Jaguar XKR is worth the steep price

By JENNY WHITE

Tuesday, October 28th 2008, 1:35 PM

The good news is that the 2009 Jaguar XKR is probably one of the most beautiful cars on the market today. The bad news (for Jaguar) is that U.S. sales for cars in the $100,000 price range are down significantly. But, that's neither here nor there, as I'm here to review the car, not pontificate on who might have a deep enough wallet to buy it.

I was tickled to see the 2009 Jaguar XKR convertible pull into our office parking lot one sunny Saturday afternoon. When I say the Jag XKR is beautiful, I really mean it. It's like looking at a piece of art.

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The XKR is sleek and new, but definitely inspired by Jaguar's storied past. You can't quite put your finger on it, but the 2009 XKR is reminiscent of past Jaguar models and is a great balance of vintage Jaguar and modern-design upgrades.

The convertible top is the icing on this marvelous luxury car cake. The XKR stands out from the luxury roadster pack with an all-aluminum structure and body panels that make it lighter than the XK8 it replaced, and more athletic-looking than its competitors.

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Jaguar also claims that the aluminum structure adds body stiffness for improved handling, ride quality and crashworthiness. I can't speak for the crashworthiness, but the body frame did contribute to a smooth-as-silk ride.

The main attraction, as far as the ride is concerned, in the XKR is the 420 horsepower, 4.2-liter V8 engine.

This powerplant more than matches the prowess of competitors like the Porsche 911, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the BMW 6 Series or the Chevrolet Corvette.

I've only driven a few other Jaguars and one of the most memorable things about the interiors or these luxury vehicles is all the wood inside.

I was surprised to see inside my test vehicle that a lot of the timber has been replaced with metallic finishes ... nice metallic finishes. I liked it and thought the modern theme inside made the XKR even more desirable.

The XKR Convertible did have a backseat, and I heard no complaints from the kids back there. I would recommend that adults only sit in the back for emergency situations.

The convertible's soft top does an excellent job of noise insulation when up, and it disappears underneath a hard tonneau cover in only 18 seconds with the push of a button.

It was definitely easy to use and driver friendly. The trunk can hold about 11 cubic feet of cargo with the top up, and 8 cubic feet with the top down. There's not much room back there, but none of the XKR's convertible competitors have much more room.

Overall, this car was a dream to have for a week. It looked good, drove good and, I don't know if you've ever noticed, but Jaguars last a long time. So when you look at the price tag, think of it as an investment. If you drove this car for 10 years (they can conceivably last longer than that), the $93,400 price tag isn't THAT bad.

My test model, with a few options added on like adaptive cruise control and a premium stereo, cost just over the 100-grand mark, $100,060.

For the lucky few who are looking for a luxury convertible, the XKR is one of the best in its class. The design of the 2009 Jaguar XKR convertible captivates the imagination, like an automotive work of art.