2023 Jaguar F-TYPE Convertible

　　

2023 Jaguar F-Type Convertible Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　, rating written byChristian WardlawNews Editor

　　Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the News Editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

　　Decades ago, Jaguar was known for its slinky sports cars and ornate executive sedans. Today, as Jaguar prepares for an electrified future and ever more SUVs, the last remaining connection to the brand's storied past is the 2023 F-Type. It is a two-seat sports car with a fixed or convertible roof, and it exhibits the long-hood, short-deck, rear-wheel-drive proportions made legendary by the Jaguar XK and E-Type.

　　Jaguar introduced the F-Type for the 2014 model year and gave it a substantial refresh for 2021. Last year, the car's supercharged V8 became standard as Jaguar doubled down on performance to shore up waning consumer interest. This year, Jaguar makes minor changes to equipment availability but otherwise carries the F-Type over for 2023.

　　Driving a Jaguar F-Type in a straight line is an unmitigated thrill, but the car's age is increasingly apparent, and its mechanical components can produce a discordant symphony when the road ahead contains curves and imperfect pavement. A stiff ride and noisy interior make long-distance travel less appealing, a shame given the F-Type coupe's accommodating cargo space.

　　Still, there's no denying that the F-Type is a looker, and it's one of the few luxury sports cars you can buy. If you're in the market and want an old-school driving experience, be sure to read our full Expert Rating for more details.

　　

What's it like to live with?

For the fun of it (why else?), we put nearly 20,000 miles on a 2019 Jaguar F-Type SVR. Though Jaguar has made changes to the F-Type since then, including an upgrade to the previously maddening and now simply frustrating infotainment system, what we experienced in the 2019 F-Type is largely applicable to the latest models. Check out our long-term road test of the F-Type for all the details.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.2

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the F-Type Convertible drive? When we first drove the refreshed F-Type, we weren't impressed. That F-Type R coupe with all-wheel drive felt altogether less alive than the car it replaced. The new P450 model has brought some joy back to the F-Type. For starters, the F-Type is available with rear-wheel drive again. That means the steering is more communicative, and you still get a 5.0-liter supercharged V8. Our convertible test car logged a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds, and while that's behind class leaders like the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche Boxster S, the F-Type doesn't feel lacking in the engine bay.

　　Where it falls behind key rivals is on twisty back roads. The F-Type simply never settles down, and the steering doesn't give you much feel for the road or the car's grip. We want the F-Type to be a visceral, communicative sports car, but it's best suited to cruising around town or on long, straight drives. It's not a full-fledged sports car, and if you stop thinking of it as one, you'll be plenty satisfied.

　　

Comfort

7.0/10

　　How comfortable is the F-Type Convertible? The F-Type isn't what you'd call comfortable, but it isn't punishing either. The seats are firmly padded, but they're supportive on longer journeys. Wind noise is excessive at pretty much any speed with the top up (even for a convertible), and you can always hear that supercharger whirring away in the background. That said, the raked windscreen does keep wind buffeting with the top down to a minimum. You feel the air, but it's not a tornado inside the cabin.

　　The ride is firm at lower speeds. Small imperfections get absorbed nicely, but potholes and expansion joints will send shimmies down your spine, and the stiff suspension does get tiring after longer journeys. If you're going to road-trip it, think about taking a break to get a nice, long stretch in.

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