2020 Jaguar F-Type

After a brief pause during which it built no vehicles, Jaguar is transitioning to an all-electric luxury brand. In years past, Jaguar was best known for its legendary sports cars, including the E-Type of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and luxurious sedans such as the XJ. The brand was reborn under Ford’s ownership in the 1990s, then sold to India’s Tata Group where it was merged with Land Rover. Eventually, big cars with wood-and-leather interiors gave way to sportier, fun-to-drive models including some compact and midsized SUVs. Jaguar’s first attempt at an EV, the I-Pace, failed to keep up with the competition, and the XF sedan continued on for years without major updates. Both Jaguar and Land Rover share some parts and underlying vehicle designs. Neither brand has shed its reputation for reliability issues, which makes it difficult to recommend used models—even though the XE and XF still offer impressive driving excitement and luxury.

Jaguar's F-Type resurrects the brand's sports-car heritage. Three supercharged engines are offered: two V6s ranging from 340 to 380 horsepower and a 495-hp V8. The eight-speed automatic works well but the shifter is fussy. For the convertible, Jaguar chose a soft-top design in the interest of folding speed, lighter weight, and trunk space. In initial drives we noted that the body is solid and free of shakes, and open top motoring is free of wind buffeting. The exhaust note is quite brash. The ride is very taut and controlled and handling is responsive and capable, with communicative steering. The coupe bodystyle can be had in an R version, which features a 550-hp V8. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine was new in 2018. All 2020 models got standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. 2024 is the final year for the F-Type.