F Type owner experience

F Type owner experience

Author
Discussion

chrisb0

Original Poster:

217 posts

220 months

Sunday 10th August 2014
quotequote all
Well just picked up my F type R coupe on friday, swapped my trusty XKR charger for it.
After owning the XKR for 3 years it was 5 years old and it was time for a change.
I had zero problems with it and up to this point possibly the best car i have owned, and as i am now in the "silver hair" club thats quite a few cars.
The XK was never a sports car but as a GT it was unbeatable for the money.
So how about the F Type then, well its an ex demo 14 plate with 350 miles on the clock.
Fitted options
Glass roof
Carbon pack
Visibility pack
Heated seats
Duel climate control (why is this an option)
Parking pack with rear camera
Power tail open close
Keyless open start

First up is the way it looks.....
Truly stunning in white with glass roof and carbon kit, standard wheels.
The inside is just standard grey, but i think this works well as a contrast to the white on the outside, with the glass roof its a very nice place to be, and not at all dull as it appears in photographs. The XK was finished in cream and black, it was very nice but a bugger to keep clean, and after 5 years is showing its age.
The F type is a little smaller but it feels right, sitting in the F type after the XK it feels like home but with a modern makeover.
Having owned BMW, Audi, Porsche and a ferrari it holds its own in form and function, and the initial impression is of high build quality.
The media screen looks a bit clunky at first, and the impression is that it needs updating to something a little more modern, but as you use it you realise that the big buttons that make it look old are in fact very practical. In the old XK and some other cars i have driven the touch screen whilst looking nice and modern the buttons are small and not easy to use on the move.
The standard 300w Meridian sound system is way better than the B&W in the XK and more than adequate.

Little bits i like:-
The groovy door handles and the way you just give them a nudge and it locks.
The way the internal lighting and clocks turn red in Dynamic (childish but i love it)
The way the screen and instrument lighting auto dims as it goes dark.
Loving the switches

Little bits i think need work:- (notice i didn't say don't like, as i can easily live with them)
It would be nice if all the lights in the cabin could change colour, some stay blue.
Silly, but on the passenger side sun visor there is a big printed warning about the airbag, it looks bad but you cant remove it.
Who thought plastic gear change paddles was ok, even if they are gold (should have fitted alli)

Ok driving it.
As i have only had the car for a couple of days this is going to be primarily based on first impressions.
The sound it makes is epic, in normal mode its just enough to be interesting without being intrusive, in dynamic mode you just want to keep slowing down just so you can accelerate again.
Every time i press the loud peddle it brings a smile to my face.
Compared to the XK its in another league and i liked the XK.
On motorways the car is not as comfy as the XK, its a little harder and the seats are not as comfy. Its not the out and out GT car the XK is, but its somewhere i can spend a few hours without any problem, and to be honest i expected it to be worse than it actually is when you consider the way its set up.
There is considerably more road noise on some motorway surfaces than the XK, not sure if this is down to the P Zeros but its not so bad that its going to give you a headache.
The ride is a little stiff and in dynamic the car can jiggle a little as cars with hard suspension do, but switching to normal fixes this, and there is no need for dynamic on motorways.
On A roads i haven't fully explored its limits yet but driving it on roads i liked to push the XK on its a much more capable sports car. Its sharper on turn in, you get way more feedback from the wheel and through the seat of your pants, you feel much more connected to the car than the XK.
The gear box is not bad at all, in normal its smooth and almost seamless, in dynamic its a little more aggressive with sharper changes but its still an auto. But put it in sport and using the paddles it very close to anything i have driven, with almost instant response on up and down shifts.
The only criticism i have is under heavy acceleration the back end squirms quite a lot, like the diff is having trouble keeping up, its not unmanageable but its something that feels a little unsettling.

The standard breaks are very good, plenty of feel and progressive retardation, i suspect they would fade after a few hard laps on a track day, but the car is not really designed for that.

however it has the most ridiculous sized fuel tank, i did 180 miles of quite gentle driving and it showed i had around 50 miles range, i filled up an only managed to get 50 litres in.

