Mash's 2008 Jaguar XK

Long-term update: Our Jaguar XK finally gets its eyes fixed

Long-term update: Our Jaguar XK finally gets its eyes fixed

The last generation of the Jaguar had a massive factory problem. One of several electronic control modules on the HID headlights used to keep shorting out in some way or the other every time there was some sort of power surge, such as when your battery dies or sometimes even randomly, maybe once every two years. This used to cause the auto-levelling function to go stupid, making the headlights point permanently downwards even though they are perfectly working fine otherwise (while flashing a warning light in your gauge cluster permanently as well). Oddly enough, the warning light was for the turning-headlights feature,

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Long-term update: Jaguar XK's smart repair showing its age

Long-term update: Jaguar XK’s smart repair showing its age

Hard to believe, but our 2008 Jaguar XK is a decade old now. I’d say we’ve kept it cleaner than most, even though we simply park it outside all the time and service it once a year. Real premium cars (not the rebadged stuff from mainstream carmakers) are generally built with better materials, so they last longer in terms of trim and leather (but not always mechanically). However, our Jag needed a bit of care to keep it looking fresh.

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Long-term update: Jaguar XK -- the dealer is the best option sometimes

Long-term update: Jaguar XK — the dealer is the best option sometimes

There are a few obvious things you should know about owning a luxury car. One is dealer maintenance and repair can be ridiculously expensive. The other is that most non-dealer garages don’t know how to maintain or repair a modern luxury car beyond the mechanical basics. So you can save money by going to non-dealer garages, but certain tasks can only be performed by the dealer. The tricky part is figuring out which is which without losing a ton of money on experimentation. We did exactly that with our Jaguar XK.

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Long-term update: Jaguar XK service and parts costs

Long-term update: Jaguar XK service and parts costs

Our Jaguar XK went in for its annual service the other day. We generally take our car in only once a year because we do maybe 4,000 km per year with this car, and modern synthetic oils can last that long without any ill effects, despite what your dealer or your great-granddad told you. Here’s an idea of what the regular cost of running a Jaguar XK looks like.

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Product review: SlamStop soft-closing door mechanism

Product review: SlamStop soft-closing door mechanism

About a decade ago, when we first saw the soft-closing door mechanisms on luxury cars, it blew our minds. Doors just closing on their own meant no more question on whether the door was fully closed or not, something that could happen when passengers are climbing in without paying attention as you wait by the road to pick them up. But then again, with warning systems nowadays, it’s less of a concern, although the main idea behind this feature is to close a door in a stately manner, without slamming it like an uncouth monkey. Now there’s a company in Dubai that offers this feature as an aftermarket add-on for any car.

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Long-term update: Jaguar XK completes a year with us

Long-term update: Jaguar XK completes a year with us


Our Jaguar XK’s flying along just fine since the last update, having completed one year of ownership. We’re always discovering new things about the car, especially since, like most people, we haven’t bothered reading the manual. Stuff like the valet mode to stop random people snooping in your boot and glovebox, and the screws in the carpeted cargo area that double as hangers for grocery bags. Aside from door dings by douches and occasional selfie-takers leaning on the car, we had to deal with two other pending wear-and-tear issues that we inherited when we got the car.

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