2018 Jaguar F-Type

Is the Jaguar F-Type a Good Car?

The Jaguar F-Type is a good car. It has a lineup of powerful engine choices, razor-sharp handling, and a smooth ride. In keeping with the Jaguar brand, the F-Type's cabin is stylish and features lots of high-quality materials. Even the trunk (in coupe models) is larger than what many rivals offer. That said, there are some drawbacks to this luxury sports car: It has one of the lowest predicted reliability ratings among all cars, legroom can be tight for taller occupants, and the infotainment system can be difficult to learn.

Should I Buy the Jaguar F-Type?

The highly competitive luxury sports car class consists of many terrific vehicles. For as good as this Jaguar is, many class rivals deliver even more mind-blowing performance. Others not only match the F-Type's driver-focused personality but also have nicer interiors and superior reliability scores.

The Porsche 911 is one of the best-performing cars in the class, and it boasts a well-appointed cabin and superb predicted reliability. However, the 911 costs quite a bit more than the F-Type. There are two other Porsche models (see the Cayman and Boxster fraternal twins) that have similar upsides and are more in line with the Jaguar’s price. If you're looking for outright opulence, check out the Mercedes-Benz SL. It has perhaps the nicest cabin in the class, but it doesn't sacrifice sports-car-worthy performance.

Compare the F-Type, 911, and SL »

Should I Buy a New or Used Jaguar F-Type?

Jaguar introduced the F-Type for the 2014 model year. There have been some changes since then, but the car has yet to undergo a full redesign. The 2016 model was the first to offer all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission. The 2017 model saw no significant changes.

The 2018 model has a new turbo-four base engine. It is the only powertrain with less than 340 horsepower (it produces 296 horsepower), though it's about 3 mpg more fuel-efficient than the V6 engine. For 2018, Jaguar has shuffled the trim lineup, adding two new models while also reducing the total number of available trims from six to five. There are some changes on the features front as well. A rearview camera, rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking are now standard. Many more driver assistance features are available as well, including front parking sensors, parallel park assist, driver drowsiness monitoring, lane keep assist, and traffic sign recognition.

You can potentially save thousands of dollars by shopping used, but you'll miss out on the 2018's new engine and features. If you're interested in a used model, be sure to visit our overviews of the 2016 Jaguar F-Type and 2017 Jaguar F-Type. Also, check out our Used Car Deals page to learn about savings and discounts on used vehicles.

Compare the 2016, 2017, and 2018 F-Type »

We Did the Research for You: 32 Reviews Analyzed

For our 2018 Jaguar F-Type review, we researched dozens of professional evaluations, along with safety scores, reliability data, and fuel economy estimates, to help you make the best buying decision possible.

This review uses applicable research and data from every model year of this car's current generation, which runs from 2014 through 2018.

Why You Can Trust Us

U.S. News Best Cars has been ranking and reviewing vehicles since 2007, and our team has more than a combined 75 years of experience in the automotive industry. To maintain objectivity, we don't accept incentives or expensive gifts from car companies, and an outside team handles the ads on our site.

How Much Does the Jaguar F-Type Cost?

The Jaguar F-Type has a base price just under $60,000, which is simultaneously in the middle of the pack and below average. That sounds confusing, but the prices of luxury sports cars vary to an absurd degree. This class is home to cars like the Audi TT – which starts in the low-$40,000s – as well as the Acura NSX and Audi R8, both of which start north of $150,000.

Roughly half of the cars in this class have starting prices around or well under $60,000, making the F-Type one of the most expensive of the least expensive, so to speak. But the other half of cars generally have starting prices ranging from the $80,000s to well over $100,000.

The F-Type can get up there in price too, though. It has several trims beyond the base model, and the high-performance R and SVR trims have starting prices around $100,000 and $122,000.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Jaguar dealer.

Jaguar F-Type Versus the Competition

Which Is Better: Jaguar F-Type or Porsche 911?

The Porsche 911 ranks highly on our list of luxury sports cars, but its starting price is about 50 percent higher than the F-Type’s. Make even a few upgrades, and the 911 crosses into six-figure territory. However, the Porsche's lineup of engines is more powerful than the Jaguar’s. The 911 also has track-ready handling that’s sharper than the F-Types. Inside, the 911 features a stylish design and premium materials. It also offers modern tech that you won’t find in the Jaguar, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, the 911 has a much higher predicted reliability rating than the F-Type. The Porsche is a better car, and if you have the money, we can't recommend it enough. That said, the Jaguar F-Type offers plenty of driving enjoyment at a far lower price.

