I wonder if Jay Leno has one in his collection?

 

I spent the day at Jay Leno's garages two and half years ago. There wasn't an XK8/R there when I was there.

However, it wouldn't surprise me if he had a post 2010 XKR.

 

Sounds like you could objectively comment on the comparison of the two; how would you compare the two in driving characteristics, reliability, appeal & general attention getting?

 

I'm curious too as I'm in a similar boat with 2 convertibles(Corvette and XKR) and I have been looking at replacing the Corvette with an SL55.

I don't care about attention getting, but as long as it is generally reliable I'm good. I do all my own work, so the price of parts being reasonable is really my main concern(I already know about the ABC pump and struts, top pump, supercharger clutch). I know the SL500 and SL55 are two different animals performance wise, but they share so many parts and the same platform, so I was wondering how your experiences have been.

 

Hey Dave--next time you get an invite to Leno's garage I'd be happy to tag along!


Doug

 

I was considering buying an Audi RS5 convertible. If I had bought that, I'm certain I would not have regretted it one bit.

Of course I would immediately regret buying an A model Audi.

 

Do you own a Jag ??

 

BIG difference. It's not that I dislike german cars, they have made some of my dream vehicles. However, disliking a C280 isn't the same as dissing a SL65. I like the bigger german cars (I owned a 560SEL Mercedes and currently own a BMW 740i), and I like the A8 & A8L(and really like the S8), R8 and RS5.

The RS5 Vert is nice though; why did you side against it?

 

I have had 2 convertables for several years, a Corvette and XK8. It is a fun combination.

I often get compliments on the XK8, most people believe it is new. A "modern classic" as someone told me recently.

 

Quote: Sounds like you could objectively comment on the comparison of the two; how would you compare the two in driving characteristics, reliability, appeal & general attention getting?

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pomosv - good questions....the 2 cars are as different from one another as they could possibly be. The SL500 is a true roadster, small cockpit, very sporty / luxury interior, 7-speed automatic trans with paddle shift, very firm leather seats in a very high quality leather, etc, complex yet fabulous suspension (when working properly) . You feel like you are driving a true luxury sports car without anything missing.

The XK8 feels more relaxed, more of a "cruiser" that can get up and moving quickly when needed. With the soft seats, the all-wood dash, the 4-speed auto trans, coil suspension, etc, it just doesn't begin to compare from a performance or driveability standpoint. That said, most of that is to be assumed due to the major differences in the two cars. Also, it depends on your driving style.

Everyone glares at the SL....it's a 100K+ car new, and has the looks to match with AMG body kit, vents on the hood and front fenders, etc. You don't see too many of them around, similar to the XK8. That said, the XK8 gets a lot of compliments, especially from a more mature crowd. I'm 35, and older men and women (40s, 50s) always compliment on it. Teens and 20s don't pay it much attention. The SL gets attention no matter where you go or who is there.

The jury is out on reliability, as I have only put about 5K on the SL and I did a bunch of maintenance stuff when I first bought it. No issues though. Still chasing rich codes, some squeaks, oil leak etc on the XK8. Although I love the JAG, I am disappointed at the quality of the interior materials, the leather, center console, door panels, dash vents, etc. I will probably replace most of those with new ones, but I would have expected better.

I hope that answers your questions....just two completely different cars, but they should be. Not to mention one of them is worth over 30K, the other is worth 10K. That needs to be taken into consideration as well.

 

Good comparison. Before I bought my 02 XKR coupe I was also considering similar years SL500 and 911. Just in case anyone deciding in the future reads this, here's what did it for the Jag for me:

-Driving and performance wise, I thought the XKR and 911 far surpassed the SL500. XKR was a beast while providing great comfort and creature comforts the 911 didn't. Both are quick performance cars, though the XKR is a touring coupe, whereas the 911 would be more fun around a track. I really like that the SL500 came with a foldable hardtop though.

-In my research, I thought the Jag would actually be the most reliable. The ABC suspension issues on the merc, and the high number of engine failures on the 996 porsche made the DIY task of changing tensioners seem easy in comparison.

- Where I live, I haven't seen a single other 98-05 XK coupe. Handful of convertibles, but I have yet to see another XKR silver coupe in the Vancouver area. SL500's are EVERYWHERE, especially the 03-08's. Plenty of 996 911's around too (and for very cheap), especially now that the new 997 has been around for a few years, and 996 engine failures are still an issue.

- Ultimately, I went with an 02 XKR silver coupe because I found one locally for a steal of a deal.

...I was also considering a CL500/55/600 but, again, ABC system issues and electrical gremlins put me off. Also considered a 6 series, but again, those are quite plentiful and I was looking for something a bit more original.

Ultimately, this also did it for me:
http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s...r.mp4&newest=1

 

I agree there are hardly any XK coupes around (either XK8 or XKR)....in my area there are 3 or 4 XK8's that you see around town (2 or 3 conv, 1 coupe) and there are 2 other SL500 (R230 series). I see a TON of the pre-2003 SL's which look very, very dated since they date back to the early 90's with much of the original design. Never been a fan of Porsche due to cramped cockpit and lack of comfort and practicality. I have never driven and XKR and would assume it's a different experience than the regular 4-litre, so I'm limited to the Xk8 vs. SL500 comparison. I would think the XKR would be compared to the SL55 instead of the 500 just in terms of what is offered under the hood.

All nice cars....and I'm looking forward to "refurbishing" the interior on my Jag in the coming months!

 

I didn't side against it. I was looking around and saw my XK8 on a used car lot for $8k. I took it for a test drive. I couldn't get it out of my head so I came back a few days later and bought it.

Since then I've educated myself and bought the 05 XKR which was worth every cent more than I paid for the XK8. I really loved the my XK8 but after researching, I wanted a newer car with the updated motor, supercharger, 6 speed, tighter suspension, 20" Sepang rims and Recaro seats... so I bought the 05 I drive now.

I just fell in love with the Jag. I don't see why you mention the SL65 though. That's a different class altogether. I'd still take the R8 V10 Spyder over the SL65, mostly because I prefer the body style... they're both amazing vehicles though.

I did go to an Audi dealer just to consider the R8. I would be too worried about scratching it or getting dinged and there are no V10 Spyders that have depreciated to the point to where I wouldn't be worried. It's also a bit much for a daily driver. heh

 

I mentioned the SL65(high up in the Merc range) and the C-Class(low in the Merc range) since I mentioned that people don't tell their grand kids about that entry level BMW, Mercedes, Audi; but they do tell their kids about that SL, 911, w/e they had. You had stated that you wouldn't have regretted buying an RS5 Vert; which is significantly different from the A4 Cabrio. It went with that.

 

You are perfect person to ask my question: I am thinking of buying either an 03-06 XK8 or 03-04 SL500 and was wondering how does the XK compare in interior room to the SL? I now the R230 is a more modern car than the first generation XK but how do the driving dynamics compare? One thing I don't like about the XK is it does not have a tonneau cover while the SL top folds so cleanly into the body it is unbelievable. Any advice would be great.

 

Ah, gotcha. In any event, I was looking for a high performance car of some sort.

The only car I wanted to purchase but actually did rule out was the R8... and with it, any car in that price range really. It was highly impractical.