One of the most iconic British automobile manufacturers, Jaguar Cars (a portion of the Jaguar Land Rover brand that Tata Motors now owns), was first introduced to the world in 1935 and has held popularity.
The brand Jaguar brings luxury and high performance into the minds of car enthusiasts across the globe. But in recent years, Jaguar Cars has lost favor in the automotive world.
The Jaguar F-Type is the elite JLR luxury car model. Just like the cheap Corvettes.
However, the F-Type suffers from poor reliability – yearly costs average at around $400 for repairs & maintenance but can run over $10,000. In turn, the F-Type’s reliability affects the sale and resale value significantly.
JLR’s notorious reliability also calls for a shift in the brand’s strategic direction.
The manufacturer faces the challenge of staying alive in a luxury market dominated by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi Group, and Lexus.
Take a look at the expensive BMW M8 or the expensive Audi R8 and you will know exactly what I mean.
We’re writing this article to explain the low prices that Jaguar F-Types fair for nowadays and how the company plans to respond to its sinking profit margins.
Why are Jaguar F-Type models so cheap these days?
The Jaguar F-Type ranks high in most luxury sports sedan lists.
However, Audi, Mercedes, and BMW have consistently beaten the Jaguar F-Type due to its high maintenance and high pricing.
We find that the low reliability of Jaguar F-Types plays into its cheap resale pricing (after a rather expensive MSRP in comparison to its competitors).
Some common repairs that Jaguar F-Type require include:
- Front Ball Joint Replacement
- Brake Rotors/Discs Replacement
- Brake Caliper Replacement
- Front Left Control Arm Assembly
- CV Axle/Shaft Assembly Replacement
- Cabin Air Filter Replacement
- Front Differential/Gear Oil Replacement
- Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Replacement
- Front Strut Assembly Replacement
- Oil Pressure Sensor Replacement
- Oxygen Sensor Replacement
- Rear Windshield Wiper Motor Replacement
- Wheels Bearings Replacement
With such an extensive repairs list, it’s easy to see why F-Type don’t fare well over time. To show how much the Jaguar F-Type depreciates, we can use a depreciation calculator to estimate the model’s resale value after five years (we used a hypothetical buying price of $83,750 to represent an average cost).
A Jaguar F-Type will depreciate 53% after five years and resale for a total of $39,698.
Cheap Dodge Chargers also have a steep depreciation rate but most cars do nowadays.
Are Jaguar F-Type reliable cars?
It depends on who you ask. Many people love their F-Type but don’t like to admit how high-maintenance the car is or the number of required repairs with time. If you’re willing to accept these conditions, there are some excellent guides online to help you combat eventual problems.
Jaguar F-Type does not rank well in reliability ratings, doing well below average compared to its competitors. Also, the 2020 F-Type has already received two safety recalls from the NHTSA for faulty traction control modules and tire labels.
Jaguar’s reliability problems may be common knowledge, but that doesn’t explain why Jaguar is notorious for poor quality. With innovation in production processes, it’s hard to see why a top brand like Jaguar Land Rover would suffer from a notorious reputation of reliability. We did some research and found that the reason may result from cheaper “sustainable” production decisions.
Do Jaguars skip out on quality material?
In 2008, Tata Motors made a $2.3 billion purchase for Jaguar Land Rover from Ford Motor Company. Jaguar was already a struggling brand, so Tata Motors had to figure out how to save money on production costs while increasing sales.
One of Tata Motors’ solutions for high production costs was transitioning from steel body parts to aluminum. Aluminum parts increase production rates, allowing for full-body castings and decreasing the vehicle’s total number of independent components. But it also means Jaguar Land Rover can repurpose leftover scrap alloy to reduce waste costs – along with their carbon footprint.
In addition, fronted as a sustainability campaign, JLR announced they would begin using upcycled aluminum from external domestic and automotive waste sources. JLR has a process to test these materials for “quality and strength,” but the standards they use are questionable given the unreliability of their cars. Recycled materials are helpful to the environment, but they certainly raise some eyebrows regarding the quality of products.
One car that does not skip out on quality material is definitely the expensive Nissan GTRs. You generally get what you pay for especially for cars.
Is it worth buying a Jaguar F-Type?
If you’re buying a used F-Type, you’ll lose less money than buying a brand-new model. The price difference ranges from $25K-38K in models from 2017-2019. Should you find a used F-Type with low mileage, you might get a good deal on a great car.
F-Types are worth buying new if you have the money to dish out. Be ready to make getting under the hood of your car a hobby and be on the lookout for frequently upgraded parts. With the new direction of JLR, these F-Type models could be some of the last we’ll see. If you’re an enthusiast willing to commit to the F-Type’s baggage, we highly recommend looking for used models from recent years.
So, you should know it’s not too late to install an oil catch can for instance.
Compared to other luxury brands, the F-Type struggles to break away from its reputation of unreliability; it’s a severe problem that’s hurting Jaguar Land Rover’s profit margins significantly. And while Jaguar’s vehicle sales grew exponentially from 2016-2019, they suffered from a sharp decline in 2020 and 2021. Check out this graph created by Automotive News Europe visually displaying these sales numbers.
Jaguar F-Types may be cheap when purchasing second-hand, but their high prices compared to the competition have led more potential buyers towards more affordable and reliable alternatives. In response, Tata Motors – the owner of JLR – has announced a new direction for the beloved sports car brand.
The Future of Jaguar Cars
Tata Motors has announced its plan to convert Jaguar into a fully electric car brand, with some models already showcasing Jaguar’s EV capabilities. Here are some models that Jaguar has made fully electric or use hybrid engine configurations:
- Jaguar I-Pace (currently the only all-electric engine)
- Jaguar F-Pace
- Jaguar E-Pace
- Jaguar XE
- Jaguar XF
We’ll likely see a fully electric F-Type in a few years. Jaguar has already recreated its legendary E-Type with an EV configuration, which has caused controversy, but shows that Jaguar can take small luxury sports cars and convert them into zero-emission machines. It’s a strange move, but the direction that Tata Motor’s CEO, Thierry Bolloré, wishes to follow.
In addition to making the Jaguar branch fully electronic, Bolloré wants to tackle Jaguar’s reliability problems. Electronic engines are much less complex than combustion and Bolloré wants his engineers to approach new models with dependability in mind. It’s a move meant to re-establish Jaguar in a market that German automobiles are king.
Bolloré hasn’t stopped there either. Zero-emission cars will help keep average emissions low for Jaguar Land Rover and allow for evenly balanced sales. Bolloré plans to reimagine Jaguar as a low volume, reliable, exclusive luxury brand to ease tension between Jaguar and Land Rover SUV/crossover sales. The new CEO believes that Jaguar has the potential to stand up to the likes of Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin.
We think the new direction is fitting for Jaguar. The brand is a progressive luxury car manufacturer that thrives on prestige and performance. Building off those fundamental values is what the brand needs to revitalize its position in a highly competitive market. Hopefully, we’ll see Jaguar successfully execute its evolutionary plans.
It sounds very similar to the best Honda CRZs with better capabilities.
