Jaguar F-Type review
The Jaguar F-Type is a stunning British sports car that offers head-turning looks, a luxurious interior, and a thrilling driving experience with an incredible soundtrack.
Author: The Cazoo editorial team
7th Jan 2026 – 9 mins read
The Jaguar F-Type is a proper, old-school sports car that’s all about style, noise, and putting a massive smile on your face. Available as a gorgeous coupe or a wind-in-your-hair convertible, it’s the spiritual successor to the legendary E-Type and one of the best-looking cars on the road. Sold new since 2013, it’s a car that makes every journey feel like an event. With a range of powerful engines, from an efficient four-cylinder to a thunderous supercharged V8, there’s an F-Type to suit different tastes and budgets. While it’s not the most practical car in the world, it delivers a fantastic blend of performance, comfort, and undeniable star quality. It’s a brilliant choice if you want a sports car with real character and soul.
Pros
- Absolutely stunning design that turns heads everywhere
- Incredible sound from the V6 and V8 engines
- Great range of powerful engines
Cons
- Can be expensive to run, especially the V8 models
- Strictly a two-seater with limited boot space
- Some rivals are more agile and dynamic to drive
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The interior of the F-Type is a special place to be, with a driver-focused cockpit that wraps around you. The quality is excellent, with premium materials like leather and suede throughout, living up to Jaguar’s reputation for luxury. For the 2017 model year, the infotainment system was updated to a more modern eight-inch touchscreen, which is a big improvement over the system in earlier cars.
The design is sporty and purposeful, with cool details like the central air vents that rise out of the dashboard when you start the car. It might not have the minimalist, high-tech feel of a Porsche, but it has a real sense of occasion and classic British charm.
Comfort
For a high-performance sports car, the F-Type is surprisingly comfortable, making it a brilliant car for long-distance touring. The cabin is easily roomy enough for tall drivers and passengers to get comfortable, thanks to an excellent seating position and plenty of adjustment.
The seats are supportive and hold you in place well, and the ride quality is firm but well-judged, so it doesn't crash over bumps. It’s a car you could happily drive across Europe in, arriving at your destination feeling fresh and relaxed.
Quality
The F-Type’s cabin is beautifully finished and feels like a truly premium product. The materials are high-quality, and the overall build quality is solid. It feels like a genuine luxury car, with a level of craftsmanship that justifies its price tag. The combination of sporty design and luxurious materials makes the interior a real highlight.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
Practicality is not the F-Type’s main priority. It’s a strict two-seater, so there are no back seats for children or extra passengers. This is a car designed for driving pleasure for two people. Rear visibility isn’t great, especially in the coupe, so looking for a car with the optional parking camera is a good idea.
Boot space
The boot space on offer depends heavily on whether you choose the coupe or the convertible. The coupe is surprisingly practical for a sports car, with a 407-litre boot. That’s easily enough for a couple of suitcases for a European road trip or a set of golf clubs.
The convertible is much less practical, with a small and awkwardly shaped 200-litre boot. It’s significantly smaller than the space offered by its main rival, the Porsche Boxster, which has luggage compartments in both the front and rear.
Versatility
The F-Type is not a versatile car in the traditional sense. It’s a dedicated sports car designed for fun rather than family duties. However, the coupe's decent boot makes it usable for weekends away, and the car's comfortable nature means it's perfectly happy to be used for daily commuting, so long as you only need two seats. The option of all-wheel drive on some models also adds a dose of all-weather usability.
Driving
Driving experience
The F-Type is a fantastic car to drive, delivering a thrilling and engaging experience. It feels agile and poised, with excellent grip and a 50:50 weight distribution that makes it feel perfectly balanced. The steering is responsive, and it’s a car that inspires confidence.
While it might not have the ultimate dynamic sharpness of a Porsche Cayman or Boxster, it makes up for it with a huge amount of character. The noise from the V6 and V8 models, in particular, is incredible, with a symphony of crackles and pops from the exhaust. Available with a slick manual or a quick-shifting automatic gearbox, and with rear- or all-wheel drive, it’s a car that’s all about fun.
Performance
Jaguar offers a great range of powerful all-petrol engines for the F-Type. The range kicks off with a surprisingly punchy 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 296bhp. The supercharged 3.0-litre V6 is a real sweet spot in the range, available with either 335bhp or 375bhp.
For ultimate performance, there are the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 models. The F-Type ‘R’ produces a mighty 542bhp, while the range-topping SVR model, developed by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations, has an incredible 567bhp and is capable of 200mph.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
If you’re thinking of buying an F-Type, running costs are unlikely to be your top priority. As you’d expect, the V6 and V8 engines are very thirsty, and you’ll be a regular visitor to the petrol station. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine is the most economical choice, with an official fuel economy figure of around 39.8mpg, which is not bad for a car with this level of performance. Because all F-Types cost over £40,000 new, they are subject to a higher rate of annual road tax.
Value for money
The F-Type sits in the premium sports car market, with a price tag to match. However, it comes loaded with equipment as standard, including 18-inch wheels, xenon headlights, satellite navigation, a premium Meridian sound system, and electric leather and suede seats.
On the used market, the F-Type can be a tempting buy, offering a huge amount of style and performance for the money. They have proven to hold their value reasonably well, especially compared to some other luxury cars.
Reliability & Warranty
Early F-Type models suffered from some electrical issues, but these were largely resolved with software updates. Overall build quality is good, though some owner surveys have pointed to reliability not being a strong point for Jaguar as a brand. It’s always worth checking a used car's history for any recall work. From new, Jaguars come with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.
Safety
Safety features
The Jaguar F-Type is built around a strong and rigid aluminium body shell, which provides excellent crash protection. While it hasn't been crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP, which is common for low-volume sports cars, it comes with all the essential safety equipment you would expect. This includes multiple airbags, advanced electronic stability control systems to help prevent skids, and powerful brakes. The bright xenon headlights (or full LED lights on later models) provide excellent visibility at night.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
The F-Type trim levels are mostly linked to the engine choice. The range starts with the standard F-Type and moves up to R-Dynamic, which adds larger wheels and sportier styling details. Special editions like the 400 Sport were also offered for a limited time.
The V8 models are badged R and, at the top of the range, SVR. The R model adds features like 20-inch wheels and an active electronic differential for even better handling. The SVR is the ultimate F-Type, with unique forged alloy wheels, a lightweight titanium exhaust, and a carbon fibre rear wing.
Engines
The F-Type engine range is all-petrol. The entry point is a 296bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, which is only available with an automatic gearbox. The supercharged 3.0-litre V6 is a popular choice, available with 335bhp or 375bhp in the ‘S’ model. These were the only versions available with a manual gearbox.
The top-of-the-range models use a formidable 5.0-litre supercharged V8. This comes with 542bhp in the F-Type R and a massive 567bhp in the F-Type SVR. Most V6 and all V8 models come with a quick-shifting automatic gearbox, and many are also available with all-wheel drive for enhanced traction.