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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  X-type 3.0 5 speed only way 2 go in x- - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By peter rohn - May 27 - 2:00 am

  Only reasons I bought this car was 5 speed manual, 4 wheel drive, back seats go down,30mls per gallon on hwy.6.6secs 0-60.Car looks good and handles great also.Snowboards,skis,dog, hockey equipment goes in back with seats down.Car is great in the snow.The car is at home at the soccer field,grocery store, ski trip to the snowy mountains,fun to drive,but so refined to visit a client or take your significant other to the best shows and restaurants in town.Navigation touch screen a must.Problems: fuel pump went they fixed right away , Front driver seat rocks a little. Otherwise very happy.

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  Lex To Jag - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Dol - May 10 - 10:00 am

  I love the front end of my jag. But I say SHOP FOR SERVICE FIRST. They need to take lessons from Lexus. I am somewhat disappointed. My breaks scream when I roll to a stop so everyone knows I am stopping. The radio & they say I got the PREMIER stereo Ha! I dont get any AM at all & the fm is marginal. I got the nav which I love, lo jack all the goodies. But the stereo SUCKS.

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  Great Ride Great Service - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By lgnarealtor - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Great car for the money...the AWD is great in the rain and corners well. For the money you cant beat it. The car has held up well and with the small minor problems I have had the service has been great with no questions. I would recomend this car feels solid and safe.

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  Buy this car. - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By jag x-type - April 26 - 10:00 am

  Fast, furious and safe. The car is incredibly smooth and takes turns outstandingly. I had to make a very quick stop from 40 mph to zero and the car hugged the road and kept its balance. Tight back seat, but can get four sets of golf clubs in the trunk.

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  S-Type 01 - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By Bonanza Bob - April 6 - 10:30 pm

  Beautiful appearance, excellent handling and classy. Sure beats driving a Sedan DeVille!

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  Excellent experience overall - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By ckshep - April 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned my 2002 over a year now. Overall its been excellent, improving with age, and very solid on the road. A few minor issues that were cleared up in no time at the dealer, just trivial things as with any new car. Car is wonderful to drive, with the 5 spd manual and sport package, has plenty of power for everyday use and feels very solid. Wonderful for long distance trips. Gas mileage has gotten way better over time, from the low 20s to the high 20s by now, almost 30. The upgraded audio package is great. Overall ownership has been wonderful.

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  Its a comfortable drive - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Edward - February 21 - 6:30 pm

  Especially in the snow when the all wheel drive makes you feel like your driving a little tank. This is complemented by a very nice interior design. The low profile tires, however, are not very good because I have to avoid potholes. I wouldn’t mind the gas mileage if I didn’t have to drive 120 miles a day.

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  My Jag - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By Andrew Gutterman - February 8 - 2:00 am

  i purchased this vehicle in oct. of 02. i have so many complaints lets get started. this car is $47,500 to own, i am leasing it for 39 months for $639. When i first got the car i was very impressed.the GPS system is now a mental case who spits out my CDs, changes the radio stations and turns the radio/CD playeron. I often have trouble getting the car into drive, the shaftwont move, i push it beeps. after about 4-6 trys itgives and im off. the exceleration is great so is the handleing, but the gas in NYC is crazy and 18Mpg isnt to hott. i cant ever get the trunk open on the first try manualy nevermind with my trunk button on the key.

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  great looks, but disappointing performer - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By socalh2oskier - February 6 - 10:00 am

  This car is gorgeous...it has a great ride, always garners stares and compliments...but it is so disappointing to drive even a little bit sporty...all because of seats that seem like theyre straight out of a 1970s Cadillac. The seats have no side bolster support whatsoever...take a left corner at anything above granny speed and youll likely end up in the passenger seat...plus, the seats have terrible lumbar support. Im really amazed...the less "sporty" XJR sedan and even the lowly X-Type have much better seats than this "top-of-the line" supposedly sportiest of cats.

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  Great car, but can I rely on it? - 2000 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By gr8golfr - February 2 - 2:00 am

  Great car on the highway...smooth as silk and good overall handling. Takes a while for the tires to warm up and smooth out though. Its not as agile as the German cars, but I knew this when I bought it...just miss this sometimes. With only 36000 miles, I would expect more reliability and fewer quirky repairs.