Let the hunt begin...

S

stefan9107

New member
I've just decided to drop some cash on a bit of fun for the weekend. After reading around and spending the usual late nights on autotrader I've landed, as I'm sure you will not be surprised about, on an F Type. I was originally thinking something more like a Cayman for the driving dynamics, but I'm not a 9/10ths kind of guy (not even a 7/10ths kinda guy really), and I want something that will feel special all the time (hence it needs a bigger louder engine ;) .
I've not been to see any or test drive any yet, but I'm fairly certain I'll want the R for the V8. The V6 does sound great on its own and I'm sure it's a great car, but I need to scratch that V8 itch and just feel like I want to go all in on the British "muscle car" experience.

After doing a bit of research and given the way I drive and the area of the country I live in, I think RWD will be fine, but AWD would be my preference given my last two performance cars were AWD (Golf R and C43 Wagon).

So my main question really is what options are there to look out for and are there any subtle differences between years?

I know 2017 was the facelift year and you can tell as the front corner intakes go from vertical to horizontal, but is there any difference between say a 2014 and a 2015, or a 2015 and a 2016?
Is there really any difference between the pre and post facelift outside of a few subtle design tweaks and the infotainment upgrades?
Were there many options available for these cars new? There is a decent looking one at a Jag dealer near me that comes with a 1 year Jag warranty and is a 2015 AWD. It doesn't have the fancy wheels but other than that I can't see anything it doesn't have options wise. It has all the kit you would expect such as heated seats, rear camera, panoramic roof, front and rear sensors, cruise, keyless etc etc.
Are there some things dealers pass of as options that are really standard? Like i saw an add for a 2015 R with an active sports exhaust... surely ALL the R's came with that as standard no?

Any help is much appreciated.
 
Welcome, you're definitely choosing the right car although I wouldn't choose AWD with its unnecessary added complexity and weight, for a weekend fun car. :)

Things didn't change much during the pre facelift years. The infotainment in the later pre-facelift cars looked a bit better than in the early cars which had the same infotainment as other Jags from around 2011. Some bits and bobs under the skin were probably also improved as usual, but nothing obvious.

Some things which were changed in the facelift, or briefly before the facelift (maybe around 2016):
- Interior plastics upgraded to material that doesn't get sticky over time, like it does in the early cars
- Steering assistance went from hydraulic to electric
- Improved design of the exhaust valves, making them less prone to failure
- Security features like automatic emergency braking, speed limit recognition, lane assist etc

Improvements that definitely came only as of the facelift:
- Exterior design tweaks - different front (debatable if it's an improvement or not) plus tinted taillights
- Further improved infotainment with more connectivity features, software updates over the air etc, native Apple CarPlay/Android Auto if the car has the optional 10" screen
- Completely new (optional) performance seats. Thinner, lighter (magnesium based) than the old performance seats and with optional cooling which you couldn't get with the old performance seats
- Optional adaptive LED headligths
- Revised more durable coolant system parts - the infamous Y pipe and associated parts - came shortly after the facelift

I'm sure there are more things that came with the facelift but those are the ones I remember now.

And yes, dealers, even official dealers, are often clueless about what was standard and optional. All F-Types and certainly all Rs have an active exhaust. Only some poverty spec non R cars came without the button to manually control the exhaust valves.
 
If its a weekend toy, the V8 is fun.

Decide on colour, budget, mileage, body type.....that should narrow your search a bit.

Good luck with your hunt.....
 
Thanks for the responses.

Sounds like I'm fairly safe no matter what year I get really. Ideally I'd like to avoid the sticky button issue but I'm not sure my budget will allow for a facelift model. I'm looking around the £40k mark.
As said, AWD isn't a must, but I do think I would just feel more comfortable with it as someone with close to no RWD high power experience. The closest I've had was a F30 BMW 330D so not exactly a 540hp monster. Either way though, if I find a nice example that happens to be RWD I won't shy away from it.

As far as colour, budget, mileage, body type etc. My criteria are pretty simple...

Colour - Not black. All other colours are welcome.
Budget - As said, around the 40k mark.
Mileage - The lower the better I guess but anything around or below 30k miles would be great.
Body Type - Coupe all the way.

Other than that I just want to avoid the 20" Tornado wheels as I really don't like how these look. O and no permanent rear spoilers. To each his own but I think it ruins the shape of the car.

