The $15,000 Question: Jaguar XK8

To my eye, one of the best looking cars of the past 15 years is the Jaguar XK8, and its successor, the XK.  They are not hard core sports cars like the new Jaguar F-Type, but built for grand touring.  It's a car meant to transport two people and a week's worth of luggage across vast distances.  London to Monaco for the Grand Prix.  San Diego to Sonoma Valley or up the Oregon Coast.  "Grace... Pace... Space..." as the old Jaguar advertisements promised.    



Thanks to the depreciation gods, there are a number of Jaguar XK8s for sale under $15,000, most of which have low mileage and appear to be in excellent condition.  However, since it is a Jaguar, the XK8 can also come with more than its share of problems, most of which can be minor but expensive to fix.



Think of it as a poor man's Aston Martin, which in a way it is.  Both the Jaguar XK8 and Aston Martin DB7 shared the same platform, which evolved from the Jaguar XJS.



But if the Jaguar XK8 is good enough for Austin Powers, why would anyone pay more for an Aston Martin?