Driving Impression

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The Jaguar F-Type delivers performance that rivals the best. The aluminum chassis is about balance as well as lightness. The standard brake-based torque vectoring increases stability during hard cornering.

Against traditional sports cars like the Chevrolet Corvette, the F-Type has one four-season asset: available all-wheel drive, standard on V8 models and optional with most V6s. We like the all-wheel drive for its practicality, although there isn’t a strong sense of all-wheel drive when driving it. The heavier V8 doesn’t handle as light and direct as the V6, but almost.

The P300’s 296-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, is strong but slightly little buzzy at low speeds. It makes a great daily driver, with the softest ride on standard 18-inch alloy wheels.

The Convertible F-Type takes bumps harder than the Coupe, but that doesn’t make the handling sloppy. The available adaptive dampers help a lot. They bring out the sports car in this Jaguar.

The P340 and P380 are quick and nimble, but yaw more and lack the precision of a Porsche Boxster or Cayman. The ride is stiff but not jarring. The coupe, being more rigid than the convertible, handles better, with or without the adaptive dampers.

The F-Type R almost matches the precision of the Boxster and Cayman, in spite of the Jaguar’s greater mass. The F-Type R feels at home on the track. It’s more entertaining to drive than anything in its class, except the Porsche 718 Cayman S and Corvette Z06. The suspension is firmer but not stiff, and the steering is brilliant.

The F-Type SVR is made for track days. It’s punishing around town and the optional expensive carbon-ceramic brakes can be unpredictable.

Walk Around

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The nose of the F-Type is sleek and tall, with a big grille that isn’t an oval and LED accents that sharpen the look from front. Hints of Maserati and Corvette might be seen in the styling, a notion we suspect Jaguar would not agree with. The lines along the side flow beautifully, with inset door handles to keep things flat and smooth. The roofline of the coupe is streamlined. The best view is from the rear, with powerful haunches and rounded taillamps that suggest history.

Interior Overview

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The F-Type interior is gorgeous. The cockpit is intense, with deeply set gauges, elevated mechanical bits, and a grab handle for the passenger. It’s snug but comfortable, and focused on leather, non-traditional in that there isn’t one splinter of wood. It might feel focused on functional, if it weren’t for the new 10-inch touchscreen for infotainment, and big rotary climate knobs, not to mention the start button and paddle controls in orange like a ship’s emergency raft. Options for trim include red leather and carbon on the dash.

The seats get firmer and more bolstered, as the horsepower in the models rises. The trunk stays the same tiny size, although no smaller than any two-seat sports car. The power convertible top folds so that a tonneau cover isn’t necessary, at speeds up to 30 mph.

The cabin is quiet inside, until you hammer the throttle and either the coarse V6 or throaty V8 do their thing. With the new turbo four, and artificial exhaust sound is pumped into the cabin. It tries too hard.

Summary

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The Jaguar F-Type is among the best sports cars in the world. The P300, whose 2.0-liter turbo-four engine was new in 2018, is relatively affordable. F-Type models cleanly cover the stretch from daily driver to staggering track-day supercharged V8 beast. The transmission is the best 8-speed automatic in the game.

Sam Moses contributed to this review, with staff reports by The Car Connection.

Model Lineup

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The Jaguar F-Type price sheet shows 24 models, ranging in price from $59,900 for the P300 Coupe with automatic transmission and new turbocharged four engine, to the 575-horsepower SVR Coupe with the supercharged V8 and all-wheel drive for more than twice that, at $121,900. The Convertibles are about $3000 more than the Coupes.

Standard equipment on the P300 includes leather upholstery, 10.0-inch touchscreen for Jaguar’s InControl Touch infotainment, LED headlights, a 380-watt Meridian-branded audio system, power front seats with memory, navigation, and a rearview camera. Options include upgraded leather for $2200, with heated seats are part of a $1400 package. The rest of the Coupes come standard with a panoramic sunroof.

The F-Type R has its own sports seat design, performance brakes, upsized wheels, and an electronic limited-slip rear differential.

The F-Type P380 has an active exhaust system, driving modes, adaptive dampers, 19-inch wheels, ambient lighting, and a limited-slip rear differential. The SVR gets track-oriented suspension tuning and the most horsepower.

All F-Types get Jaguar’s EliteCare, which covers five years of standard maintenance.