Jaguar S-type or Jaguar XK8?

[CLIK92]

Hey guys, my brother is in the market for a new car and it seems like the only cars that he likes are Jaguars. He recently found a 03 Jag S-type with the manual transmission (48k miles), and a 00 XK8 (32k miles, one owner). Is there anything we should steer clear of? Any help or recommendations would be appreciated!

 

[Spectre]

The XK8 is generally the better car (the S-Type has far worse electrics) but the XK8 transmission needs a rebuild at about 100K. You will also need to update the XK's timing chain assembly (~$750 at the dealer) as it had some severe problems until 03, and you want to make sure it doesn't have the Nikasil engine - 2000 was a transition year for that. The S-Type V6 (only engine mated to a manual) engine was just terrible full stop so that was even worse.

My recommendation: Get the XK8 and then *immediately* get an aftermarket warranty through 125K. The warranty will never be cheaper and aside from the aforementioned known issues they're great cars (note that many other cars in their class from Europe are much worse).

 

[CLIK92]

The XK8 is generally the better car (the S-Type has far worse electrics) but the XK8 transmission needs a rebuild at about 100K. You will also need to update the XK's timing chain assembly (~$750 at the dealer) as it had some severe problems until 03, and you want to make sure it doesn't have the Nikasil engine - 2000 was a transition year for that. The S-Type V6 (only engine mated to a manual) engine was just terrible full stop so that was even worse.

My recommendation: Get the XK8 and then *immediately* get an aftermarket warranty through 125K. The warranty will never be cheaper and aside from the aforementioned known issues they're great cars (note that many other cars in their class from Europe are much worse).

How do you find out if it has the nikasil engine?

 

[Spectre]

Check the engine number on the side of the block, if you want to be absolutely sure. Anything after 000818xxxx has steel lined and not Nikasil lined cylinders. Some 01s had leftover 00 production engines and some 00s have non-Nikasil engines.

VIN numbers have proven to not be as reliable as previously thought, so I won't go into that.

However, many of these cars did have the engine replaced under warranty or by the dealers. These can be identified not just from the number on the side of the engine but by a metal tag wired onto the base of the oil dipstick housing that notes that the attached engine is an official Jaguar replacement engine. There may alternately be a green and silver metal tag adhered somewhere in the engine bay stating "Genuine Jaguar Exchange Product" with the engine part number and serial number stamped on it - depends on when it was changed.