Jaguar XKR-S convertible Have Valueable price

The Jaguar XKR-S Convertible is the most expensive car in the XK line-up, and costs more than £100,000. It's based on the XKR, which is no slouch, but with an extra 39bhp and revised body styling, the S has even more performance and visual clout than its less powerful stablemate. It also costs the price of a decent family hatch more than the XKR, so the S is a car for committed enthusiasts.

Drive

4.8 /5

With the roof down, the XKR-S sounds fantastic

If you want a stripped-out track-focused cabrio, the XKR-S convertible isn’t for you. Yes it has revised steering and more power, but Jaguar's engineers have worked hard to maintain the comfort and refinement that has always been part of the XK package. Its sharper reactions and greater precision make it the car the XKR should always have been, while the exhaust note from its supercharged V8 engine is nothing short of sensational – you’ll want
to drop its hood at every opportunity to make the most of its bellowing soundtrack.

Comfort

4.2 /5

Despite its performance, the XKR-S remains a comfortable sports car

The XKR-S is firmer than the standard XKR, but ride comfort hasn’t been thrown out of the window completely. At low speeds you can feel small bumps but at higher speeds it works effectively. Overall it's cosseting and its hood is impressively refined, too. Dynamic mode opens a valve in the exhaust for an even sportier sound, but if you disengage it you can enjoy a quiet and fuss free drive. The interior gets the full Jaguar treatment so you get lots of leather and plenty of kit.

Reliability

4.6 /5

The XKR-S is very well engineered

Jaguar has enjoyed a steady improvement over recent years, and the firm rated third overall in the annual Auto Express Driver Power reliability survey in 2011. Better still, the XK was engineered to be a convertible from the outset. According to Jaguar, the extra 42kg in weight it carries over the Coupé is purely down the automated roof's electric motors, rather than any additional chassis strengthening. With the hood in place there's little in the way of scuttle shake.

Practicality

3.5 /5

Rear seats are for small children only

You don’t buy a car like this for its practicality, but the Jaguar is surprisingly user-friendly as it has a useful 313-litre boot. This drops to 200 litres when the roof is folded, so you can still carry some luggage when you want to have the roof down. At a push, the tiny back seats are only suitable for small kids, but they will hold a few soft bags and there's a wind diffuser that fits behind the front seats to reduce buffeting. Given its performance and drop top configuration, the XKR-S Convertible won’t disappoint.

Value for money

3.8 /5

The XKR Convertible costs £20,000 less

This all depends on your viewpoint. The XKR-S Convertible is nearly £20,000 more expensive than the normal XKR. That's a lot of money given that the two cars share the same relaxed character. However, if you want another prestige drop top with this level of performance you’ll need to spend much more, as the likes of the Aston Martin DBS Volante and Mercedes SLS Roadster both cost significantly more.

Running costs

2.0 /5

The XKR-S is not a cheap car to run

It's fair to say this car hasn’t been designed with low running costs in mind. You can expect hefty fuel bills for a start, as you’ll do well to get near its claimed economy of 23mpg if you use the car's performance. It isn’t exactly cheap to buy, either, and high tax bills also come as standard. On the plus side, you do get lots of kit as standard, including leather upholstery, sat-nav and Xenon headlamps.

Prices & Specifications

What the others say

Auto Express

4.0 /5.0

The design team has done a fantastic job of upping the excitement and giving the S a look of its own: a low front splitter (painted black, as is the grille) and menacing air scoops at the front, while a diffuser, carbon-fibre rear wing and quad exhausts do the job at the back.

Evo

4.5 /5.0

f you like having more power than grip, then this could be just the car for you. It will spin up its tyres with incredibly little provocation, especially on the wet Irish roads where we conducted most of our first drive (a habit made life extremely interesting!). In the wet the steering is a little too light and lacking in feedback to give you all the information and confidence you want in order to place the front wheels in a turn.