In the meantime, the ability to spin up the rear wheels in 3rd continues to amuse...

 

* with the traction control still on...

 

I can understand the trouble you are having. Maybe telling you about my buying process will help. When I started my car search i wasn't sure exactly what I wanted even in terms of type of car, let alone model. I knew I wanted something I would enjoy driving and that was "fast" and that's about all I had. I also knew I wanted some degree of luxury.

With that in mind I set out and drove at least 12 different cars. Some were cheaper than the F-Type. Some were more expensive. Some were faster. Some had better interior materials. Some had better handling. Some had better in-car electronics.

None made me smile like the F-Type did. In the end I gathered up mountains of data, created a spreadsheet tracking data and my impressions on each car, and then promptly threw it all away and bought the one my heart wanted. The one I couldn't stop thinking about. I'm only 3-4 months in, but I'm 100% sure I made the right decision. I love this car. Far more than I would have loved any of the others.

You have to do what's right for you. Go drive an F-Type. If after you drive it that's what you want, ignore everything about specs and just remember the whole point of this kind of car is to enjoy it.

 

I am with LobsterClaws on this. I got out of my Cayman lease early to switch; I just was not smiling anymore. With the F-Type I smile every time I see it, sit in it, or drive it. Lots of choices out there but you have to pick what makes YOU smile.
Larry

 

This. The F-type is a feel-good product. Other products may make you feel better - or not. If you like it enough that you don't care about the alternatives - rather than seeking to validate your success - smile, be happy, and nail-gun the salesman to the floor. Just because you like the product is no reason to go soft...

 

Doesn't f type v6s have the adjustable dynamic mode which the base doesn't and can't have?

 

Correct. Although, the base also has Dynamic - it's just that the only things you can adjust are the steering, throttle and brakes.

HTH

 

Logic had nothing to do with the purchase of my V6S. I saw one at launch a couple of years before I bought one and knew I had to have one without even having driven it. When I drove it the combination of sound and pace and skittishness just reinforced what I already knew, I wanted one.

Yes if you do a spreadsheet you will probably buy something else, that's not what this car is about.

 

In '14 S was quite a bit different. Limited slip, opt. performance package with larger brakes, active suspension. More torque is more torque! Pretty much fully equipped, no ceramics but upgrade leather radio etc, was just under $95k list for conv. Most were not available on base at all.

 

I think the best value was the V8S roadster (I admit it - I love roadsters.) I drove a Carrera S. The Porsche was going to cost about 30K more for similar equipment and WAY less power. This is before the AWD Rs showed up. I prefer the RWD of mine because it's a summer car for me.

I fell in love with the V8S when it tried to kill me. Oh - & the noises it makes are most amusing. It's like an axe murderer in a horror flick.

I think that the OP should drive it. I drove the V6S and it made many noises that were great. However, it did not have enough power for my liking. I still liked the V6S better than a Porsche Boxster / Cayman / Carrera after driving all of them. I was quite skeptical of the V6S but I loved it WAY more after driving it.

 

You may have to actually drive an F-Type to get past this mental roadblock.


To me, it's SO much more than a question of HP/Torque/0-60. Remember the Top Gear episode that gave a loving review of the classic E-Type and DB5 - right before smoking them both on a 0-60 with an Accord. There's always something faster, quicker, more powerful. The F-Type isn't the best I've had for ANY of those. It IS, however, the most fun. And, nothing beats climbing out of the car with a smile on your face.


If I were buying new, I'd probably follow Foosh's footsteps and get a base model. Instead, I bought a slightly used "S" at a good $25k off the original sticker. For me, it was a good trade-off for more function and less price. So, go find one you can drive - preferably somewhere well away from the beltway. (I had my E-Type in Potomac - it's when I figured out there's life after clutches.)


PS: Don't try out a 'vert in this spring weather. You'll be right back in neutral, debating coupe vs ragtop. Good luck!

 

I was on my way to buy 911 when I test drove my F-type. It was cooler car for less money.

I don't think you can compare it to Mustang (at least I won't be caught dead in one), but your mileage may wary.

 

I got S to get LSD, active suspension, 40hps and bigger brakes. I wanted to order no-options base 2017, but when discounts on 2016 were factored in it was cheaper to get S with upgraded brakes. So I did that instead.

Buying used is a valid strategy, initial depreciation on any car of that caliber is nuts. I ended buying new mainly because of promotions and dealer discount to take one off the lot ($15K off MSRP). I also hope for a long-term ownership, so getting it new allows me to do maintenance right instead of taking chances that PO at least changed oil once and didn't redline engine from cold....

What really sold me on F-type is combination of looks and performance. It isn't fastest car it its price range, but it is best looking, best sounding, and also very comfortable ride. I was considering 911 and SL550 at the same time. SL550 is slower and no manual gearbox option. 911 is slightly faster but ended up being more expensive, especially if you add comparable options.

 

The views above perfectly summarize my feelings. I've had a fair number of faster, more capable cars, but I've never had a car that is more fun. Once I drove it, I had to have it.

I'm as much in love with it today as I was 2 years ago when I first drove it.

 

Isn't LSD great!



NO NOT NEAR CARS. Sheesh.

 

Unlike Limited Slip Differential, chemical version is designed specifically to allow and facilitate slipping and gliding...

 

I went to a car show today.

Sat in Mercedes GT. Interior finish was nicer, but the car had less room for a driver. I also found seats too narrow.

Sat in Charger Hellcat... the interior... has more plastic than a truck-full of Barbie dolls.

Sat in Corvette Stingray. Still can't fit in it. Still liked the car.

They wouldn't let the public sit in Dodge Viper (apparently they still make them), Ford GT (drool), Lotus Evora and a bunch of Ferraris (I actually really like California, no idea why everyone hates on them).

Interestingly, F-Type R that was on the floor had as big crowd around it as any of these cars. Only Tesla had more people around.

 

OP, please go drive a F-Type S. And for the love of god, don't ever compare it to a V6 Mustang again. That's kind of nuts.

It's been two years now since I test-drove the F-Type S Coupe, and I still get all day-dreamy thinking about it, even though at the time it was a slushbox with start-stop tech. AFAIK, the "S" has LSD, configurable suspension and exhaust, and +40hp over the base. Unless you're into modifying your car, I think it's worth it.

Not that there's anything wrong with modding your car. I drive a modified Infiniti 6MT which I adore. But I'd drop it like a hot potato for a F-Type S Coupe 6MT. Actually, I envy you your position in the moment, debating which F-Type to purchase. Me, I'm waiting for used F-Type S prices to drop out of the stratosphere.

 

OP - pure thrust to weight to price ratio, this car is easy to beat. If that is the criteria, save yourself $100K (US) and don't buy it. Fun to style to wow factor to price, I am not sure this car can be beat. If you are going to have to do a commute daily, and you want to arrive with a smile on your face - this is the car to buy.

My F-Type was a reward for surviving a brutal cancer battle from a couple of years ago. Every time I start it up and it roars and pops, it puts a giant grin on my face. As I tell my co-workers "I can't believe I am driving this thing".

When people get up the guts to ask me about it in public (gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants), I can't help but tell them just how over the top fun it is to drive it, and that the experience is just as nuts as you think it is. Every time I make the U-turn under SR-121 in Denton to finish the last half mile to the office (Dallas), and I punch it at the apex of that turn, the engine screams, the back end starts to drift and everyone waiting at the light wonders if MI6 us hot on my tail.

If you can afford it, yeah - it's worth it to step outside the ordinary and drive an F-Type.

Orkney

 

I too was having trouble justifying the purchase of a V6S, so I stopped trying.

Problem solved.