Used 2019 Jaguar F-TYPE

In a sea of clones and look-a-likes, the 2019 Jaguar F-Type coupe and convertible stand out as pure originals. Their distinctive looks, muscular stance and lush interiors could only come from Jaguar, yet both are priced well within the limits of those shopping cars like the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 718 Boxster and Audi TT. With seating for two, the F-Type is a cozy affair, offering a range of engines and drivetrains that permits it to be everything from a simple 4-cylinder roadster to a 575-horsepower lightning-fast coupe able to run with Europe’s best. And while the convertible version doesn’t offer the security of a retractable hardtop, there’s something a bit more romantic about a cloth top. Call us old-fashioned.

True to its name, the Jaguar F-Type starts with a growl before settling into a steady purr. The intensity of that growl changes depending on engine: from the subtle, slightly frantic sound of the 4-cylinder, to the metallic rasp of the V6, to the satisfyingly deep growl of the V8. Backing up all the noise is some serious performance. Jaguar claims the new 4-cylinder gets the F-Type to 60 mph in about 5.4 seconds, quick by any standard. However, if your need for speed isn’t sated by that, there’s the supercharged SVR at the other end of the spectrum, with its 575-horsepower supercharged V8 getting the coupe to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Yet when you’re not in Dynamic mode and just cruising around in the F-Type, it’s downright civilized. The steering and suspension that are so precise on the track or mountain roads are equally good at absorbing lousy pavement.

Despite last year’s addition of thinner seatbacks, the F-Type’s interior isn’t as roomy or comfortable as in a Porsche 911 or Chevy Corvette. The wide center console is functional but eats up valuable hip room and is equipped with a large passenger-side grab handle should the ride move beyond “spirited.” Interior materials are first-rate, and the new 10-inch touch screen helps keep things modern, even though the rest of the F-Type’s dash design doesn’t quite live up to its stunning exterior. Around back, a small 14.4-cubic-foot trunk limits travel gear to a few overnight bags or totes, and shrinks to an even smaller 7.3 cubic feet in the convertible.

Recent additions to keep the F-Type looking new include LED headlights, and redesigned front and rear bumpers that give the car a slightly more modern look without reducing the impact of its classic lines. By classic, we don’t mean it apes another car; rather than imitate its past, Jaguar’s designers crafted a unique shape that’s still instantly recognizable. The coupe’s tight rear window gives the impression of the fenders flaring even more than they do, while the convertible just looks right, top up or down. The SVR, befitting its ultra-performance nature, features enhanced aerodynamics of the front bumper and splitter for better performance.

THOSE SEXY LOOKS
An instant classic the day it hit the showroom floor, the 2019 Jaguar F-Type truly stands apart from its rivals, with a sexiness and sophistication that seem to elude so many in this field. Unlike some, Jaguar doesn’t scale back the F-Type’s good looks if you go for the 4-cylinder base car over a more expensive trim.

ACTIVE SPORTS EXHAUST
While it doesn’t increase performance, the Active Sports Exhaust sure sounds like music to our ears. Activated by a small button on the console, the system operates by opening a baffle in the exhaust pipe, changing the exhaust note from demure to deafening.

Whether you choose coupe or convertible, the base F-Type 4-cylinder comes standard with 12-way-power leather-and-suede cloth seats with memory, single-zone climate control, a 10-inch touch-screen infotainment system with navigation and a rearview camera, and an excellent 380-watt Meridian sound system with AM/FM/CD/USB player, HD Radio tuner and Bluetooth connectivity. Also standard is automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive speed limiter, traffic-sign recognition, driver-attention monitor, Active Sports Exhaust, rear parking sensors, and a torque-vectoring system that uses braking to help control the rear of the car in turns. The F-Type comes with EliteCare, which includes five years/60,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance.

There are numerous drivetrain choices for the 2019 Jaguar F-Type, including two supercharged V6 engines, two supercharged V8 engines, rear- and all-wheel drive (RWD, AWD), and a manual transmission on the V6 models. Convertible buyers can choose the color of the soft-top, and all F-Type buyers have a choice of sport or luxury seats. Option packages include an all-leather interior, carbon-ceramic brakes for intense track days, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and two different climate packages, the better one adding heated and cooled front seats, a heated windshield, heated steering wheel, and dual-zone climate control. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can also be added to vehicles with the InControl Touch Pro system.

For 2019, the Jaguar F-Type offers a number of engines with varying horsepower. Standard on the F-Type P300 is a 296-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. It’s available with rear drive and an 8-speed automatic only. Next comes the P340 with a 340-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V6 that can be teamed with the 8-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual. The P380 uses the same engine only with 380 horsepower and the option of all-wheel drive. However, a manual transmission is offered only on the R-Dynamic model with rear-wheel drive. Moving to the F-Type R and SVR brings a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 good for 550 or 575 horsepower, respectively. All-wheel drive is standard on these models, as is an automatic transmission. All F-Type models require premium fuel, and all come with an auto start/stop system to help save it; you can shut it off if it’s intrusive (it is).

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (F-Type)
296 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/30 mpg

3.0-liter supercharged V6 (F-Type)
340 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
332 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/24 mpg (manual), 20/28 mpg (automatic)

3.0-liter supercharged V6 (F-Type S, R-Dynamic)
380 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
339 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/24 mpg (RWD, manual), 19/27 mpg (RWD, automatic), 18/26 mpg (AWD, automatic)

5.0-liter supercharged V8 (F-Type R)
550 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
502 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500-5,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/23 mpg (AWD)

5.0-liter supercharged V8 (F-Type SVR)
575 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
516 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/24 mpg