Jaguar F-Type 2.0 verdict

The Jaguar F-Type 2.0-litre hasn’t rocketed to the top of our chart of £50,000 sports cars – and that won’t surprise very many people, at Jaguar or elsewhere.

This was a car originally designed for bigger engines being adapted for a new sporting niche, after all; and one originally intended to serve a dynamic brief balanced between that of a sports car and a gran turismo.

Plenty of driver appeal but its cracking chassis merits a better engine

Matt Saunders

Road test editor

A Porsche 718 Cayman S is a purpose-built, laser-guided, lighter, purer and less compromised attempt at an affordable sports coupé.

And, yes, it’s a better driver’s car in lots of ways – but it’s also just a very different prospect.

Where this F-Type does succeed is in bringing richness, luxury and style to a part of the sports car market that doesn’t currently offer anything like it.

All of that comes with a driving experience that’s likeable for its handling poise and unexpected dynamic simplicity but lacks the knockout punch that only an outstanding engine would provide.

Such a mixed bag of a car can only be met with ambivalence when judged in broad terms. This isn’t the best F-Type but it’s a lot more worthy of your attention than you may expect.