Quicksilver
10-16-2019, 11:11 AM
Back in June, I fell in love with the idea of driving a Jaguar F-type, and in early July actually pulled the trigger.
Since then, I have done 11000 km on the car. Kinda funny. The original owner put the car on the road in August of 2015, brand new, and put 15,200 km on it in 4 years. I've done 11,000 in 4 months. The poor shnook took a nearly $60,000 hit on depreciation over that 4 years! Works out to almost $4.00/klick!! ( i got it for a bit over half the original $118,000 price)
It has been a real joy to drive. As much as I loved my Mustangs(I had 9 of them, after all), this car is wonderful. Subjectively(probably not objectively) it feels faster and when the supercharger cuts in you are slammed back in your seat and the most incredible banshee wail surrounds you. The exhaust is active (loud, and louder). At lower speeds it sounds pedestrian, but once over 3500 rpm it rivals any muscular v-8. More high pitched, but still music to the ears.
.
Handling is very good. Somehow it's much easier and smoother than the Mustang. Not as brutal. My particular car is all wheel drive, but you simply don't notice it. Well, when I'm getting my motorvational therapy and hauling ass through the exit ramps from the 407 to the 404 north, you can feel the front wheels biting. It's very neutral, and you can easily kick the tail out(provided you've turned the traction control off and off(there's more than one setting)).
I've taken to wearing gloves when driving, because the steering wheel leather is so fine to the touch I don't want to get it all sweaty. Unfortunately, the touch screen doesn't work with gloved fingers, so I'm forever putting the glove on and off.
The entire interior, including the dash, is all leather. It feels like putting on an expensive jacket when you climb in. Speaking of which, it's impossible to get in or out with dignity. Getting out there is only one way for me: swing both legs out and over the sill, then grab hold of the door jamb and give a little push. This is not just my old bones: there have been several comments by others, old and young, on the Jaguar forums.
The glove box is large. The cockpit isn't. There is no place to put "stuff". If you have a passenger, everything has to go in the trunk, even books or newspapers. The centre console is tiny. There is a secondary storage compartment on the wall behind the seats, but it's even tiny-er, and extremely awkward to twist around and use.
The touch screen must have been designed 15 years ago. The navigation is not intuitive, and is very clunky. And slow. and not updated(an update is available for $300)The bluetooth is NOT voice activated. Not good with the new laws about distracted driving. And there's no compass. Who'da thought having a compass would be important?
The trunk is tiny. My briefcase fills it. there is no spare tire, or even a compressor kit.
There is much less turbulence with the top down than in my Mustang. I can drive in 12` weather with the top down and the heater on. It's got a heated front and rear windshield, and a heated steering wheel and seats. And I can lower the top while driving up to 30 miles and hour. That's a real kick!
It's loud. Did I mention that?
I have taken to parking in the far reaches of most parking lots, to avoid having other people park near it. I've become almost anal about the paint. I've already waxed it 3 times, and I had that clear 3M plastic put on the nose. It's just such a lovely paint job(in bright sunshine it's spectacularly brilliant. A kind of metallic amethyst/purple that I never thought I'd like so much), that I'm in mortal fear of scratching it. Even so, one day I came back to the car which I had parked 5 rows away from any one else, only to find a 15 year old rusty Chevy truck right next to it. I just had to check for scratches(there weren't any, thank God)
Maintenance. Don' even ask. I took it to the dealer for it's last service before the warranty ran out. Oil change and "inspection": $1011.00!!! On the other hand they gave me a "free" rental for the day and detailed my car.
I am going to Berkshire Motors on Green Lane in Thornhill for an oil change before I park it in November, but even this private garage wants $300 for an oil change!. It takes 8 litres of oil. By the way: there is no dipstick for either the engine or the transmission. You have to wait for the dashboard to tell you when to add oil.
When I had the Mustangs, most people who saw me with one (especially young boys), would say "nice car, Mister. How many horsepower?"
I still get that but now it's "Oh my god, what a beautiful car" Many people say that 3 or 4 times. The look at it with what seems to be...reverence. (not that I don't enjoy the attention, but it really is just a car.)
On the other hand: put it into "dynamic" mode, put the shifter into "S", turn off off the traction control, engage the launch control, put your fingers firmly on the titanium shift paddles, and you can easily imagine yourself on a race track dicing with Ferrari's and Porches.
