Hi all,

First thread here, happy to be a part of the community!

I wanted some reassurance that I'm not being a total idiot about this. A bit of context, basically, I leased a Tesla Model 3 last year through my limited company, and while it's a great car for what I bought it for, long distance trips in to the office once a month and just being a cheap daily driver, a part of me died that day...slightly dramatic. But before that I had a few C63's, an M3 and basically loved my performance cars, so going to a Tesla, while saving me a lot of money, just wasn't a good idea, and I regretted it almost immediately.

So we're now at the situation I'm in currently. Just put a deposit down on a 2016 F-Type V8 R RWD. I bloody love these cars, I used to own an XF 10 years ago and I would always suck up to the service desk receptionist to get an F-Type loaner when my car was in for services, and over the 2 years of ownership I had a couple of R's, and a V6S, and loved them. The V8 was the best sounding car I've ever driven and while not the fastest, was probably the one that made me the most giddy in terms of putting your foot down and the theatre from the exhaust just making you laugh like a little kid, even compared to the C63S I owned that was amazing also in terms of sound and performance. But I guess the point of the question is, is this a really stupid idea? I probably do 6-7k miles a year in my Tesla, and I'd imagine given the F-Type will be purely for fun, I'll probably do 2-3k in it a year max. Does having two cars with that kind of mileage seem utterly pointless?

A part of me is doubting the decision so I guess I just want some reassurance or maybe some people who have an F-Type in a similar situation?

1) While it will almost certainly be used a couple of times a week for a good blast, I'm worried that it being sat there doing such few miles for a 10 year old car is a bad thing?
2) Is a 9 year old supercharged V8 a bad idea in terms of bills? From what I can tell from reading forums and watching YouTube videos, these are pretty reliable. This one has had the cooling pipes done which I know is one common issue. It also comes with a 2 year Jag warranty so ultimately it shouldn't be too bad even if it does have issues
3) CarPlay for a 2016 model, is that easy? I remember from my XF's that the Jag navigation is pretty poo, especially if the maps are massively out of date, so would ideally want to get CarPlay sorted
4) Am I being an idiot for buying an R over an AWD? My G80 M3 was AWD and that kind of killed some of the fun for me, it was just SO SAFE. It felt like you could do anything in that car and it would just always catch you, whereas my RWD AMG's were a lot more fun in that sense but also caught me by surprise a couple of times where you get too cocky

Anyway thanks for any replies!

 

Car choices are very individual at the end of the day man. In my case my 2024 F-Type R is a summer-only 3rd fun car that gets only the miles my heart desires. It is not a car I rely on in any way, it is a passion project that is purely for fun on my terms, when I feel like driving it, going to car meets/shows, etc…This sorta thing, and this was exactly what it was meant to be. It was what I set out to do with the purchase.

2000km to 5000Km a summer at most for my driving habits, probably closer to 3000km on avg it would seem. The car is a dream and has exceeded my expectations so far. I absolutely love it. It has been a great experience. Part of the experience was also meant to be an opportunity to learn to do some of my own maintenance, which I am doing. That has been kinda fun as well.

You didn’t mention how many miles are on the car. Inevitably there will be issues you need to be prepared to deal with, despite them being fairly reliable. It’s a 10 year old car.

Good luck with your decision. Only you know if it makes sense to have money tied up in a car for a low miles fun usecase. For me it makes complete sense because life is short.

Cheers

 

It's a 33k mile car which is really low for a 9 year old car in this market, from what I can tell anyway having been looking at them for a while. But yeah, 100% prepared for issues, which is also why I've waited as long as I have to pick this one because it's from a Jaguar dealership so I know it's approved used (which you hope would count for something) but more importantly it has that Jaguar extended warranty which hopefully would cover anything too serious should I need it, especially something like a timing issue that could destroy an engine.

And I think you summed it up really well. This is going to make me sound daft and massively shallow, but I've stopped going to my usual car coffee places that I always used to go and car meets, partly because I hate going in the Tesla as I know how they are viewed in the car community, but partly because I've just felt so disconnected from that scene since getting the Tesla. I'm itching to get back to it especially in a car as brilliant as an F-Type. I want to go on road trips, like doing the NC500, or some of the amazing roads in North Wales, or even drive to the Nurburgring like I did a few years ago.

 

Given your location in GB there are two other forums you should check out. Both are based in the UK. While this forum is the most active if you want advice on repair shops, etc. those would be the best ones to consult for that type of info. Links below. Good luck with the new ride.

https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/

https://www.jaguarforum.com/forums/f...3-present.100/

 

Oh, you don’t need to convince me about how you are feeling about the Tesla, and its impact on your car life ;-o I honestly can’t fathom the idea of an EV for the passionate end of my driving. A to B maybe, but not the fun side. And if I was gonna buy an EV it certainly wouldn’t be a Tesla, but I’ll leave it there and not go on some political rant ;-o

Fun story:

At a local car meet I go to we watched a guy coming there with his Tesla use the “call the car” feature or whatever that is….That bit where you can summon the car and it will come to you or whatever…Buddy does this with his Tesla I guess to impress everybody or something, and the Tesla just missed going hard into the back of a $400K Porsche. Let’s just say nobody was impressed…lol

 

Same boat and it sounds like you have all the right ideas. I have a 97 4Runner as my daily and I put maybe 3k a year on the Jag.

