2021 Jaguar F-Type Road Test and Review

2021 Jaguar F-Type ・ Photo by Jaguar

Jaguar is synonymous with sports cars, though the name first appeared in 1935 on a sedan. A decades-long run of desirable XK and E-Type coupes and convertibles made sure of this brand association, though the subsequent XJS and XK8 models typically leaned toward luxury rather than performance.

The company corrected course with the debut of the F-Type for the 2014 model year. Smaller and more focused on performance than grand touring, the F-Type was the first pure Jaguar sports car since the Nixon administration. Now, the automaker updates the 2021 Jaguar F-Type coupe and convertible with fresh styling, a higher-tech cabin, and a simplified lineup including a reworked and more powerful F-Type R model. Prices range from $61,600 for a P300 Coupe to $105,900 for an F-Type R Convertible, without options or the $1,150 destination charge. Obviously, you can spend more than that. Take our test car, for example. It was the 2021 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe loaded up with extras. The special Sorrento Yellow paint cost $4,550 alone. All in, it tallied up to $117,190, making it quite the pricey tallyho.

2021 Jaguar F-Type Model Differences

For 2021, Jaguar has distilled the F-Type lineup to its essence. Each model series and trim designation listed below applies to both the coupe and the convertible body styles.

The F-Type P300 has a 296-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive. It comes in standard and First Edition trims. The First Edition gets unique design details, special 20-inch wheels, full leather performance seats, and more. The P380 has a 380-hp supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive. It comes only in R-Dynamic trim. In addition to greater performance, the R-Dynamic treatment includes a subtle but more aggressive styling kit, different wheels, and other minor appearance modifications. The F-Type R has a supercharged 575-hp 5.0-liter V8 engine from the previous F-Type SVR, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive. It doesn’t have a trim designation other than R, and for 2021 it features revised steering, suspension, and brake-induced torque vectoring calibrations to improve the car’s ride and handling. Jaguar also adds wider, staggered width Pirelli P Zero tires for 2021, as well as a Quiet Mode for its active exhaust system. 

Photo by Jaguar

Looks, Smells, and Feels Like Luxury

Undoubtedly, the 2021 Jaguar F-TYPE is a great-looking car, and because it’s a relative rarity even in the wealthier enclaves of Southern California (or perhaps because of its searing yellow paint), our F-Type R test car drew admiring looks everywhere we went. But I preferred the more distinctive look of the original F-Type.

Equipped with leather-wrapped everything, the test car’s interior smelled and looked like luxury. It didn’t always sound that way, though, due to numerous creaks and squeaks, especially when driving over imperfect pavement. This could prove discouraging after dropping six figures on a new sports car. Drivers face a simple and symmetrical dashboard design and control layout, equipped with a new 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and an updated InControl Touch Pro infotainment system. As long as you don’t need to interact with one of the screens, the F-Type supplies an intuitive user experience. Understanding how to control the screens and recalling where you can find certain features and functions requires a period of acclimation.

Photo by Jaguar

Compromise Comes Standard

Don’t walk into your Jaguar dealership and plunk down cash for the F-Type R because it’s the “best” one (that is, the most expensive one). You might regret it when it comes to comfort. Yes, the F-Type R is best when it comes to performance, but because of its impressive handling capabilities, it comes with stiffly bolstered seats designed to hold the driver and passenger in place when ripping around curves and corners. If you have no plans to explore this car’s limits, those seats could become a comfort liability.

Furthermore, unless your abs and legs are in terrific shape, you’ll discover there is nothing graceful about entering and exiting a Jaguar F-TYPE. Sure, you’ll look good pulling up to the valet stand in front of the people gathered outside of the venue, but getting out of this car in style may prove elusive. If you think you’ll road-trip in the F-Type, the coupe is more accommodating. The liftover height is tall, and the opening is narrow, but with creative placement of luggage, you can carry 14.4 cubic feet of cargo in the back. convertibles, not so much. They supply just 5.7 cubic feet of volume.

Photo by Jaguar

Older Car, Newer Tech

Unlike other 2021 Jaguar models, the F-Type does not get the company’s next-generation Pivi Pro infotainment technology. Instead, it sticks with the slower and less impressive InControl Touch Pro system with a 10-inch display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, connected navigation, and more.

Nevertheless, aside from how the push-to-talk button on the steering wheel is now a dedicated shortcut to your smartphone’s digital assistant (Siri for iPhone, for example) rather than an access point to an embedded voice recognition system, the infotainment system is reasonably easy to use. Plus, it features over-the-air software update capability, so the F-Type’s technology remains current. The new-for-2021 digital instrumentation offers different display themes and ways to present content, adding a layer of sophistication to the F-Type. The test car’s Meridian surround sound system delivers excellent audio quality but in order to overcome the car’s road, engine, and exhaust noise you need to turn the volume up louder than you might normally.