Would I ever buy another one? I'm already thinking about trading it in a couple of years for the "R" model: 550 horsepower v-8. One thing about horsepower: you can never have too much!
Since then, I have done 11000 km on the car. Kinda funny. The original owner put the car on the road in August of 2015, brand new, and put 15,200 km on it in 4 years. I've done 11,000 in 4 months. The poor shnook took a nearly $60,000 hit on depreciation over that 4 years! Works out to almost $4.00/klick!! ( i got it for a bit over half the original $118,000 price)
It has been a real joy to drive. As much as I loved my Mustangs(I had 9 of them, after all), this car is wonderful. Subjectively(probably not objectively) it feels faster and when the supercharger cuts in you are slammed back in your seat and the most incredible banshee wail surrounds you. The exhaust is active (loud, and louder). At lower speeds it sounds pedestrian, but once over 3500 rpm it rivals any muscular v-8. More high pitched, but still music to the ears.
.
Handling is very good. Somehow it's much easier and smoother than the Mustang. Not as brutal. My particular car is all wheel drive, but you simply don't notice it. Well, when I'm getting my motorvational therapy and hauling ass through the exit ramps from the 407 to the 404 north, you can feel the front wheels biting. It's very neutral, and you can easily kick the tail out(provided you've turned the traction control off and off(there's more than one setting)).
I've taken to wearing gloves when driving, because the steering wheel leather is so fine to the touch I don't want to get it all sweaty. Unfortunately, the touch screen doesn't work with gloved fingers, so I'm forever putting the glove on and off.
The entire interior, including the dash, is all leather. It feels like putting on an expensive jacket when you climb in. Speaking of which, it's impossible to get in or out with dignity. Getting out there is only one way for me: swing both legs out and over the sill, then grab hold of the door jamb and give a little push. This is not just my old bones: there have been several comments by others, old and young, on the Jaguar forums.
The glove box is large. The cockpit isn't. There is no place to put "stuff". If you have a passenger, everything has to go in the trunk, even books or newspapers. The centre console is tiny. There is a secondary storage compartment on the wall behind the seats, but it's even tiny-er, and extremely awkward to twist around and use.
The touch screen must have been designed 15 years ago. The navigation is not intuitive, and is very clunky. And slow. and not updated(an update is available for $300)The bluetooth is NOT voice activated. Not good with the new laws about distracted driving. And there's no compass. Who'da thought having a compass would be important?
The trunk is tiny. My briefcase fills it. there is no spare tire, or even a compressor kit.
There is much less turbulence with the top down than in my Mustang. I can drive in 12` weather with the top down and the heater on. It's got a heated front and rear windshield, and a heated steering wheel and seats. And I can lower the top while driving up to 30 miles and hour. That's a real kick!
It's loud. Did I mention that?
I have taken to parking in the far reaches of most parking lots, to avoid having other people park near it. I've become almost anal about the paint. I've already waxed it 3 times, and I had that clear 3M plastic put on the nose. It's just such a lovely paint job(in bright sunshine it's spectacularly brilliant. A kind of metallic amethyst/purple that I never thought I'd like so much), that I'm in mortal fear of scratching it. Even so, one day I came back to the car which I had parked 5 rows away from any one else, only to find a 15 year old rusty Chevy truck right next to it. I just had to check for scratches(there weren't any, thank God)
Maintenance. Don' even ask. I took it to the dealer for it's last service before the warranty ran out. Oil change and "inspection": $1011.00!!! On the other hand they gave me a "free" rental for the day and detailed my car.
I am going to Berkshire Motors on Green Lane in Thornhill for an oil change before I park it in November, but even this private garage wants $300 for an oil change!. It takes 8 litres of oil. By the way: there is no dipstick for either the engine or the transmission. You have to wait for the dashboard to tell you when to add oil.
When I had the Mustangs, most people who saw me with one (especially young boys), would say "nice car, Mister. How many horsepower?"
I still get that but now it's "Oh my god, what a beautiful car" Many people say that 3 or 4 times. The look at it with what seems to be...reverence. (not that I don't enjoy the attention, but it really is just a car.)
On the other hand: put it into "dynamic" mode, put the shifter into "S", turn off off the traction control, engage the launch control, put your fingers firmly on the titanium shift paddles, and you can easily imagine yourself on a race track dicing with Ferrari's and Porches.
Would I ever buy another one? I'm already thinking about trading it in a couple of years for the "R" model: 550 horsepower v-8. One thing about horsepower: you can never have too much!