I ran Conti DWS06 on my XFR....good for most of the seasons, sucked when it came to centimeters of snow. i couldnt even make it up a slight incline through my driveway.

i've got Michelin AS3+ on my XJ now, not bad so far...its only been a few weeks. no snow driving

 

I rented a 2020 SVR Convertible and I have a 2016 R AWD. The exhaust sound on the new SVR was not as aggressive as my R. My R feels more stable at speed (in the 115-120 mph range) - that could be due to a few reasons, from the convertible top to the tire pressure to my familiarity with my own car.

I would love a SVR but would also settle for a R with the SVR rear spoiler.

 

OP asked if $50K diff is worth it.
So that's 5,000,000 pennies for extra 25 hp
or 200,000 pennies per hp
$50K above $100K for the R, is 50% more in price for 4.5% more hp than R's 550 hp

 

We were in a similar boat a couple of years back. Our local dealer let us have an SVR coupé on long term loan with a view to trading in our '15 R.

The highlights are some fresh details on the exterior and interior over the R, as well as the Titanium rear silencer (NOT complete system), revised suspension knuckles and AWD.

After extensive driving, I thought that the only improvement over the R was the steering, which I believe has different scaling over the standard electric R box. A slight hike in power.

The AWD killed what is already a heavy car and makes it very nose heavy and just not as lively and exciting as the R.
Power increase couldn't be noticed (we upgraded from a V8S to an R and same was evident)
The exhaust may have a had a slight tonal difference.
Spoiler - down to the individual's taste.
I did like the louvres on the front wings behind the front wheels.

So, as much as we wanted to justify 'upgrading', it just didn't compute.

Either car will, I'm sure be good for you, each has it's advantages and disadvantages, needless to say, we are still owners of the R as it seemed (although expensive) the 'sensible' mad mans choice ;-)

 

'sensible' mad mans choice ;-)[/QUOTE]
Lol, I need to remember that nugget, could be useful in many discussions

 

Quilted leather seats in my SVR, very nice.

 

https://carbuzz.com/compare/jaguar-f...51525-vs-51526

 

I thought I would tack on to this old thread since I now own both (16R for sale btw). Bought 18 SVR used decked out with CCB and carbon fiber roof + exterior. Full extended red leather interior.

To me the SVR is worth the difference if affordable to you, (now only a used market consideration). Aside from the aesthetics' the cars driving dynamics are a significant improvement. Planted, lighter, tighter. In sport and dynamic seems like the car is driving itself on a rail in the road. Maybe the '20 R's on up' come close'' but haven't driven one. The look of quilted seats, CCB 6 piston (front) brakes, and carbon bits' separates the car. Not sure why they don't offer the upgrades. Maybe not to many takers at the eye watering msrp price points. I am appreciating the more refined exhausted note. Note sure if that is the right description. R still a great car.

 

very old thread and i'm sure OP made his decision a long time ago. for myself, now in my 50's, i think variety is the spice of life. i went from a new 2012 XF to a new 2018 F Type R and it was worth it, I guess. now though, i couldn't imagine going from the R to an SVR. it's 99% the same experience. most importantly, spending 140k or 150k opens the door to some really compelling options...

 

^ Having owned both versions, the R is closer to 90% the same experience in my opinion. Special Vehicle Operations took an already great car and made it a little bit better. Is the SVR worth the ballpark $15K increase in price, probably not but it is a more refined and balanced vehicle and I prefer exterior styling cues over the R. The difference between the two F-Types is similar to BMW's Competition option on their M models, only the SVR adds 25HP compared to only 16HP for the Competition variants. I can verify that the SVR has received more positive attention from the motoring public than the R and both are of the same color combination to keep things fair.

 

Before I got my SVR and still had my R, my answer would be no. After I've seen it and now own it. If you can afford it, the answer is without a doubt yes. Like someone else said. The changes doesn't seem like much, but working together it is. The cat drives totally different IMHO. Wasn't expecting it to be at all, but it does. I never saw a SVR in person until I purchased mines. It also looks much more beefier of a car in person as well. I'm happy I made the switch.

 

I have the 2022; the new suspension according to Jaguar is actually an improvement over the last SVR. I ordered the SVR lighter rims. The only advantage the SVR has is if you found one with the optional titanium exhaust and the standard body kit, but it has the analog dash and slower infotainment.

 

Another "what's best/better" this vs. that thread. It's an emotional subjective thing that no one other than the OP can decide.

I have a '15 R with no desire to sitti in the same traffic in a car that's barely different and costs so much more.

 

Since the OP asked the question 2.5 years ago, one hopes they reached a decision.

 

I guess 'barely different' is subjective. A lot of people do not look past the 25 hp difference, which is only one small piece of the story. Here are the differences that I know of vs an AWD R (I recognize your '15 is RWD, which one could argue is better, but apples to apples:

25 HP. Not a big deal, but it's there under warranty. You could flash the ECU on a standard R to get the same 25 HP, but that would void the warranty.
Engine cover: Not a huge part, but the one on the SVR allows a lot more heat to escape.
Functional Hood vents. Much better than the ones on the R
Front Fenders/Functional front brake vents. Those fenders aren't just for looks. They allow the hot air to be vented from the front brakes much more effectively.
Front facia: It has much larger intake vents. It's unique to the SVR.
Rear Vallance. Again, unique to the SVR. The new generation seem to have borrowed this.
Titanium exhaust. The sound is a little different and this drops a lot of weigh
Rebalance AWD system. The SVR AWD is different than the Rs
Suspension upgrades. Lighter weight
Lighter wheels
Wider tires.
Dynamic spoiler. This allows the car to hit 200 mph.

Then there's the cosmetic only items. The diamond stitched interior is quite nice looking. There are other little things, too, but they don't amount to much.

Ultimately, they stopped making the SVR because they did a poor job of marketing it and people didn't look past the 25 hp difference. Was it a worthwhile upgrade? $30k is a bit to ask, but other brands have been doing the same thing for awhile. If you were to take an R and upgrade it to an SVR, you'd be right about there, but without the warranty. I upgraded from a 2016 R to a 2017 SVR and have no regrets.

 

Good choice. I think the 2017 is the loudest and they
offered the square steering wheel plus the power side bolsters.

 

The choice for me made itself. I really loved my 2016 R coupe, but in rolled this 2017 SVR convertible with only 2400 miles to the dealer in my area. I'd already been thinking about a convertible (I had been looking at them nationwide) and it just made a lot of sense. I specifically wanted the 2017 because it had the gen 1 headlights, the functional storage between the seat backs and I'm a fan of actual buttons.

 

Have had both. I had an R Type for a couple of years, coupe 2018 and it was a blast. Did not think the SVR was much different when I did not have one, as how could it be with 25HP extra and some weight? Then I picked one up this year and I am very happy I changed. Faster (timed about 1/2 second quicker for the 0 to 60) and just all around felt different. I am very happy with the difference. Noticed that it was less twitchy at higher speeds but that could be the P zeros on the R and I now have extreme contacts on the SVR. The $50K difference seems steep to me but as mentioned very happy with the current car. One downside is that the leg room is a little less than I had with the R. The R had the thin seats where my SVR is a 2017 and has the thicker seats which are really comfortable but less leg room

 

For some folks, having a choice can be paralyizing.

 

This is what people call a “hot topic” !😃