Photo by Jaguar

Get any option that improves visibility.

Though the F-Type is focused on style and performance, it does offer a slew of modern advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), ranging from features as simple as a standard reversing camera to as complex as an optional self-steering parking assistance system to make parallel parking easier.

Given the F-Type coupe’s obstructed rear visibility, the car’s backup camera is a necessity, and the deftly hidden parking sensors are much appreciated when maneuvering in tight quarters. On the road, every F-Type benefits from a forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, a lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. They add a measure of safety, but Jaguar really should make the optional Blind Spot Assist Pack ($500) standard, given that it significantly helps with outward visibility and knowing where other vehicles are at a given time. During testing, long shadows caused brief false forward collision warning alerts, and I found it hard to detect the lane-departure warning system’s steering wheel vibration behind the steady thrum of road feel.  The Blind Spot Assist Pack proved its usefulness several times, and it is a recommended upgrade.

Photo by Jaguar

F-Type R Delivers Astounding Acceleration

Jaguar says the 2021 F-Type R accelerates to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and achieves a top speed of 186 mph. I didn’t test these claims, but what I can say is that this car’s power, thrust, and velocity are downright breathtaking. And the soundtrack accompanying lawless driving behavior is both utterly intoxicating and absolutely obnoxious. Thankfully, a new Quiet Start exhaust mode helps F-Type R owners to preserve relationships with neighbors.

Equipped with the same lusty supercharged 5.0-liter V8 as last year’s F-Type SVR, this year’s upgraded F-Type R boasts 575 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, increases of 25 hp and 14 lb-ft over last year’s model. All-wheel drive is standard (and necessary), and a rear electronic active differential apportions the power split between the front and rear axles as well as across the rear axle. The eight-speed automatic includes Sport and manual shift modes, with paddle shifters. On the testing loop, run mostly in the F-Type R’s default driving mode, the car averaged 20.6 mpg, well above the EPA’s estimate of 18 mpg.

Photo by Jaguar

Configurable Dynamics Is a Blessing

Configurable Dynamics allows you to calibrate the F-Type R’s Dynamic driving mode to specific preferences. With everything dialed up to 11, when you switch from the default driving mode into Dynamic, the F-Type R transforms into an absolute beast. In fact, in most situations on public roads, it’s a little much.

Still, in its default Comfort mode, the car’s Adaptive Dynamics suspension is too soft, allowing excessive rear-end bounce on the streets of West Los Angeles and weight toss when rounding the curves on Mulholland. It’s enough to make you feel a bit sick to your stomach. Jaguar says it retuned the 2021 F-Type R’s suspension for improved low-speed ride comfort, but it may have gone a little too far. In any case, with my preferred Dynamic mode settings in effect, the F-Type R was an absolute delight while running back roads between Malibu and Santa Barbara. The firmer suspension setting, brake-induced torque vectoring system, and revised-for-2021 steering proved themselves terrific tools for carving through canyons and flying over mountain passes.

Photo by Jaguar

Dominating a Sweet Spot in the Luxury Sports Car Landscape

sports cars are not as popular as sport/utility vehicles, and many have gone extinct or are facing extinction. In fact, Jaguar’s lineup now consists of the F-Type, the XF sedan, two gasoline SUVs, and one electric SUV.

Jaguar hasn’t redesigned the F-Type since the car went on sale eight years ago. And while it remains an alluring choice in its segment, it is also priced right on top of the brand-new, mid-engine, affordable exotic known as the Chevrolet Corvette. And before you dismiss the latest ’Vette as another in a long line of sports cars that are all engine and no class, a Chevy in the top trim can give the F-Type’s leather-wrapped interior a run for its money. Though priced similarly, the Corvette and F-Type are completely different cars with completely different images. And in comparison to sports cars from luxury brands, the F-Type provides more substance and performance than an Audi TT RS or BMW Z4 M40i, while coming in well below the price point of an Audi R8 or Mercedes-AMG GT. That unoccupied space gives moneyed sports car buyers an appealing alternative to the Corvette.

Photo by General Motors

Could an electrified-type (E-Type) be in Jaguar’s future?

Performance and pedigree are the primary pros of the 2021 Jaguar F-TYPE R. Descended from a legacy of beautiful and capable sports cars, and a halo for the Jaguar brand as it determines its best path forward into an electrified future, the F-Type R is a delightful celebration of gasoline, oil, leather, and burning rubber.

But this car is starting to get old, and it won’t be long before Jaguar needs to decide what, and even whether, a sports car will continue to help define the brand. I hear electric sports cars are really quite quick, even if they don’t produce a staccato exhaust note to advertise the fact. Perhaps a return to an E-Type (electrified type) is in Jaguar’s future.

Photo by Jaguar