Potential new F Type Owner

P

Phutch33

New member
Hi All

I've been having a good read through the forum over the past week or so as my interest in purchasing an F Type intensifies.

I currently drive an Audi S3 Saloon (2017 model) which I love. It looks good, is very fast (306 PS and Quattro system gives it 0-60 in 4.6 seconds) and sounds great (thankfully mine just missed the numbing of the exhaust sound with the new emission regulations coming in a year or so ago). However, it is a thief's dream and I have had a couple of attempted thefts of it which is making me question whether it's worth the aggro. Luckily my high level of home security has stopped it being taken, but it remains a target and I don't want to put myself or partner in a situation where we may get hurt as a result.

So I'm looking at getting rid, and buying something less 'hot' from a thieves perspective. As JLR vehicles go, the F type seems to be the exception in terms of being at high risk of theft. The percentage of Range Rovers etc that get taken is absolutely crazy.

I'm looking at the coupe S version, with a price tag of £30-£35k. My strong preference is to buy 'approved' from JLR (we all know that the 150 point check isn't worth the paper it's written on, but the security of a warranty is important to me).

I've had a look on the usual outlets (Autotrader etc) and there are a few about. But before I delve deeper, I wanted to reach out to the F Type community and see what you thought about the following:

1- Reliability - all cars have niggles - but are there any specifics on the F Type I should be aware of?

2- The Drive - all reports point to it being a harsh ride on standard springs and wheels, without any adaptive suspension I believe. Just how bad is it?

3- real life MPG - I do very little miles, so I am after smiles per miles :D rather than good MPG. The S3 gets me mid 25 mpg pottering around town, longer on the motorway. How does the F type stack up?

4- Residuals - I am surprised that these cars depreciate so heavily, but the good news is it makes it a potential car I can own. Are there certain models/spec within my price range that would be a better purchase than others?

5- Age - bluntly - am I too young to drive one of these? I am about to turn 30, yet virtually all owners I see are early 50s as a minimum. I don't intend to be ageist (far from it) but why do you think the demographic is like this?

Look forward to hearing all your views.
 
I think the answer to q5 is because younger people just cannot afford them. Generally they are very reliable. Mechanically very strong & can stand to be ragged about as much as you want. Some have had odd electrical gremlins but again very few. Odd oil seals on diff leaking. The biggest gripe is the rear end has cross braces made of steel & if not looked after can rust & look yuk. My car has 20,000 miles & they are like new & have never been changed. But that maybe because the car is pampered & not used in bad weather & always dry garaged. Some had injector troubles, mainly the V6. I was looking for a RS5 before this, but so happy I got the F-type. Honestly it's true what they say you struggle to keep a straight face when driving them. Just the best. Mine is harsh in dynamic mode. Standard mode is firm but ok. You got to remember a car with 20" wheels & rubber bands for tyres is never going to be a Bentley. I have seen 25 mpg after a run to the lakes this year but generally it's down around the 20 mark. But hey 550bhp is never going to be that good. If your buying a few years old then most of the dep has happened & the car should hold strong money. They're never going to be like an old roller that drops to a few grand in years to come. They will always be strong money with old age. I have the convertible & am glad I chose that. I am in the older retired bracket so don't have to put up with long motorway journeys & wind noise. As soon as the sun comes out the top is down & in dynamic the exhaust blows your head off. After some practice you can make the exhaust do some mental things. Pops, bangs, upshift booms like the Audi. Hope this helps & I am sure plenty of others will give you advise too. Good luck.
 
If you've got a license you're not too young to drive one (there's a couple of under-20s posting on the US forum).

As above, they are expensive cars to buy (new), and car buyers' radar tends to focus on (boring) German makes (as you know!). Abd although expensive to buy, they're not that expensive to run, apart from fuel and tyres, of course! Not sure whether you're going for the V6 or V8 but either will strain your grin muscles, so be prepared for some initial pain as you train them.

Good luck with your decision, and subsequent search. ;)
 
Ask yourself how many people see your Audi and a) realise it's an S3, and b) smile at seeing it?

An F-Type will be a very different experience in many ways - more old school and less teutonic, but so much more fun for that.

You will loose space, technology and convenience, but the gain in fun will blow such things into the weeds.

In terms of security get yourself an OBD port lock - or at least unhook it and stash it up under the dashboard. On earlier cars it's apparently possible to break a side window, lean in to plug in to the OBD and unlock / start the car. That prevented you should be good.

From my experience the JLR warranty has been very much worthwhile - I got 2 yrs on my 14 plate convertible and have renewed for a further year via monthly payments at no extra cost.

