Test drove the F Type V8S today. It was Silver/Gray with dove gray seats. The color really wasn't my main interest. My sales guy said they were only allowing select customers to test drive the cars. They had a V6S (Red exterior, Black interior with Red seats and door panel inserts), and the Silver/Gray V8S. They had already delivered two others.

The car has a firmer feel, but the ride is excellent - I thought the ride was outstanding. Hard to compare to my XKR. It is firmer than my XKR, and the steering feels heavier and very responsive. Although after I have installed the spacers on my XKR it is a very similar feel. I am thinking lowered springs may improve my feel even more. There was no roll at all and I made some very aggressive turns at speed.

The touchscreen is the same as in my wife's 11 XJL. There are options specifically for the F Type obviously. You have the ability to monitor and record things like braking, acceleration, G force, and other powertrain forces...I guess you could use this if you were on the track. Manual buttons beside the touchscreen duplicate some of the functions on the main screen. The touchscreen was very responsive...faster than that of the touchscreen in my wife's XJL. It seemed very fast to me. You touched a virtual button and it went immediately to that function. Nav screen is more advanced than our XJL but not like what you'd see in an Audi...it is still "two dimensional". You do get real time traffic on the nav screen and it is free...does not require any kind of subscription fee. Standard free 3 month Sirius subscription.

One neat thing is that the center of the dash rises up to expose the center air vents. It's a toy aspect but is very cool. It can be programmed to stay up all the time but I would not do that. Seats are very comfortable and have the same 17 way (17, 20?) adjustments like those in my XKR. I am not in love with that handle that comes down from the dash to the center console for the passenger to hold on to. Glove compartment door works the same as that in my wife's XJL...has the touch switch...no push button.

Car starts up in ECO mode...you have to turn it off manually. My salesperson told me that starting with the 2015 model year it will be law that all cars have to have it. I asked if it was American or European law and he said it was an American law. I had not heard of it.

The sound is orgasmic...it is *LOUD*. The car was in the service bay when I started it up and there was a few people standing in there. When I raced the engine they jumped!!! I was not prepared for how loud it was! I skeered them!! Did not mean too... There is a button that softens the exhaust note when you want to tone it down, but with the top down it just sounds AMAZING...I don't think I'd ever get tired of that!!! They have the exhaust note DOWN PAT!!!

The car has good power. If I were coming from a 4.2L it would have been much more impressive, but (and I am not trying to boast about my car here) it did not seem to pull as hard as my 5L XKR when I floored it. I had it in dynamic mode. Don't get me wrong - it is fast - but if I put my XKR in Dynamic mode and in *S* and floor the car - the pull is very hard! The V8S just did not pull the same.

There was one other thing that surprised me. When the top is down there are open pockets to either side of the top behind the flaps that fold down that leave an open area. While I knew there wasn't a cover over the top like the XK Vert, I did think that the surface would be flat with either the flaps or top creating a flat surface. I don't know if this makes any sense...I guess you have to see it to understand.

The particular dealer has a green V8S with dark brown leather seats and inserts coming in August. I do like the Firesand color...he told me if I called (at least) within 6 weeks of delivery they could have the color changed to Firesand and configure the car the way I wanted it...$1000 deposit would ensure the car was mine. We configured one for me as an example and my price came out at a little over $106K.

They said they would be leasing them as well as selling them. I guess it's me but I thought they might not lease these things for at least a year.

Tough decision. I absolutely love my XKR. I would definitely buy an F Type V8S in addition to my XKR if I were financially irresponsible. or if I had unlimited funds...

Anyway, I'm sure whomever gets one will very much enjoy it!

 

Awesome man!! Interesting to hear the V8 S does not pull as hard as your xkr... I am assuming then that the XKRS and its GT variant are still the torque kings of Coventry until ... The F-type R-S?

 

For me it looks too small, I will see a girl driving it ok, the new xk has more presence, the rear of the F type reminds me a japanese car. The wheels looks small on the reg model. No doubts this car will handles it differently than the xk with emergency stuff. Not to break any feelings. But for the xk what the hell retained them to make two real rear seats , we are talking of a few inches, too bad i will say, I am sure this details will have boost sales, now if we need to pay 30 more k to get a 4 seaters xk i am unsure if it is worth it. Look the aston marteen, there is not much leg room but at least you can seat inside on the rear seats.

If there was a rear seat bench available aftermarket i will buy it.

Its strange they did a S without doing a R, they may never do a r on this model then? usually they do R before S.
And for me "type" remind me the S type, its sounds old. Also F remind XF. Xf is a good car but i do not like the look.


