Hey all, just wanted to give you all a VERY quick review of the back to back test drives I was lucky enough to do this weekend... Short version: I've been in absolute love with the F-Type coupe since it was first launched. I've had a 2016 R coupe on order for the past 2 months, scheduled to be built next month with a expected delivery date of late June/early July. Like all of you, I've spent the last 4 or 5 months watching pretty much EVERY video review of the R type and reading everything I could find, particularly all the debates between RWD and AWD. I have had my doubts about some of the changes, (not a fan of the design pack as well as the limiting of the wheel selections) but figured I could change it when I got it. So when my dealer got a 2016 R in, I knew I had to drive it... Well, I drove it and a 2015, back to back, on the same route, and well... I ended up canceling my order and buying the 2015. My thoughts on the 2016: It just feels "bigger." Not only does the design pack and body colored side skirts make the car look "bloated" but they stick out farther than the 2015's and they take something away from the overall look of the car. Ok, so that wasn't a deal breaker, (I figured I could have them painted) but disappointing nonetheless. New instrument information center? Pretty nice, definitely more upscale looking than the 2015, but not that big of a deal. The new infotainment display? Nice, but does not have all of the functionality that I expected or hoped for. Ok, so now for the most important part: The driving... I've driven a 2015 R several times, and each time come away from it impressed by the power and rawness of it, it feels nimble and fun. Now, the AWD pulled, and pulled hard, and I have no doubt that real world testing will find it results in faster track times. But I'm not a track guy and I felt like all of the IDD and AWD machinery is an excellent piece of engineering, but it subtracted something from the overall experience. It just plain felt heavy. Not that the F-Type is a light car in any way, but the AWD felt heavier than the RWD. The 2016 only had 11 miles on it, and I didn't want to flog someone else's car, but I still got into it enough to know that the 2015 just felt better in every way and I couldn't be happier with my decision. I will still miss the ammonite that I ordered, but I can't stop going into the garage and just staring at the rhodium silver beauty of the 2015. It has all of the details of the concept car that I first fell in love with, and I can't help but wonder if Jaguar may have messed a little too much with perfection. As always, I'm just a guy on the Internet and your mileage may vary.

 

Ok, so it was a NOT so quick review. Oops.

 

Wow - that's a major decision. And a bold one!

Thanks for that review - you're one of the few fortunate enough to have been able to make a direct comparison like that.

I agonized over the decision to go with the RWD instead of waiting for the AWD and had read about the visual effects of the body colored skirts giving it an overall bigger look, which was not appealing to me.

Congratulations on your decision. Rhodium silver is a great color choice! (Nearly as nice as Stratus Grey, hey, RickyJay!!! )

Enjoy!

 

Thanks for your review - I'm not surprised by what you are saying. 4WD 'rapes' what is supposed to be the essence of the design.
For some though, they think AWD is safer than TC, so it is a positive selling point for Jaguar.

I think the future classics will be the 2WD R's (Conv and the more attractive coupé), to my mind they just better sports cars. (i'll put $1000 down!)

 

Others think that AWD will perform better and get off the line without wheel spin.

 

We most certainly do love our Stratus Grey my brother, we most certainly do...just as I'm equally certain every Forum member here loves their choice. Might be an interesting question (poll) whether they'd make the same choice the second time around; although I doubt many would change their first choice...so never mind).

While on the OP....congratulations on your decision. I have little doubt that owners of the AWD will love it much as we RWD love ours but I will add that even without the experience of driving the F-Type AWD, I pretty much know I wouldn't want one. And that's my personal opinion regardless of how the AWD performs. Paraphasing the Mercedes Benz ads - when it comes to the F-Type and my sports cars in general - "It's Rear Wheel Drive Or Nothing".

Happy Motoring!

 

Glad you made the decision deemed correct (for you).

I find it odd that you could tell the weight difference from a simple test drive.... putting a passenger in the vehicle almost adds as much weight difference.

Some of the heaviness might have been in your head?

nonetheless - congrat's on the new F-Type

 

The AWD system in the 2016 F type is not a full-time system is it?

 

It's computer-controlled.

It can send anything from no power forward to about half the engine's output, and anywhere in between.

Jaguar's claims it keeps the old car's rear-drive feel, something it's accomplished by favoring rear-drive unless it's necessary to send power to the front.

 

This heaviness feel is partly due to the improved traction. I noticed the same thing with the Carrera 4S versus the Carrera S. The weight difference is negligible but because it never loses grip it feels weighty.

