F TYPE ADVICE

[jw01]

Morning, I have recently sold my 355 spider and I am in the market for something more "useable". The F type is on my list but I know little about them and have never owned a Jaguar. The car wont be a daily driver but I am hoping to get away for a few euro trips etc. Would appreciate any advice from F Type owners. Which model, things to watch out for, running costs, specification etc etc. Think I want to stick with a convertible. Looking at asking prices around £45K. Other options could be the Maserati grand turismo or AM V8 Roadster both available for similar money.

[Phil.]

Where to start....

The Maserati is a big 4-seat car and heavy, nothing like the F-Type to drive.

If you do a search there are a couple of discussions about the AM versus the F-Type:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=145...

Seems the AM is old tech, expensive to service but holds its value in comparison to a newer F-Type.

My experience is that F-Type's cost Jaguar money to service and maintain. Buying one new means silly deprecation.

I prefer the V8 S, the S meaning it's the rear wheel drive cabriolet. The exhaust sound and overun on the V8 is addictive. Some prefer the V6 and it's a fair bit cheaper/available.

Make sure It has:

Sports seats
Switchable exhaust

Everything else is down to personal preference.

[ftypical]

On the V8 I'm fairly certain they all have the active exhaust - but you might need to add the switch.

Do you mean the seats that look like a cross between a racing seat and a Chesterfield sofa?

[esso]

I bought a V6S Coupe a year ago.I have done Le-Mans in it and just returned from a 3500 mile European roadtrip.Its my first Jaguar and its a,fantastic car (im also a TVR owner). The only downside to the convertable is the poor bootspace,the Coupe is limited! Specification of the car is key ,colour,wheels,seats and if you go for the Coupe ensure it has the panoramic roof. Obviously the V8 is more powerful but it carries a large premium.Reports suggest the V6S is the best 'drivers car'.

[ftypical]

Why the pano roof? A Big Heavy Lump of Glass at the highest possible point on the car? If you really want a black roof, the carbon fibre item is nice (and should be a dealership retrofit.)

Alternatively, if the reason for the pano roof is that it feels like a cave inside without, you could just spec the light grey headlining....

[esso]

Pano roof...personal preference I guess...I dont think the Coupe looks half the car without it.