Used 2021 Jaguar F-TYPE

The 2021 Jaguar F-Type is a modern sports car with a classic pedigree. Available as a coupe or a convertible, the F-Type effectively is the classic Jaguar E-Type brought into the modern era. Models range from the rear-drive P300 with 296 horsepower to the all-wheel-drive F-Type R with 575 horsepower.

For 2021, the F-Type sports a new hood with revised vents, plus different bumper caps and LED headlights that are thinner and more horizontal. What’s more, the side vent design now incorporates the leaping Jaguar logo. Inside, the big change is a new interactive digital instrument panel.

As before, the Jag F-Type’s main competitors remain the Porsche 718 Boxster and the Porsche 911 Turbo. The convertible F-Type has a soft fabric top, which is less secure than a folding hardtop, but far more traditional and romantic.

Many automotive manufacturers haven’t grasped how to make electric-assist steering have the feel and heft that enthusiasts prefer. Jaguar has. And since the F-Type is the company’s most driver-centric model, it’s appropriate that it has steering that’s more informative than, say, a luxury sedan.

Jaguar has also pulled off the neat trick of tuning a suspension for poise and precision, yet still giving it the ability to absorb the lumps and bumps of roads less maintained. We’ve driven the F-Type on roads and on tracks, and the handling really is world-class.

The F-Type’s aural dimension, meanwhile, grows in awesomeness from the nice-enough 4-cylinder engine to the mischievous supercharged V6 to the wild supercharged V8 (see our Favorite Features below). Standstill-to-60-mph acceleration times run from a respectable 5.4 seconds to a supercar-like 3.5 seconds.

The big interior news for 2021? A 12.3-inch digital instrument panel has replaced the traditional analog gauges. It has three display themes, but the default setting features a large tachometer front and center. There’s also a badge on the center console of a few select models that reads: “Jaguar Est. 1935.” Apart from that, it’s business as usual inside the F-Type.

Which is to say this grand tourer is a bit on the cozy side, with a wide center console that encroaches on foot-well space. In back, the coupe has 14.4 cubic feet of cargo capacity, plenty for a couple of golf bags. The convertible has only 7.3 cubic feet in its trunk.

It’s a tough job updating a classic, but Jaguar has succeeded with the new 2021 F-Type. There’s a softer and more organically curved hood with revised vents, and the front appearance is complemented by slim LED headlights and a taller grille opening.

Around the side of the new F-Type, a new vent badge featuring the leaping Jaguar logo. In back, the car features revised LED taillights but looks much the same as before.

By looking at the exhaust, you can tell which engine powers that particular F-Type. The P300, powered by the turbo 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, has a single center exhaust outlet, while the supercharged V6 in the P380 R-Design gets two large round tailpipes. The F-Type R, with the supercharged V8, boasts quad-outlet outboard exhausts with etched R branding.

SULTRY STYLING
The F-Type already was a pretty car. But with the new hood, horizontally slit LED headlights, and revised grille, the 2021 version of Jaguar’s sports coupe looks fantastic. It still looks like a Jag, only better.

ACTIVE SPORTS EXHAUST
Via a button on the center console, F-Type drivers can be polite through town and a bit more operatic in the mountains. The V8s make fabulous pops and crackles on over-run.

In the rear-drive P300 model, the 2021 Jaguar F-Type comes with the 296-horsepower engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Inside, you’ll find sport seats covered in leather and fake suede, plus metal scuff plates, a pushbutton starter, a 380-watt sound system, satellite radio, a navigation system, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

The P380 F-Type R-Dynamic is a significant bump in power and content. This F-Type is powered by a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with 380 horsepower, and it sends power to all four wheels via the 8-speed paddle-shift automatic. Standard fare on the F-Type R-Dynamic includes adaptive suspension, a limited-slip rear differential, and larger front and rear brakes with black calipers. This version of the F-Type is distinguished visually by unique badging, a gloss-black splitter, and dark gray 20-inch wheels with a diamond-turned finish.

At the top level is the Jaguar F-Type R, powered by the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 575 horsepower. Generous standard fare is highlighted by an active electronic rear differential, larger rear brakes with red brake calipers, sport seats covered in Windsor leather, a leather-covered center console, an R-branded steering wheel, R-branded scuff plates and a suede-like material covering the instrument panel.

Options abound on the 2021 F-Type. Notable stand-alone choices include a 770-watt Meridien sound system, a fixed panoramic sunroof, and a power tailgate, the latter two available only on the F-Type coupe. Sporty but expensive carbon-ceramic brakes are optional on the F-Type R.

Among the available options packages are a Climate Pack (heated seats, heated steering wheel, 2-zone climate control) and a Blind-Spot Assist Pack (blind-spot assist and a rear traffic monitor) that should be standard equipment on all 2021 Jaguar F-Types.

The entry-level 2021 Jaguar F-Type — the rear-drive P300 model — is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder unit making 296 horsepower. Next up is the F-Type P380 R-Dynamic, which is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 developing, you guessed it, 380 horsepower. It’s an all-wheel-drive (AWD) car, just like the Jaguar F-Type R, which is powered by a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 575 horsepower. Jaguar recommends premium gasoline. An 8-speed automatic is the sole transmission.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (F-Type P300)
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 P380 R-Dynamic)
380 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
339 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/27 mpg (RWD), 18/26 mpg (AWD)

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