F-Type ( X152 ) 2014 - Onwards
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

To new buyers and those considering it. Should I daily drive?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 07-19-2018, 08:31 PM
Mbourne's Avatar
Veteran Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,062
Received 724 Likes on 499 Posts
Default To new buyers and those considering it. Should I daily drive?

I've had my 14 V8S for over 3-1/2 years now and it's no garage queen by any measure as I'm at 34k miles in that time but it's never been my daily driver. I work in Northern Virginia/DC area but actually live 80+ miles away in Pennsylvania. I tend to go down and stay 2-3 days and then return. All during that time driving to meetings between many of our metro area offices and clients. Lots of stop and go, lots of traffic and lots of really poor drivers.....unhingd excepted of course!

Well these last two weeks I have been "forced" (yes please pity me) to drive my FTYPE into the bowls of that DC metro meat grinder since my sons car has been in the shop for repairs from a careless driver who rear ended his 2011 Infiniti G37 IPL. Now I've taken long trips in my FTYPE and many short ones but commuting with it has never occurred till now. After two straight weeks, with a third week likely, I offer the following observations to those who ponder the question: Should I buy an FTYPE as a daily driver?

1. The car is so extremely well planted and sure footed that I've never felt like I had to be tentive in traffic.
2. It's handled high heat (100+) and crippling humidity quite well with the AC being extremely effective. Stopped using recirculation on the system as it would ramp up the humidity making the car feel warmer than it should
3. People on the roads have tended to defer and lay back from me quite a bit, part of that because being right behind an FTYPE is an open invitation to get pelted by road stones...but more from what is clearly a healthy respect it seems. Sure the occasional a-hole tries to play but I don't rise to the bait.
4. The radio really does suck in general but what the hell, who cares
5. It can get into almost any space, road or building I've needed to get into
6. I've seen at least two of our fellow felines on the road with polite waves all around.
7. It generates as always an astonishing amount of looks and compliments
8. I've actually discovered that I love the car even more.
9. Around town mileage has been around 20mpg

Bottom line: while I've had a few moments of anxious concern over others on the road and the occasional road debris slolom adventure, it's an extremely satisfying daily driver. If your on the fence I say go for it!

One ftype nut's opinion
 
The following 3 users liked this post by Mbourne:
death1ord (07-20-2018), Don1954 (07-23-2018), jetsetter883 (09-26-2020)
  #2  
Old 07-19-2018, 08:45 PM
stmcknig's Avatar
Veteran Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 1,219
Received 283 Likes on 214 Posts
  #3  
Old 07-19-2018, 10:25 PM
Unhingd's Avatar
Veteran Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Maryland, US
Posts: 16,939
Received 4,661 Likes on 3,366 Posts
Default

+2. I drive the F-Type now everywhere except when I have to carry the softball team equipment to the field (not that everything doesn't fit...I just don't want to muck or scratch up the interior with muddy base mats and sharp edged pitching screens).
 
  #4  
Old 07-20-2018, 03:52 AM
u102768's Avatar
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 2,941
Received 1,490 Likes on 908 Posts
Default

I have been driving Jags for over 30 years and each one has been a daily driver. I even chuck the sails, centre board, wet suit, life jacket etc in the trunk of my '10 XKR when I go racing my yacht at the weekends.

I don't however take it to the mountains when I go snowboarding because my Subaru Outback is better suited for those sort of things!
 
  #5  
Old 07-20-2018, 04:54 AM
4x4uk's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 186
Received 41 Likes on 26 Posts
Default

my f type is my daily drive.
enjoy my daily commute now.
 
  #6  
Old 07-20-2018, 07:11 AM
Pie944's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 21 Likes on 15 Posts
Default

Daily it. Work is a 70 mile round trip. Been driving it since June 30th and going to break 1000 miles today driving back home.


 
The following users liked this post:
jetsetter883 (09-26-2020)
  #7  
Old 07-20-2018, 08:27 AM
DJS's Avatar
DJS
DJS is offline
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Metrowest Boston
Posts: 6,286
Received 2,106 Likes on 1,406 Posts
Default

I daily-drive mine April-November, except when it’s raining. Top is generally down if it’s above 50 degrees. The radio does suck, but I’ve found the audio to be mostly decent playing MP3s from a USB stick.
 
  #8  
Old 07-20-2018, 08:55 AM
Dogbreath!'s Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: People's Republik of MD
Posts: 641
Received 176 Likes on 132 Posts
Default

I commuted in mine for over 2 years rain or shine (but no snow). Rarely used the air, but I concur with Marco's comments. No car stereo works well topless which IMHO is the only way to have an FT. Fuel economy -who cares? Lots of smiles / mile though!
 
  #9  
Old 07-20-2018, 09:26 AM
SinF's Avatar
Veteran Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Canada, eh
Posts: 6,987
Received 2,141 Likes on 1,461 Posts
Default

I commute in my car. In previous years I had other cars, including convertibles out of the road, but last fall I mothballed them for long term storage and didn't take them out this year. That is, I was surprised to see that I heavily preferred F-type in all circumstances. This summer is probably the first time in a long while that I have only one car out on the road for myself.

