2016 Jaguar F-TYPE

So to spice up things a little bit and to make it even more enticing, the 2016 Jaguar F-Type is in the market with a set of fresh new upgrades. Jaguar has fulfilled the desire of the enthusiast, and the F-Type now comes with a stick shift and an optional all-wheel-drive configuration. In this review of the 2016 Jaguar F-Type, we explore all that it has to offer and find out why this is one of the best cars your money can buy in this segment.

The 2016 Jaguar F-Type coupe is offered in two trim levels- the standard F-Type and the F-Type S. Both the trims get the same 3-liter V6 engine, but the F-Type S makes 40 horses more over the standard F-Type. Moreover, the standard F-Type is offered only in a rear-wheel-drive configuration, while the F-Type S can also be opted with an all-wheel-drive configuration. We’ve listed the pricing and key features offered with both the trims of the F-Type in the table below.

We Recommend

We would recommend you to stick to the base spec stick shift RWD model of the F-Type. The F-Type S does get the extra horses, but that doesn’t quite make a huge difference in the performance numbers. Also, the features list is pretty much the same on both cars. The base spec F-Type offers great performance and an exciting ride, and we would recommend you to opt for it and save on a few thousand dollars.

Under the hood of the 2016 Jaguar F-Type Coupe is a 3-liter Supercharged V6 engine. The engine is offered in two states of tune, and in the standard guise, the engine makes a healthy 340 horses and 332 lb-ft of torque. The F-Type S trim, on the other hand, gets the same engine but is tuned differently to make 380 horses and 339 lb-ft of torque. For the first time after its inception in 2014, Jaguar has offered a 6-speed manual gearbox for those of you who like to shift gears on their own. There’s also an 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox on offer, and you’ll have to pay extra to get it. The standard F-Type isn’t available with an all-wheel-drive configuration and is only available with the F-Type S model.

The 340 Supercharged horses of the F-Type take it from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.8 seconds and help it travel the quarter-mile distance in about 13.2 seconds. The F-Type clearly is a quick car, but it isn’t as quick as the other cars in the competition. Moreover, the F-Type S that gets 40 extra horses is quicker than the standard F-Type by only 0.1 seconds. So, the power upgrade doesn’t quite make a huge difference in the performance numbers.

The F-Type has a GT car demeanor, and its driving dynamics are just exquisite, probably the best in the segment. The car sticks on the road very firmly and has a very tight grip that just inspires a lot of confidence while driving at high speeds. Moreover, the steering is super precise and offers ample feedback. The ride quality is well balanced, and while the suspensions do soak up most of the bad surfaces at low speeds, they also ensure that the car stays stable at high speeds and that in our opinion is a very unique characteristic.

The 2016 Jaguar F-Type is the slowest car in the competition. The Porsche 718 Cayman S has lower power and torque numbers, yet it is quicker than the Jaguar on the straight line by quite some margin. The Chevy Corvette Stingray has the highest power and torque numbers, and it also is the quickest of the lot, offering sub 4 seconds and sub 12 seconds 0-60 mph and quarter-mile acceleration numbers.

Not many potential F-Type buyers will be concerned about fuel economy, but we’ve still got the numbers for those of you who wouldn’t want to end up spending too much on fuel. In the city, the F-Type can go around for just 16 miles on a gallon of gas, while on the highway, it can run for around 24 miles. It gets an EPA rating of 19 mpg combined, which isn’t very impressive, and in fact, is the lowest in the competition. The coupe comes with a fuel tank of 18.5 gallons, resulting in a range of 351 combined miles.

If you’re looking for a sports car that could offer you the balance of power and performance, then it’s the 718 Cayman S that you should be highly considering. The Porsche has a combined fuel economy of 23 mpg, which is higher than any other car in the competition. The BMW M2 and the Corvette Stingray both deliver 21 mpg combined, which is still higher than the Jaguar.

As we said earlier, the 2016 Jaguar F-Type Coupe is more like a GT car than just an ordinary 2-seater sports car. The F-Type’s interior is a very nice and comfortable place to be in compared to any other car in the segment. Starting with the dashboard, it is built out of soft-touch plastic and comes wrapped in leather. There’s also a nice and sporty flat-bottom steering which comes wrapped in leather as well. The infotainment system sits in the center of the dash, and below the infotainment system, you have those fighter jet-inspired air-con dials that have small displays integrated into the circles and look very cool.

