2018 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe Road Test and Review

It’s in Malibu, California, about 10 miles from the Pacific. It's called The Snake. It's a legendary tight and twisty section of Mulholland Highway between The Rock Store and Kanan Dune Road, and it’s the perfect stretch of two-lane for the dynamic 2018 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe.  

Jaguar’s first two-seat sports car since its salacious E-Type sports car, sold from 1961 and to 1975, the F-Type is the spiritual successor to that sexy classic. First introduced in 2013, the F-Type is available as a coupe or convertible with rear- or all-wheel drive and a range of turbocharged and supercharged engines producing as much as 575 horsepower. It competes in the luxury sports car segment, which also includes the Chevrolet Corvette; the Porsche Boxster, Cayman and 911; the BMW Z4; and the Mercedes-Benz SLC and SL.

The 2018 F-Type coupe is available in five trim levels: Base, R-Dynamic, 400 Sport, R and SVR. Prices start at $60,895, including a $995 destination/handling charge, for a rear-wheel drive base coupe with a 296-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. convertibles cost $3,100 more.

Jag also offers a 340-hp supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with a six-speed manual transmission for an additional $8,100, or an eight-speed automatic for $1,300 more. R-Dynamic models get the 380 hp V6 standard. Prices start at $82,195. All-wheel drive, which is only available with the automatic and engines with at least 380 hp, costs $3,000. Our test vehicle was 400 Sport Coupe, which starts at $90,495. That’s within $1,500 of the price of a Porsche 911. The 400 Sport models are powered by a 400-hp version of the supercharged V6 paired with an automatic transmission.

Jaguar also offers two V8-powered versions of the 2018 F-Type, and they are among the most powerful and quickest cars in this class. The F-Type R is powered by a 550-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V8. That’s 10 more horsepower than you get in a Porsche 911 Turbo, and 90 more horsepower than you’ll find in a Chevy Corvette Grand Sport. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard, as is all-wheel drive. Prices start at $100,895, which is about $35,000 more than the Corvette and $60,000 less than the Porsche.

To crank up the volume even further, Jaguar turned to its Special Vehicle Operations — its in-house tuner shop — to create the all-wheel drive SVR, which is the most expensive and most desirable F-Type available. It’s powered by a 575-hp version of the supercharged V8, can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and hits 200 mph. That makes it the makes it the most powerful, quickest and the fastest Jaguar ever. Prices start at $122,895.

What’s the quickest way to empty an elementary school? A Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe in the carpool lane. Students point and take pictures with their phones, parents give you the thumbs up and even members of the faculty come out for a look. It is just a beautiful car. Our tested F-Type 400 Sport Coupe was particularly fetching with its Dark Satin Grey 20-inch wheels and trim, which played well with our test car’s Yulong White paint. SVR models get large fender vents and a juvenile-looking rear spoiler that's needed for stability at 200 mph.

Although striking as a convertible, especially with the top down, the coupe is the real eye-popper of the F-Type lineup and bears the strongest resemblance to the timelessly intoxicating E-Type. It’s curvaceous and voluptuous, but also aggressive and masculine, with a low, muscular stance, broad shoulders and a fastback roofline. Notable details include flush door handles, hood vents and squinted taillights that pay homage to the E-Type, as do the dual center-mounted chrome exhaust pipes found on base and V6 models. 

In the city and out on the highway, the F-Type feels dense, like it was carved from igneous rock. Its ride is firm but absolutely livable, and its steering is more substantial than you may expect. It’s a sports car, so you sit low in a firm, heavily bolstered bucket seat and visibility is compromised by the low roofline and thick pillars. Jaguar says our tested F-Type 400 Sport rockets to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds, but it feels even quicker because of the linear power delivery of its supercharged V6 and the engine’s entertaining wail above 6,000 rpm. The V8-powered R model is a full second quicker and Jag says the F-Type SVR can hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. As impressive as that is, the Chevy Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911 Turbo are each faster still.

In the Santa Monica Mountains, on Mulholland Highway, through The Snake, the F-Type is fast, fun and forgiving — exceptional overall. Steering feel is superb, and the all-wheel-drive system sends 63 percent of the engine’s power to its rear tires, giving it the rewarding feel of a rear-wheel-drive sports car but with additional stability. The grip is astonishing, balance is terrific, and JaguarDrive Control allows you to tune the car for conditions. Dynamic Mode increases the throttle response, and the transmission provides more aggressive shifting and gear holding.

The F-Type is a small two-seat sports car, so don’t expect there to be much space inside. The interior isn’t cramped, but with its low roof, wide console and high cowl, the F-Type Coupe can feel a little claustrophobic. No sunroof is available, though this issue is easily fixed by choosing the convertible.

With high-quality fit and finish and dynamic design, the interior of the 2018 F-Type looks and feels expensive. The leathers are soft and the contrasting white stitching looked great on the black interior, which is the only choice. The driver’s seat is height-adjustable and there are a power tilt and telescopic steering wheel. The Jaguar's InControl Touch Pro infotainment system has been vastly improved — but the F-Type unfortunately still gets an 8-inch touchscreen, while other Jaguar models like the XF sedan have stepped up to a 10.2-inch unit.

With 14 cubic feet of cargo space, the 2018 F-Type Coupe has a large trunk for its class, although the Corvette’s 15 cubic feet is class-leading. The trunk is easily large enough for a weekend’s worth of stuff for two. Our test car was also equipped with a power trunk lid, which is a $400 option.

However, storage inside the cabin is tight. The console bin is small, as are the door pockets, and the front cupholders' placement allows a tall drink to interfere with your elbows while you drive.

Considering its performance, the F-Type can be quite fuel-efficient. Base models with the turbocharged four-cylinder are rated for 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. Move up to the 340-hp V6, however, and the F-Type starts to get thirsty. It's rated 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway with the automatic transmission or 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway with the manual.

With the 380- or 400-hp V6, the F-Type manages ratings of 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive and 1 mpg less with all-wheel drive. We averaged 19 during a week of mixed driving that included some twisty-road enjoyment. V8-powered F-Types are rated for 15 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. The good news is most models are equipped with start/stop technology that automatically shuts off the engine at idle to conserve fuel.

Jaguar offers some valuable active safety systems on the F-Type Coupe, though perhaps not as many as you may expect considering the sports car's big price tag. For the first time, the F-Type is available with an emergency automatic braking system, which will warn you of an impending accident and even apply full braking to mitigate or avoid a collision.

A lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist, which will help you steer the car back into its lane, are also new for 2018. Blind-spot monitoring and a rear cross-traffic alert system are also offered, along with parking sensors in the front bumper. Jaguar also offers semi-autonomous parallel parking: With the Park Assist option, the F-Type steers itself into a parking space as you work the pedals.

If you’re looking for a performance luxury sports car, the 2018 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe is a very desirable overall choice. It performs exceptionally well, it’s comfortable, and it’s fun to drive.

Although the Chevy Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911 Turbo models offer more ultimate performance than the Jaguar, the Porsche is far more expensive, and the Corvette doesn’t offer all-wheel drive. This useful option radically expands the F-Type’s year-round usability and makes the Jag easier to drive quickly in the twists and turns on an unfamiliar back road.