Used car buying guide: Jaguar F-Type

Hang out the tail or keep it tidy: both are fun in an F-Type

Jaguar’s F-Type has become a half-price hero, available for 50% of its original list price. Yet there are no half measures about how it drives

If you promised yourself a £60,000 F-Type when the model was launched back in 2013 but couldn’t stretch to it, then top marks for waiting.

Today, those first cars start from £32,000 for tidy V6 convertibles with around 45,000 miles and good histories.

See Jaguar F-Type for sale on PistonHeads

That’s a 330bhp supercharged V6, remember, capable of 0-62mph in a shade over 5sec.

Look hard and you might find an example of the more powerful 370bhp S version, such as the 2014-reg coupé with 57,000 miles we saw, for £32,000 on the nose. No mention of its service history, though.

A standard F-Type is enticing enough (sports suspension, partial leather, steering wheel paddles), but with its hooligan sports exhaust, adaptive suspension and mechanical limited-slip diff, not to mention its extra power, the S version is worth its approximately £2000 premium.

Dig deeper and there’s the 481bhp 5.0-litre V8 S convertible, with an electronic diff, from around £39,000 for the first 2013-registered cars. The sportier coupé version, launched in 2014, was known as the R and got a 535bhp V8. Prices start from around £46,000 for these.

Feeling brave? At the time of writing, eBay was showing a 2016-reg R coupé category N write-off with 4000 miles for just £29,995. Mind you, although a cat N is one that has not sustained structural damage, it may require work on its expensive electronics and safety kit – so perhaps not such a bargain after all.

Out of the box, the F-Type is rear-wheel drive with a ZF eight-speed automatic complete with paddle shifters. A ZF six-speed manual became available on V6 cars from 2015 but is rare. The same year, all-wheel drive became an option on V6 S models. Today, prices for these start at around £40,000.

Thanks to its strong, all-aluminium chassis, a used F-Type should feel tight on the test drive. The tough, electrically powered fabric hood has a waterproof Thinsulate layer that also improves sound-deadening, to the extent that the convertible is almost as quiet as the coupé. Check the roof opens and closes smoothly.

The suspension is fully adjustable, with double wishbones front and rear. S and R versions have Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics system, which actively controls vertical body movement, roll and pitch. Check it all works, watch for uneven tyre wear and ensure that only premium tyres are fitted to the car. Anything less suggests penny pinching elsewhere.

Later versions, including the rarefied V8-powered Project 7 of 2015, and the V8 R AWD, V6 400 Sport and the 296bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four, all three of them launched in 2017, are too expensive for this guide. For the same reason, we’ll pass on 2017 facelift cars.

The classifieds are awash with sub-£40,000 F-Types. In fact, £35,000 is the sweet spot for a nice, low-mileage V6, with Jaguar dealers showing a few under their approved banner. Waiting was never more worthwhile.

How to get one in your garage:

An expert’s view

TOM LENTHALL, TOM LENTHALL LTD - “I’ve just sold my V6 S coupé. The V8 is too much for UK roads, whereas you can nail the V6. I race Jags and in my experience, and that of other racers, the V6 is quicker than the V8. I prefer the coupé version, too. The F-Type convertible is strong but the coupé feels just that little bit stiffer. My car was reliable but we get F-Types through the workshop with noisy tappets and wheezy superchargers. No car is 100% reliable, of course.”

Buyer beware...

RECALLS - Some 2014/2015 F-Types have been the subject of an alarming number of serious recalls, including risk of fire andofcrashing,high-speedinstability and seatbelt pretensioners not deploying (2016). Check the corrective work has been done.

ENGINE - Little to report (yet) on the V6 but the V8 suffers from two things. First is the possibility of noisy camchain tensioners, located at the bottom of the engine. The other problem is possible failure of the high-pressure fuel pumps signalled by a ‘restricted performance’ error message.

TRANSMISSION - The rear diff can leak oil from the main seal at the front. The ZF auto is strong but ignore Jag’s ‘sealed for life’ claim and change the fluid at 70k miles.

CHASSIS AND SUSPENSION - Older models are beginning to suffer split rear bushes and tie-bar dust covers, both MOT failures. Some rear subframes are starting to corrode.

ELECTRICS - Check the battery’s health. It prioritises what it can power, and as it fails, it will cause various systems to play up.

BODY - Check panel gaps. Inspect the bonnet alignment. The nose chips easily.

INTERIOR - Check for warning messages and that everything, including the rising centre vent panel, works. Check the condition of the driver’s seat bolsters and that the V8’s inflatable bolsters function.

Also worth knowing:

Jaguar has not issued service books since 2013. Service records are stored online. However, owners can ask for a printout. If you have the car’s registration number, you can ask a Jag dealer to confirm its service history. Independent garages can access and update the system, for a fee.

How much to spend:

£32,000-£33,495 - Choice of 2013/2014-reg V6 and V6 S cars, mainly convertibles, with mileages ranging from 35k to 50k.

£33,500-£35,990 - More sub-30k-mile early V6 coupés and convertibles.

£35,995-£37,995 - Low-mileage 2015-reg V6 coupés and older but low-mileage V6 convertibles.

£38,000-£39,950 - Many more low-mileage 2014-reg V6 convertibles and 2015-reg V6 coupés, plus the first 2016-reg coupés.

£39,995-£44,995 - Early 5.0 V8 convertibles, more 2015/2016-reg V6 coupé and 2017-reg coupés from around £42,000.

£46,495 AND ABOVE - Early V8 coupés start here.

One we found:

JAGUAR F-TYPE 3.0 V6 S CONVERTIBLE, 2013/13, 34,000 MILES, £33,450: This private-sale car has full Jaguar service history and a transferable Jaguar warranty valid until July 2019. Described as “superb”. Two previous owners but you can’t have everything.

John Evans