New car buying advice type thread

[mik]

Or should I just buy an F type on finance? That’s a thing, right? I wonder what they are like as a motorway cruiser.

V8S sans roof. They're basically a reliable TVR

I’m not a convertible fan in general, but the f-type is an extreme case for me - the coupe looks fantastic. The soft top with the roof up looks meh.

[Sundayjumper]

Or should I just buy an F type on finance? That’s a thing, right? I wonder what they are like as a motorway cruiser.

V8S sans roof. They're basically a reliable TVR

Cut out the middle man. Get a Vantage.

[Jobbo]

A guy at my work has just got a new F-type, it's a 4 banger coupe, but still a great daily. Small inside though.

I can't help but think the F-Type is both a perfect middle ground between the XF and Boxster, and yet will not do either job as well as the XF or Boxster so isn't worth paying all that money for.

[16vCento]

I'd go XK over F Type as an only car.

Same platform, just as wide, only shorter, less refined and less practical.

[Explosive Newt]

A guy at my work has just got a new F-type, it's a 4 banger coupe, but still a great daily. Small inside though.

The four has 300 horses (superchips will do you 320) which sounds like Cayman territory, just a shade bigger. Boot seems alright but I wonder how the cabin feels.

Or you can get the 300 horse in the Jag XE as well (for about £15k less).

[Explosive Newt]

I'd go XK over F Type as an only car.

Same platform, just as wide, only shorter, less refined and less practical.

Is it the same platform? I didn't know that. The reviews around the time talk about improvements in ride and handling though, presumably we're talking dampers and geometry a generation further on.

[16vCento]

Yep pretty much a shortened XK D6 platform.

Having spent time in both, I prefer the XK, but the F Type feels a lot more modern, depends what you want.

[Explosive Newt]

Test drove an XK today. The handling suprised me by being much more XF like than I had expected. A bit more taught and a little less roll, but flows wonderfully on a road. Grace, pace and space, I suppose. The engine is the real centrepiece though: lovely noise and lots of any gear acceleration. I didn't really get to give it the beans as the owner was in the passenger seat and looking slightly nervous, but it was clearly wanting to stretch up to the red line.

The owner was a lovely chap who had clearly lavished attention on it. Had a proper leather binder filled with all the invoices and other bits for it, generall very knowledgeable.

Slightly turned off it on a couple of points
- I note mounting bills on recent invoices and I worry in general about increased expenses over time
- The owner said he wouldn't trust to drive it in bad weather and had aquaplaned on the motorway once, which rather goes against it being a useful daily....

[Simon]

What tyres did it have?

[Explosive Newt]

What tyres did it have?

Dunlop Sport Maxx

[16vCento]

My XF is on those tyres, 255 35 20s and it's shite in the rain.

Will go sideways on 1/4 throttle, and plough on at a very low speed on small roundabouts.

If they weren't all new it would be on Eagle F1s by now.

[Explosive Newt]

Alfa Giulia Veloce test drive (delayed repeatedly)
Easy to see why people like them - eats up back roads, flowing from corner to corner with hardly any roll and generally superb body control. The engine is revvy and more than powerful enough (look away and you're doing 90 quick) and works well with the gearbox (which changes satisfyingly quickly in dynamic mode). Gets a bit unsettled on bumpy roads and the brake has a strange feel to it (initial travel soft and little happening then there is a hard bite and a very firm feel. The rear can get a bit unsettled if you push too hard and you can feel it scrabble for grip as you dive into a corner sometimes.

It's really 2-series sized rather than 3-series sized, the boot is not big but it does have standard split/fold rear seats so practicality points there. Probably enough for my needs.

The nice thing is that there is a scheme Alfa runs called affinity which gives a £5,500 discount for NHS/key workers.

Jag XE P300 is tomorrow.

[Explosive Newt]

I drove an XE P300 with the adaptive suspension.

Just brilliant ride. Zero roll (improved over the standard suspension P250 I drove) but still very well controlled over uneven surfaces. The engine had decent reserves of power and felt plenty quick. Seats a touch more firm than I would like but comfy and adjustable enough. Not quite as insulated from the road on the motorway as my XF but I suppose that is to be expected.

Compared to the Alfa - it's marginally better in terms of the ride although I preferred the seats and ambience of the Alfa. But it doesn't seem like there are the same discounts to be had off list price / deposit help (thanks mostly to the ~£5k cut Jag made across the range already I suppose).

Reliability is a bit hard to unpick based off consumer reports but the Jag seems a bit better.

[Jobbo]

I’m surprised there aren’t deals on the XE; tried a Carwow search?

[16vCento]

I drove an XE P300 with the adaptive suspension.

Just brilliant ride. Zero roll (improved over the standard suspension P250 I drove) but still very well controlled over uneven surfaces. The engine had decent reserves of power and felt plenty quick. Seats a touch more firm than I would like but comfy and adjustable enough. Not quite as insulated from the road on the motorway as my XF but I suppose that is to be expected.

Compared to the Alfa - it's marginally better in terms of the ride although I preferred the seats and ambience of the Alfa. But it doesn't seem like there are the same discounts to be had off list price / deposit help (thanks mostly to the ~£5k cut Jag made across the range already I suppose).

Reliability is a bit hard to unpick based off consumer reports but the Jag seems a bit better.

Does it have to be new?

The V6 is a much nicer engine than the Ingenium.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... escription

[Rich B]

The car choices in this thread have turned VERY dull. More like a upper middle management company car list than a car enthusiasts list.

[Jimexpl]

I drove an XE P300 with the adaptive suspension.

Just brilliant ride. Zero roll (improved over the standard suspension P250 I drove) but still very well controlled over uneven surfaces. The engine had decent reserves of power and felt plenty quick. Seats a touch more firm than I would like but comfy and adjustable enough. Not quite as insulated from the road on the motorway as my XF but I suppose that is to be expected.

Compared to the Alfa - it's marginally better in terms of the ride although I preferred the seats and ambience of the Alfa. But it doesn't seem like there are the same discounts to be had off list price / deposit help (thanks mostly to the ~£5k cut Jag made across the range already I suppose).

Reliability is a bit hard to unpick based off consumer reports but the Jag seems a bit better.

Does it have to be new?

The V6 is a much nicer engine than the Ingenium.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... escription

£14k xk to a new xe is quite a leap. Carwow tend to offer the best JLR deals, but a local dealer should be able to
give you at least the £250 car wow few off also if you deal direct.
Which dealer did you go to?

[PaulJ]

The car choices in this thread have turned VERY dull. More like a upper middle management company car list than a car enthusiasts list.

Glad it wasn't just me thinking that Rich. I was starting to feel a little judgemental.

[Rich B]

The car choices in this thread have turned VERY dull. More like a upper middle management company car list than a car enthusiasts list.

Glad it wasn't just me thinking that Rich. I was starting to feel a little judgemental.

I'm always a little judgmental! It's in the interest of helping though!

[PaulJ]

The car choices in this thread have turned VERY dull. More like a upper middle management company car list than a car enthusiasts list.

Glad it wasn't just me thinking that Rich. I was starting to feel a little judgemental.

I'm always a little judgmental! It's in the interest of helping though!

Good thinking. I must start working on an expression that suggests disdainful altruism.