Parking is a little difficult as rear visibility is very limited, it would be hard to park in a tight spot without the camera and thats not standard.

But in general after 2 days i am on my third tank of fuel, and for the first time in quite a few years i got up this morning and went for a drive for no reason at all..... Loving it.

Little bits i like:-
The auto stop start in normal mode, great in traffic and works well once you get used to it.
The way the auto stop start is disabled in dynamic.
The boot spoiler popping up in the rear view mirror (another childish thing, but love it)
The noticeable difference between normal and dynamic mode.

Little bits i think need work.
The boot spoiler popping up at 70 and you can't put it down.

Comparing it to the XK
XK is a better GT car with a much more relaxed driving experience, a more comfortable ride and generally quieter. If i was to spend a lot of time long distance driving i would favour the XK.
F type is a far better sports car and not a bad GT, its much stiffer, faster and fun to drive, as an every day car its a joy, as a weekend hooligan its mega, as a long distance GT its acceptable. As a posing tool its the dogs especially as there are not many about yet. I have a bright yellow 360 and the F type gets more attention.

So far swapping the XK was the best decision i have made but time will tell, if its as reliable as the XK (no issues at all in 3 years, and the car was 2 years old when i got it) the F type will be the best car i have owned.

tcant

308 posts

210 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for taking the time to post your first impressions. Very interesting read. I still can't decide whether an F Type Coupe or one of the run out models of the XKR will be my next car.... What a nice position to be in. smile

chrisb0

Original Poster:

217 posts

220 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
It depends on what you want from a car, the XK is a better long distance car, the F type is a better sports car.
When I was looking at the F type I did look at a new XK and you can get some very good deals on a run out models, but sat next to the F type the XK is looking a little old now and I think I would have regretted staying with the XK.
Try to borrow each for a day, and drive then back to back in normal conditions as you would day to day.
If you spend a lot of time on motorways the XK is better, if you spend time on A roads then go for the F type.
But try and go for the R the V6 is very nice but you have to work it harder to get it realy moving and the V8 grunt is epic.


Edited by chrisb0 on Monday 11th August 14:42

webby23

531 posts

180 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
All that money and still can't spell "brakes".........

Lol great read though, and a very lucky boy to be driving such a lovely car!!

chrisb0

Original Poster:

217 posts

220 months

Monday 11th August 2014
quotequote all
webby23 said:
All that money and still can't spell "brakes".........

Lol great read though, and a very lucky boy to be driving such a lovely car!!
Thanks loving the car, I am totally dyslexic, took hours to write that lot, used to be upset by it, now I dont give a st biggrin

Luck has nothing to do with it... I worked hard for 35 years smile

Edited by chrisb0 on Monday 11th August 18:04

webby23

531 posts

180 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
chrisb0 said:
webby23 said:
All that money and still can't spell "brakes".........

Lol great read though, and a very lucky boy to be driving such a lovely car!!
Thanks loving the car, I am totally dyslexic, took hours to write that lot, used to be upset by it, now I dont give a st biggrin

Luck has nothing to do with it... I worked hard for 35 years smile

Edited by chrisb0 on Monday 11th August 18:04
Lol no worries, very interesting to read!!

chrisb0

Original Poster:

217 posts

220 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
Thank you smile
This is how bad my spelling is.... I looked at the correct spelling of brakes and my poor spelling and I still could not see it, I had to copy and paste both side by side to see the difference... lol
Any bks to all that now on my fourth tank of fule, still loving it.




Edited by chrisb0 on Tuesday 12th August 17:22

unrepentant

21,212 posts

255 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
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I picked up my F-Type V8S in February. It's fking awesome, loud, gorgeous and very fast.

Job done.

