Jaguar F-Type Coupe Review 2024

Jaguar F-Type Coupe At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
The Jaguar F-Type is a very British sports car, though, and a very desirable one should you not have quite the means to stretch to something like an Aston Martin Vantage.

+Breathtaking good looks and outstanding handling. R model is brutally quick. Cabin is classy and comfortable. Boot is also usable.

-Expensive to run. Ride can be rather hard. Infotainment system feels dated.

New prices start from £51,775
Insurance Groups are between 41–50
On average it achieves 97% of the official MPG figure

The Jaguar F-Type has been around since 2013 and given an overhaul in 2020 with new looks and a revised engine line-up. Available in both coupe and roadster guises, with a choice of four- or eight-cylinder engines with rear- or four-wheel drive, the F-Type is Jaguar’s choice in the sports car marketplace. It’s a good-looking car inside and out, with its relative rarity, at least in comparison to its key Porsche rivals – it spanning both the 718 Cayman/Boxster and 911 Carrera models – making it a real head-turner. Which, with a sports car, is a sizeable part of the appeal, but the F-Type has talent to back its looks, too.

Jaguar has a long history of sporting cars, most famously its E-Type, a model that still resonates to this day.

Indeed, when the F-Type was introduced the company, somewhat unsurprisingly, referenced the E-Type considerably, and the F-Type name is a none-too-subtle nod that Jaguar was in the business of making a true sports car to replace the more grand touring XK8 that it offered before the F-Type arrived. 

Always a good looking car, with neat proportions and fine detailing, its style has been very cleverly refreshed for the 2020 model year onwards, with an elegant new front end thanks to slim headlights and similarly successful changes to the rear-styling.

Inside it’s been a finessing job, too, invigorating the F-Type, and, significantly, focussing on the quality of the materials and fit and finish in the cabin. There’s a coupe or a roadster, the latter obviously a bit more glamorous and compromised for its folding roof, but both are useable cars, so long as you don’t need more than space for you and one passenger. 

Along with the styling revisions in 2020 Jaguar rationalised the engine line-up, reducing it to a four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as the entry point to F-Type ownership, or a pair of F-Types which double the cylinder count to feature a V8, upon which Jaguar bolts a supercharger to extract maximum performance from.

That sees the F-Type span a wide variety of models and price points in the sports car marketplace, with that 2.0-litre turbo, badged P300, rivalling cars like the Porsche 718 Boxster/718 Cayman, BMW Z4 and the faster Audi TT models, with the V8s rivalling the Porsche 911 line-up, from the Carreras to the Turbo, the very fastest F-Type P575 R, with a 5757PS supercharged V8 knocking on the door of the supercar club against cars like the Audi R8. 

It’s not as quirky or as compromised as other British offerings like Lotus or Morgan, and it’s cheaper, and a more desirable daily-driving proposition compared to something like a McLaren. The F-Type has a job to do as Jaguar’s sports car, it covering a number of bases, something it actually does so pretty convincingly.

Still early in its revised form as we write this, so the expectation is we’ll see an occasional special model from Jaguar’s SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) with more power and focus, in time, but at its core the F-Type range has real talent, and appeal. 

Ask Honest John

Are there any issues in buying a performance car with low miles?

"I'm hoping to purchase a 2013 Jaguar F-Type and have noticed quite a few of these vehicles have low mileages. In performance cars does this cause any mechanical problems due to the cars sitting immobile for long periods?"
That's pretty typical for cars like the F-Type - people use them as weekend cars and they don't cover many miles. If a car has genuinely covered almost no miles between MoTs it might be a concern - consumable items like the tyres might be perished - but a few thousand miles a year should be fine. We'd recommend looking for one with evidence of regular servicing, too - even if a car hasn't been used, it needs to be serviced regularly.
Answered by Andrew Brady

What sports car can carry golf clubs?

"I am looking for a sports car that is capable of carrying golf clubs. Any recommendations? "
How about the Jaguar F-Type Coupe? It's got a surprisingly practical boot but is fun to drive. Also consider the Audi TT or, if budget allows, the latest Porsche 911.
Answered by Andrew Brady

Buying a Jaguar F-Type - which wheel size is best?

"I will shortly be ordering a new Jaguar F-Type S coupe. I have seen you comment many times on wheel sizes so could I ask whether you would recommend 19 or 20-inch wheels?"
What do you want? Ride comfort or track day grip at the expense of ride comfort? For ride comfort, better tyre life and less vulnerability to pot holes I'd go for the 19-inch wheels. Even though the tyre profiles seem to be similar the 19-inch tyres are a bit more comfortable.
Answered by Honest John

Aston Martin vs Jaguar F-Type?

"I am very fortunate that I am in the position of being able to buy either an Aston Martin Vantage 4.7 V8 from around 2009 or a Jaguar F-Type 5.0 V8 2013 model. I have a budget of up to £50k. My question is this: I think the Aston will always retain more value than the Jaguar, is that correct? I know that with the exception of a few elite cars, most will always lose money and I accept whatever I buy will. Just trying to work out what the Jaguar might be worth in five years time versus the Aston. Any guidance you could give would be greatly appreciated."
I'd buy the Jag because it's better built and will almost inevitably be more reliable and cheaper to run. You must be talking roadster rather than coupe, so I urge you to check the trunks. The Jag's is tiny and if it contains a space saver spare wheel you can't get much more in there.
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

What does a Jaguar F-Type Coupe cost?