I have an 06XKR and an 05XJ8 and use them as my daily driver interchangeably, driving one for a week and then the other to keep them both charged up. I have a 60 mile daily commute and I bought them to make that car time pleasurable. Life's too short to spend any significant time in some crummy car that I don't love to drive.

 

I drove a Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 through one of the worst winters in Boston about ten years ago. That car had the benefit of four wheel drive, so it might not be a fair comparison.

The only thing that I could add to the conversation is to be careful when trying to drive over or clear the sometimes large ridge of snow that snowplows create wben going down your street.

On one occasion, I thought I could just speed through just such a pile trying to get into my own driveway. With the powere and four wheel drive, I thought I could make it. No such luck! The center of the car wound up balancing on the center of the plowed snow ridge. It took me about twenty minutes of shoveling to clear the bottom of the car away from the tightly packed snow.

Hey, I never said I was a rocket scientist.

 

I

 

I've had my 2004 XK8 with 40K miles on it for 4 weeks. I live in South Florida and am more concerned about hydraulic green roofshowers I read about on the forum, than the daily commute. This will be my full time car and plan on maintaining to the limits of my budget. The family second car is a 2004 X-Type, so in the event of down time I still stay Jag loyal. Wondering if adding 35% window tinting to side windows screws up radio reception. BTW-This forum is fantastic resource. Thanks to those that keep it running!!!

 

My XK8 hasn't left the garage in a month or two. My wife and I are heading up to the mountains next week to go skiing, and I'd love to take it because it's MADE for road trips. On the other hand, the Expedition is much more practical for driving in the mountains on roads that might be snowy and icy. I still haven't made up my mind which car to take. I'll just see what the weather is supposed to be like on the day we leave and make my decision then. The Jag is the front-runner, however.

 

Tom,

You are right to be concerned, especially in a hot, sunny climate.

You know of the voltage reduction and relief valve fixes by now. I would strongly suggest that, until you fit one or the other, you do not raise or lower the top while the car's engine is running. Problem being, this makes ~ 150-200 psi more peak pressure than if you operate the top with the engine off. Can only up the odds of the dreaded green shower.

The battery drain in doing this is very small, something less than 0.1% of its charge, comparable to running your headlights for 30 seconds.

Good luck,

 

Mine is a mostly daily driver, but the office I work out of is out in the country on a road that doesn't get plowed very often. I have to be there (we are 24-7-365, stupid that we aren't in town) and I often have to battle snow drifts that would be well over the hood of the Jag, so it hasn't been out since early December and my Jeep gets used for now. I also run summer tires so I don't venture out in the snow all that often...but it is fun when I do

This is from last year:

 

My 95 X300 is a daily driver. We are suppose to get 3 to 6 inches this afternoon, so I will see how it rides in the snow. They don't use salt here anymore. They have a chemical that they spray the day before and when it snows it acts like the road was just salted. I heard it was made from beets, but I am not sure. If it is, it is the best use of beets I have ever heard of.

 

Thanks for the compliment Tom, we do try to make it a great community for everyone - a getaway from the office, home (not presuming anything guys/gals!) in addition to sharing the passion of owning jaguars.

tcarby...mmmmm, beets! Well, when nobody with functioning taste buds will eat them, I suppose you have to do something with em! Kentucky, the state with the first all-natural de-icer. I may come visit, just to see your roads next winter...are they red too? lol

 

Some places use magnesium chloride. I've also heard of other sodium based chemical solutions. Some are harder on cars and the roads than plain salt. The use quite a bit of gravel here so they don't have to use as much salt (or so they think)

 

Daily driver.

 

My Nephew lives in Mass, and he says they use salt around the Boston area (we're not from there BTW). It rusted out a Taurus he had in just a few years. He can't find decent 6-9 year old used cars up there as they will be pretty rusty at that age.

My Jag as a daily driver has been event free for a couple of weeks, and a few hundred miles...All JAG Systems GO...it has been a real pleasure.

P.S. Still scared of getting rammed by the lunatics on I-4 going through down town Orlando...recently ranked as one of the "Rudest" cities in America (5th, Miami 3rd, New York 1st or worst..can't recall the others).

 

I too live in Massachusetts (about an hour south of Boston). Over the last 25 years my three daily drivers lasted 410,000 miles (1986 Honda Accord) , 256,000 miles (1993 Dodge Intrepid) and 356,000 miles (2000 Chrysler Concorde). Yes I drove a lot...I was in sales.

None of them had rust except for a barely noticeable quarter size bubble on the Accord and the Concorde. They all died valiant mechanical deaths.

Secret? During the winter months I regularly brought them to the self-help wand type car wash wherein I took the wand and thoroughly washed the underside of the car.

Although I don't regularly drive the Jag in the snow anymore....she too will get the appropriate "Tops and Tails" scrubbing too.

 

JAG69, man do you ever drive alot! " Over the last 25 years my three daily drivers lasted 410,000 miles (1986 Honda Accord) , 256,000 miles (1993 Dodge Intrepid) and 356,000 miles (2000 Chrysler Concorde). Yes I drove a lot...I was in sales." Those are some amazing miles you got out of cars, and one hell-of-a-lot of driving. I have driven maybe 1/2 million miles in my entire lifetime!

 

My XK8 convert is a daily driver. No snow in Houston, but I keep the Avalanche around for the "rainy days" and toy hauling. When it rains in Houston the roads flood fairly quickly - jag way too low to even consider driving through water. Jag stays in the garage on those days! Besides, you're not a real Texan if you don't own a truck! You need a truck to tow all your toys: horses, boats, motorcycles, jet skis, etc. At 24 mpg, it beats the Avalanche, and running it 40 miles a day at 70mph keeps it running pretty smooth.

 

Clearly, hankster posted this before Super Bowl week. Would you like to amend your statement, hankster?

 

I had to look and see if I had added to this conversation before: My 2002 XKR is a daily driver - and my only car. Wife has a Prius which keeps us OK in Marin County environmental conversations.

I live a short (5 miles freeway) distance from an office I use (president of a non-profit org.), and I log about 5-6K miles a year. However every start-up is a complete warm-up. No local "just to the corner" driving.

One major repair - fuel pumps(s - there are two of them!), and one minor one (wheel sensor replacement) in 1.5 years at 30K total miles. Not bad in my book - and I have a super indy tech very local!

I believe in fluid maintenance - I change oil every 6 months. We have no snow, but plenty of rain during some of the year - like now! Nothing so far to make me want to go back to a high-clearance, high capacity, SUV or the like. DaleD

 

Both my 99xk8 & 2000s-type have been and are daily drivers. We love driving them! Why make them sit.

 

The Jag stays in a heated garage in the winter, we use our other cars and they hold up pretty good in the rust belt, no rust on the Lexus, 215,000 and running strong, Ford Explorer small surface rust appearing 115,000, and Ford F-350 diesel Dually 275,000 no rust yet, probably because the oil pan gasket leaks oil and sprays the under side. pretty much keeps it rust free. (have to pull the engine to replace gasket and that isn't going to happen.)
Doug
2001 XKR Silverstone

 

I'm on call 24/7 and normally drive a department vehicle. Other than a trip to Florida I don't think I bought more than four oor five tanks of gas last year for my Lincoln. In fact, I had to get out the jumper box to start it today. Hopefully I'll be able to exercise the Jag enough to avoid that situation.