Hi everyone! I initially posted this in the "new member area" section, but asking F-Type owners makes a lot more sense, so here we go:

So, I've owned a 2016 XE S for 1 year (I was the second owner). The car was wonderful- had pretty much a top notch spec (British Racing Green, panoramic roof, heated and ventilated seats, etc.). My only gripe with it was that it was a bit of a pain in winter, as we get tons of snow here. The car would not handle too well and I was forced to drive with ESC off for 3 months. Not too much of a problem, but not great either.




I have sold my XE S which I currently regret, as it was fantastic- so emotional, beautiful and engaging.

I have purchased a 2019 Audi A5 (2.0 TFSI, Revo stage 1) as a replacement but I'm not enjoying it too much. It makes sense, since I bought it because of great build quality, AWD and an amazing sound system. Even after chip tuning it at REVO (249 bhp ---> 320 bhp) and achieving 4.6 second 0-100 km/h, I still can't say that I enjoy the car.
Fast acceleration does not make up for a rather boring suspension setup.

So, I'm looking at just a few cars as a replacement, two of which are Jaguars (the 3rd is BMW M2).

If I were to go for an F-Type, I would choose the F-Type S or F-Type "400 Sport". I would avoid the "R" for financial reasons (they are overly expensive to own here).


What do you guys think? Has anyone driven both the XE S and the F-Type?
To put it short: is it worth giving up space found in the XE S and similar saloons for the F-Type's handling and engagement?

 

2 Very different cars offering very different experiences. F Type has been great in the snow, joy to drive of course, but the utility factor is very low. I have a convertible R, so storage space it at an absolute minimum. I don't think I could honestly survive with just the F Type (I have an SUV too). If you only have one car, it will be compromise after compromise getting the F Type IMHO.

 

In a way, I agree. That said, I intend to cut down my trips to driving just 3/4 times per week, in which case the F-Type starts to sound more reasonable. Either way, thanks for the advice!

 

I don't know if F-type will go well with your purple jacket and a golden chain. Also, it isn't Mercedes S600, bratva will not approve. Just kidding.

Has anyone driven both the XE S and the F-Type?
I drove both XE S V6 and F-type S V6 and performance-wise they are very similar, considering they have very similar power train. F-type turns and stops better, but this would be noticeable only on a race track. On key point to consider, F-type is not a practical winter car - it is too low to the ground and AWD will not fix clearance issues.

is it worth giving up space found in the XE S and similar saloons for the F-Type's handling and engagement?
I would not buy F-type if it was my only car. I don't drive F-type in the winter. I don't drive mine to do shopping. I don't drive mine when I anticipate having passengers. I do drive it to the office in the summer every chance I get.

 

I agree with all that's been said and add if the sound system is important to you the Meridian top of the line system in my car is lacking. I'm getting ready to take it in because if i set the bass above -2 the insides of the car rattle.

 

Getting the F-Type will make cutting down your trips hard. Your F-Type will sit there begging you to drive it.

 

Here is a video you will find most interesting regarding XE, Ftype, winter driving, and you can derive many answers.

 

I've driven both and currently have the 2020 XE P300 and the F Type v6S. I love the XE which has a much better sound inside than the F Type which I really think is due to the shape of the interior and speaker placement more than the system itself. I could live with just the F Type if it was only me, as my need for the extra boot room is maybe 20 times a year maximum any of which could be dealt with by organising delivery at nominal cost (which we do most of the time anyway). I think if I had to cut back to one car and it was only me, I would probably stick with the F Type and give it a try.

As others have said they drive similarly though I prefer the F Type as a fun drive as you can play with the tail end a little more. Both the F Type and the XE S are heaps of fun on the track - the p400 is noticeably quicker than the p380. I have only driven the p340 version of the XE S on the track which you guys called the 35 T which drove beautifully, though I think the 2020 p300 drives as well and has similar acceleration characteristics, maybe better over 100kph with the torquey twin turbo.

 

It’s really a matter of what you’re used to. I’ve never owned a vehicle with more than two doors and I find the coupe is more than adequate for a two person road trip, particularly with the privacy panel removed. I did pass on the Vert because of inadequate cargo space. A few folks on the forum with the nads to drive the car in snow find the car to be quite ruly with a set good set of winter shoes even with RWD.
But don’t plan on driving it with more than 5 inches of snow on the road.

 

From what I have seen from dash cams on youtube, that is very often the case in Russia.

That and I think this is their national anthem:

 

My friend, bratva take my money and wife if I get orange car. Orange is not man colour. Black is man color. 😂

Ok, so back to reality. The car is so amazing, I'm actually ready to give up some comfort for it. And I definitely want a bright colour!

 

Had the same rattling issues in my XE S. It's a pain, but it's fixable, ish...

 

I don't have a family and rarely need luggage, which is why I find the F-Type appealing. Besides, that supercharged engine is just amazing in terms of torque and sound.
to be honest, I've never been a fan of turbocharged engines, which is part of the reason why the A5 seems boring to me.

I guess, I should just try the F-Type!

 

That's fair. My friend drove an awd F-Type S to the very north, but that was quite a challenge!

