Still looking / investigating, wish to pose a question, saw a 2016 base 20k miles for $36,500. Conversely, saw a 2016 S AWD offered at $43,000 with 50k miles (unsure of tire / brake pad status). Assuming all things being relatively equal otherwise, which car would you be more inclined to pursue? Both are trade ins at large non-Jag dealerships.

 

Is AWD, bigger brakes and 40 horses with 30 k more miles on the car worth $6500 more to you?

 

It depends on how much you want to drive the car. There are a lot of cheap base models going second hand with low km, in my opinion due to the very hard ride because of the absence of adaptive suspension. Personally I wouldnt buy a base if it is to be a daily driver.

 

I’ve asked myself those questions and realize the answer is “no.” I won’t be tracking the car and the base model exhaust suits me just fine. Being pragmatic, I prefer 18” rims which are more cost-efficient replacement wise and provide improved traction on slick roads over larger rims. I don’t really sweat the AWD aspect given I grew up in Central NY and could drive a tricycle in poor weather conditions (had a Mustang in high school & college and Miata in Pittsburgh & Champagne IL as a daily driver - Philly winters are a joke by comparison though you’d think it was the end of the world the way the local’s drive - I’m much more afraid of them than of road conditions) For winter I’d put 17” rims + Blizzaks for Jan - March. I’m home based for my job and Uber to the airport for work travel.

Aside from the decision aspect, with an F type I will have 3 ‘toy’ vehicles. Sell my Porsche 550 reproduction which I’ve had for 10 years and invested in to make as close to an original as possible and is a blast? Sell my 91 Nissan Figaro which I adore? (I could actually drive the Figaro year-round, they do in merry old England, it’s front wheel drive).... Alas, if I don’t sell the Porsche or Figaro my 09 VW rabbit with 100,000 miles would have to go, I can’t justify 4 vehicles...

 

Great perspective and appreciated. Can a base model be fitted / updated to an adaptive suspension or is it more of an electronic Doohickey?

 

My base with standard suspension is my daily to the tune of 12k miles a year. It doesn’t bother me at all. Frankly, the only thing I wish the car had was more power—as in v8 power. That said, I would lose my manual, so it’s a real catch 22.

 

Simple answer - no.
Well at least not without costing you several thousand dollars.
New shocks, special wiring and I think other electrical gizmos such as control boxes, relays and possibly a module or two, and then it would need at least the CCF modified using SDD.
Much cheaper, easier and sure to work just to buy an S to start with.

 

I find my car with the H&R lowering springs set on the stiff suspension setting to be quite comfortable as a daily. A $1700 investment (parts & labor) will net another 90 horses. Because of the 60% fewer miles, the base option is a better bargain than the S, especially if the AWD is not a big deal for you.

 

All great advice, much appreciated!

 

Depends on your needs, wants to have of course, but the one thing I regret not having, is the bigger brakes.
Mine is equipped with the base brake setup, and not adequate to my driving style.
I do not track mine, but drive it vigorously now and then.
Other then that, I'm very happy with my base (VAP tuned) V6.
One can easily upgrade power and suspension, but brakes are harder to do (in particular down here because of laws).

 

It's not hard to upgrade to the bigger brakes (380 mm front and 376 mm rear) and it's a reasonably straightforward DIY. They are a direct bolt up replacement for the base brakes.
Trouble is the new parts cost a lot although you might be able to source used front calipers and caliper brackets on Fleabay for way less than the new price, as a wide range of Jags use the exact same brakes. Not the case with the rears though as they are unique to the F-Type.
All the other parts (discs, pads etc) will need to be new except maybe the splash shields.
You should be able to get all the parts you need for somewhere between $2,500 and $5,000 US.
I can't see why your laws should bar you from fitting the bigger brakes as they are a safety improvement over what you have, but you may need to get engineering approval.

Forgot to add - you will also need to go up to at least 19" wheels if you have the OEM 18" wheels, to clear the front calipers.

 

I would highly recommend not restricting your search to local dealerships. Having a car shipped is not a huge problem and isn't expensive as long as you aren't in a hurry. There are deals to be had all over North America so I would recommend widening your search area.

 

"I want the one with less power."
- No one ever

 

I know, but my point was, if the bigger brakes are important, buy one which has them fitted already ;-)

 

I understand the need for power/speed, so to speak. My attraction to the F-Type, however, isn’t the same as what drew me to a couple of NSX’s previously owned back in its heyday. At this point in life I’m interested in a car that offers refinement, luxury, semi-exclusivity and panache combined with sports car characteristics. All in a package that can serve as a daily driver in a not-so-bad-winter region of the northeast. I also admit I’ve had a yearning to own a Jaguar coupe since high school and very much appreciate that the F type harkens back to the E-type design. The power factor certainly is a bonus, however, for me it’s secondary in this particular car. A 647 HP Ford GT? Sure. 550 HP Audi R8 V10 Plus? Absolutely; it’s difficult to beat a mid-engine design for balance to power ratio; but as I pointed out above, that’s not what I’m interested in, If it was I’d personally purchase the Audi.... ��

 

Have you driven both? I've heard this before in the forum. I don't see why the absence of adaptive suspension is presumed to yield a "very hard ride." It depends on what settings and parameters are locked in, no? Now, I've have driven the base model only, but the ride/handling/firmness balance is perfect for me, and I'm definitely NOT someone happy to trade handling for a punishing ride. (In fact, my Saab 9-3 Aero has a firmer ride than my F-Type.) Actually I'm in the same camp (and perhaps age) as Smonop: .

 

Yep, I test drove a base 'vert for a day when they first came out, and it put me off buying an f type though I loved the steering and transmission which I thought were miles better than my (then) XKR. I looked into aftermarket suspension for a while, but ended up buying after I drove an S with the better seats and adaptive suspension, I was quite amazed at the difference from the base. I pretty much signed up for it immediately.

 

Do not forget the difference tires can make to a car's ride, both in width and diameter, as well as the brand of tire mounted...

 

Agreed on that as well, I think the ride on michelin 21's is about the same at the Pzeros on 19's. And I think once the seats soften up it makes a bit of difference.

Back to Jim's question about why would adaptive suspension make a difference, what it is, is that adaptive suspension has a base setting that is a lot softer than the "non-adaptive", then it gets dialled up by putting it into dynamic, potentially to a setting that is harder than the non-adaptive (or straight to it, if you dont have configurable settings, as I dont). In other words if you expressed firmness as a range from 1 - 10, with 1 being (say) a standard XE and 10 being the F Type V6S with adaptive suspension in dynamic mode, full setting, then the S in normal mode might be a 5, whereas the base might be a 7 or 8.

 

Should anyone be interested in how the adaptive dampers actually work...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/05kci965sf...mping.pdf?dl=0