Hey guys how's it going? This is my first post here and I feel like it's going to ask a question yall are probably tired of at this point, but I'd love to get your guys' first hand ownership experience would really help me out.

So the short version - 911 or V6S coupe?

With the 2016 models offering a manual, I feel like my dreams have been answered. I genuinely think the F-Type is the best looking and sounding car in the last 50 years. that being said, the "rational" (see: boring) part of my brain tells me that if you get married for more than looks, I should maybe think a bit deeper about this decision.

So aside from having the best looking car out there, how is it to own an F-Type? I've seen some threads on here describing issues in QC and subpar customer service. Is this something a majority of you have experienced or is it a crap shoot?

The other thing - with the supposed price increase that will hit MY16 cars, do you feel that it's a harder decision to choose between this and a 911? (And I'm talking about a pretty much stock 911 - not one with all the useless bells and whistles they're infamous for)

And if there are some of you on here who have owned 911s in the past or currently own one along with the Jag, which has been a better ownership experience? Which do you gravitate towards and why?

Anyway, sorry for the long post but it'd be GREAT to get your guys' input - my lease is fast approaching its end and I'm finding it very, very hard to decide between the two. I used to hate 911s but this current generation is tempting for some reason.

Thanks guys!

 

Welcome! I'll post more later, but I can chime in as the owner of two 997's prior to the F Type. The long story short is that I don't miss the Porsches at all. You won't go wrong with either car, but I'll explain more later as to why the F has the clear edge for me.

 

As I said above, I can speak to this from first hand experience as I owned two recent 911s prior to picking up my F Type. The 911s were great cars, I had a 997 S Coupe and a 997 S Convertible, but the Jaguar has something that they lacked - soul. Where the 911 is competent and clinical, I found the Jag to be exciting and to truly stir the soul.

The F Type brings so much more drama and theatre, all in a good way. There's no comparison in terms of engagement, the 911 impresses with it's sheer competence, the Jag kicks you in the ***** with its size 14s. It's just so much more involving and interesting to drive. The 911 is actually the better handler, and the hydraulic steering on the 997 was just superb, for many the 997 steering was the high point for the non-GT Porsches, but it ultimately for me was a car that was very impressive but not overly engaging. The Jag for me engages like few others in its class and price bracket. The exhaust note is otherwordly, the 911 in general disappoints in this regard other than the GT3/GT3 RS. I tested another great sounding car, the Aston Vantage V8S, when I bought my Jag and as I've posted elsewhere the Jag was easily the better car of the two (albeit the Aston brand is stronger than Jaguar's).

Be prepared for a very different reaction from other people too. Now the 911 is a great looking car, especially in 991 guise, but there's one big difference between that car and the F Type. My 911s (both bought new) gathered relatively attention, people know what it is, they know it's a great car, and they know it's expensive. Other than that they rarely got a second glance and rarely gathered much interest.

When I drive the Jag, the reaction is very different. People absolutely love it. I can't drive it without someone winding down their window at a stoplight to say something about the car, to ask what it is, to ask me what it's like to drive, to comment on the exhaust note and just generally tell me how much they like it. That just never happened when I was in my Porsche. Neither Porsche nor Jaguar are exotic brands, but if one measure of that is the interest the car gathers the F Type has the 911 beat hands down. The attention the car gets is just exponentially greater. It's in a different league in that regard.

Now, the 991 is a more refined car than my 997, but it's often said that the 997 was the rawer sports car - a viewpoint I agree with. The Jag is rawer still. Yes, it has flaws. The electronics are mediocre, the Porsche is better built, but with this car you quickly view them as character and not flaws.

Overall, I've owned a fair few cars in this price bracket and the Jag is not only my favorite but the one that most feels worth the money.

Good luck with your search and keep us posted!

 

I agree 99% with what is written here. I was originally planning to buy a 991 C2S and then got the R instead.

My decision was swayed by 3 things:

1) The Jag just stirs the soul more than the Porsche. It's a much more fun car to drive. In the Jag you're constantly grinning and having thoughts of world domination. In the porsche you are just thinking "this car is very well made"

2) The Jag is actually more comfortable to drive. I find the EPS on the 991 to be artificially heavy and a bit of a chore at low speeds. Also the Porsche is a bit peaky in power delivery because it lacks power at low rpms, and then explodes after 4500 rpm. The Jag is much much easier to drive with its hydraulic steering, low end torque, and smoother power delivery.

3) The exhaust and the hydraulic steering create a better sports car experience. The Porsche is scientifically what a sports car should be, but the Jag is what you've always dreamed a sports car to be: roar, explosions, drama, wheel spins, smoke, screams (from my fiancé), and a feeling of superlative speed. Porsche doesn't offer any of that!

 

Guys - thank you so much for the input. It's really great to hear these points coming from owners and not from a sales pitch.

For me, I have a background in classic cars (Alfas, Jags and Triumphs in particular) and it's that kind of "grinning while driving" effect that usually dissuades me from buying new cars. That's one of the reasons I got a Fiesta ST instead of any one of the multitude of "superior" cars - it got me laughing in the test drive. Which is something that you can't pay for, or judge on a stat sheet.

And then the F-Type came out and it just had that kind of WOW factor that nothing else on the road really has.

Anyway, before this carries on into some misty-eyed tirade, thanks again for the input - now the internal conflict isn't 911 vs. F-Type, it's Ammonite Grey vs. Polaris White. Hmmmmmmm...

 

Ditto, to what SWAJAMES and STEALTHPILOT said above. They both captured it very well.

I've been around for a long time on many car forums, and it doesn't matter what make it is, you see gripes about QC with regard to various and sundry issues on every make. My F-Type has been flawless, and I think that is the case for the vast majority.

 

I can’t speak from experience to directly compare the F-Type to the 911. The 911 was never a consideration for me, although I did have the Cayman on my list. The F-Type has exclusivity at this point in time and is an outstanding car. It has a level of excitement and soul about it that I have not felt with too many other cars. I really feel like I am driving a modern E-Type when I get behind the wheel. It is a thrill to just start the engine and the active exhaust constantly varies the driving entertainment to eliminate any boredom. One 30 minute test drive at a Jaguar event sold me on the F-Type and I am loving every minute with mine. The car is just cool!

 

I had the Cayman S on my shortlist, but it just didn't have soul and charisma.

I fell in love with the exhaust note the first time I heard the Jag start up, and a month or so after having first taken possession, I still have a little chuckle every time I press that pulsing start button.

Driving it makes you feel happy. And special. Nobody looks twice at Porsche's. Heads turn everywhere you go in the F Type.

 

Shift also owned a 911 if I recall, so I'd be interested in hearing from him on this.

I'll just note that I think the 911 and the F-Type are very different cars. There is no question for me that the 911 performs better. But I have no interest in tracking my cars and far more interest in car design and driving spirit so on these merits the F-Type wins hands down and I never even considered the 911.

Owning and driving an F-Type is an emotive experience. The prospect of owning a 911 seemed to me akin to owning a superbly built power drill.

 

Never owned a 911 so all I can comment on is why I wouldn't consider it over the F-type aesthetically. I hate how the 911 back end looks. Pretty simple but looks are more important to me than all that horsepower/handling stuff. I'm not a race car driver.