Wacky Racer

38,099 posts

246 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
chrisb0 said:
Thank you smile
This is how bad my spelling is.... I looked at the correct spelling of brakes and my poor spelling and I still could not see it, I had to copy and paste both side by side to see the difference... lol
Any bks to all that now on my fourth tank of fule, still loving it.
shoutFuel! teacher



biggrin

chrisb0

Original Poster:

217 posts

220 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
Wacky Racer said:
shoutFuel! teacher
biggrin
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA biggrin

jamieduff1981

8,022 posts

139 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
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I've got a lovely Italian Racing Red V8S as a courtesy car this week while my XF gets a bumper clip sorted.

I've had it since Saturday and to be honest first impressions weren't that great. We drove it to Loch Lomond where we stayed for the night then home again on Sunday. The car felt pretty numb doing the NSL but being forced (by virtue of that horrible Trossachs road everyone seems to cream themselves over) to slow for every change in direction in the road by traffic in front.

Since then though I've used the car for commuting, which is 28 miles each way of single carriageway B roads with some long straights interspersed with sections of tight and fairly technical corners. The car is making much more sense to me now that I can not slow down for corners and appreciate the car's handling qualities which seem excellent. It's not so playful as the XFR-S though insomuch as the XF can be made to squirm around and yaw on the throttle at slightly less committed cornering speeds which makes it more fun. I think that's what I was expecting the F-Type to be like on Saturday and why I was disappointed with how 'safe' it felt next to the XFR-S and yet not be as dramatic as the Cerbera.

All in though, I think it's a great car and I'm coming back round to thinking I may buy one at some point - which is a million miles from where I was on Saturday night sat munching on an Angus fillet and contemplating how disappointed I was in the car. I think though that to avoid comparisons with the 2 other V8s I have I should try the V6S which I may get more MX-5ish enjoyment from by wringing it out more between corners, and also try the 19" wheels which hopefully let the car move around more and a bit earlier/slower.

I love the way it looks, I love the rawness of the sound and think it has just enough gadgets to make it a sensible commuter car for me. My hair is too long for the convertible though, which is a type of car I haven't owned since the MX-5 when I had #2s all over, so a glass roofed coupe may be the one for me.

Lots of positive comments and petrol station chat so far - which we don't get with the TVR incidently.


esso

1,849 posts

216 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
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Thanks everyone for their comments on here as I am contemplating buying an F Type.
Jamie, I'm especially interested in your opinions as I have a 4.5 Cerb and would like to know how the F Type compares with it?

jamieduff1981

8,022 posts

139 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
quotequote all
Haha that's a comparison I've tried hard not to make, yet failed.

They're obviously very different. The F-Type is a Jekyll and Hyde type thing that does a very good impression of being an XFR from the driver's seat in normal/quiet modes but can liven up a lot in Dynamic/loud modes. The TVR squirms around a lot more. The F-Type is better engineered and is safer, and thus loses all of the fear factor you get when trying to drive the Cerb hard. You always know there's that safety net of electronics there and I frankly don't treat the F-Type with the respect the Cerb commands. That's not to say I'm being reckless with it but as a Cerb owner you'll know what I mean.

It turns in well and there is some steering feel there. Steering weight is heavy and similar to the Cerb albeit with a slower rack. You don't get the bump steer and other sorts of feedback through the wheel but if you get to the limits of grip the V8 F-Type will understeer slightly on overrun and you can feel the rumbly vibration through the wheel.

The main reason I think I was confused by the F-Type at the weekend is because some journo said the V8S was TVRish. It isn't in the slightest.

