From the Forums: Porsche Driver Needs Advice on Buying First Jaguar

By Sherry Bryan - March 9, 2020

Jaguar Forum members give a 911 owner the 411 on entry to the big cat family.

Recently we came across a thread in our Forums from a Porsche fan. He has decided to make the change from Porsche to Jaguar. But, where to start? So he wisely posted a poll, and asked ask for recommendations on his future Jaguar.

User Pcar2Jag–a very apt username–first posted a poll asking which F-Type, from 2014 onwards should he get:

And the F-Type R Coupe was the winner by a pretty considerable margin. Then Pcar2Jag gave us more details.

I currently have a 2005 911 C2. Love the car and have been making great memories with it. Now I’m feeling the itch for a new and more powerful car that will continue to put a smile on my face. Sadly, there is pretty much no market here in Minnesota. I’ve seen one F Type that I can remember, and I typically go to all the car shows and meets. I thought I was going to be in the Porsche world for a long time…I am moving on from the Pcar but will never forget it.

I’ve been thinking about selling my 911 for only a couple of months….So here I am, kind of obsessed with the F-Type R coupe and scouring the internet for photos, reviews, and cars for sale. I even have a budget and will buy the car without test driving one. That is how much I want one.

Yes, it’s a gorgeous Porsche, we will agree his taste in top-notch. Unfortunately for Pcar2Jag, Jaguar dealerships are few and far between in his home in Minneapolis. So he hasn’t had much opportunity to do some test drives. But he’s done the legwork, and has narrowed it down.

So my issue (if it’s even an issue) is that there are no F Types to drive here. I am still researching the different trims and MYs [model years] and what not. I haven’t even considered anything other than the SC V8 in the R coupe, I am not a fan of the ‘verts of any kind. I’ve always been into coupes for my toys. As I’ve been reading and scouring the different sites and apps, I came to realize that there are other trims of the car that I might consider, but I’m really stuck on the F-Type R coupe. Part of me has always been drawn to SC cars, and I also love the AWD factor in this car. I am falling in love with the concept of owning the F-Type R coupe. Now all I’m doing is looking for a reasonable deal and the right color. Black is pretty much out of the picture. I would love to read all of your thoughts and opinions and you can even throw in pictures of your rides to persuade me.

Naturally, our Jag loving forum members had a lot of advice for Jaguar newbies. Unhingd added his valuable two cents.

If you are into the power of the V8, the 2015 R Coupe (only year of the V8 RWD coupe) will be the weapon of choice for fun driving. The 2015 is a couple hundred pounds lighter than the AWD. If an MT tickles your fancy, the 2016-19 V6 will be your only option. The S version will be required to get an LSD. The headlight treatment changes during that time frame, so you’ll need to decide which MY you’ll want to focus on.

And as the owner of a 2016 F-Type V6 S manual (pictured below) he certainly knows whereof he speaks.

Portlander, himself a former Porsche owner, had some solid insight.

I purchased a 2017 R coupe after owning a Cayman S, Audi S5, and a BMW M4. All of those vehicles have amazing attributes and curb appeal but they don’t come close in performance, exhaust note and most importantly the exclusivity of the Jaguar. There are supposedly only 5 F-Type R’s sold at Maine’s only Jag dealership since its introduction and I still have not seen one on the road regardless of version. Would recommend a 2016 or newer with AWD due to your winter wonderland environment!

BrucetheQuail proved that a picture is worth a thousand words with his 2016.5 F-Type S coupe IRR.

If you are keen on AWD I would go a 2017 R. It has the better infotainment than the 2016, but the vertical intake blades which changed to horizontal in the 2018. If you have the dough, the SVR is still AWD, but apparently has a lighter front end which I would prefer. Depending on your tastes they are not as classically pretty, so you are trading off a bit of looks for performance. That said, probably many people would love the looks of the SVR over the R and I’m not knocking that. I would also look for one with the pano roof.

Pcar2Jag replied that he had been interested in the SVR first, then the R. And the D-shaped Sport steering wheel option available holds a lot of appeal.

Bluejaag recommended MYs that seemed the right match. Plus, he showed off his beautiful 2011 XF.

’14 to ’17 I think might be the sweet spot for the car, with the vertical pillars around the vents in the front. First day got mine went to the parkway.