We want to get a F-type R convertible as a 3rd/summer car. We drove a 2019 on a weekend trip to Montreal from Michigan. We were going back and forth between a C7 and an F-type. I've owned a C7 before but the auto is junk and the wife doesn't want to drive a manual.

I believe I know the answer to these but before we move forward was looking for some feedback.

We are leaning toward pre-facelift for a few reasons. Our goal with this car is to have fun during the summer. We live in the country so going anywhere is at least 30 minutes with great roads. We loved the sound of the 2019 and I hear the facelift is quieter. Tuning the car is also something we want to do and maybe not ECU but TCU is doable on pre-facelift?

Quality. I read about the parts that can rust on earlier models, we'd probably look at a 2018/2019 although I've heard there is a mid model change that can affect 2019's? Have a hoist and mechanically capable so I had to put couple thousand dollars into that stuff would not bother me.

Dash cluster I could care less about, we would do an aftermarket infotainment upgrade. Don't care about NAV or any of that, as long as Android Auto worked we would be good.

Interior quality differences, it wasn't great to begin with but are there any models that have nicer materials/coverings?

I read a about suspension improvements related to acceleration post facelift, can that be duplicated with aftermarket?

If ECU/TCU was available for post facelift that might change my mind but we do prefer the backend of the pre-facelift.

Prices also seem to have risen with all of the reviews of how great a used car deal this is. It is cheap enough that we would keep it, one of the last loud and raucous V8's.

Another part of this is I do like the project aspect. Be nice to have something to work on so buying newer with the idea of having to do less stuff is not a consideration.

Thanks

 

Before you buy drive a 2018 or earlier. The 2019s have GPF filters that mute the sound some. If you liked the sound of the 2019 you may like the earlier model years even more. Not so sure about your neighbors though.

I am not aware of mid year changes to the 2109s but there are mid-year changes for the 2018s. Mid year 2018s got lane keep assist. Late year 2018s got the seamless plastic coolant pipes. If you look for a 2018 check the coolant pipes to see if they are seamless.

 

This depends by market. I don't know where the OP is from, but the North American cars didn't get GPF filters until MY22. The European and other markets got the GPFs in MY19.

Both pre- and post-facelift can do ECU tune, but only the pre-facelift can do the TCU tune. Although the ZF 8HP70 8-speed in these cars is so good you almost don't need it.

 

First of all there were two facelifts, one for the 2018 model year and one for the 2021 model year which is the one you refer to when you say facelift.

When it comes to interior quality there were barely any improvements between 2013 and 2024. The only noteworthy interior quality change over the years was that earlier cars, pre 1st facelift, had lots of interior plastic that got sticky over time. They also introduced thinner lighter optional performance seats and a frameless rear view mirror with the 1st facelift but that's not really about quality. What mainly makes a difference to the perceived interior quality is if car has the "extended leather" package which adds leather to the dashboard and other areas. There were also options to have the headliner in suedecloth (alcantara) or leather instead of the standard morzine but that won't matter in a vert. Then there was also an interior black pack which improved the look and feel of some interior areas. None of that was model specific though but just a matter of options.

So anything from MY18 and onwards is a safe but but as said a 2018 should be louder than later cars. If you get a 1st facelift car, just watch out with the driver side DRL issue. There are fixes available for that in Europe now but I don't think there's any aftermarket fix in the US yet.

 

If cost is not an issue, and you prefer the new look, it would not be a bad route to go. You will get all sorts of improvements that went into the car along the way…Especially the suspension, and in theory the rusting issues underneath would be a non-issue. There is a significant improvement in the suspension. Generally speaking, much of the setup in the new R comes from the SVR (suspension, power, etc), and the transmission tuning comes from the Project 7.

If you are only summer driving, well, not sure rusting would be a big deal anyway in either case.

There are ways to address exhaust sound concerns for the new F-types as well, so I wouldn’t necessarily let that scare you from the new cars if you prefer the look, want the improvements, etc….I’m personally in the camp where I feel that the new variant makes the older one look very dated. A good friend of mine with an Aston Martin agrees…He looked at the 2 side by side on the showroom floor when I was purchasing and made the comment that he thought the new look was the way it should have always been. This is from a guy that arguably owns one of the most beautiful cars in history (Vantage), so his thoughts count for something in my books ;-0

In all seriousness…That said, the whole old vs new variant thing is a very controversial topic it seems. By my estimation people seem very split down the middle about it. As far as I’m concerned anyone owning any F-type is a lucky duck, and anything you are not happy about with either variant can be addressed with time, effort, and money.

All the best in your decision making

Cheers

 

Android Auto became standard equipment with model year 2020, the last with Ian Callum's original design.

 

I just sold supercharged Z51 A6 and got 21 V6 R, post facelift. Nobody was faster than my C7 on highway but enough of tuned V8. F-type V6+8AT makes me smile much better as soon as getting out of garage. F-Type can't carry as much luggage as C7, only drawback to me.

 

MY19 is probably where you want to be on these given your “druthers.” You get everything you want— AndroidAuto, the sound— and don’t really give up anything to the later MYs except the final, 3rd gen facelift, to which you seem indifferent. The j-blade DRL failures of 2nd gen cars were addressed with a parts revision for MY19, but I suppose the 3rd gen horizontal lights are better in that regard.