If I'd swapped my Cerb for this F-Type I'd be bitterly disappointed in it as a Sunday car. I'm really enjoying driving the F-Type to work and back though in this week's horizontal rain almost as much as in the periods of sunshine. The Cerb isn't much fun in horrible wet conditions with leaks, naff windscreen wipers and demisters that struggle. The F-Type just turns in to a proper car for this. It's probably 75% of the way there for fun the rest of the time though. Ultimately it was never going to be as hard edged as a TVR and I was niave to believe whichever journalist made that statement.

esso

1,849 posts

216 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
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Jamie....does the F Type put a smile on your face and give you the same adrenalin rush as the Cerb every time you drive it? An F Type would be a major investment for me and I would hate to be disappointed with it when I drove it.I plan to keep the Cerb if I can by the way.

jamieduff1981

8,022 posts

139 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
quotequote all
In short, no. A smile, sometimes. Adrenalin, nope. It's not going to hurt you. It's so easy to drive. You can squeeze the throttle and creep the back end out at will in normal mode with full DSC on. It's so well sorted I find it incapable of thrilling me like the comparatively much less forgiving Cerbera can. It's nothing like a TT or anything like that. The car does move around and you can look to all the world like a total dhead but it's all under control. Think 'really fast MX-5' rather than 'well built TVR'.

That said, I haven't driven anything as long as I can remember I'd rather drive every day for work. It's growing on me more and more. It's a great car, but if you expect it to give you an adrenalin rush when you test drive it, you'll be disappointed. I've had a 7 day test drive to learn what this car is all about - 24hrs in I couldn't see the point of it.

Edited by jamieduff1981 on Thursday 14th August 20:04

esso

1,849 posts

216 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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Jamie, my issue is that if I buy an F Type it's not going to be an everyday car, it's for high days and holidays!-like the Cerb.
Sounds like I may be a little disappointed with it although I can't see how with a supercharged V8 and 550 + bhp!.... looks like I need a test drive!

jamieduff1981

8,022 posts

139 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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Do test drive it biggrin

Just don't be looking for a Cerbera. You could easily drive the F-Type to the south of France, get out in a useable state, have a blast over St Bernard's pass and then drive home again. That would be torture in a Cerbera particularly if there's traffic jams on the way.

The only thing holding the F-Type convertible back is that the boot is fairly useless. You can get overnight stuff and a change of clothes for two in but if you wanted a week away you'd struggle. I think the coupe is a little better.

tcant

308 posts

210 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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jamieduff1981 said:
In short, no. A smile, sometimes. Adrenalin, nope.
I'm quite surprised by this comment. I have owned a Griff 500 and a Tuscan and my test drive in the F Type had me grinning from ear to ear. To me, it had all the theatre of the TVR but with the everyday usability, safety and practicality of a modern well built sports car. Where I used to lift off in the Tuscan for fear of finding a hedge, I found I could carry for more speed into corners in the F Type and it encouraged me to do so. The F type is an amazing car.



chrisb0

Original Poster:

217 posts

220 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
I can’t quite get my head around the comparisons to TVR’s, I know from racing experience that TVR chaps love the marque and won’t have a bad word said about them, and that’s fair enough.
But to compare something with the build quality and modern engineering in the F type to a TVR is not something I would consider a fair comparison.
I have never owned a TVR so I can’t comment on the driving experience, but I would imagine it’s quite direct and involved and not that great over long distances.

Not quite sure what kind of adrenalin rush some people are after, but 550 bhp in a light (ish) car is enough for the road. If you want real kicks then a track car is the only way to go.

I would have thought a comparison to a V8 vantage or 911 would be better.

esso

1,849 posts

216 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
chrisb0 said:
I can’t quite get my head around the comparisons to TVR’s, I know from racing experience that TVR chaps love the marque and won’t have a bad word said about them, and that’s fair enough.
But to compare something with the build quality and modern engineering in the F type to a TVR is not something I would consider a fair comparison.
I have never owned a TVR so I can’t comment on the driving experience, but I would imagine it’s quite direct and involved and not that great over long distances.

Not quite sure what kind of adrenalin rush some people are after, but 550 bhp in a light (ish) car is enough for the road. If you want real kicks then a track car is the only way to go.

I would have thought a comparison to a V8 vantage or 911 would be better.
I have owned & driven a TVR Cerbera for 10 years now and it still puts a smile on my face & gives me an adrenalin rush every time I drive it......just wanted to know if the F Type has the same effect........as i`m considering buying one.

Edited by esso on Friday 15th August 20:02