I am planning on buying a new F type. I cannot decide between the base model and the s. If you have base model, do you wish that you had purchased the s instead? Do you think it is worth the extra money? Thanks.

 

This is an impossible question to answer since we all have different financials.

We all have to choose our own budgets and spend accordingly.

I say if you are so unsure you need to ask random strangers then get the Base.

If I felt sinking more money on cars I would have a Panamera Turbo S and a 911 Turbo S. But I thought I would be a bit more conservative so I bought an M5 and an R Coupe.

 

I can't directly answer your question, but the S is probably the safe bet. Difference 3 months after you buy:

* the extra power/features wasn't worth $10K. Probably worth $5K. Oh well, you're out $5K.

* I wished I had some extra power, those extra features. Let's see, I can sell the Base, take a huge hit, and buy the S. That's not realistic, will cost me too much. Now I'm regretting the decision everyday.

Between the 2, I think losing $5K is the safer bet.

 

For me it was financial, considering I put 14k options on my base manual. If I were to spec out the S it definitely would have been out of my price range.

Plus I do not intend to track my car and I doubt I would ever use all the power in the base, let alone the S. What really mattered was the torque for city driving, the base vs S are really close, so that was a no brained for me.

 

If the economical bit is a big part of the Picture, you need to consider the total cost of ownership.

Are you leasing or buying. If leasing, you need to consider the total cost during the lease periode.

Are you buying, you need to consider the total cost of ownership and take into account what kind of money you can expect when selling your car second hand.

I would guess that mpg, service cost, insurance etc is pretty much the same for both versions.

 

I have zero regrets regarding my base purchase a year after, and I'm feeling happier about it today than I did then. I do not think the V6S is worth the extra money.

For safe and sane street use, the performance differences are almost undetectable since the 40 extra HP doesn't arrive until the top of the power band. The torque outputs of the 340 and 380 are essentially identical.

I could have easily purchased any of the models including either of the V8s, but for me the decision was made based upon my intended use and relative value. Moreover, my general impression is that all models are depreciating at about the same percentage rate, which means you're surrendering even more cash the higher you go on the price food chain.

I'm expecting at some point in the F-Type model run, the base will become a turbo I4, so there may be a bigger distinction on future MYs.

 

I went with the S and never looked back. I have no regrets because it is one fun car to drive. Yes it may have been a little extra but it's was well worth it to me at least....

 

I went with the S and have no regrets. However the horsepower difference isn't that great so if your not going to track your car or being running it hard very often I think the base is the way to go. If you change your mind later on and want more power you could always mod it and probably get those extra 40 horsepower with a pulley change, tune, and exhaust. Let us know what you decide and good luck.

 

I've researched various tunes and technical info, and a pulley change is definitely not recommended for the V6 by the vast majority of informed sources I've heard from. However, you can get to nearly 400HP with just the tune.

In addition, at least one of the available "reputable" tunes can take both the V6S and the base V6 to exactly the same HP output (398, if I recall correctly). In other words, you only get a small amount of extra HP by tuning a V6S, but you can get a huge gain by tuning the base V6.

Hopefully Cambo will chime in here.

 

Power is just one piece of the performance equation. As Foosh says, the power differential can very cost effectively be addressed with a tune. However, here are the other performance considerations that went into my decision to buy the S:
1. Limited slip differential
2. Availability of torque vector braking
3. Switchable exhaust volume (to accommodate spousal unit)
4. Switchable suspension firmness (same as above)


Resale value not a part of the equation. Only question is whether it be me or the car that gets towed away first.

 

I ordered my car exactly like I wanted so I got all the options I wanted and more importantly...the look...for right around $74k.
All the S models I see on dealer lots are $90k+ loaded up cars with many extras I wouldn't want or need.

The suspension would have been the only draw there...but not worth the $12k premium to me.

 

just get the base, that's all you probably need.

 

Buick - Exactly same observations and same thinking on my part. Mine will be a recreational driver, and a GT at times. I have no interest in the track. I also have to consider my wife as a driver. I am not a race car driver, but I like to drive pretty sporty at times. Here in rural Colorado we have lots of neat mountain roads to enjoy, spirited or otherwise. The Base is way more car than I will ever need, but I am not speaking from experience yet; mine is due in early September. Reading Foosh on several posts; we seem pretty aligned on this issue.

 

I purchased a 2016 Polaris White Base Coupe with the active exhaust. I test drove both the base and S and found them similar, so I went with the base. I have spent some extra money on changing the lovers, side vents and mirrors to Carbon Fibre, although I know a lot of money, the dealer helped me out on the costs and I like them, it makes my car a little more unique. (not that there are a ton out there in my area anyway) The testosterone side of me says that I want more power, but to be honest, I'm not a speed demon and I can always do a tune later when warranty is closer to running out as I don't want to risk having warranty issues. Good luck in your decision, I'm happy with mine.

 

You should read the review I did for both cars. I own a base but had access to company S model for about 500 miles.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...-later-139040/

 

Never seen that review before WhiteTardis and I enjoyed it. Thanks for the comparison.

 

Thank you for all of your input. I will probably go with the base since I'm not sure the price differential is worth it. I do not plan to track the car.

 

I'd be willing to bet it's all the car you'll need...

 

Any car purchase based on need alone will hardly ever result in the purchase of much more than a base model KIA. It's what you want versus what you are willing to pay that establishes the purchase equation.

 

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