There is a new Jaguar F-Type coming, and while we all breathed a sigh of relief that Jaguar didn’t kill its sports car in an age where everyone wants a crossover, I’m not so sure this new one is an improvement style-wise over the original. Really, the best outcome of Jaguar refreshing the F- Type is that now the best version of it is pretty affordable.
Historically, I’ve never really been into Jaguars. They have made some classics, but Jags have never really made it on the list of fantasy cars I would like to have. All that changed in 2014 when the brand launched the F-Type coupe and five years later these cars still look fantastic and drive great.
Of course, the F-Type can’t stay the same forever, and Jaguar felt the need to update it a bit. Gone is the manual transmission option, and there is only one V8 option, but what strikes me the most is the new face. With the horizontal headlights combined with the air vents in the hood, I’m getting some strong Mustang vibes.
Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the Mustang is a very good car, but if I’m going to spend Jaguar money, I don’t know if I want Mustang looks. But what if I told you you could spend Mustang money and get Jaguar style as well as three pedals on the floor?
The Ford Mustang starts at around $27,000 for the very respectable EcoBoost version, but V8 power will set you back around $36,000. If you want any semblance of luxury like leather seats you are looking at $40,000 and that’s even before options.
It just so happens that there are plenty of very nice used F-Types with supercharged V6 and V8 power around that $35,000-$40,000 price point with fairly low mileage. As nice and loud as the V8 is, the sweet spot is really the V6. Jaguar was aware of this and offered that car with a manual transmission and we found this to be the best of the bunch.
According to Autotrader, there are about two-dozen manual F-Types available starting at around $35,000 all the way up to what a fully loaded Mustang GT Premium would run you.
While pre-owned Jags may not be the safest bet for out-of-warranty running costs, now is a great time to check this excellent sports car off your bucket list.