In this, F-type is saving me money, as running multiple cars with insurance and maintenance (esp. on classic cars) is costly. F-type is decent on fuel (I get 11L/100km combined and leadfooted), especially when compared to large displacement V8 classics that I have.

About the only thing I miss is chrome. Why is there no chrome anywhere on modern cars? I LOVE CHROME. IT IS SHINY.
 

Last edited by SinF; 07-20-2018 at 09:33 AM.
  #10  
Old 07-20-2018, 11:43 AM
death1ord's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 205
Received 59 Likes on 34 Posts
Default

That was a lovely way of putting things!!
I am gad you are enjoying the F as its meant to be. Sadly cannot say the same for myself as I use it as my weekend driver. But going from a Hyundai to the Jag makes the Jag feel much more special. It brings back the feeling as to when I first drove it and went wow.
 
  #11  
Old 07-20-2018, 01:37 PM
fujicoupe's Avatar
Banned
Join Date: May 2018
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1,506
Received 425 Likes on 291 Posts
Default

I agree with SinF: "I LOVE CHROME. IT IS SHINY."
I always thought Jaguar and Harley-Davidson had the highest quality chrome, but Jag has taken to using brushed stainless, or whatever it is, in lieu thereof.
 
  #12  
Old 07-20-2018, 01:59 PM
addict's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 167
Received 56 Likes on 35 Posts
Default

I daily drive mine and adore it. I can't see any reason to save the miles for someone else down the road, I'd rather enjoy them myself. New work commitments have me splitting time between LA and Bos starting this fall and I'm struggling not to find an excuse to pick up another convertible to leave out in LA -- sadly a second F-Type is out of budget but there's a Beck 550 Spyder on BaT right now...
 
The following users liked this post:
jetsetter883 (08-06-2021)
  #13  
Old 07-20-2018, 07:50 PM
DJS's Avatar
DJS
DJS is offline
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Metrowest Boston
Posts: 6,286
Received 2,106 Likes on 1,406 Posts
Default

Drive or ship your F-type to CA for the winter, and get a cheap winter beater for around here.
 
  #14  
Old 07-20-2018, 08:58 PM
PBBarb's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Atlanta, GA (Kirkwood)
Posts: 418
Received 70 Likes on 60 Posts
Default

When I have mine, she’s my daily driver. So irritated currently with our good weather (not many thunderstorms even) and I’m stuck in a Disco. I’m one of those that no matter what if it isn’t raining and is over 50 degrees that top is down.
 
The following users liked this post:
dws009 (07-23-2018)
  #15  
Old 07-21-2018, 07:34 AM
jaguny's Avatar
Veteran Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: upstate new york
Posts: 5,307
Received 628 Likes on 529 Posts
Default

Daily drive mine in the summer. 110 mile round trip at least once a week plus usual commute. With speaker upgrades I did, even radio sounds decent.
 
  #16  
Old 07-21-2018, 01:29 PM
Unhingd's Avatar
Veteran Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Maryland, US
Posts: 16,939
Received 4,661 Likes on 3,366 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by PBBarb
When I have mine, she’s my daily driver. So irritated currently with our good weather (not many thunderstorms even) and I’m stuck in a Disco.
Shouldn’t be a problem as long as the BeeGees are playing.
 
The following 2 users liked this post by Unhingd:
PBBarb (07-25-2018), uncheel (07-21-2018)
  #17  
Old 07-21-2018, 07:25 PM
uncheel's Avatar
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Posts: 1,442
Received 589 Likes on 402 Posts
Default

I have no problem with anyone who has a premium car and wants to keep it aside for preservation and/or ideal weather. But, in general, driving the car is what I bought it for; so I do. I've even brought trees home from the nursery in it (a vert has its advantages). The exception would be on an icy/snowy day when the wife's F-Pace gets the call - but there's an element of survival in that case.

Back when I was a teenager, my mother once wanted to borrow my Civic to go grocery shopping, instead of her Rolls. Being something of a smart aleck, I told her that if she couldn't drive her car to the store, she couldn't afford it.
 

Last edited by uncheel; 07-21-2018 at 07:29 PM.
  #18  
Old 07-22-2018, 02:45 AM
Burt Gummer's Avatar
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 2,090
Received 343 Likes on 256 Posts
Default

No F-Type should be a daily driver. Too many dangerous parking spots out there and what happens if you leave your California Duster at home? No thank you!
 
  #19  
Old 07-22-2018, 03:26 PM
Brava's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 68
Received 9 Likes on 8 Posts
Default

Daily drive for me too. Including winter. Have a set of winters on 19” wheels, quite an exotic appearance an F Type in the middle of the snow 😎
 
The following users liked this post:
jetsetter883 (08-06-2021)
  #20  
Old 07-22-2018, 04:24 PM
RoonieQ's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 329
Received 81 Likes on 55 Posts
Default

Daily driver in season for me too. Life's too short. And as was noted, finding "safe" parking is the biggest challenge.
 


Quick Reply: To new buyers and those considering it. Should I daily drive?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:30 PM.