Hi, I'm considering either a used F-Type or XE. I will soon go to Jaguar dealer and after some eliminations with other cars, I would like to ask for a test drive to actually experience how these cars drive compared to each other and others like C43 AMG and Giulia Q4. The problem is that so far I have not had experience with actually powerful cars. I daily drive an Alfa 159 with a 120hp diesel engine. It's a lovely car and I love it to death but it's nothing compared to the Jaguar's 300 and 380hp. The other car I drive almost daily is a Mazda CX-5, 150hp diesel with quite a bit of torque. Still nothing compared to Jags.

So I'd like to ask you, how to prepare for such a test drive? How aggressively (or rather dynamically) am I expected to test it? Am I allowed to rev the engine (not redline of course) to hear the sound? How about handling etc? It'll be a first time for me and I'd like to know something before I make a fool of myself

Thanks in advance for the answers and sorry for a noob question!

 

Am I on Candid Camera?

 

Just drive it, don't be an idiot, you'll be fine.

 

I’d push it really hard to see if it gets your panties wet, but that’s just me. I came from a lifted wrangler with 200hp…when I test drove the R I didn’t hold back, mostly because it’s AWD. Just take it easy if roads are cold/salty.

 

If you get a RWD F-Type variant then watch that the handling is very different to the FWD and AWD cars you are used to.
Put very simply, oversteer vs understeer.
If I were you I would go for an AWD V6S/R-Dynamic.

 

Leave the DSC on (electronic nanny in full force) and don't be a knucklehead. Test drive to feel how the car drives, not how fast it can go. When I tested the V8 I'd been driving FWD and low-power AWD for years and at one point gave "inappropriate inputs" to the car (being a knucklehead). The stability control engaged and reduced the power. That was probably a good thing, as I was in an interesting corner.

 

The p300 and p380 are very civilised unless you put your foot down, but you will be able to see how nicely they sit in corners and how well they ride. Compared to the C43, you should be pretty impressed with the Jag in both ride and handling and you can do that at relatively low speed, in fact they seem to improve the faster that you are going.

While there is a limiter if you are sitting in park revving the engine to get the sound, usually there is no problem putting your foot down and you should try it during your test drive. The cars drive so nicely that you might not realise how much speed you are carrying into a corner, so personally I would watch your speed, and only put your foot down in a straight line during the test drive, or maybe just as you are straightening out after a corner. When my missus got her p300 XE I was frequently having to warn her about her cruising speed (quite apart from her launches from traffic lights, she developed a bit of a lead foot with that car).

Bear in mind when test driving these cars that wheel and tyre choice makes a big difference, also if they are new the seats tend to be very firm. The F type will always ride firmer than the XE (which has a superbly comfortable ride), but some of the base f types without adaptive suspension can have a very firm ride, especially on 20 inch rims with the p zero tyres that come stock. If you are unhappy with the ride but otherwise happy with the car, take a note of the tyre sizes front and back and post again, you might get some tips on how to improve it easily.

 

The thing about Jags is that they're quite schizophrenic - a ***** cat if you just pootle around, but start using your right foot and it becomes a snarling beast. It's quite a transformation! As others have said, just drive it and enjoy it!

 

My only advice is, Don't floor the throttle the first time, unless you are pointing straight ahead!!! You need to adapt to the power surge.

Don't know about the XE, but this is especially important if the F you are testing still has heat-cycled P Zero tires, which can be like driving on ice. Especially if the ambient temperature is cool in your locale.

 

This is good advice. Have you seen some of the YouTube videos of (usually Mustang) drivers coming out of driveways after a cars & coffee event or similar, flooring it to show off, getting squirrely and then hitting parked cars or a curb ? I usually drive with a fairly light touch on the wheel. The first time I floored my F Type R from a dead stop I was reminded within a nanosecond that I needed to have a firm grip and as Carbuff said, you want to make sure the wheels are pointed straight to begin with.

I have been driving for 53 years and have owned a variety of sports cars including a Toyota MR2 that was known for having snap oversteer potential if pushed too hard, especially when driven on wet roads. And I once did a 270 degree spin on the freeway when I hit some black ice. Luckily there was almost no one else on the road or I might have been T boned or hit the guard rail. Anyway, the point is cars can get away from you and even if you are a skilled and experienced driver, it's best to pay attention all the time.

One more thing: I'm assuming the dealership won't allow you to test drive the car without a salesperson present. So I doubt making a really aggressive test drive is going to happen anyway. But you'll know very quickly how the car rides, feels, handles and just how powerful it is. And I'll bet you'll like it.

 

Cars are a lot like computers. They will only do what you tell them to do. You'll be fine.

 

You're not familiar with Microsoft, then?

 

Depending on the dealership, they may not let you take a car out or may not let you be the driver. There are some dealerships around that will not let people hoon around in certain cars. Just keep that in mind.

For those of you that are old enough to remember with the Honda S2000 launched, you could not get near them unless you flashed a bunch of money let alone test drive one.

 

Do you think it would be wiser to rent one for a day instead and try to live with it? The only ones I've found are 4-cyllinder ones but that might be enough. It's not that much money to be honest but I worry about inspections etc, if it wouldn't be a thing that tries to trap me into paying much more somehow.

 

Having one for a half a day to a day would be handy. I find mine easy to live with as a daily driver but it wouldnt be for everyone. I wouldnt bother too much if it was testing a 4 cylinder or 6, the 6 is a lot noisier and quicker when you put your foot down, so I suppose if you like the 4 you are going to like the 6 for sure.

 

This only matters if you're not serious about buying

 

Since Turo became a thing, that has been what many used to see if they could live with a car for a while. Keep in mind, people drive the snot of these Turo cars so the one you get may not be the best representation of quality from the manufacturer but you'll get to experience if it's the car "for you". I would mostly focus on how you fit, what's your driving experience like, does the car fit your garage (it's a fairly wide car), etc...

What makes one person serious about buying and one person not serious?

 

Intent.

 

Lol, True dat

 

Oh for sure, there are so many tire kickers out there that are just wanting to "hoon" fast expensive cars. For sure. Some of them are slicksters too that do a good job of making it sound like they are serious.

What exactly did people need to do money-wise to test drive S2000s? I was way too young to be able to afford such a car at the time. I never did any hoonage drives on things that I could not even begin to think about paying for ;-)