There's quite a good selection out there now so check out the options and decide what you need and what you would like, along with colour preference. You should be able to find something quite close to you wish list.

For me it was things like heated front screen, switchable active exhaust, Performance seats, and Meridian sound that were a must - although to be honest I usually just listen to the exhaust!

Good luck in your search.
 
Nor a Golf R.
As said, for an aluminium car, they are no lightweight for flinging through a slalom, but they have plenty of rubber to grip through high speed bends.
Think of the F-Type as a car with nothing to prove to others and best enjoyed in isolation.
 
Thanks for all your comments and insight guys, it's great to see such positive feedback (even though this is an F Type Forum...!)

In terms of what I am looking for, I want a coupe v6 model, either the 340 or 380 bhp version. Would love one in the orange colour, but they seem to hold a premium. White or grey would be secondary choices. Active exhaust is a no brainer too, closely followed by 19" wheels, with everything else being secondary and depending on what's available.

In terms of the extended warranty after the 1 year approved one runs out, what sort of cost is that? I know for my S3 it's around the £400 mark with no excess and all components/labour, but suspect the F Type one would be more?
 
Phutch33 said:
Thanks for all your comments and insight guys, it's great to see such positive feedback (even though this is an F Type Forum...!)

In terms of what I am looking for, I want a coupe v6 model, either the 340 or 380 bhp version. Would love one in the orange colour, but they seem to hold a premium. White or grey would be secondary choices. Active exhaust is a no brainer too, closely followed by 19" wheels, with everything else being secondary and depending on what's available.

In terms of the extended warranty after the 1 year approved one runs out, what sort of cost is that? I know for my S3 it's around the £400 mark with no excess and all components/labour, but suspect the F Type one would be more?
Click to expand...

I was told by the dealer it'd be £724 for an extra year
 
You can have the full Extended Warranty (£874 in my case on a 14 plate), Select Extended Warranty (reduced cover, but was only a £55 saving), and add the (AA backed) Jaguar Assistance package to either for an additional £85. You can pay over 10 months for no additional charge.
 
Definitely worth the piece of mind, for how comprehensive it is.

It's a shame the 2 year approved warranty has gone and been replaced with just 1 year though. Especially when Audi, Porsche etc have upped theirs to two!
 
Ride is good - the V6S get adaptive dampers as standard anyway. Definitely not too young, I'm 29 (for three more days!) and have a V8S!

Get a convertible, put the roof down, exhaust on loud and you'll be grinning from ear to ear ;)
 
Friend at work liked seeing my F type every day and bought one, he's 26. His mate dechrome wrapped both of our cars and would love one (he's about the same age too). The average age may come down as the cars get older and relatively more affordable.
 
mickjaguar said:
Friend at work liked seeing my F type every day and bought one, he's 26. His mate dechrome wrapped both of our cars and would love one (he's about the same age too). The average age may come down as the cars get older and relatively more affordable.
Click to expand...

Agree with the average age coming down as depreciation makes more of an impact.

I'm 27 and bought my V6 S a month ago!
 
I went for a MY18 400 Sport RWD. Primary reason it cane with all the extras i wanted ie pano roof, rear view cam and cooked seats plus the bigger brakes. December in uk never a good time to drive it properly but did a long run this weekend mainly in rain mode and got 33.2 mpg which i was impressed with.

Mine came with six months warranty but will extend. Was quoted 684 from jaguar
 
Phutch33 said:
Thanks for all your comments and insight guys, it's great to see such positive feedback (even though this is an F Type Forum...!)

In terms of what I am looking for, I want a coupe v6 model, either the 340 or 380 bhp version. Would love one in the orange colour, but they seem to hold a premium. White or grey would be secondary choices. Active exhaust is a no brainer too, closely followed by 19" wheels, with everything else being secondary and depending on what's available.

In terms of the extended warranty after the 1 year approved one runs out, what sort of cost is that? I know for my S3 it's around the £400 mark with no excess and all components/labour, but suspect the F Type one would be more?
Click to expand...


The only thing i would add is a pan roof....

I also wanted the active exhaust but mine hasnt got it,i wanted low miles too,so i compromised.

I also wanted Orange,but settled on white with 19" alloys.
 
Phutch33 said:
5- I am about to turn 30, yet virtually all owners I see are early 50s as a minimum. I don't intend to be ageist (far from it) but why do you think the demographic is like this?

Look forward to hearing all your views.
Click to expand...

Cheeky git!
I'm 21 with a mental age of 18, however unlike 99.9% of Audi owners, I am grown up enough to be able to utilise the use of my indicators! 😉
 
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