The rub is that, if transmission tuning is important to you— you know about the Sport mode, I’m sure, where you knock the shifter lever to the side?— then you’re probably out of luck because of the Flexray bus system. I say probably out of luck because if you have an early Flexray system and can get to a shop that has the tools to bench-read the TCU, it’s possible to tune it (as I understand it). You’ll want to get on the phone with Velocity AP to confirm any and all of that.

Regarding rusting, there’s only one simple, underside brace that I’m aware of being prone to rust, and it’s like a quick, 4-bolt job to pull it of and hit it with rust inhibitor. I’ve not heard about them rusting out at this point, and it’s definitely a non-critical bit, so I’d put that in the “no concern” camp with regard to MY and just address it on whichever MY you get when you have it on the lift for service. You can wire-brush and rattle can it for basically nothing, but even a pro media-blast and powdercoat would only be a couple hundred probably.

I don’t know about suspension improvements in R models MY18-MY24.

Interior quality is quite good, I think. Repeating the above, the Extended Leather package that covers upper door cards and dash in Windsor leather is essential (at least in the 6cyl cars; may be standard kit in R) and I haven’t seen an R without it. What I have seen is some Rs with full leather wrapping on the center console, which is super nice. I don’th think its a MY specific thing, though, just buyer option.

I don’t reckon there’s a whole lot in differences between 2nd and 3rd gen R cars that would outweigh buyer options like int/ext colors and wheel choice. But if you’re torn between otherwise equivalent choices, hopefully you have enough to decide whether transmission tuning or bumper fascia and looks are more important.

Prices may be on the rise, but it’s still a good time to snag one. I’m pretty bullish on F-Type values generally and R values specifically, but if Jag fold up altogether, that’d be wrench in the works tthat would almost certainly drive down values, IMO.

Looking forward to see what you get!

 

After we took possession of our '14, I noticed the rusting steel stiffening brackets underneath. Coated them all with POR-15 and they are still in perfect shape. I DID apply an additional coating of protective tape on the brackets directly behind the wheels, where road grit can wear ANY coating.

If you consider one of the 2017-2020 F-Types, assure that the DRL is not dim on the left side. It is advised to ensure any replacement headlight has the updated, later-revision part number (e.g., transitioning from "PU2" to "PUXA" versions).

Also make sure you closely inspect the inner edges of the tires (tyres). From the factory, they were prone to wear out on the inner edge. Ours needed replacement at less than 15K miles.

Good luck with your search!

EDIT: The higher-end models with more leather coverings are prone to shrinkage if the P.O. kept the car in the sun (EG over the instrument binnacle, or the A pillars). Our base model's plastic and cloth doesn't have that worry.
Remember, you can buy ECU tunes that increase the power of the base model to that of the S models.

 

Blimey! I've never got more than 10,000 miles out of any tyres on any Jag I've owned! Maybe UK roads are more abrasive?

 

I had a ECS SC'd Z51 M7. I loved that car, only sold it because I ordered a C8, then COVID hit and being in Michigan spending all that money with a September arrival date didn't excite me and neither did the locked ECU, plus the pricing for all aftermarket was nuts.

Thank you for the rest of the answers. I actually went back and looked at the photo's of the car we drove and even though the key fob said 2019 it must have been a 21+ as it was a 3rd gen facelift. My wife's X3 was totaled and while waiting for a replacement the local Enterprise had a ton of high end/luxury cars. We got the F-type for a few weeks, took it on a long trip but the lack of interior space it had to go back. It was a 9 week wait so we got that, a Maserati, and a few BMW's. Never seen an Enterprise carry nice stuff.

I also could not believe they rented that car, summer tires and it was already getting cold outside.

Other question and does not seem like a problem, but no half shaft issues with higher torque?

 

I’ve got a UK October 2019 (date of 1st registration) V8 R AWD which was registered by Jaguar 2 months before the MY21 facelift was announced in early Dec 19, but is officially an MY21 facelift. It’s basically an SVR (that was discontinued when the MY21 was launched) but manages without the titanium exhaust system. The box and 575 engine is mapped as per the SVR, and the suspension is upgraded to SVR spec. The front wing (fender) bodywork from the SVR is not included, or the fixed rear wing, but that not a problem for me.

For the geeks out there, the door tread plates say ‘Jaguar’ rather than ‘R’ which I guess dates it before the public launch, but as far as I can see it’s otherwise an MY21 with all the useful bits of the SVR spec, plus the interior digital upgrades that came with the facelift. And it’s c£15k less than buying an (older and pre facelift) SVR, tho you can find pre facelift SVRs registered in 2020 that must have been hanging around at the factory or on dealers showrooms.

I’ve tried to find what Jag used my car for but with no success yet….

 

Just a side note:



Lost key fobs on modern cars seem to be as common as missing socks in the laundry!

WHY IS THAT? Where do they all go???


++++++++++

@scm I didn't want to brag about wearing out the tyres. I said "less than 15K"
A proper alignment almost doubled our tire life.

 

I say get the newest car you can get.....unless you're looking to buy an SVR or a manual V6.

Yes, the exhaust note was muted, but you can easily just get a new exhaust or have the tune restored by one of the Jag specialty tuners.

My car is still too new for me to tune, so I cruise around with a Bluetooth throttle management device attached to my pedal. It is keeping me from flashing the ECU for now, but this will only last for so long.

 

When selling a car they forgot where the spare one is (or did not bother to search)…

 

What is this throttle management device you are using?

 

I use my right foot. It occasionally gets me into trouble though.

 

Same ;-0