Potential F-Type R buyer
#1
Potential F-Type R buyer
Hi, I’m looking at buying a 2015 CPO F-Type R. There are none in my area so I am looking at buying it and having it shipped to me. Sight unseen this bothers me. It is a CPO so this alleviates some concern. Are there any of you that have purchased vehicles this way? What do I need to be careful of? Is there anything about the F-Type R that I need to know about. I’m trying to do my due diligence. Thanks in advance.
#2
#3
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Or else you could do what I have done twice now - ask a forum member who lives nearby to where the car is to inspect and test drive it for you.
I didn't do this with the F-Type as there was no-one nearby (1500 km away in Sydney) so I bought it sight unseen and it turned out to be 99.9% perfect, but I bought both of my previous Jags (2010 XFS and 2010 XFR) from thousands of km away after getting a forum member (not this forum) to inspect and test drive them for me.
If my experience is anything to go by you will have no trouble finding a forum member only too eager to check out an F-Type R for you!
I didn't do this with the F-Type as there was no-one nearby (1500 km away in Sydney) so I bought it sight unseen and it turned out to be 99.9% perfect, but I bought both of my previous Jags (2010 XFS and 2010 XFR) from thousands of km away after getting a forum member (not this forum) to inspect and test drive them for me.
If my experience is anything to go by you will have no trouble finding a forum member only too eager to check out an F-Type R for you!
#4
With all due respect, due diligence from a distance can only go so far.
The fact the car is CPO'd provides some relief, though lesser so than with an "hands-on" inspection and road test. Besides the mechanical things, there are those who take good care of an exterior/interior and there are those who do not. Pictures can be deceiving. Some folks have great experiences buying and shipping sight unseen. But, unless the car is brand new, I would not purchase a vehicle without personally inspecting or having a trusted other perform a hands-on inspection. I agree with both Greggbhill and OzXFR. If you can't personally inspect, have someone else do it.
Where is the car located, BTW? Maybe someone on this forum is close by and would volunteer to help you out.
The fact the car is CPO'd provides some relief, though lesser so than with an "hands-on" inspection and road test. Besides the mechanical things, there are those who take good care of an exterior/interior and there are those who do not. Pictures can be deceiving. Some folks have great experiences buying and shipping sight unseen. But, unless the car is brand new, I would not purchase a vehicle without personally inspecting or having a trusted other perform a hands-on inspection. I agree with both Greggbhill and OzXFR. If you can't personally inspect, have someone else do it.
Where is the car located, BTW? Maybe someone on this forum is close by and would volunteer to help you out.
#5
Thanks for the quick replies. I am a semi-pro detailer and the paintwork being is very good shape is important to me. I can make it showroom perfect if it does not have major defects. Pictures never tell the true story and car dealers don’t know much more than they want to sell the car. I prefer to do a hands on examination, but the car is in Illinois and I am in Georgia. I have contacted a detailer in Illinois to see if he can check it out for me but I have not gotten a reply yet.
I have not totally ruled out flying and driving it back yet. It is an option. If there is someone that lives in Illinois and would check out the car for me I would gladly pay their expenses, of course within reason.
I have read most everything I can find on the F-Type and it sounds like it is a well built and reliable vehicle. Does everyone else have similar opinions? I currently have a BMW 335d and it is time for something new and fast, but hopefully without the BMWs unreliability and high repair/service bills.
I have not totally ruled out flying and driving it back yet. It is an option. If there is someone that lives in Illinois and would check out the car for me I would gladly pay their expenses, of course within reason.
I have read most everything I can find on the F-Type and it sounds like it is a well built and reliable vehicle. Does everyone else have similar opinions? I currently have a BMW 335d and it is time for something new and fast, but hopefully without the BMWs unreliability and high repair/service bills.
#6
Very bad idea, don't do it. Fly and see it if you must. Unless it is pocket change for you, then why not order a new one?
CPO means nothing if the dealer that does it is dishonest. At the very least get it inspected by independent third-party shop.
#7
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#8
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#9
#10
Also the throw on the OEM shifter is 4", and doesn't feel precise or sportscar like. This can be resolved with a short-shifter available from Velocity AP which offers a 3" throw and makes it feel almost as precise as a gated shifter. That said, I gladly gave up the V8 to get an MT (though, I did tune it to 450hp) and am loving it. But I'm an MT fanatic and have never owned an AT, so you have to take my thoughts with a grain of salt.
#11
Clutch is problematic, but can be sorted out under warranty. To me, MT is a cherry on top that makes F-type complete.
#13
Ridiculously expensive, meaning that some parts are way too expensive for what they are - you pay a whole lot of extra for the brand name only...
Simple example - had me floormats made, embroidered with leather matching my camel sportseats - €47 all in, even shipped home from Germany.