As said, there is a 2015 AWD with 31k on the clock at a local Jag dealer. It has the 20" cyclone wheels and I believe the car is dark sapphire. It also has the two tone seats which I love and that's up for £40k on the nose.
There is also a nice 2015 RWD salsa red one with carbon wing mirrors and side vents and the storm wheels at a reputable dealer nearby for a shade under 40k, but it is higher mileage at 46k so might be a bit beyond what I'd like to go to.

I was tempted by a really nice 2017 V6 R-Dynamic with 21k miles, gyrodyne wheels, british racing green, 1 previous owner and.. A MANUAL. But I just think that the V8 is a must for me. Plus I've heard the manual is a bit meh.
 
stefan9107 said:
As said, AWD isn't a must, but I do think I would just feel more comfortable with it as someone with close to no RWD high power experience.
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I agree. I came to the F-Type after a RWD 2010 XKR which was very tail happy, and that was "only" 503 bhp. The 542 bhp of my F-Type feels very planted on the sections of road where the XKR could be, er, "exciting".

Whatever you get will put a big smile on your face, so expect some aching grin muscles while they get toned up! :lol:
 
Sounds like you have two interesting examples there then. I'd focus more on the spec, condition and history of the car than the mileage, especially if you don't intend to rack up many miles yourself. Good luck!
 
MajorTom said:
Sounds like you have two interesting examples there then. I'd focus more on the spec, condition and history of the car than the mileage, especially if you don't intend to rack up many miles yourself. Good luck!
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Thanks. I test drove one today and what an amazing car. I'm completely hooked and after checking the history of the one I test drove I may consider pulling the trigger.
Just concerned about the under bracing corrosion. I know its normal and parts are about £600-700 but ideally would rather not have to do it.

Wonder if I can work out some form of discount and/or fix it first please with the dealer... it is a Jag main dealer and it hasn't been through their check and prep yet.
 
Good to hear. Definitely sounds like the F-Type is the right car for you.

The under bracing corrosion may be the least important of the common issues so I wouldn't worry about it. I can't remember seeing any case where it actually was serious and beyond surface corrosion.

Having said that though there have been cases where the brace has been replaced under warranty and it does sound reasonable to ask to have it done before delivery of the car.
 
I recently Bought a 2015 R AWD Coupe my budget was £37k if i paid cash or £47k with some finance. I went to see several cars and the one i went with i Paid £35k !! It was pretty much the cheapest AWD R on AT which intially put me off and the fact it had 49k miles which was a bit higher than what i wanted

Its actually turned out to be an amazing car for the money and totally the right choice of car. I test drove a 911.1 Carerra 4S 2013 MY thinking it would sway me off the Jag , but not so , beautuful car but couldnt live with that old rattley beatle engine behind me:)
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The hunt was very short in my case as I pick mine up on Friday.

The criteria was pretty short on what i wanted and happily one very local to me fit the bill.

Originally I was thinking that nice deep red (I forget the actual name) with storm or blade carbon wheels, but after seeing one in person I decided it was a bit too aggressive looking and I wanted to go for a more "classic" kind of look. In an ideal world and if I was a "it must be perfect!" kind of person it would of been British Racing Green, but Dark Sapphire was a close second. Otherwise it was pretty much exactly what I wanted. I'm not a fan of pretty much all of the wheel options but for some reason love the 20" cyclone silver wheels. I didn't think I would looking at them in the old brochure but on the car they looked great.
I also wanted the two tone leather seats with the cream centre. The AWD, although not a must have was something that I ideally wanted so that was another big tick in the box. It also has a full jag service history and looks like it's had some good work done along the way. The paint was in pretty good condition as well and just needs a good detail. Didn't notice any stone chips or deep scratches etc.

All in all pretty happy and can't wait to pick it up.
 
That's a lovely car (you're going to hear that a lot). Sapphire blue really sparkles and comes alive in the sunshine. I like the two tone interior. 😁
 
mickjaguar said:
That's a lovely car (you're going to hear that a lot). Sapphire blue really sparkles and comes alive in the sunshine. I like the two tone interior. 😁
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Thanks! It really does sparkle in the sun which is a gift and a curse. I'd say the paint is in pretty darn good condition for an 8 year old car, but the sun does bring out some of those imperfections from washing. I'm thinking about getting it paint corrected and coated but I'm just not sure if it'll really be worth it as it is mostly fine.
The two tone interior didn't appeal to me at first until I saw it. really happy how it looks though and for the most part it seems to have held up really well. A few minor imperfections but the side bolsters look like they've barely been sat in. Must have had a skinny previous owner.