The F-Type has sporty bucket seats, and those seats have very aggressive bolsters on them to hold you tight in place. The seats again come wrapped in leather and are quite snug and comfy. The seating position is low, and you sit quite close to the ground. The amount of space on offer is decent, but the headroom is quite low, and tall passengers will sometimes find their heads brushing to the roof. Overall, the F-Type’s cabin is crafted really well, and it does feel quite pleasant on the inside. Plus, you can add in about 11.5 cubic feet of cargo at the back, and that just makes the F-Type an ideal car for traveling long distances and grand touring.

In terms of overall interior quality and creature comforts, the F-Type is on par with the rival cars in the competition. However, if you have to occupy 2 more passengers, the BMW M2 could be a better car to go for as it is the only option in the segment with seating space for four. When comparing the cargo capacity, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray offers the most at 15 cubic feet. Major interior features include:

• 14-way power-adjustable front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped gear shift lever
• Performance seats with Premium leather facings
• Configurable Ambient Interior Lighting with a selectable palette

How intuitive is the 2016 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe’s infotainment unit?

While the interior of the F-Type had us impressed, the infotainment system doesn’t quite charm us. The Jaguar gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that sits in the center of the dash, and it isn’t all that intuitive to use. The interface is confusing, and scrolling through it is a bit tedious. The quality of the screen isn’t that great either, and it lags at times, and also, you really have to press the screen hard. Few standout infotainment features include:

• 770 watt, 12 speaker Meridian audio system
• AM/FM radio
• Sirius satellite radio
• CD player
• iPod/audio USB connection
• Bluetooth smartphone integration
• Navigation system with traffic message channel

The 2016 Jaguar F-Type is arguably one of the best-looking cars in the market. It has that very stunning tear-drop shape inspired by the iconic Jaguar E-Type. The long hood and the wide side skirts give the car a very sporty and athletic stance. At the front, the Jag has a rectangular grille and a rather large lip spoiler. The swept-back headlights give the car a cat-like fascia. At the back, the car has LED taillights that wrap around the wheel arches and look really cool and unique. The car also has a large rear splitter and dual-barrel exhaust pipes that come from the middle of the splitter and complete the sporty and aggressive yet not-so-dramatic styling of the car.

If you compare the dimensions, the Corvette is the longest car of the lot, while it is the Porsche that is the smallest. The Corvette looks very racy and aggressive, while the BMW has a rather subtle and youthful appearance. The Jaguar, on the other hand, has the most balanced proportions, and that’s just what makes it one of the better-looking cars in the market. Standout exterior features include:

• 18-inch Vela-style 10-spoke alloy wheels
• Powered automatically retracting rear spoiler
• Fully automatic projector-beam headlights with DRLs
• Heated power-folding outside rear-view mirrors

The Jaguar F-Type hasn’t yet been tested by the NHTSA and the IIHS, so there’s not much that we can talk about here. However, Jaguar understands that most people will use the F-Type to drive fast and have fun with it on the race track and the roads, therefore it has to maintain the highest standards of safety. However, the F-Type doesn’t quite come loaded with advanced safety and driver assistance features, and most other cars in the segment do not get those either. Few safety features offered with the Jaguar worth mentioning are:

• Side impact beams
• Tire-specific low-pressure warning
• Driver and passenger side airbag extension
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Trac DSC mode
• Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
• Reverse Traffic Detection

The Jaguar F-Type has always had a lot of hype surrounding it, and with the upgrades for the 2016 model, Jaguar has made the F-Type more exciting than ever before. The addition of a stick shift and an all-wheel-drive system has just made the F-Type a more fun-to-drive and driver-focussed car than before. Yes, it does have a few downsides like it isn’t the quickest around and is priced slightly higher than its rivals, but there are other areas like driving dynamics and the quality of interiors where it outperforms all its rivals. Also, you cannot neglect the way it looks, and also the loud and grumpy exhaust note that it has. If you don't really care about the numbers and if you want a car just for the joy of driving, then you should look no further than the 2016 Jaguar F-Type Coupe.