Dilemma

[highlander]

I am officially annoyed.

For giggles, I went to get an insurance quote on a 2003-plate Jaguar XK8 (4.2 litre naturally-aspirated V8 producing 300 HP) and it was basically the same as what I'm currently paying for my Coupe, despite my Coupe being a much cheaper car (both when new and when I bought it), a much less powerful car, and (in most people's eyes) a much less desirable car.

I also found that if I bought that XK8, the road tax is EXACTLY THE FECKING SAME - £270 for the year, or £148.50 for 6 months.

I did the same for a 2003-plate Maserati 4200 Cambiocorsa (powered by a 4.2 litre naturally-aspirated Ferrari V8 producing 385 HP) and found that although the insurance premium is higher, it's not prohibitively higher.

The scary thing is that both of these cars are easily affordable - I could buy a good, well-looked-after example of either car for under £8,000. That's right - V8 performance cars for Vauxhall Corsa shopping trolley money.

I wouldn't buy the Maserati because I know the Ferrari engine would be horrendously expensive to maintain whenever it needed parts (I can hear the cash register "ching!" already ), and parts aren't readily available - they'd need to ship in all manner of stuff from Modena, even for a simple service in some cases. But the Jag would be a much cheaper prospect to run (especially if I went for the XK8 rather than the supercharged XKR) - it would certainly be more expensive, but still comparable in cost with the Coupe.

I love my Coupe but have always felt it could use an extra four cylinders - and considering the running costs (other than the obvious one, which is fuel ...) wouldn't be that much worse for the Jag, I'm left wondering why I don't make the switch?

My Wife already voiced a concern that maybe the Jag would be less practical - less roomy - so if I did switch, I might go for a soft-top convertible rather than a hard-top Coupe - can't get much more roomy than infinite, can you

I think I'm going to call my current insurer and find out why exactly they're charging me such high premiums for the Coupe. It's robbery. I don't see any reason why a 160 HP 4cyl Peugeot costs about the same to insure as a 300 HP V8 Jaguar.

(I am thinking about this mostly because I think I may be changing to a different job with a higher salary - might not happen, and even if it does, I will still be keeping the Coupe for a while yet)

[Welly]

The V8 Jag would be a lot of car for the money and it should in theory be fairly simple to own............IN THEORY! they're the sort of car that frighten the life out of most car buyers and the value takes a massive hit as a result. I remember back in year 2000? every single XK8 was recalled to (basically) have a new engine because of some problem with piston ring/bore liner wear (heavy oil consumption and lack of performance) I don't know if they all got the star treatment or whether it continued to be a problem? also a problem with timing chain tensioners?

I guess an XK8 would be the perfect weekender; you and Mrs Highlander with the wind in your hair (if you have any) and cruising about with gay abandon taking one to work every day? I'm not so sure

It seems to be expensive to insure Peugeots, Bailes on here replaced a 406 with an expensive newer Mondeo and got a credit back in his pocket

[highlander]

I remember back in year 2000? every single XK8 was recalled to (basically) have a new engine because of some problem with piston ring/bore liner wear (heavy oil consumption and lack of performance) I don't know if they all got the star treatment or whether it continued to be a problem? also a problem with timing chain tensioners?

I did read that about the earlier XKs - the piston ring issue affected both the XK8 and XKR, and the problem was resolved around 2000 - 2001. Cars built afterwards were not affected with this issue. No idea about the timing chain tensioners, but again, that's the sort of thing that would likely affect the older models. The affected engines were the older 4.0 litre V8s - the one I wanted was the 4.2 litre V8. I'd love the supercharged one (XKR) but the fuel consumption is apparently considerably worse, due to the way the supercharger works.

I guess an XK8 would be the perfect weekender; you and Mrs Highlander with the wind in your hair (if you have any)

I do indeed have a full head of hair, though it does seem to be deciding to turn a bit grey in places lately...

Trouble with it being a "Weekender" is that I don't have a house of my own - no garage, just a residential carport (not on the main road). I would want it as an everyday car. Fuel costs likely prohibitive of that.

In all likelihood, I'll not be getting one anyway - need to sort out some kind of house or something first. Let me know when houses stop being stupidly expensive and banks stop being greedy bastards. I suspect that'll be around the time Satan skiis to work.

[plod]

I appreciate i'm loaded a bit with declaring my mods, but it's still ridiculous how I can insure:
a Zafira Turbo with 200bhp for £200
A Subaru Impreza WRX for £100 less
A Saab 95 Hot with 250bhp for about £200 less

Tis a tad crazy, and more importantly, rather annoying

I know some will say, don't declare the mods, but insurance companies will use any excuse not to pay out
Hence, when, I do change my car, I want the most specc'd up as standard car I can get, so as not to load the insurance
e.g. when I was going to remortgage early last year ( but didn't bother ) I was looking at a 407 2.2HDi Bi turbo SW XS which is 170bhp, has 18" alloys as standard, rear spoiler, and a few other nice touches, and yet that would of been £250ish cheaper to insure

[rwb]

407 2.2HDi

HA! I keep looking at them! If it's good enough for you then I'm sold. How's that for a decision
I'm fairly certain they are ammeanable to a de-cat and de-fap too.