It s a smaller market for small sport car and the price is pretty high for me.
this noise coming out of a small car makes it...not sure how to say it.

I was at a f type show i did not happened to drive it.

It is simple when jaguar send me their questions ( which i find frustrating ) if i got a jaguar while my car was at the repair shop, my response is no in 14 years, I never got a jaguar while my car was at the jag shop or one time with Jaguar Haron Fresno in 2000, which was very cool cause they gave me the same car, same color.
What was nice there at Fresno is the spirit, like no selection of clients, they were open to sell cheap used jag to be open to all, they did not have the snoobish feelings that jags should be won by a certain profile of clients, at the end you have more pleasure, more trust, and you were spending more money. Why selecting (its segregating) drivers, you reject used buyers in 5 years this way. Not to say that the enthusiasm of one not able to buy this car may push (by posting on forums, talking to his friends) the person who can afford it, to simply do it, and buy the product.



To whom it may concern, I do not know how you can sell cars if it is that hard to test drive them.

But hey I am a severe critic and i have no doubts for the value and compare to other brands this car worth it.

 

Yea, in fact thinking about things a little more the XKR-S had the same feel (firm ride, heavier steering) that I felt in the F Type. I did not notice much difference between my 5L and the XKR-S in the pull/power dept when I drove the XKR-S.

I don't know how different the F Type R-S will be...I just expected the F Type V8S to pull as hard or harder than my XKR, especially since it is supposed to be a pure sports car.

If it had in fact done that, I would have seriously considered trading my XKR in for one yesterday, or at least put a deposit down on the green one coming in August, and then maybe trade into a coupe when they come next year.

If I am to be honest, I am more seriously interested in the coupe.

As to only allowing select people to drive them, if you let everyone walk in off the street and jump in it you will put some miles on the car quickly. Unfortunately there aren't a ton of people that can afford to purchase a $106,000.00 car. They were not trying to be snobby, they're just trying to be protective of the car. When they get more of them they will probably relax their position on that somewhat.

 

What were they throwing around for no money down leases?

 

I am 5'7" and in my 'vert I can sit in the back.

 

I was driving my XKR daily...2011, I drove the V8s a half a block, no question. The S is a corner carver, no matter the radius... If you mixed the SL 55 with the 911 S and piped in Ferrari sound, this would be your car. It's a head turner in Boca.

There was no, "qualify to test drive" at my dealer. Change dealers. There will be no backseat option ever for this car. Great deals on the XKR and S types now.

 

Well, can't expect to have a brand new engine operate at it's full potential.

 

I test drove a f type v8 this week as well. The car looks very good and sounds better- exhaust sounds similar to my Xkr-s, but it's even louder ! The handling of the car seems very good- it's neutral with less tendency to oversteer compared to my car. I thought the car had a lot of power- it felt faster than a Xkr to me. The transmission is also improved- 8 gears and the shifts are a little quicker than my car. The only problem was a couple of times it didnt up shift at redline when I pulled the paddle (ex. 2nd to 3rd)- not sure why.
This is a very nice car- I hope it sells well

 

The car is sex on wheels... None of my comments were intended to "diss" the car...just my observations. I am just in love with the shape and the looks of the XKR and the Aston Martin DB9, as well as the new AM Vanquish.

That being said I would not mind owning an F Type V8S, or possibly an R-S coupe in addition to my XKR.

I have been meaning to look up the weight of the car...finally did so:

2014 Jaguar F-TYPE, F-TYPE S, F-TYPE V8 S Specificationss | Jaguar USA

And I am very surprised that the V8S is so heavy...I thought it would be lighter.

The above link says that the gross vehicle weight is over 4400 lbs!!!

 

I could be mistaken, but I think gross weight is curb weight plus max payload.

 

You are correct.

 

^ Yep, the curb weight is the number to go with.

The F type V8S is at 3671, where the XKR is 3970.

 

A new F-Type or used Vantage? Which one would you go for? My shoot from the hip says Vantage; at least it is a manual. Why Jaguar did not release this with a manual is beyond me.

If they do ever make one, it better have a precision feel like Honda's manual tranmissions do. The kind of buyer who'll opt for a manual will really appreciate the fact that it is a good one.

Should a Lotus Evora be put into the mix of choices against the F-type too?

 

Your answer depends on what you are looking for in a car and how much you are willing to spend.

I looked at 2003 F360 Spider, 2009+ DB9, 2009+ Vantage, Evora S, 2012 XKR-S, GT-R, 911 S, 575M...so basically a wide range of different used/new cars under $100k. In the end, I decided I wanted another convertible as I missed the open top cruising in my Elise. The last two coupes I had (911 S and Z06) were great but there is nothing quite like the open air experience in a nice fast car.