1) you should be fine - just make sure you run it every couple of weeks at least year round. If weather doesn't permit then I let mine idle and warm up at least - not really the ideal but better than it sitting for weeks during the winters. When you take it out, try to make sure it is good and fully warmed up (maybe 10-15 mins of driving), and every so often once good and warmed up make sure you give it the beans (harder than you think on public streets, at least in my area)

2) if the car you bought had been well maintained, and if you continue to do basic pm, then these cars are very reliable. These are mass produced engines, not some bespoke low production units - they DO have their issues (like pretty much every other manufacturer) but it sounds like you know the weak points to address. Lots of info on here on those details. Basically- change the oil at least every 5k, use the right spec oil, overhaul the cooling system if it hasn't been done, check the diff for leaks/swap fluid if it hasn't been done, and a few other things.

3) yep lots of threads on here about various aftermarket units that people are very happy with, some junk out there but just read through the threads and you will be good.

4) this is a religious topic. Some folks swear by awd and will tell you a rwd R will try to kill you at every turn. I have a 2015 R RWD stage 3 with maybe 650ish hp. It is an absolute animal, thrilling, and I love RWD. Gets the adrenaline going in a different way than AWD - sounds like you prefer that experience as well? Both are great, I personally think you chose well lol

No regrets. Enjoy the thing.

 

You know the old saying "Life's too short to drive boring cars". Sounds like a good car. Buy it, enjoy it in good health, deal with any issues that arise, and don't over analyze your decision, i.e. go for it.

 

Thanks all! Exactly what I needed, and wanted to hear. Collection booked in for Monday! Cannot wait, going to be a slow few days ahead!

 

R and AWD are not mutually exclusive. My R was AWD.

The AWD system in the F-Type is so heavily RWD biased that you can't think of it like the AWD system in an Audi or Mercedes. I found that in most situations, the tracktion control would kick in before it sent enough power to the front wheels to make a difference. With the traction control turned off or down, it's very easy to kick out the rear on the AWD R when you're not running the right tires.

The RWD F-Types got a bad repuation for being a little tail happy and from my experience, the biggest issue was the OEM Pirellis. When I swithced out the Pirelli's, the car transformed and was much more pleasant to drive. I went from having the rear kick out on tight turns to the car being planted.

 

YOLO - these cars are a bargain, enjoy!

 

1. You LIKE the car!

Do look in to a battery maintainer like the Ctek. It has settings for lead acid or AGM batteries. A maintainer is not the same as a charger or a tender.

If GB has something like CarFax available, do all the research you can on how the car you are getting was taken care of and maintained.

You CAN change the oil yourself from the engine compartment.

The car may come with a 'warranty', but do ask about the fine print and what is NOT covered.

Make sure you get a Faraday pouch for your fob(s). There are immobilizers out there, but don't make it easy for thieves. If it's a coupe, be careful with how/where it's parked as thefts of JUST the interior hatch cover have been reported.

Get a recommended OBD reader.. if you get a Check Engine Light.. you may be able to suss out the issue or issues.

Do remember that as much as we may 'love' these cars, they may not love us back.

Have Fun!

 

Once you have the car check around the battery for the tow hook and tow hook holder. They tend to go missing. I bought mine new and both were missng when I picked it up.

 

I cannot speak to the V8, but I was around 125K miles on my 2016 V6S. It's recent demise is detailed in another thread.

I had no real issues to speak of beyond routine maintenance. The clutch issue wont be something that impacts you.

Dont let it be a garage queen. Let it roam free and breathe, the way a Jaguar SHOULD!

 

For many of us it's an 'extra' car. That's ok. Enjoy it!

 

Did they make a RWD 2016 V8? I own one but thought all 2016 and newer were AWD and not RWD. Also, I have owned mine for 6 years and love the car. It sits on a Ctek charger daily and still has just 30,000 miles. I also added earlier this year a Porsche that also sits in the garage and plugged into a tender. Each get driver around 3000 miles a year. Have ZERO issues with that and drive an old SUV as my daily. Depends on your comfort level and what you can afford. To me, I am perfectly content and have zero desire to sell anything.

 

Just an update...

Picked her up on Monday and any hint of regret that I may have had has gone. I am in love with this car, the noise is better than I remember and I'm just blown away by how good it is. The condition for a 10 year old car is so good, the old guy that had it before me from new did an amazing job of looking after it

I was also looking to get it booked in for fitting CarPlay this week, but surprise to me and the dealer, when I got home, I noticed it already had it! So, happy days

 

That paint looks incredible, congrats!

 

And black wheels, my fav ;-0 When they’re clean at least ;-0

Still considering changing out my stock pads to lower brake dust.

 

Thanks, man. Yeah I'm normally not keen on black wheels but having seen another car before this one and the same spec without them, it changed my mind. They work so well with this colour.

 

Totally agree man, I think those black wheels work with your paint better than other choices. One man's very biased opinion ;-)