[scotty73]

Another deserter I still can't understand for the life of me why it's so expensive to insure a 406 my insurance went up over 200 notes when we went from the xsara to the 406 but i put that down to everything but wages rising in this stupid country.

[Welly]

I don't understand either, I wonder if they're seen as a bad risk? quite a few caught fire in the early days and loads were used as taxi's so may have had a lot of claims given the mileage they do? I dunno it's weird.

I wonder if it's because they'd get written off easily? most 406's out there are worth less than £3k and they'd never approve repairs costing £1,000.00 or more so they'd have to cough up maybe £2,000.00 to settle even the lightest of fender-benders?

[scotty73]

For giggles[/size]

Also for the giggle i opened up autotrader mainly to check the performance of the 4.2 XK and found this decent example.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

Not many 4.2's on there in the first 9 pages i checked, what mpg's are you getting with the coupe? i know the jag is the kind of car you buy only if you know you can afford it's up keep especially the fuel.... Nice car and one i could never afford unless the bank job goes smothly.

[highlander]

Fuel would be a killer. If I'm on a dual-carriageway in town at 40 MPH, I can get around 45 - 50 MPG. On the dual-carriageway out of town at 70, then I can see between 32 and 38, depending on if the road is uphill or downhill.

Apparently you can get 34 MPG out of the XK8 4.2 but I guess you got to drive it like a total grannie to get that kind of mileage. I would be too addicted to the V8 snarl (I heard one of these go past and OH MY GOD it sounds fantastic) and get up getting single-digit figures

Also, I bet you have to run the XK on fancy-pants fuel (i.e. Shell V-Power)

[highlander]

Actually, everyone goes on about how high they can get their MPG counter to read. I seem to prefer trying to get it to go as low as possible

[scotty73]

It's a decision that will be made by your wallet (bastard things)
I remember my brother buying a Subaru wrx 5 grand on his credit card and he came here for me to have a go it was scary quick and i said can you afford this? you work in the factory you don't f*cking own it to which he replied no problem bro.

Well 6 months of fuel bills later and it was for sale, 6 months after that he was bankrupt (his mrs at the time had something to do with that mind)
He now works in oil refineries earning over a grand a week and drives an 02 plate Astra estate... Guess he learned his lesson.

Grand a week.

Actually, everyone goes on about how high they can get their MPG counter to read. I seem to prefer trying to get it to go as low as possible

[steve_earwig]

Actually, everyone goes on about how high they can get their MPG counter to read. I seem to prefer trying to get it to go as low as possible

Me too But then it's in litres per 100km

[Welly]

Also, I bet you have to run the XK on fancy-pants fuel (i.e. Shell V-Power)

I've used fancy-pants Unleaded exclusively for the last 3 years and it pays for itself in better MPG - only just mind but it is not as 'expensive' as it first seems. Car's a lot snortier on it too

95ron fuel has a tendency to try to pre-ignite (pinking) so the ECU 'hears' the knock and retards the ignition straight away meaning for you to maintain the same pace you have to press on the gas just a bit more........

[highlander]

it is not as 'expensive' as it first seems

Sticking 75 litres of it in an XK's tank must be horrific though 75 litres @ £1.47 per litre = £110.25 for a tank. Which will probably not last all that long... If I was going on a long drive (Aberdeen to Thurso = 210 miles, round trip 420 miles) then I know I can coax between 500 and 550 miles out of the Coupe's 70 litre tank, and almost 600 miles out of the tank in the 1.8 saloon.

My normal daily run to/from work is a 14 mile round trip, and generally involves sitting in traffic (depending on the time of day). I can get 320 - 350 miles out of a tank in the Coupe if I don't go anywhere else, and the entire tank is only used for going to/from work.

I have never used V-Power in the Coupe. When fuel wasn't as stupidly expensive, I tried a tankful in the old 1.8 saloon, but if anything, MPG was worse. That car didn't have a trip computer though so I have no idea.

[Welly]

I can get 320 - 350 miles out of a tank in the Coupe if I don't go anywhere else, and the entire tank is only used for going to/from work.

22mpg ish? sounds about right, even a Diesel would struggle to get 33mpg in that sort of driving.

I have never used V-Power in the Coupe. When fuel wasn't as stupidly expensive, I tried a tankful in the old 1.8 saloon, but if anything, MPG was worse. That car didn't have a trip computer though so I have no idea.

The ECU can go a bit funny when running a 'new' fuel at first, to then improve if the fuel stays the same. I believe high octane is more effective on turbo'd petrols but the principle should always be the same - better combustion = better mpg. Some folk do an ECU reset to kinda 'learn' how the new fuel behaves but that might be getting a bit anal really.

Even my Lawn Mower runs on Super Unleaded, mind you that's been lowered and runs staggered rims