The car

It's a 2013 Jaguar F-Type S convertible. It has a supercharged V6 engine with a paddle-shift automatic gearbox. It's painted Salsa Red with black wheels and a black soft top. Barry has owned it now for just over a year covering less than 10,000km in that time.

The owner

Barry Jones is a social care worker supporting adults with intellectual disabilities. He lives in Dublin with his wife Mairéad and their three young kids.

"I've always liked cars and have had some really nice ones over the years. The last few have included a 2006 E46 BMW M3, a 2003 Honda S2000 and just before my current car I had a 2008 Jaguar XKR. That was a 4.2-litre, 420hp V8 monster. A stunning black car with cream leather interior. Coming from the S2000, the XKR had a lovely rumble and buckets of power - but for me it wasn't all that usable. A better grand tourer than an 'up around the back roads' car. So, I traded it for my current F-Type and what a good decision that turned out to be."

Barry uses the Jaguar for a mix of daily driving and weekend driving. He describes his driving style as relaxed: "I'm no Stirling Moss!"

He likes to meet up with like-minded pals in their sports cars, too:

"Some of my friends also have a love of cars. Damien has a 2008 E93 M3 and Paul has a 2014 Porsche Cayman GTS. We try to meet up regularly for a drive and some food."

How does he get the three kids in the F-Type? He doesn't, in short:

"People often ask how I cope owning a two-seater with three kids. Our family car is a seven-seat Peugeot 5008, so I tell them we have nine seats in total!"

The ownership experience

It's clear that Barry still loves the F-Type a year on:

"The F-Type is such a stunning thing to look at. There is no bad angle, and it really turns heads everywhere it goes. People seem to love it.

"It's also a brilliant car to drive, with plenty of power and great brakes. It's, very planted and has an amazing exhaust sound. While I concede that the coupe is marginally better to look at, there's nothing quite like the buzz of a roof-down blast.

"There are different driving modes on the F-Type. Regular automatic, an ice/wet mode and a dynamic mode, which sharpens up the throttle response and opens up the exhaust valves. There is also a Sport mode, where you can use the paddle shifters for more control. There's an active spoiler that goes up automatically once you go over a certain speed.

"Annual motor tax is €1,250 and a regular service with no issues from a main dealer is around €750. You also don't buy them for their practicality and boot space is extremely limited.

"Some minor things I don't like about the F-Type include the stereo system (not as good as the XKR's) and some of the buttons on the steering wheel aren't brilliantly responsive."

Problems experienced: "Owning it has been a superb experience and I have experienced zero issues."

Efficiency: "I guess you don't buy these types of cars for their efficiency, but I get between 25- and 30mpg generally."

Advice to prospective buyers

"In summary on the Jaguar F-Type, if you have half a chance to own one, go for it!"

What next?

"I absolutely love owning and driving my F-Type, but it doesn't stop me looking at alternatives. I've always aspired to owning a Porsche 911. I recently drove a 2008 997 4S and although I loved lots about it, my 2013 Jaguar F-Type seems to me to be a better overall package. And when you consider I'd probably have to hand over around €20k plus my own car, it's hard to justify. A similar year Boxster GTS might be the car to lure me to the Porsche brand."