I loved the look of this car ever since it was launched in 2006. It was my dream to own one and now production has just ended, I thought I had better act. Earlier this year I had sold a much loved classic E-Type and thought it was time I upgraded my 14 year old Omega anyway. So I picked up a brand new XK Supercharged car on Friday for an overnight test drive. In black it looked fabulous (though shame about the beige interior).
I knew there would be compromises with a car like this but sadly, there were too many. I was disappointed. I am 6ft 2 and could not get the seat set to be comfortable position despite all the options. Push it back too far and the back started tipping forward. Visibility was poor. The rear seats are nothing more than decoration. I had hoped my 13 year old could squeeze in the back for the odd trip but no chance. The roofline is way to low in the back seat area to get anyone in let alone have legroom. Driving around town at slow speed was difficult as the throttle response was brutal. Not much interior space; I only just managed to squeeze my suitcase in the boot and had to stuff my carry-on bag in the passenger footwell.
It was incredibly fast though - my wife said it felt like being on a rollercoaster. Fuel consumption averaged 20mpg which is not bad for the 50 miles or so I drove it, the way I drove it.
handing the keys back to the dealer I wondered how I would feel getting back into the Omega. Actually it felt great. Comfy, easy to drive, great all round visibility. loads of space and plenty quick enough. A £70,000 car versus a £150 car.
Author
Topic: Jaguar XKR Test Drive (Read 1561 times)