For Porsche fans that don’t want to spend that much, the Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster offer many of the qualities that make the 911 great, and they even cost less than the F-Type.

Which Is Better: Jaguar F-Type or Mercedes-Benz SL?

Like the 911, the Mercedes-Benz SL retails for tens of thousands of dollars more than the F-Type. However, the SL ranks higher. Like the F-Type, it has muscular engine options that offer comparable fuel economy. There are also two high-performance AMG variants, which both have more horsepower than the range-topping F-Type SVR. The SL also blows away the F-Type when you hop inside. It has one of the most upscale cabins of any car on the market, with extremely inviting seats and a whole host of advanced tech features that you can't get in the Jaguar. The SL is a better car, but you'll save a considerable amount of money by picking the F-Type instead.

Compare the F-Type, 911, and SL »

F-Type Performance

F-Type Engine: New Engine, Same Energy

The F-Type adds a new engine to its lineup for 2018: a 296-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder that puts out 295 pound-feet of torque. This is the base engine, and it provides more than enough power for driving around town or on the highway.

More-powerful engines are available if you want them. There are supercharged V6 and V8 options that put out anywhere from 340 to 575 horsepower and 332 to 516 pound-feet of torque, depending on trim level. The V6s are really energetic, while the V8s deliver heart-stopping power and are perfect choices if you want to take this Jaguar to the track. Transmission options include an eight-speed automatic and a six-speed manual transmission.

F-Type Gas Mileage: The V6 Isn’t Too Thirsty, but the Turbo-4 is Better

The new-for-2018 turbo-four engine is the most fuel-efficient in the F-Type lineup, earning 23 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Those are pretty good ratings for a sports car. Even with the V6, the F-Type still gets about average fuel economy for the class: 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

Over the course of a year, you’ll spend about as much on gas in the V6-powered F-Type as you would in the Mercedes SL, but you’ll spend more than you would in the Porsche 911.

F-Type Ride and Handling: Get After It

The F-Type delivers the kind of buttoned-down handling you expect from a sports car. The steering is sharp, and there’s good road grip, so you can really attack corners. The ride is firm but comfortable, and poor-quality roads won’t lead to a jarring ride.

Read more about performance »

F-Type Interior

How Many People Does the F-Type Seat?

The F-Type seats two people. The seats are comfortable, but they lack adequate support for long-distance driving. There’s ample headroom, but legroom might be lacking for taller drivers.

F-Type and Car Seats

Two-seat cars like the F-Type do not feature LATCH car-seat connectors.

F-Type Interior Quality

It’s not as nice as some German luxury sports cars, but the F-Type still has an attractive cabin that’s outfitted with lots of high-end materials.

F-Type Cargo Space

For a sports car, the F-Type has a good amount of trunk space: 11 cubic feet in F-Type coupe models (14 cubic feet if you remove the cargo privacy screen). Convertible models have just over 7 cubic feet of trunk space, which is neither great nor terrible.

You can fit about 11 shopping bags in the coupe’s trunk and about five in the convertible’s. The trunk’s opening is narrow and the liftover height is high, so it may be hard to load some items.

F-Type Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation

Standard features in the F-Type include an 8-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, navigation, a 12-speaker Meridian audio system, satellite radio, and a USB port. There aren’t many notable infotainment features available besides a 14-speaker Meridian audio system, but F-Type coupe models are available with a panoramic sunroof.

In past model years, rivals had better infotainment systems than this Jaguar. The F-Type’s infotainment system is updated for 2018, and while it hasn’t been widely tested, it seems that the new system still has a counterintuitive interface. The F-Type offers smartphone connectivity, but it doesn’t have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay like some rivals do.

For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay? and What Is Android Auto? Then, see the Best Cars With Apple CarPlay and Best Cars With Android Auto.

Read more about interior »

F-Type Reliability

Is the Jaguar F-Type Reliable?

The 2018 Jaguar F-Type gets an abysmal predicted reliability rating of two out of five from J.D. Power. That's the lowest possible score. By comparison, the 2018 Porsche 911 gets a five out of five.  

Jaguar F-Type Warranty

Jaguar backs the F-Type with a five-year/60,000-mile warranty. That’s better than the warranties offered with many other luxury sports cars, which are typically for four years or 50,000 miles.

Read more about reliability »

F-Type Safety

F-Type Crash Test Results

The Jaguar F-Type has not been put through crash testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. These organizations typically do not test luxury sports cars.

