I'm considering the purchase of a 2016 manual transmission F-Type S and was finally able to test drive an F-Type today. This particular one has an automatic transmission and AWD.


We started off by reviewing the navigation and stereo system. I know people have complained about the speed of the navigation system, but it seemed decent to me. The sales representative said that it was significantly faster for 2016. The display is definitely better than the one that came with my 2014 435i.


It drove great. I got on it as much as I could with the sales representative in the car. I wish they had a 2WD S, but I can only imagine it feeling a little lighter.


When we got back from the test drive, I sat in an F-Type that has performance seats. I liked how they feel around my waist, but the headrest actually started protruding forward below my neck. It felt sort of awkward, like the headrest bump starts too low. Has anyone else had the same experience with the performance seats? I sat in another that had the suedecloth. I'd definitely want that.


From a quality standpoint, I noticed a couple of odd things. There was a drop of water on the windshield, so I activated the wipers. The one on the driver's side twisted and put a rub mark across the windshield. I also noticed that the silver paint on the one I drove had a significant difference in color between the body and the panel that's below the door. I'm very surprised that it made it past QC.


My color choices are between the silver and British Racing Green. Now I'm pondering. Is this car worth $90k?

 

Yes, the head unit is much improved in the 2016 models.

Its about 170 lbs lighter with the RWD... not a huge difference, but slightly noticeable in the corners along the same lines of having a passenger.

The seats are very adjustable. I had a similar issue when I first drove my F-Type, but after I adjusted the seats I was able to find a setting that worked well for me. As for the full Suedecloth / Alcantara seats, that is what I originally wanted as well, but the only way to get them is to order the car with the Suedecloth Pack... it isn't a popular option so its hard to find dealer cars with that option.

I've never seen those issues... at least mine doesn't have them. I also drove 3 other F-Types before the one I ended up buying and build quality was good on all of them.

Only you can answer that question. I spent 30% more than that on mine, and feel it was worth every penny.

 

My take on, is a car worth $xxx? I think absolute price is somewhat meaningless. You have to look at it relative to the other cars you are considering. It's about relative price. When I got my R it was around $106K? Is it actually worth that much? No idea. But relative to the other cars I was looking at, it seemed like a bargain. A $170K 911 Turbo didn't seem like it was worth it. A $75K C7 seemed like the bargain of the century. But the R offered a couple of things the C7 didn't. $30K more? Probably not in all honesty. But these cars are luxury items are they are never "worth" it. The instant I got the R my previously bargain 911 seemed ridiculously overpriced. So I would list out the other cars that you are considering and see where the $90K F-Type ranks. That will give you a sense of if it's "worth" it. Enough of my rambling.

 

I totally agree.

 

Merlin, thanks for the detailed response. I see what ya'll are saying in regard to it being worth $90k. As far as other cars go, there are not really an others that appeal to me at this point enough. Sure, I'd rather have a BMW M4, but not enough to shell out $20k+ versus the 435i MSport that I have now. I drove a Porsche Cayman. It's a solid performing car, but the looks just don't hold a candle to the F-Type. From a performance standpoint, the Nissan GT-R would probably be a good choice, but Nissan just jacked the price $10k+. That coupled with the fact that my wife's Pathfinder had numerous mechanical problems, doesn't make me want to take a risk on another Nissan. Besides, I'm not about to shell out $100k+ for a car that I can't even test drive. Speaking of that, I went to a Chevrolet dealership because I wanted to take a look at and drive a Corvette. The sales representative told me that they're all sold for the foreseeable future and they don't give test drives. Again, I'm not about to buy a car that I can't test drive. I did take a ride in a friend of a friend's Z06. I was very impressed with the performance (really like the rev matching), but the looks are just not on par the F-Type.


I got the F-Type brochure at the Jaguar dealership. I have not been able to read it thoroughly yet, but I have to say that it's the best put together car brochure, or should I say book, that I've seen in 20+ years if not ever.

 

Before I decided on my F Type, I was cross shopping a lot. I test drove 911s, a Viper, M3, C-63 AMG, Lexus RC-350F and then went to check on the iconic Corvette... I wasn't allowed to test drive it either... Sales person told me, "people don't want to buy a new Corvette with miles on it...". Well, I don't want to buy a car in can't test. And who do you think you are, Chevrolet? I test drove plenty more expensive cars than your Corvette...

As for sales brochures, see if you can find a brochure for a new Bentley. It's not a brochure, its a hard cover book!