The Carrera S feels more agile because of the slight wheel spin, the sharper turn in, and the ability to throttle steer through a corner.

My sense is the problem with the AWD-R is that if you want a better handling, more grippy fast car, then the 911 Turbo crushes the AWD-R for that type of a car. What makes the Jag different is the theatrics and you lose that with AWD. So it loses the differentiation to ape the Porsche but can't beat the Porsche.

I'm going to test drive it soon to form my own opinion. If I like it I will upgrade. Otherwise I will hold out for the SVR, and maybe also check out the upcoming AMG-GTS and next gen R8.

 

It depends upon what you mean by that.

It is full-time in the sense that it is always "on." However, under "normal" circumstances (no rear-wheel slippage) all the power is on the rear wheels. When they system detects rear wheels are losing traction, it progressively transfers up to a max of 50% power to the front wheels. When the rear wheels begin to regain traction it progressively reduces front power back to 0%.

The theory is that it retains most of the feel of a RWD vehicle, and allows some rear wheel slippage, but makes it easier to keep the car in line and under control.

 

Oh and one other thing. The Michelin Pilot Super Sports significantly improve the 2015 R.

Since I upgraded my tires at 2k miles I have noticed:
- Better traction and a lot less wheel spin on launch
- More predictable handling on the limits especially in cornering and on braking into a corner
- More crisp turn-in
- much better exit speeds
- much more grip in wet (I now use dynamic mode in the wet)

The car would have reviewed much better if they had the Michelin Super Sports from the factory.

Also I maintained the OEM size when I switched tires.

 

Funny. I just drove a 2016 R yesterday for the first time, back to back with a 2015. I couldn't tell the difference between the two in every day real world driving (which I will be doing 95% of the time).

The differences in cosmetics are a thing of personal taste, but on the darker colored cars, I like the new side skirts. (The car itself isn't any larger, the skirts don't stick out past the wheels.)

I could NOT tell there was a 10% stiffer spring in the 2016, and I do feel the updated infotainment system is a nice touch.

To each his own, but unless you are a professional driver who takes the car to the limit, I doubt most of us will feel ANY difference.

Again, this is just MY opinion on MY test drives.

 

+1 Theoretically, in normal, "law-abiding" street driving the difference should be undetectable on dry streets. On wet pavement, AWD should provide a significant advantage. The slight extra weight of the AWD should be undetectable.

 

I have no doubt that the AWD will be the faster car. But there was something intangible taken away from the experience, and driving both back to back, I will say it was a very easy decision.

 

[QUOTE=Foosh;1211174]It depends upon what you mean by that.

When they system detects rear wheels are losing traction, it progressively transfers up to a max of 50% power to the front wheels. When the rear wheels begin to regain traction it progressively reduces front power back to 0%.[QUOTE]

Thanks Foosh! This is what I was after.

 

Thanks for the thoughtful review. I hope you love the new car! I hope that the changes they've made help sell more Jags. I just want to be sure they're successful and continue to grow. Not so much that I meet too many F-Types driving around though.

 

Thank you for the review. You make me think I should look more closely at the 2015 R's out there, I know there are a lot available and they really want to deal and clear them out as fast as they can, and I could save a lot of money. I just don't see any out there with the carbon ceramic brakes unfortunately. The nice thing about ordering is getting exactly how you want it.

Do you think that maybe the excitement of driving out the same day with the 2015, over waiting months for the 2016 may have swayed your decision, and the perceived differences in the cars were more emotional that real? I am just asking.

 

I think this may be the case for him. Now while I haven't driven one yet, I feel that judging by the mechanics of the AWD it would be hard to tell the difference unless you were pushing the car. And I doubt this was the case, since in my situation the salesman was required to come with me. There simply isn't enough of a difference to tell during normal driving.

Really what it comes down to is if you want grip and acceleration at low speeds or to drift/burn the tires and hoon the car. Both are respectable traits for a car, but completely different from eachother and a lot of people stand hard that their way is best. Does it really matter which one the majority likes better? Because we all act like it does...

 

This sort of conversation is beginning to take on the form of going into a movie with preconcieved expectations - from hearing others talking about it and/or reading about it - which can both work for or against the anticipation.

The only opinion which matters is your own; and certainly the whole picture cannot come from reading what other's say/write (including me). Plain and simple (although that's an easier task for some than others).

While the world abhors a vacuum, the more clear-mind one can have - and with real-world driving experience (the more experience, the better) - the better [to form one's own opinion].

This above all, to thine own self be true - Shakespeare.