What are people’s opinions of this variant?

 

Try the search function and you should find quite a few opinions on it. Also take a look in the UK F-Type forum where there may be some more P300 drivers and I think there's a little more love for it over there.

I think it's a variant that misses out on some significant parts that are essential to the F-Type experience and only the supercharged engines deliver - character, drama, sound and power. The 2.0 is a decent engine but it doesn't quite cut the mustard in a car like the F-Type and is a type of engine that arguably is more suitable in hot hatches and cheaper lighter sporty cars. It's essentially an MX5 / A Class / TT / Golf type of engine. The engine makes a lot of sense tax wise in some countries and some people enjoy it. The main argument that usually comes up is its improved handling. It's supposed to handle a bit better than the other variants thanks to the lighter engine but I've driven a couple and can't say I was blown away by the handling. Even if you stick a lighter four banger in it the F-Type will never be super sharp handling due to the overall weight and character of the car so the better handling mostly feels like a bad excuse. Having said that, it's still an F-Type and some people like it so it's worth test driving if you're considering one.

 

I've commented before and I'll throw it in again, the p300 is a lovely engine and if it wasnt for my ridiculous obsession with noise and quad pipes I would be spectacularly happy with a 4 potter F Type. In the hands of a decent driver (which isnt me), the 4 potter is quite the weapon although I would probably replace those oh so heavy OEM rims with some forged wheels to take full advantage of the fewer kilos and if you want to reduce the risk of pothole damage, you can go plenty wider than stock.

 

Purchased mine new in 2018.

Handles like a dream. Economical, although I do not care. Over 30 mpg at about 75-80

Insurance is reasonable. Same as the Dear Wife's HD pickup.

Keep in mind it is as fast as muscle cars of the 60'.s. Faster than most.

It has Launch control so that improves acceleration when desired.

No cooling issues. reliable.

As a 2018 it has no markings. So only owners even know it is a P300. I.E looks the same. Except for the exhaust.

You can let others drive it. The 2 wheel drive v-8 is sort of not a street car.

The engine is still being manufactured.

At my age I am not going to track the car.

 

Drive as many variants as possible before deciding. Every well cared for F-type will deliver the looks, luxury and comfort but the ride experience will be very different depending on traction (RWD or AWD), manual or auto, V8, V6 and 2L. The sound will also be completely different with the 2L.

If I fancied the F-type purely for its design and looks, the 2L would be fine. But the V6 is the sweet spot IMO.

 

I loved my P300

That said, I made the mistake of test driving a lightly used R model at the Jag dealer.

Didn't buy it, but did trade in the P300 with a Ragazzon exhaust for a P450.....

BEST !

RWS

 

This is the kind of erroneous diss that muscle car partisans often make about the 2.0 F-Type. The more accurate comparison would be to Porsche's Boxster and Cayman.

 

Objectively, it's the best-handling/cornering F-Type because its chassis/suspension are tuned for a substantially lighter nose. More agile, nimble in the twisties, more classically "sportscarlike" (though it's no MG or Triumph). The 2.0 w/AT is also faster 0-60 than the V6 340hp w/stick (per JLR).

The 2.0 has plenty of grunt for ordinary driving. Consider that its 295 lb-ft torque are available from only 1500 rpm, compared with the 380hp V6's 339 lb-ft not kicking in until 3500 rpm. And the 4-pot obviously isn't forced to haul an 8-cylinder block like the V6s must.

In a detailed engineering comparison I studied, the 2.0 petrol (AJ200p) was evaluated as the least problematic F-Type engine historically, not only because it has no Y-pipe cooling issue nor just because its turbocharger has proven more durable than the supercharger. This highest horsepower-per-cylinder motor Jag ever built was also described by JLR as the "most advanced and efficient engine ever found in an F-Type."

What's more, if you prioritize nimble handling over drag racing, it rewards you with lower expenses for tires, brakes, and fuel, thanks to the weight difference. If you don't track your car, it delivers more fully exploitable power and torque dynamics in ordinary driving environments.

 

Mg owners will tell you.

it’s more fun going fast in a slow car than slow in a fast car!

 

It was a pity that they didnt have that engine in a manual. My mum had a manual toyota 86 and even though it was comparatively slow the combination of decent sound, very pointy steering, and the manual made it a hell of a lot of fun

 

You forgot the most important part--it has an actual physical dipstick to check the oil!

 

They are all good.

Since 99+% of my time is on the street, my focus was having fun and faster is not always fun....too fast is even less fun.

Listen to it though...the v6 and v8 sound biblical.....

 

Another great reason to favour and find a V6 with a stick!

 

I’ve stated this opinion strongly before, and a few other seemed share it, but the majority seem to like the idea of this engine being an option in the F-type…

Without even having driven an F-type with the 4 cylinder in it, I just don’t like the idea of that engine in a car like the F-type. That’s my surface reaction, but at the same time I know it’s not overly fair to make these sort of statements when I haven’t even driven one.

I do agree that the idea of an F-type with that engine and a manual would have shined it up a bit for me, made it more appealing, etc…That was the one thing that I really struggled with when purchasing my F-type, the lack of a manual option…I had always envisioned a standard transmission in my dream car purchase. That was a huge plus for the 911 when I was deciding, but in the end there were enough other things that I liked about the F-type over the 911 where I was able to look past it…In the end I actually find the manual mode of the transmission in the F-type quite engaging, so it’s not to bad…

 

@DMeister you mean you didn't know that you could get a V6 with a 6-speed manual transmission when you bought your F-type? I find it crazy how common your comment is
​online, across YouTube videos and comments... Many people just don't know that the F-type is available with a manual transmission. That's sad.

As you say and based on a few other times that it's been brought up by @scm and others, the manual mode doesn't seem that bad.

 

Of course I was aware of that. I was looking for a V8 only, and I was looking to purchase brand new with a full factory warranty. So obviously that was out as a possibility. I also much prefer the face-lifted car, so there were many reasons.

 

Which also is useful when the shitty Jag dealership mechanics overfill the oil (which is common). A cheap syringe pump and plastic tubing that fits down the dipstick tube lets me extract such overfill myself to avoid returning to Jag.

 

The manuals are tough to find and command a premium over the normal V6's. If you want a V8 like he said, you are out of luck. I haven't driven one, but I have read that it's not the best manual to operate (feel, clutch operation vs something like an excellent Tremec or Porsche manual), but for me it would probably still be more fun than paddles - unfortunately for me I decided I needed a V8R

 

Yeah, the online chatter about the manual is only sustained by those who 1) never drove one 2) regret not driving one before buying an auto and continue to tell themselves "it's not a very good manual". So, ignore what you've read.

I've not driven a manual Porsche yet but as a manual transmission purist who's only owned manual cars, the F-type 6-speed is absolutely fine for road use and spirited driving, to the point that I'd not entertain buying an auto F-type. Is it for everyone one? No. If you're into drag racing or drive through heavy traffic regularly, it's not for you.

But for the ultimate engagement on back roads and twisties and if you enjoy rev matching, the manual is the way to go. As for the premium over the auto box, I agree. Mine has gone up in value 7% since I bought it 14 months despite the additional 7K miles that I put on since.
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The 2.0 just doesn’t make sense MPG wise, I average 26.5 mpg with motorway and then some 30 stop start start. That’s awful for a 2 litre