 

If you drove it you already know you want it and since you're buying this car based on it's absolute drop-dead sexy looks,go for the BRG...and be prepared to have your life dramatically changed.

Trust me when I say that...your life will change.

 

TX,

What the sales guy told you about Corvette people is generally true. They are very fussy about the mileage at delivery I ordered one of the first C6 Z06s, and it had 4 miles on it at delivery, which is what they put on them at the Bowling Green factory test track before QC signs off. On the Corvette Forum, the majority said they wouldn't buy one if it had double-digit mileage.

Small dealers with small allocations can't get as many Corvettes as they'd like to order, and know they can sell, so they are understandably reluctant to make them available for test drives. It's also early in the C7 product cycle so they are still red-hot right now. Three years into the model cycle things start loosening up.

Some of the larger dealers with lots of allocations will have a demo or two they will let people drive.

 

If it was a Z06 I'd understand. They wouldn't let me test drive a regular C7, and remember I am in Dallas. This was a fairly LARGE Chevrolet dealer. (They did offer to let me test drive a new Camaro though... (how the hell is driving a Camaro going to assist me in making a purchase decision about a Corvette?))

 

yea, Z06 I understand. But a regular C7...they product 40K C7s in 2014. It's not a rare car in absolute numbers by any stretch. But then again, if there's just so much demand for it then it's up to them to not allow test drives. I'd just test drive a used one then if I wanted to see what it felt like.

 

There is a tremendous demand for all versions of the C7 right now. They will sell as many as the Bowling Green plant can build. When I said Corvette owners are "fussy," I wasn't just referring to Z06 owners.

With the C6 generation, they were able to build about 35K a year (not sure about the C7), and the car is developing quite a following overseas. They are exporting more and more of that number.

 

I have never had difficulty test driving any exotic car. let along a Corvette.

That is ridiculous! I have test driven, Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Lambos, Bentley, BMW I8, Alpina B6, Mercedes, McLaren, Jaguar f-type r( in fact the salesman let me and my wife take this car out alone!),Land Rover, Audi R8,Porsche, and etc.

Can't believe Corvette is so stuck up! Maybe they don't have "real" buyers and are afraid of "thrill seekers"!!

I would not buy a car I could not test drive!! Wise choice with the F-type. !!

 

I like the way BMW did it when I was looking at the new 435i. Each dealership received in a loaded 428i and a 435i to use for test drives. Sales representatives from two dealerships told me that they were not allowed to sell them due to the launch. I drove the 435i and bought one. Had they not let me drive the 435i, I certainly wouldn't have ordered it. So, BMW got a sale because of how they handle new launches and Chevrolet may have lost one (although in all honesty, probably not).


As for the F-Type, I think I'm leaning toward the British Racing Green. I've seen pictures of a camel/tan color interior, but the configurator on jaguarusa.com's website doesn't seem to have it as an option. Any ideas why?

 

I had the same issue with test driving Corvettes. I told them I wouldn't buy a vehicle I couldn't test drive. They said they'd let me know when they had a demo car. I found it ridiculous since I could test drive much more expensive vehicles at other dealerships with no issue.

After I purchased the F-Type I sent them feedback letting them know they lost a potential sale due to that policy.

 

It's not Chevrolet or GM policy. The dealers are independent business people, they own the cars, and it's their choice.

I"m not defending the policy, but I understand why they do it. Most new Corvette buyers will only purchase one with 4-10 miles on it. It's become a bit of a "Corvette tradition." If they allow a car to be used as a demo, they'll have a harder time selling it or they will be forced to deeply discount it

They know they will sell every car they're able to get their hands on, so it really doesn't matter to them that some people walk because they couldn't get a test drive. It's certainly not affecting the tremendous popularity of the car in the least. Even dealer stock cars don't stay at the dealership very long.

All of those exotic cars referred to above aren't moving nearly as fast as Corvettes and are usually sitting around in dealer lots for sometimes extended periods.

 

That is indeed an interesting development. The initial 2016 configurator did offer the camel seats, but when the configurator was updated a month before pricing was released, the camel was no longer shown as an option. However, I was able to maintain my original BRG order with camel. Check with your dealer. That option might still be available when you order.

 

OK, I'll do that. Seems to me like black and camel would be the two most popular choices for BRG.

 

BRG and Camel interior=Traditional.

 

+1.

 

Have you seen BRG in person? It's darker, more metallic and more dependent on lighting than traditional BRG. Nothing wrong with that, just wanted to be sure you've seen it.