Other than the test drive and drive home, I've had a few hours in the car this weekend flying around the Sussex countryside. Initial impressions are of course very very good. It may look classy, especially with that sapphire paint and silver wheels, but classy this lady aint :lol: . The noises that come out of it and the sheer grunt. This thing is absolutely relentless. I'm really glad I did go with AWD as well. I'm sure with some practice I could of gotten the hang of the RWD but my god would it be a bit hairy lol. The one thing I was a little unsure of after the test drive was the ride, but it seems about right to me given a little more time in it. Clarkson's "roller skating over corrugated iron" remark on Top Gear, as with most of what he says, was a bit overly dramatic. The ride is a little busy sure, but I'd say it's halfway between his corrugated iron and Chris Harris' "the ride is great". I am using it as a weekend sports car and not a daily though so not really concerned either way. The sats however are very comfy. More so than my daily iX3 which is meant to be a comfortable car supposedly.

Overall very very pleased with it as I'm sure everyone on here would have expected.
 
If you are thinking about detailing, one of the guys has used LDS at Ford Industrial Estate. Expensive but very good. Although if your paint isn't that bad, maybe just invest in a dual action polisher and proper compound.

I forget, after 8 years of owning F types, about my initial impressions so I enjoyed reading your analysis. The ride is full of surprises. It's kind of firm and a little jiggly on occasion, but never annoying or uncomfortable. The real surprise is big bumps and holes, which other cars I've had crashed and thumped through, somehow just get flattened out! And it just makes you grin like a child every time! (even after 8 years).
 
mickjaguar said:
If you are thinking about detailing, one of the guys has used LDS at Ford Industrial Estate. Expensive but very good. Although if your paint isn't that bad, maybe just invest in a dual action polisher and proper compound.

I forget, after 8 years of owning F types, about my initial impressions so I enjoyed reading your analysis. The ride is full of surprises. It's kind of firm and a little jiggly on occasion, but never annoying or uncomfortable. The real surprise is big bumps and holes, which other cars I've had crashed and thumped through, somehow just get flattened out! And it just makes you grin like a child every time! (even after 8 years).
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Yeh LDS was recommended to me by a former colleague as well. Not sure if I can stomach the cost though as it is pretty pricey. I've never been that precious about my cars, but this is my first proper sports car and weekend car so I feel like I might get a bit protective of it. Maybe I'll do as you suggest and get a decent dual action polisher and practice on the company car first :lol:

Definitely agree with your assessment on the ride. It's obviously pretty firm as its a sports car, but I haven't found it annoying at all. It's been perfectly livable around town in traffic and as you said, weirdly (or not) it really does seem to do well with the big stuff. I wonder if it's because of it being stiff it just kind of skips over it rather than dropping into potholes as an example.
 
M2Nel said:
And you can get a bit better ride with MP4S tyres
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That'll be the way I go once these P Zero's have worn down. I had MP4S on one of my previous cars and they were great tyres.

I'm not completely convinced it would make much difference to the ride though. As said, the way it deals with general bumps and potholes etc is surprisingly good.
It's more the general suspension set up where it seems to be a bit fidgety.
 
The good news is I'm still loving the car.

I took it to my local Jag specialist for a once over and managed to get underneath and have a look at the corrosion on the underside bracing.
Thankfully it's just a bit of surface corrosion and only really on one of the pieces so I'll leave it for now and likely replace it in the near future (after coating the replacement part myself with something a bit stronger). Overall though it seems to be in pretty good condition and a good example - no major issues or imminent work required.

I've done a decent amount of B road blasting the past week as well and it really is a brute. I love it! Great fun to drive and even more fun to listen to haha. I also found out in a not so comfortable manner that the brakes work VERY well. Came around a bend to be greeted by a stationary van that had decided to park in the middle of a 60mph road. A bit of a hairy moment and beyond my reaction time the car did all the work but thankfully it held together nicely.
 
Im in exactly the same position just posted a much less thorough but similar post... upto 40k.. I was wondering if I went lower but higher miles would there be many issues or do I go 40k and look for mid range miles etc...
 
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