Hi: it's almost February and I have been eyeballing some F-Type Convertibles as a replacement summer car for my Camaro. I am looking at used 2014-2016 models. Question 1 is how much value is lost in a say 2014 model with lower mileage but only a year left on the warranty versus paying more money for a similar mileage 2015 or 2016 with 3-4 years left on the warranty and more peace of mind? Question 2, I am an old stick shift guy but was told years ago by a car salesman that manuals don't appeal to women or men with women who drive their cars. Thus, 50% to 80% of the used car buyers will pass on a manual shift car. This is in reference to a 2016 base model with 6 speed I looked at. Finally, I'm about 5"11" and 190#. How comfortable will I be in the F-Type? I've owned several Corvettes and Camaros and an MGB. Anybody my size or larger out there with thoughts on that? Thanks.

 

6'7" and fit a vert just fine, manuals are a personal preference, there are plenty of people who buy them or Jag wouldn't have sold them in the first place, depends if you live in the city and spend your life in traffic as the Auto is pretty good. - Warranty, you can just buy extended warranty

 

In the last year and a half, no more than about 500 new MT F-Types have been sold. The extremely low demand for MTs will outstrip the even lower supply of used MTs that are available for sale. I would not worry about lower MT resale values relative to comparable ATs. Most MT fanatics will be willing to pay a premium for the MT.

 

What is this with people who can afford $100K+ cars having bad taste in gearboxes? Or does something traumatic happens when your net worth rolls over another digit or so that makes you too traumatized to row your own gears? Please tell me, so I can quickly invest into Florida real estate to avoid this grim fate.

 

Hmmm...I thought that everyone posting on this particular thread so far was in support of MTs. You are preaching to the choir here.

 

Before washing machines became so good, we used to take our laundry to the local river and bash it on a rock. Anybody still doing that ? Eight speed auto boxes are so much better than the original 3/4 speeds that used to be the norm. I don't need to prove I can drive a manual anymore....

;-)

 

I can see that you might need your right hand to do something else, but what's on the agenda for your left foot. lol

 

After twenty years driving a manual around the car park surrounding London called the M25 and then encountering Austin traffic, my left foot is taking a well earned rest ;-) And my right hand stays on the steering with my left where it belongs...

 

If JLR made the V8 with a manual I'd be all over it. Granted the slushbox is faster, but I'm not racing or dick flapping.

And as for the parking lot called I-270, I drove it for 30 years with manual. Only within the last few years when I needed something to replace the MR2 was I forced to switch.

My truck is a manual. My wife and 2 of my daughters can drive a manual. But it is becoming a lost art.

 

As for parking lots, my DC Beltway beats your I-270. (and note the number of ATs in my sig below). I would fall asleep from boredom if I had to drive an AT. But, that's me...I'm unhingd.

 

I had manuals until my Cayman, because I wanted my wife to be able to drive it. The dual clutch was sublime and I liked the paddles after my journey into SimRacing. When I got the JAG, I had also concluded my wife needed to be able to drive, but in a year, she has not driven it. It scares her. Oh well, the R was not available with an MT and the AT is a good one.
Larry

 

Oh wow, another manual vs. auto debate! How refreshing! LOL To the OP; I'm exactly your size and fit the F type 'vert perfectly.

Cheers,
Dave

 

I think the values are going to hold after the warranty expires since the cars have had very few problems. Most of the complaints here relate to the Meridian audio system, although the occasional lemon (and one flood-damaged car) have turned up. Very few problems to report should equal a good resale value.
I'd be a bit wary of Dealer Demos or a car that's had serious track time, but they seem to have all held up well. Check a VIN in TopIX for recalls and service history: https://topix.jaguar.jlrext.com/topi...cle/lookupForm

And the autobox is faster 0-60 than the manual ;-)

 

I am much larger in weight and a few inches taller. Fit well in both although I find the vert not as desirable with top up. MT vs auto has been said. Get what you like. My wife pretty much can drive anything from forklifts to delivery trucks, including taxiing airplanes. After a knee replacement and some wrist issues, no more manuals. It's not always possible to be able to drive a manual. Also a lot of city driving is not the best for the car or the joints. Youth not withstanding of course.

 

Brought my wife to JLR dealer for her test drive. I wasn't committed to the coupe or convertible, and I had driven the car at the Jaguar Performance Driving Academy.

Dealer takes the wife around back of a convertible and a coupe parked side-by-side, he opens the boot of the convertible and says "Karen, you need to look at the trunk space." The wife goes off on me about how little room there is in the back of the vert "how can we possibly go away together with so little room?" -- while clever salesman opens the back of coupe. Wife sees the space in the back of the coupe and say's "what's this??" Sales guy says "Coupe version of the car." Wife exclaims "Well, you HAVE to buy the coupe!" -- so I did.

 

Aside from tires, what do you expect gets damage on the track? I am not talking slamming into barrier accidents, just driving.

 

Wear & tear on drive train components is much more severe at the limits than when driving like a little old lady. Higher temps, higher rpm, higher torque, higher loads on all the components. I find it hard to believe the F-Type could survive a 24 hour endurance race without substantial modifications. We already know the e-diff can't handle a serious beating.

 

Yes, but does this necessary result in damage? There has to be a weak spot to cause damage. I am sure there is one, but what is it?

In your example of 24h endurance race, what do you think would quit first? My guess would be SC, but this might be my bias against forced induction.

 

Rings, valves and bearings, all due to excessive heat. If I were racing the car every weekend (~1.5-2 hrs of road time) I'd be rebuilding the engine every 4-6 weekends.

 

The JLR professional drivers could really thrash the cars at the Performance Driving Academy. After some hot laps, everyone was instructed to let the cars idle for 5-10 minutes to cool down: switching off immediately could result in boil-over (good YouTube video out there on an F-Type boil-over after hot laps). I wouldn't want a cooked motor.
Other issue is stock brakes: pushed to the limits on a track, they come in smoking hot -- really smoking! The experience sold me on the carbon ceramic brakes for my SVR track car which I can't afford... so I'll stick with the performance brakes on the V6S and remember not to flog it to bad when and if we ever get to a track.