Dealer price for a similar OEM set, a whopping €477 - yes, 10 times more.
Do not mind to pay premium for premium, but the OEM mats are just mats, provided of a Jag logo, and far from worth €477 (imo).
#14
I live in Norway and found my R Coupe MY15 in Germany via a German used car site on the web.
I got help from a trusted friend that knows cars well and lives in Germany. He did the inspection for me, checked the history, gave the car thumbs up and also helped me with the export paperwork.
Never regretted it, as it is the most fun and great looking car I have ever driven.
The car was only 1 year old / 4.500 miles when I bought it though, so the risc was less than it would have been on an older car.
First thing I did was deliver it to a professional detailer to get rid of some swirlmarks, and then applied Gtechniq Crystal Serum Pro ceramic coating. When finished it looked better than new.
This is what it looks like now, 4 years old:
I got help from a trusted friend that knows cars well and lives in Germany. He did the inspection for me, checked the history, gave the car thumbs up and also helped me with the export paperwork.
Never regretted it, as it is the most fun and great looking car I have ever driven.
The car was only 1 year old / 4.500 miles when I bought it though, so the risc was less than it would have been on an older car.
First thing I did was deliver it to a professional detailer to get rid of some swirlmarks, and then applied Gtechniq Crystal Serum Pro ceramic coating. When finished it looked better than new.
This is what it looks like now, 4 years old:
Last edited by Arne; 09-08-2018 at 01:21 AM.
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Don1954 (09-11-2018)
#15
I bought my 15R sight unseen from a private seller over 1k miles away. The car only had 2k miles and was still under warranty so I felt it was somewhat of a safe deal. I did my research on the seller and pulled the records from my dealer prior to handing over payment. Deal went smooth as butter, car arrived in flawless condition. I took my paint meter to every panel and all was perfect.
I've also had some bad experiences with buying sight unseen. I purchased a classic car from the opposite coast where the entire driver quarter was a different shade (close enough to be disguised in pictures but horrendous under natural light). This was a $2300 repair.
Years ago I helped a friend find a CPO M3 from BMW of Lincoln. He purchased the car sight unseen and when it arrived you could tell the entire car was resprayed. Apparently, a respray does not always disqualify a car from being CPO'd. To me a CPO holds very little weight and at the very least I would arrange a PPI with a paint meter test.
I've also had some bad experiences with buying sight unseen. I purchased a classic car from the opposite coast where the entire driver quarter was a different shade (close enough to be disguised in pictures but horrendous under natural light). This was a $2300 repair.
Years ago I helped a friend find a CPO M3 from BMW of Lincoln. He purchased the car sight unseen and when it arrived you could tell the entire car was resprayed. Apparently, a respray does not always disqualify a car from being CPO'd. To me a CPO holds very little weight and at the very least I would arrange a PPI with a paint meter test.
#16
Can't speak for the US, but down here and from my own experience, the Jag bills for service do exceed the BMW bills, and OEM parts can be ridiculously expensive.
Ridiculously expensive, meaning that some parts are way too expensive for what they are - you pay a whole lot of extra for the brand name only...
Ridiculously expensive, meaning that some parts are way too expensive for what they are - you pay a whole lot of extra for the brand name only...
#17
Hi, I’m looking at buying a 2015 CPO F-Type R. There are none in my area so I am looking at buying it and having it shipped to me. Sight unseen this bothers me. It is a CPO so this alleviates some concern. Are there any of you that have purchased vehicles this way? What do I need to be careful of? Is there anything about the F-Type R that I need to know about. I’m trying to do my due diligence. Thanks in advance.
#18
One additional thought to throw into the mix. There is a big difference between a 'new' CPO (ie dealer is doing the Cpo approval etc right now) vs. a car that has the Cpo extended warranty just transferring over to you. If they are doing the Cpo now then there are expectations about condition of many parts (tires, brakes, no body damage I believe etc). If it was last sold say a year or so ago as a Cpo and the extended warranty is being transferred over with the car, that's much less compelling. You still have warranty but the condition of the car is 'as is'
#19
I made a trip to go get my F Type. I went with the 2016 to R in order to get the standard all wheel drive. A buddy of mine has the 2015 R hard top and it needs front wheel drive also to be safe for my wife to drive. Make sure you shut the hood from the center rather than the side, remember it’s an aluminum hood you don’t want to risk a twist. It’s an incredible car best one i have ever bought. Makes my Porsche seem underwhelming.
#20
I made a trip to go get my F Type. I went with the 2016 to R in order to get the standard all wheel drive. A buddy of mine has the 2015 R hard top and it needs front wheel drive also to be safe for my wife to drive. Make sure you shut the hood from the center rather than the side, remember it’s an aluminum hood you don’t want to risk a twist. It’s an incredible car best one i have ever bought. Makes my Porsche seem underwhelming.