F-Type Safety Features

This Jaguar comes standard with a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking. Available active safety features include front parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert, parallel park assist, driver drowsiness monitoring, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, and blind spot monitoring.

Read more about safety »

Which Jaguar F-Type Model Is Right for Me?

The F-Type’s lineup is streamlined for 2018, and there are now five trims to choose from. The first thing to consider when picking a trim is the engine, as almost every trim only offers one powertrain. Every trim is available in coupe and convertible body styles, though the convertible will cost you an extra $3,100.

If you must have one of the ultra-powerful V8s, then you’re looking at spending more than $100,000 on this Jaguar. However, if you can survive with one of the less-powerful (but still energetic) engines, then the lower trims will suit you just fine. Even the base F-Type is available with most of the comfort and convenience features offered in this car, and it costs much less than the higher trims (and about half as much as the high-end SVR).

Jaguar F-Type

The base trim is known as the F-Type, and it has a starting price of $59,900. It features a turbo-four engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. If you’d rather have a 340-horsepower V6, you’re looking at a base price of $68,000. You can also get all-wheel drive, but that requires you to step up to a 380-horsepower V6 engine, and that configuration starts at $82,900.

In addition to the standard features, there are a few option packages to choose from. The Drive package ($850) adds blind spot monitoring, driver drowsiness monitoring, lane keep assist, and traffic sign recognition. The Climate Package 1 ($1,380) adds heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and a heated windshield. Climate Package 2 costs $255 more than Climate Package 1; it adds all the same features, plus cooled seats. You can add a power trunk release for $410.

Jaguar F-Type R-Dynamic

The F-Type R-Dynamic starts at $79,900. It comes with a 380-horsepower, supercharged V6 and rear-wheel drive. You can step up to all-wheel drive for $3,000. Besides the larger engine, the main differences between the base trim and the R-Dynamic are stylistic. You can add Climate Package 1 ($1,350) and Climate Package 2 ($1,600), and there are several styling and performance packages, the most expensive of which costs over $14,000. You can add a 14-speaker Meridian audio system for $850, and several driver assistance options are available for $275-$500.

Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport

The F-Type 400 Sport features a 400-horsepower, supercharged V6 and has a starting price of $89,500. AWD is available for $3,000. It offers many of the same option packages and features as the lower trims.

Jaguar F-Type R

The F-Type R is the lowest trim to feature a V8 engine (that puts out 550 horsepower), and it starts at $99,900. All-wheel drive is standard in the F-Type R. Optional features are the same as in lower trims.

Jaguar F-Type SVR

The F-Type SVR is the most powerful car in the lineup. It features a 575-horsepower, supercharged V8 and has a starting price of $121,900. All-wheel drive is standard.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Jaguar dealer.

See 2018 Jaguar F-Type specs and trims »

The Final Call

The 2018 Jaguar F-Type is a good sports car that’s fun to drive. It has powerful engines and buttoned-down handling, and the cabin is comfortable and attractive. However, the luxury sports car class is full of excellent vehicles, and many class rivals deliver similar (or better) performance to the Jaguar while also providing a nicer interior, more user-friendly tech features, and better predicted reliability.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.

• "Loud, raucous and not exceptionally practical, the Jaguar F-Type remains one of our favorite sports car indulgences. Its gorgeous shape and proportions are among the best on the road and belie the precise, aggressive tendencies lurking underneath. The 2018 Jaguar F-Type gives us further cause to rejoice with a more modern, streamlined media-navigation interface replacing the dated tech in earlier models." -- Edmunds
• "The 2018 Jaguar F-Type coupe and convertible create a direct connection to the pleasure center of your brain. Whether it's the immediate acceleration from its variety of engines, the howl of its expertly tuned exhaust, or the sumptuously cozy 2-seat interior, the Jaguar F-Type has personality, sex appeal and brand cache few other cars can match. Since its debut, the F-Type has evolved, adding a hardtop to the convertible lineup, more powerful engines and even all-wheel drive. Now, the 2018 F-Type gets a new 4-cylinder engine, adding efficiency without sacrificing performance, all the better to take on the Porsche 911, Chevrolet Corvette, and more. On the other end of the performance spectrum is the F-Type SVR, with its 575-horsepower supercharged V8 engine." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "This spicy Jaguar isn't for everyone; it's simply too strong-flavored. But for those bored by the bland and the commonplace, this sexy, distinctive, bred-to-run two-seater is begging to be uncaged." -- Automobile Magazine (2017)