Hey All


Just wanted to say hello


Been lurking for a month or so since I started thinking about getting a new F Type R coupe AWD. Going for a test drive tomorrow just to make sure but I am very close to pushing the button on the order.


Coming from an Audi RS5 (panther black).


I have most options nailed down except the colour (white or stratus grey...ugh its sooo hard to choose) and whether or not to get the suedecloth interior...wondering if anyone who has the suede interior could let me know their experience re comfort/appearance/durability?


Also, reading online some people complain about the heating elements in the front windscreen being rather distracting...true? And if so is it bad enough to skip the visibility pack?, dealer said you cant pick and choose, its all or nothing...


Cheers

 

Welcome. Close to pushing the button...on the ignition are you? Excellent. One test drive is all it will take, I can assure you of that!

In my opinion the heating element in the windshield is NOT a distraction - if you look for the lines, you will see the lines - and that's something I have on my 2015 Stratus Grey V6S. Speaking of which [color] that's always a very personal preference - there is no "bad" color/combination in my opinion - and needless to say White and Grey are two very different colors. I chose Stratus Grey because it's elegant and understated - the car itself is anything but - and I wanted that over what the White provides (plus I knew my wife would vote for Grey over White anyway and if I can make my wife happy - at the same time as making me - why the heck not? Win-win!). They both "send" very different "messages"...depends on which calls to you. For me it was Grey but, as I said, I would be quite happy with any color...as long as it's attached to an F-Type. Any F-Type

Lots of luck and I'm sure we'll be hearing from you. (Once you push that button).

Best regards,
RJ52

 

I have the heated windshield in my R coupe and have not found the heating elements to be at all distracting.

 

I wasn't going to get the heated windscreen because some were against it. But when I saw it in person, it really is not that noticeable unless you look for it. You will really be looking past that surface. I think that in colder climes it will be useful for defrosting and ice/snow melting. It's not that expensive either.

 

Welcome!
The heated windshield is a totally separate option and is neither a part of the vision pack nor dependent upon also ordering the vision pack. Check out the configurator on the Jag website.

 

Horus is in the UK, which I believe has different packaging than the US. I was under the impression you could get most options ala carte in the UK, whereas many are only available as part of packages in the US.

 

Welcome to the forum, Horus.

I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions after your test drive, since (as you know) I am also a former owner of a black RS5. The cars are VERY different driving experiences.

I'm starting to think RickyJay is my brother from another mother - we share very similar sentiments about our cars. I also chose Stratus Grey R because it is classy and understated, which is a humorous contrast to the raucous soundtrack you get every time you stomp on the accelerator!

Let us know how you fared.

Cheers,
Oz

 

My apologies to Horus for my provincial assumption that he was in the U.S. I'll pay more attention next time. The UK market is indeed substantially different. They even have their 2016 pricing out there.
Looking at the UK options, the heated windshield definitely comes with the visibility pack. For me, the grinding issue is that in the UK you can get the parking pack without all the other garbage that comes with the premium pack. Why won't they just let us buy things a la carte. (rhetorical question only, I know the exact profit motivated reason). I don't want most of the options I'm going to be getting. All I want is heated seats, and the parking pack.

 

Hopefully you will pull the trigger soon, you won't regret it! I can't comment on the suede or colour but I do have the windshield heater. I didn't pay attention to it until I was researching radar detectors and discovered that the heating elements could interfere with a windshield mounted detector. This was part of the reason for having a custom installed detector mounted in the front grille. I can just see the heating elements if I really try but they are entirely invisible for practice purposes. On the other hand I doubt that I will use the windshield heater as the car is not usually parked outside.

Looking forward to hearing your decision.

 

The heated windscreen is excellent for quickly removing ice etc. if you live in the sort of climate that features cold weather. Around here we easily get to -20 F and with snow and ice the heated system is great.
If you do no use it often, but want the rest of the vision pack, I personally do not find it distracting.
Good luck with you final choices.. any colour looks good on this car.
Lawrence

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone
Test drive was awesome, even more so as I was the first one to get a go in it as it had only just been made ready for the road. It was a damp and rainy day but the AWD coped just fine, felt just as planted as the RS5, though I was taking it relatively easy.


Would be interesting to drive a RWD model to feel the difference, the guy from the dealership said it was significant, especially in the V8 R model.
Loved the exhaust noise, the power and the ride was fine, not harsh at all as I have read in some reviews.


I am about 80% sure that I will go with polaris white and black pack. Stratus looks very sophisticated and understated, but white is beautiful and I like the white/black contrast.


The demo model I went out in was black, looked great but didn't grab me, hides the lines too much.


Soo...to suedecloth or not to suedecloth, that is the question. Seems like most people on here have leather, what made you pass on the suede?

Waiting to hear back from the dealers on what kind of deal they can give but may well be putting in a deposit to reserve my order slot within the week

 

I love the suede in my car. It's very attractive, extremely comfortable, and I'd always had leather in my upper-end cars. Mine is light (Cirrus), and one would think prone to dirt and stains but it has been simple to take care of. It's easily spot-cleaned with upholstery cleaner with no trace after drying.

Both are comfortable, but I'd give the edge to suede.

 

 

OK, and seriously, if I was going with Stratus Grey I would definitely go with leather - which I did - but if I opted for White (and while I'm not a "White" kind of [car] guy I do think the F-Type looks fantastic in White) I think I would choose suede.

My 2-cents.

 

Sounds like you had a great test drive, Horus.

Personally, I'm not a fan of suede - it's a bugger to clean if you get anything on it.

Are you considering any other options?

Won't try and talk you out of white. It's a really nice color (or absence of color, isn't it?), so each to his own.

But.... Stratus Grey!

 

Please don't pressure the man OzRisk. Stratus Grey. For starters - Stratus Grey - can any test drive be anything but great, at least in our collective opinions? Stratus Grey. I think not. Stratus Grey. I also don't have first hand experience with the suede - Stratus Grey - but can it really be that difficult to keep clean? Stratus Grey. I wouldn't think so. Lastly, I don't think you should attempt to persuade anyone [re] color. Stratus Grey. Everyone is entitled to their personal opinion, taste, and style - Stratus Grey - and I do not think it appropriate for you or me to brow-beat anyone to pick Stratus Grey over any other inappropriate or less beautiful color. Stratus Grey.

OK?

 

Oz,

See post #12. I would have thought so as well, but that has not proven to be the case with the product they use in the F-Type. It seems to repel dirt and stains, and it's a simple spray and wipe with upholstery cleaner.

 

Sorry - I wasn't reading closely enough.

Well, there you go, Horus - you can't get better than a firsthand experience.

Thanks, Foosh.

 

Oz, thanks for the compliment.

I did spill a small amount of coffee on the light Cirrus suede and was not happy, to say the least, but it did bead up. When I got home, I sprayed a small amount of upholstery cleaner on the spots, wiped with a clean white terry towel, and it was magically gone.

I don't know what color Horus has in mind, but if Cirrus (sand color) is easily cleanable, anything else would be a breeze. It's obviously treated with a product like Dupont Scotchguard or something.

 

Welcome to the forum Horus,

I've had a number of Jaguars with heated windscreens and a number without. The heating elements have never bothered me but there has been wide discussion on several model tech forums and some members have even gone so far as to have theirs replaced with non heated.

This is the worst example I can find showing the vertical heating elements on a gloomy, wet afternoon. In this instance, it's in an XK8:




Got to say I never really noticed them driving on the day and only saw them on the video!

If this would bother you, go for an unheated screen. Otherwise the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Graham