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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  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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  $60,000. Hunk o JUNK - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By anyjoe - November 23 - 1:16 am

  I have owned about 15 cars since I was 16 years old. The Jaguar was purchased new for $60k. It needed internal engine work @ 8K mi, 12K, 20K and 50Kmi. When I got it home from the last engine overhaul ($1800) the radiator started leaking. After that the transmission staarted downshifting on the freeway. At 60,000 mi I had to dump it. It was a VERY expensive mistake. DO NOT BUY ONE.

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  buyer beware! - 2000 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Ron Rich - September 30 - 5:00 pm

  My vehicle was bought from a 3rd party while under factory warranty. The local dealer sold me an extended warranty before the new car warranty expired. The "nickasil engine has been discontinued! Mine is a disaster! The car with 48k miles on it, has been blowing out white smoke for periodically since the miles were in the 20s. The engine is worn out and needs to be replaced. Extended warranties wont cover "wear". Jaguar wont help! All services were done at the dealer! Jag buyers and owners BEWARE!!! This is very costly and discouraging especially with such low mileage!

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  Back to the Drawing Board - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Dr JR - July 4 - 10:00 am

  This car has been a total joke (unfortunatly, on me). There isnt space or time here to elaborate on all the problems this car has had. New ones keep popping up ever day. The worst part is that the dealer AND the manufacturer dont have a clue on how to resolve them. The car now sits in my garage where it can do the least amount of harm to my peace of mind untill I can get Jaguar to take it back.

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  Nothing But Trouble - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By DONT GET IT - June 24 - 7:03 am

  I feel sick just thinking about my cat, Ive had nothing but trouble ever since I got it. The first month I got it I had to get the transmission fixed and now the car goes off when i get a red light. I like the leather seats and how the car looks inside and out. Dont get this car if you want a good everyday car.

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  OK but Reliability Issues a Concern - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Peter C. - June 4 - 8:50 pm

  I did tons of research when I purchased this car. Bought for ridiculously cheap price. All and all drives nice, on par with other entry level luxury vehicles. Many issues have popped up including replacement of propshaft, faulty seat heater, grinding noise when braking, faulty sunroof (had to be fixed twice). For price I paid, and magnitude of repairs (small but annoying) I am not unhappy but if I had to do it again, I would probably have purchased the Volvo S-60 instead.

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  My Car - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Ronell C. Brown, Sr - May 21 - 3:16 pm

  I am a Jag lover. The car I have now is my third Jag. I like this one less than any other Ive had. I can not wait until my lease runs out. When it does, I will buy or lease a new one. (another Jag) When I start this car, it sounds like the 1985 Chevrolet I once drove when I worked for the State. Over all, I do not like this car. However, I have not given up on Jag.

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  I am not happy - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By taxmom2000 - February 13 - 2:00 am

  My x-type has 4000 miles and is going into the shop for the 3rd time. I have an annoying whistle, so they replaced the drive shaft, but the whistle came back. Now I am waiting for a new transmission, they think that is where the noise is coming from. The other problem is with the gas tank design. If the gas pump hits the door spring the wrong way, it knocks the spring off and you cant open the door, unfortunately Jaguar didnt design the car with a release in the trunk, so I had to go back to Jaguar to get the tank door opened before I could get gas. For the money, I expected a much smoother ride and it isnt there.

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  The Swayzee Review. - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By scott swayzee - September 27 - 10:00 am

  my wife and I have so far enjoyed the vehicle. There are some things we would like to bring up. Tires are not up to the jaguar standard (in my book) the continetal tires should be replaced with pirellis. Seems to have a lot more road noise than it should, tires might help. We also have had serveral rattles within the interior. It seems to be a little pricey for an entry level car. I have also drove the entry level acura. It seems to offer a little more for the money. It also is a lot more quite on the road than the jag. We do enjoy the level of service once the vehicle goes to the dealer for any type of service. Please look into these metioned items.

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  Less than a month - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By G Pharzd - September 27 - 10:00 am

  In less than a month (900 miles) the rear end and tranmission have developed leaks so bad the car is no longer drivable. Also the braking system isnt right. When at a light the pedal will go down by itself. The battery box cannot be openned without hitting a vaccum line clip. The cars design is poor at best, but the way it is assembled is worse. I have been buying new cars for over 35 years and this is probably the worst car I have bought. The dealer gives you roses, but after that it is a downhill experience. Ford bought Jaguar and that should say it all.