Overview & Reviews

Jaguar cars have a long history of elegant styling and sporting performance. The brand was born in the United Kingdom, and for years its vehicles were synonymous with the old-world luxury of the British upper classes. More recently, Jaguar has been under the ownership of other automakers, but Jaguar cars will always bear the unmistakable gleam of traditional English refinement.

The company traces its roots to the Swallow Sidecar Company, founded in 1922 by Bill Lyons and William Walmsley. Based in Blackpool, England, the company produced a popular line of aluminum motorcycle sidecars. Swallow eventually switched its focus to automobile production, changing its name to SS Cars Ltd. in 1933. The first vehicle to carry the Jaguar name was the SS Jaguar 100, released in 1935.

After World War II, SS Cars switched its moniker to Jaguar so as not to be associated with the Nazi paramilitary organization that bore the same initials. Its first postwar offering was 1948's Mark V. The luxury sedan was joined that year by the XK 120, a sports car that was the fastest production automobile of its day — its name indicating its top speed. The XK 120 proved quite popular, and helped Jaguar establish a strong presence in the sports car market.

By the 1950s, Jaguar had begun exporting luxury vehicles to the United States. Created just for the American market, the Mark VII Saloon was introduced in 1951 and was a hit with stateside motorists. In 1956, the car took the prize at the Monte Carlo Rally. Later in the decade, Jaguar added the Mark VIII and Mark IX to its lineup. Meanwhile, the XK became the XK 140 as performance increased. Then came the XK 150 which was obviously even faster, though not quite as curvaceously alluring as the 120/140 models.

The 1960s saw the launch of one of Jaguar's most well-known models. The E-Type (or XK-E as it was known in the U.S.) debuted for 1961. The new sports car, available as either a coupe or convertible, provided performance and refinement wrapped up in an undeniably sexy package. The success of groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and icons like Twiggy the fashion model made British culture a hot commodity during the '60s — a fact that likely had positive implications for Jaguar's popularity in the U.S.

A decade later, Jaguar introduced the XJ6C and XJ12C coupes to join the sedans. At one point, the XJ12 was the fastest production sedan of its day. By the mid-'70s the lovely E-Type was replaced by the relatively bland XJ-S. The 1980s saw Jaguar continuing to raise the bar in performance with the launch of the XJ-S HE and a true world supercar, the XJ220.
By this time, however, Jaguar's cars had also built up a reputation for questionable reliability, electrical problems being the chief source of owners' angst. Increased competition from German automakers and adverse exchange rates didn't help matters either. Without much capital to work with to improve matters, the company decided to pursue a partnership with another company. This decision ultimately led to a full buyout of Jaguar by Ford in 1990.

Ford's influence (and financial support) was evident with the 1997 launch of Jaguar's XK8 and supercharged XKR sports cars. Powering both was Jaguar's new AJ-V8, a compact yet powerful engine that was also used in certain Land Rover vehicles. A few years later, Jaguar made an effort to broaden its product line with the introduction of a lower-priced, entry-luxury compact sedan known as the X-Type. Unfortunately, this model sold poorly, as its modest European Ford sedan underpinnings proved to be a liability. Around this time, Jaguar's old-school traditional styling grew stale as competitors moved into the new millennium with cutting-edge, modern designs inside and out.

Sales plummeted, and Jaguar's financial problems caused further headaches for parent company Ford, which was also experiencing financial turmoil. Ford cut its losses and sold Jaguar (and fellow British premium brand Land Rover) to Indian manufacturer Tata in 2008. Though reliability still remains a concern, new models like the XF and redesigned icons XK and XJ seem to indicate a bright Jaguar future, as they feature modern designs sprinkled with a fair share of classic Britannic charm.

User Reviews:

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  My Fave - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Julie C.W. - October 26 - 6:38 pm

  I purchased a 4.3 S Type used in B condition & it needed some non engine related issues fixed. I did that right away. Its a fantastic, comfortable car & it has spoiled me so I will need to spend the rest of life in Jaguars & nothing else. I need to redo the paint on the trunk lid because it faded while it stayed too sunny under the end of a carport. I have a full garage so its not getting anymore damage. I strongly encourage purchase & preservation of Jaguars to those who are reading reviews to decide to buy. You will seriously need to find a non liar mechanic. I use a relative & avoided a huge bill.

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  the real ultimate driving macine - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By art vandelae - December 29 - 2:00 am

  this car rides impeckably smooth.fast. handling is better than others. Jaguar finds a seemingly flawless blend of passion and devotion towards thier cars.

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  Had to be different - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By computthis - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Looked at all of the competitors. Liked the Jag better than the BMW 328 and fell in love with the MB E320. Everyone has a Benz though and BMWs and MBs lease programs couldnt compete.

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  XKR Better than ever - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By joepizzie - December 24 - 1:53 am

  I decided to purchase an XKR after owning numerous Porsche 928, 930, Corvettes, and yes, even an XJ12. I never forgave Jaguar for such poor quality and mechanics in the old Jaguars. What a great surprise the new Jaguar is for new or old Jag owners. The quality is evident in every part. The performance is exciting and you just cant beat the styling.

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  Excellent drive! - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By ivonnics - December 19 - 4:26 am

  Excellent drive, always dreamed about the car, and now that I own it, I am not disappointed at all, on the contrary, all expectations were fulfilled!

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  Parts nightmare - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By disgusted - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car 9 months and the drive shaft has been replaced twice, and it has been in the shop 2 weeks waiting on a barrel for the ignition. They never have parts readily available.

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  Nothing like a Jag - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Royce Moss - December 1 - 10:20 pm

  My wife suprised me with a beautiful platinum S Type 3.0 with a big red bow - just like the comercials on TV! My Jag is perfect. I just love the styling, comfort, ride feel, power and the great sound system. I also love the adoring looks and comments I get from eveyone. As far as Im concerned its the perfect car for me. I now look for excuses to drive. When im stuck in traffic on the freeway I dont even care!!

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  Jaguar XKR - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By JDRothschild - November 28 - 10:00 am

  The most opulant interior Ive seen in any auto. Timeless exterior styling. Everywhere I go, people take out their cameras and snap pictures. Incredible accelleration, unbelievable cornering (due to electronic suspension and traction control). Sophistocated integrated electronics have been very well thought out. This auto sets the standard for "high-performance" that no other auto can match.

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  VDP s/c is excellent! - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By fastjag - November 28 - 10:00 am

  Back seat is enormous....car feels faster than my XJR...

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  XJ8 - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By HJF - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I leased the car. I knew I was going to buy it at the end of the lease. It looks great, rides wonderful.It uses a qt of oil every 800 miles. Jaguar says that is normal.The mechanics say the XJ8 engine has a bad breather system and the part load breather needs to be cleaned all the time. I dont reaaly know what they are saying.I know the engine is also in the S an option, and XK. They are replacing engines but you really need to complain. I didnt buy.