jaguar Other XK | eBay

Curious, I wondered if it was true mileage. Best way to find out (while not being there) was to ask about the dates on the tires. If really was 16K miles, the tires should be original, with 2007 date stamps. If later, possible the second set and the mileage was not true.

Asked the selling dealer to send the date stamps, with a pic of one of the mounted tires.

Couple days later, I got "Sorry, we decided to mount a brand new set of Hankook Ventus after those photos were taken."

Be careful out there with those really low, low mileage cars....

 

I think you are unduly suspicious. First, tires have a normal life of about 6-7 years regardless of miles put on; the rubber gets hard, cracks can appear, and on a high-performance car like the XK the last thing the dealer wants is a lawsuit because he sold the car with unsafe tires. Second, the Hankook Ventus tires are excellent on the XK. Third, it is not likely that the mileage figure can be faked - the electronic units do not readily permit this. Fourth, the mileage can be checked against the service record very, very easily. Look at the car again!

 

Perhaps. To paraphrase Reagan, my experience with used car dealers has been "verify, but verify", so to speak. There really is no trust involved.

IMHO, dealers will sell the car with the tires that are on it, if the tires are legal (and they certainly should be, according to the Dunlop pics displayed in the original ad). Should a buyer want new or better tires, it's a negotiating point.

Though I appreciate the merit of reviewing service records, the sudden appearance of new tires in response to my query is enough to move me on to the next opportunity.

There are other low mileage XK's out there.

 

I have purchased new 2 XKs and 1 XKR with both Pirellis and Dunlops. I had to replace the tires on all of them within 13,000 miles. The fronts could have gone a bit longer but the rears were getting pretty slippery. I do almost all city driving, a lot of stop and go.

I've got 12,000 miles on the current Michelin Super Sports and the rears are about ready. Maybe I can get another couple thousand miles, however the fronts don't look too bad.

So my guess is that any XK/XKR with 16,000 miles should have new tires on it.

 

I would hardly expect more than two years out of my tires, but then I dont buy tires for how long they last, but more for how well they grip...

 

I think it is not suspicious at all. The Hankook Ventus V12 is a very popular tire for dealers to put on these cars when preparing them for sale as they are inexpensive and are still technically a high performance summer tire. For $700, they can throw new tires on there and make the car much easier to sell!

 

Some time back I watched a video that showed a guy connecting to a car with a cheap device and simply reprogramming the odometer to what ever he wanted. There are tons of those reprogramming devices available online.

Albert

 

Yup, I would definitely be suspicious about super low mileage XKs. But not because of the tires. I think you would be able to tell if it were wiped. At 16k miles, there should be very few, if any, chips and things on the hood/fenders. Also, the XKs are notorious for getting a pitted surface on the fenders/rocker panel just behind the front wheels.

 

All I can say is that I bought a 2007 XK in 2011 with only 7k miles on it and had to change the original Dunlops as they were hard, noisy and generally felt unsafe. Time and lack of use are not kind to tires and I would definately not want to ride on 7 year old rubber. I replaced mine with the Sumitomo HTR Z III. I seem to be a sole voice on this forum on how good these tires are and after 15,000 miles couldn't be happier. BTW I love the color of that XK and would have it in a heart beat.

Steve

 

My 2007 has about 10,600 miles, on the original Pirellis....but they're almost done at about 5/32 left. I've also been worried about their age, so one way or another they're gone this year...

At 16K miles, I'd be a little surprised to see the originals still on a car. The shots of the tires make them look somewhat bald.

I do take some offense at "This must be the cleanest 2007 to be found anywhere" comment, I'd put mine against theirs any time....and there seemed to be some staining on the driver's seat and seat belt. Could just be the light.

 

When I bought my 07 XKR just over a year ago it had done around 15,500 miles. I got the dealer to change the rear tyres as they were close to needing to be replaced. A year and 3,500 miles later the fronts are still the originals but should probably be replaced some time this year.

 

Yep, many of the high performance tires have very low tread life....which comes as a shock to some people as they're often quite expensive.

I bought my XJR with 30k miles. The original P-Zero Pirellies were long gone and were replaced with Goodyear Eagle-somethings....and *they* were worn out when I bought the car.

Three sets of BF Goodrich KDWS tires lasted about 16k each as I recall. When you drive 16-18-20k miles a year this starts getting expensive.

I finally re-sized entirely and went to a more conventional V-rated touring tire...BFG Advantage. First set went 40k miles the second look like it might go 45k.

Ramble switch "off"


But, I agree.....new tires in the example given don't prove anything suspicious is happening

Cheers
DD

 

It depends on the age and climate as well. My 08 still had the original tires (24K miles) when I bought it. The tires were dry rotted and cracked which made the ride loud and harsh. I told the dealer I was interested but not without new tires. And naturally, the first thing they threw out was "We'll put some new Hankook V12's on there for you". I turned around and began to walk out and they offered to install some good tires instead. When I came back it was sitting on a brand new set of Michelin Pilots free of charge.

 

I was on my 2nd set of tires by 12K. Would have to look at the paper work, but I was on my 3rd set by low 20's. Tires do not last long and I just drive this like a regular car. I'd think it would be difficult to make the mileage on this car.

 

All interesting thoughts. I guess, from the owners commenting here, that low mileage XK's are likely to actually be low mileage -- as unbelievable as it may be to someone used to other cars.

Not that'll I'll be any less skeptical of used car dealers, but this adds a distaff view. Thanks.

 

I didn't realize Hankook Ventus V12s were such crappy tires. I wonder what a better tire would be for around the $900/set range.

 

Totally disagree with above statement. I have used Hankook Ventus racing slicks on my Formula race cars for years. They have always held up well under dramatic racing conditions. Home Page

My Jag XKR 2009 with 14,500 recently went thru a tire change and my choice was the Hankook Ventus V12 Evo tires. My choice was strictly based for price and past usage experience. Despite what some car owners might think, these Hankook tires are highly rated & are considered high performance tires. For approximately $750 per set, (including tire mounting) you can get great usage under normal driving conditions and roads, and replace them with another set for what others are paying for one set.

I don't work for Hankook, don't get paid for this endorsement, and my purchase was solely made by myself, and based on past experience with the brand.

Performance and durability of any tire depends upon the driving conditions of both road and driver.

For most owners who drive limited mileage each year, these are a highly reasonable choice for tire replacement.

 

I have a 1984 Mustang that I purchased new with the original tires and there have been no issues so far. The car has about 33,000 miles on it. They are metric tires and the last quote that I received to replace the tires was $2000.

 

I've heard and read many, many, glowing reviews of the Ventus V12 (including the review from Road & Track) which is why I bought them in the first place. But, my personal experience with them on my previous car (535i) was nothing short of a total nightmare.

I've also read quite a few reviews from people who have had the same balancing issues as myself (including my buddy who has them on his XF). I had them all (9 tires in total) Roadfoce balanced on my own accord, and per the suggestion of Hankook and every single one failed miserably. I even sent Hankook the results from Discount Tire, the local BMW dealer (who inspected my car and the wheels), and another local indy shop that has a the required machinery. In the end, Hankook refunded me about $600. That was barely enough to cover the costs of proving to Hankook how crappy the tires were.

So these days, I pass on cheap tires no matter how good the reviews are.

 

The only beef I have with my Hankook Ventus V12s is flatspotting in cold weather. But that seems to be normal for a summer tire.

I wonder how Kumho Ecsta SPT tires are. They are only $638 a set, and appear to have the same levels on the TireRack.com survey.