 

I own a tuned ~370 hp similar Audi. The electronic variable steering is numb and a little unnerving as it changes from driver to driver, which I hate. The brake feel is tricky as you have to lighten up as you slow down to keep the brakes from grabbing harder. The suspension is nonexistent even in comfort mode with 235/40 MP4Ss. The car rides like a covered wagon. The AWD it's excellent in the rain and launches surprisingly well for the mediocre HP pegging it in the mid 4s 0-60, but it really runs out of steam above about 70 mph. I would buy the car again as a relatively cheap peppy car for my family members to drive.

I own an FBO FMIC JB4 and Meth 420 HP BMW 135i that is essentially a more souped-up M2. It's the worst vehicle I have owned in 40 years of ownership by a mile. Modern BMWs are f*****g nightmares. At 4.9 seconds to 60, it is also the slowest of the three, and is in no way comparable in acceleration, handling, braking, shifting (the spongy MT pops out of 3rd at 120K miles and I hate that you can't tell if its in 1st or Reverse), engine sound, build quality, or interior luxury to an F-Type. I would get a used 135i and tune it for around $8,000 in total, it'll out-handle and out-accelerate an M2 and is at the end of its depreciation curve instead of the brutal beginning.

I think the sweet spot F-Type is a 2014 V8 S. The RWD 2014 and 2015 V8s weigh the same as an AWD V6 S but with 650 HP vs 450 HP tuned, so almost 50% more power to weight than a V6 S. There are plenty of 2104 V8 Ss in the high $30Ks with low miles and some of the CPOs still have a year of Jag warranty left. A V8 is a V8, they all have the same hardware and all tune to the same 630-650 HP, depending if you add a pulley. You'll wind up with a low 3 second car vs a low 4 second car which is night/day. The V8 has a more muscular roar, though they both sound primo exotic. The V8 and the V6 are just too far apart in performance to settle, IMO. Just my 2 cents

I rented an XE for a few days but have not driven one extensively. I liked it a lot. It was before I owned my tuned 560 WHP V8 S. They are completely different cars. The F-Type is a viscous and raw rip roaring all-out performance beast, the XE is a lot more civil transpo.

Oh hell yes. And if you really want it to be civil the F is as quiet and luxurious as an XE. You can't hear the engine in 8th cruise, it is geared for near idle at 60/70/90 mph at 1200/1400/1800 RPM.

 

I had a XE S before and now I'm driving the F-Type P340.

While the engine does feel very familiar, I think both cars are different beasts.

The XE is much more civilized, even with the V6 and the nice (but subdued) sound it will rarely give you jealous gazes or attention here in Germany, its what we call "a wolf in a sheep suit" here. The exterior is really nothing special and there are nearly no differences to the lower models, especially in the interior. I wished that at least the rear would be more aggressive. It drives pretty beastly and amazing though when in Dynamic and S, but without the looks and the valves exhaust of the F-Type it will never give you the same feeling. The XE is more comfortable and has a lot more space especially when folding the back seats. Using the paddles isn't really fun as there are no crackles, pops or other sounds which would make this a lot of fun like in the F-Type.

On the other hand the F-Type feels like a real sports car, but is still pretty comfortable compared to other cars in this segment. In normal mode it can be driven very quiet and unimposing. Put it in Dynamic and S and it becomes a monster and when using the paddles you can make as many obnoxious but amazing noises as you like. ;-) Trust me, you will never get this feeling with the XE S which is much more discreet in general. Additionally if you get an extroverted colour like Ultra Blue you will get a lot of attention and people will sometimes talk to you out of nowhere, mostly positive in my experience but there a some haters of course.

On the Coupe the trunk is pretty acceptable, I use the car daily and never had any trouble. Though I live in an area in Germany where it really never snows, so I'm still using the summer tires and you can even drive it without problems in the rain, just don't use dynamic or full throttle and you are absolutely safe.

 

Wow, this is a very detailed response. Thank you for the details- this sort of stuff is worth much more than "go for it" kinds of responses.

As for the Audi- totally agree with you there.
The M2 if fun in terms of handling, which means quite a lot to me. To be honest, the one thing I'm now certain about is that an engaging car is much more important than just a fast car.

As for the F-Type, I will agree about the V8, but I actually prefer the sound of the V6 one, in this case.
I absolutely love AMG V8's though.

 

I installed different exhaust tips on my XE S to make it look slightly more agressive.
That said, it obviously doesn't even come close to an F-Type.

In short, sounds like I should start searching for one 😂

 

There are both software fixes targeting amplifier and later year models (I think 2017+) have different/better sound insulation to prevent rattling. My 2016 F-type S doesn't rattle or distort sounds, but then I don't tend to listen to hard bass on max volume... I think the only way to know for sure is to listen to music you like at the volume you like on the exact car you are considering to purchase.

Personally, I think F-type has a soul. You don't own it, you have a relationship with it, and like any mistress it occasionally gives you headaches.

 

I have a 2018 XE 25t (250HP turbo 4-cyl) as my winter car, and I love it. Wish the transmission would shift a bit faster, but otherwise a fun car to drive with nice handling, looks, comfort, and ergonomics. My INControl Touch Pro was upgraded with CarPlay, and has been a good system.

The XE is a nice complement to the F-type, mostly driven when it’s too cold or wet for the top down.