The most obvious issue with today’s Nice Price or No Dice XK is some dashboard leather that’s sun-drying itself into beef jerky. The seller claims that’s a $300 fix, but could the car as a whole be worth adding that to its purchase price?
So, where do you stand on the whole “spider” versus “spyder” debate? Me, I’m a little freaky and can go both ways. Regardless of which side you dress when it comes to the spelling, few of you were willing to go $28,000 for yesterday’s 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Spyder. That carefully curated car went a little too far with its mods for many, with a few of you pulling out the “Other People’s Projects” card as the car’s comeuppance coup de grâce. Ultimately, that opinion earned the Spyder a 76 percent No Dice loss.
We all remember the cars of General Motors’ ill-fated Saturn division, but how many of us recall that, when new, they were sold with no-haggle ‘this is what it costs’ pricing? This sales strategy was part of Saturn’s schtick, intended to make car buying less daunting, especially for women. When questioned in focus groups, buyers lauded the process, but oddly enough when pressed on whether or not it offered a good deal, the answer was more often than not no. The people interviewed felt they weren’t getting the best price if they were paying sticker.
This has long been a focal point in the consumer mindset. And in fact, people tend not just to want to get a deal, they want the best deal. It’s the competitive nature of shopping and the ability to lord over a neighbor or family member the fact that you got, not just a better deal on avocados or the latest car or whatever, but the best deal imaginable.
The seller of this Salsa Red over Caramel 2007 Jaguar XK convertible positions it as one of those best deals. According to the closer in the ad, this grand tourer offers “…the lowest prices 07 XK Convertible on the market and has 40k miles less than the next closest priced one.”
See? Your interest is piqued now, isn’t it? Ha, ha, sheeple.
The car itself is interesting. This model followed the 1996 through 2006 XK and was the first of the big GT line to feature an all-new chassis since the XJS’s debut in 1975. The 2006 — 2014 XK is built out of bonded and riveted aluminum, and while it’s larger in most dimensions than its immediate predecessor, it tips the scales at a couple of hundred pounds less as a result.
Power comes from a naturally aspirated 4196 cc DOHC all-alloy V8. That engine makes 296 horsepower here and should be able to propel the convertible to sixty from a standstill in five and a half seconds flat. A ZF-sourced six-speed automatic handles transmission duties with Jag’s funky J gate shifter on the console. This being a car from this century, it also has most all the bells and whistles anyone could want.
As we noted from the ad, the seller touts this car’s low mileage. That’s 69,600 and, according to the ad, the car still runs and drives excellently after going that distance. The seller says it shows no warning lights and boasts that it passed a recent smog test. Another plus: it also has a clear title.
The car also looks fairly good for its age, although the smoked lens coverings on the head and tail lamps could stand to be removed. There’s also a sizable scratch on the rear bumper that won’t “just buff out.” Most egregious, though, is the dashboard leather that’s wrinkling up like a finger that’s spent way too long in the pool. The seller claims this to be a common problem on the model and helpfully offers that they have been quoted $300 for the repair.
We’ll have to weigh that cost into our calculation of this Jag’s value and the validity of the seller’s contention that it is the lowest priced on the market. It should also be noted that this generation of Jag GT is seemingly at the nadir of its market value, with models regularly trading for a mere fraction of the original $81,000 MSRP. This one asks $13,900 which is less than 20 percent of what it once cost when filled with new car smell.
The question, as always, is whether or not it’s worth even that. What do you say, is this XK a deal at that $13,900 asking? Or, does that price declaw this cat?
You decide!
Orange County, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to FauxShizzle for the hookup!
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