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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  Cats, Bimmers and Subies 70K Update - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By KKear - July 1 - 6:23 am

  I bought it out of the lease only because it was the cheapest way to go. The tire wear was somewhat solved by using Fuzion HRi tires, good for about 30K miles. The headlights bulbs by going to GE silverstars, and the dash vents, superglue. Now the shocks all need replacement, and its a good thing this car is mostly Ford because most anyone can work on it. The dealer wants an arm, leg and one or two other appendages to replace them. I will be wary of buying another Jaguar.

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  1 Week Into Jaguar Ownership - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By mherbst - June 1 - 5:49 pm

  12k a 40k mile car was a steal. I purchased this car knowing something would break. You have to have that mindset for all Jaguars and plan accordingly. This car was below my budget for a used car, and I put my savings from the purchase into an account for future repairs. Im now very glad I did. 1 week in and the sunroof is broken, air suspension has visible leaks, who knows what else. Just the parts for the sunroof are $800, rear air suspension is $1500 for one shock. If you dont mind working on a car yourself (which I dont) this is a decent buy, also for air suspension issues arnott makes better than factory suspension. 4 shocks for the price of a jag one.

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  Going to the Lexus Dealer - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By deecee - May 22 - 10:00 am

  Beautiful looking car but not reliable. New transmission required after one year; rear view mirror fell off after one month! Drivers door nearly fell off; now I cant open trunk without pushing down on it. Terrible, Terrible customer service at Towne & Countree in Indiana. While waiting 3 weeks for transmission replacement, I was given an Enterprise Rental car, truly an insult. Requested a $10 upgrade for rental car during my $700 30K maintenance service, and service manager denied it!! Jaguar International was no help either.

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  Love hate relationship - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By whart12 - May 12 - 12:40 am

  Bought XJ8 VDP used with 60000 reading on the odometer. Love the comfort speed and styling of this big cat but been disappointed with its quality. If you are the type that can fix little things on your own then this wouldn’t be a bad buy. The XJ has not left me stranded but have had little things go wrong. List of problem that I was able to fix myself: 1. All lock mechanism stopped working- found used parts on Ebay for 200 for all 4 doors. New price for each door is 300+. 2. Interior blower motor stop working- found control module on Ebay for 120. New part 300+ 3. Trunk latch stopped working- found trunk latch on Ebay for 50. New part 400+ 4. Radio amp stopped working- found used part on Ebay for 100. New part 1500+ Again, if you don’t have a personal mechanic or you are not able to turn a wrench do yourself a favor stay away…..

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  auto review - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By norm chait - April 29 - 10:00 am

  I am very pleased with the car and the service that goes along with the car from the authorized dealer.

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  LOVE MY JAG - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By HAIM - April 5 - 10:00 am

  PLEASURE TO DRIVE IT

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  Not a Primary Car - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By XJ8L Owner - April 5 - 10:00 am

  The XJ8L is sublimely comfortable for front seat passengers - and moreso for those in the back. But dont buy this car if youre going to use it every day to commute in. The fact that it is an "L" model makes it incredibly difficult to park. Guzzles gas like crazy. Guzzles oil like crazy. TERRIBLE BRAKES! They started squealing after about 2000 miles. Expensive luxury cars like this should not have brakes that scream like banshees. Had brake pads ground still didnt fix it. Had brakes replaced for $800 and it isnt as loud but it is still a noticeable squeal. Wood panels on doors feel loose. Generally bad ergonomics.

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  Better than reported by the "experts" - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By love my X - February 20 - 9:56 am

  Everyone and their cousin has either a 3 series or C class - for good reason, both are excellent cars, Ive had both - but it was time for a change. On that note this little Jag delivers. People dont confuse it for a Corolla or Honda. The body style is very reminiscent of the 84 which was one of my favorite cars as a kid. Regarding power, it accelerates just fine, I dont need a racecar to go back and forth to work or run errands. As for issues regarding the small rear seat, this is a small car, not a Chevrolet Impala. Its meant to be small and nimble, which is part of what makes it perfect. It drives smooth and the sport mode makes it quicker.

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  Good But Could Be Better - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Tucson driver - February 8 - 3:16 am

  I used to drive traditional 2-seat convertible sports cars. Now as a grown-up I buy 4-door sedans that have potential to be fun to drive, such as a turbo-charged Audi and a 5-series BMW. The 2005 S-type 4.2 beats those in terms of visual appeal and perceived poshness, but not in actual comfort or roominess and certainly not in handling. Smooth cruising, yes. Handling, no. The reliability is barely good enough to keep me semi-satisfied. Same for the amount of interioor rattling. Unless the 2008 S-type handles much better better, I am not going to be seduced by the sexy spy photos, and when my lease ends, I am going to switch.

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  Much better than I expected - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Darel Parker - February 4 - 4:13 am

  After looking at similarly priced BMWs and Mercedes, I decided to take a chance on the X-Type and I have not been disappointed. I absolutely love this car. Inside and out, the X-Type is beautiful, and driving it is a dream. With an automatic transmission, the 2.5 liter engine is a bit underpowered but the performance is more than acceptable and the handling is superb. The X-Type styling really stands out in the crowded entry-level luxury market. If you dont tell people what you paid for the car, theyll assume you paid twice as much. It is that nice.