So to make a long story short...I looked hard at the Aston DB9 because I have always wanted one...but in the end, I just couldnt justify it. Its easy to say that is what you would buy when standing on the sidelines, but when your money is on the table...it just lacks the performance of the XKR-S. You are buying the Aston for the badge and the prestige..both things I could care less about quite frankly. I also don't wear fancy designer clothes...its just not my style.

Also, in 2009 they added HP/TQ to the DB9 and the Vantage, so they are more expensive but the performance still doesnt come close to the XKR-S or F-Type V8S. Lastly, I have read several comments from guys on various forums that have owned both, and I found it strange that many of them spoke so highly of the Jag's ride and interior fit/finish compared to the Aston. These reviews and comments are from people who actually own both (or say they do).

As for the Evora, it is only available as a coupe right now, and I think for the money there are better choices. I love Lotus, they probably have the best steering in the business, but even the Evora S isnt that fast and I've read reviews knocking the shifter and other complaints about the interior...which was the case in my Elise as well.

Once I zero'd in on the XKR-S....It was just a matter of finding one in my price range and as luck would have it, there was a used 2012, 200 miles from my house. That car is now in my garage and I know I made the right decision.

I could have had a manual Aston that is out of warranty, slower, and is 4 years old, or a 2012 XKR-S with 550 hp, with a warranty, and still have some exclusivity. I am also a manual guy myself, with this car being my first paddle shift (automatic) but it is great. Tranny is very good, throttle blips on downshifts will keep you coming back for more and will turn many heads, all wondering what that amazing sound is. I was actually shocked at how well this automatic shifts...Ive never seen one quite like it.

Good luck in your search! I thought I would share some of my thoughts because I just finished shopping around and everything is still fresh in my mind. In the end, the Jaguar wins (for ME) for a multitude of various reasons. I also liked the F-Type but I preferred the larger car since I can put my son in the back seat while he is still small. Also I am not very keen on buying a 1st year model of a car....seems like year 2 or 3 usually have some good additions/changes. But the F-Type V8S is awesome.

 

Thanks for these great posts. I'm test driving an F-Type later this week. I'll post my impressions, though my perspective will be only as a 2007 XK owner. (And previously a 1999 Lotus Esprit V8.) I saw the F-Type at the Philly car show this winter and wasn't bowled over. Not thrilled with the rear styling or the interior. Maybe behind the wheel it'll be better.

 

If you didn't like the car does it really matter how it drives?

Bruce

 

I test drove the F-Type V6-S today.

Physically, the F-Type catches your eye but doesn't look like a "Jag" and doesn't have the sleek, rock star presence of the XK. I think it may be because, unlike the XK, the styling is too busy. It's front is like a Maserati (not a criticism in my opinion), the rear like something Japanese (that is a criticism). The interior has bit of a retro feel with the big double-bubble instrument pod for the tach & speedo and the toggle switch-gear on the dash. No wood anywhere. More snug than the XK but not tight. A nice place to be, but not distinctive. There was some somewhat cheapo aluminum on the center console and dash. A passenger "panic" handle on the center console, along with the instrument pod, really remind you that this is supposed to be an adventurous roadster. Btw the convertible top is nice quality, fast to operate, and auto-fastens. Brilliant.

The sound of the V6-S engine is nice, it's certainly loud, but not stirring. (No doubt the V8 is better.) The drive was brief but the brakes were terrific, the steering unmemorable, the acceleration strong, the ride comfortable.

I was not moved to buy one. Funnily enough, on my way up to the dealership I followed a mid-60's E-Type, which the F-Type is really trying to evoke. I think they missed the E-Type's simple beauty. And the XK's, for that matter. Driving home afterward I was glad I was still in the XK. It's a GT. The F-Type is supposed to be a sports car, but then why did the steering feel so blah? And why is the car so relatively heavy?

I think my next car is just going to be a brand new XK!

 

I just wonder what the updated XK is gonna look like?!?

 

So I test drove a F-Type a few months ago as my friend became the parts manager of Orlaff Jag,Land Rover, Volvo and he wanted me to stop down there to check it out. It was ok when I first saw it at the Chicago Auto Show this past winter but after sitting in it and hearing the exhaust note on the V8S under acceleration, it's a very nice car. Interior is way better than my XKR (IMO), the front end is great but still can't warm up to the rear. I know the rear is paying homage to the E-Type but just seems plain for me. Overall, its a very nice sports car.