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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  Jaguar X-Type - 2007 Jaguar X-Type
  By Adam - November 15 - 11:16 pm

  I bought it thinking I may become a Jaguar fan. I think it was the worst financial mistake I have ever made. Engine died at 2000 miles!! I am on my THIRD transmission and FOURTH set of lightbulbs in my headlights and on my THIRD set of tires. This is only after 12000 miles. I am finally going to trade it in for a BMW, a car that will acually last. I have been to the dealer so many times I know the employees on a first name basis, I think I have put more miles on my Kia Rio than I have put on my Jaguar. STAY AWAY!!! FAR AWAY

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  Do NOT buy this car! - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By WendyLouise - August 6 - 10:00 am

  This is far and away the WORST car I have ever owned. Absolutely ZERO pick- up, lengthy mechanical issues incl electrical, and about as much energy as if it were two hamsters running the wheel instead of an engine. I cant WAIT for the lease to end. Loathe this vehicle.

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  Didnt see this one coming - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By Dawn - April 23 - 4:10 pm

  What can I say; buy the car on a Monday and have over $3,000 in repairs before the weekend. The bleeding doesnt stop there. Make the monthly payment and triple that for repairs. Has been that way for over a year now. Been paying $9 per lug nut, $1000 for a starter w/o installation, just lose the key, or have the hood ornament taken. The leather fades in color, the sun roof sticks, and the car only starts when it feels like it. Doesnt drive well at all in any amount of snow. It stays at home, it wont move! My dream is my worst nightmare. Anyone can afford to buy a Jag, but not many can afford to keep one. The parts are dealer only, no aftermarket, and are about 400% more. Sad!

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  Terrible Car - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By Hulloimadam - April 23 - 2:26 am

  We bought this car a while ago for around 56K... We sold it for 12k. The worst car every owned by far. Dont get me wrong its beautiful but other than that it stinks. We now have a mercedes s class thats 837264517635 times better than this car. Lets face it... THE BRITISH CANNOT MAKE CARS!!! Oh! and we had a whopping five trannys in it and it spews blue smoke!!!

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  Looks amazing, quality is the worst of all-time - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By jaketthomas - September 19 - 12:36 am

  I always loved the looks of Jaguars. I always wanted one. I bought a 2000 S-Type with 48k miles on it. Thought, I cant go wrong! From day 1, every, oh, Id say 30-45 days, the check engine light comes on. Yes, needs a repair, whether it be minor or major about once a month, on average. Ignition Coils, 4 catalytic converters, oxygen sensor, the Heat completely stopped working twice, Gearbox went, had a bizarre problem with my rear brakes, CD changer shorted out, cigarette lighter blows fuses once a month, rear windows dont go down, one back door doesnt shut all the way... I could literally go on and on. This car is the biggest piece of crap imaginable.

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  JimJim - 2003 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By jimjim - September 9 - 2:00 am

  This is my 3rd Jag in 15 years. I would absolutely not recommend the XJ to friends or family. Performance in the city (San Francisco) is horrid. Forget the trip to Tahoe. The transmisssion is inconsistent and shifts too quickly on all gears. Albeit, a fun car for long freeway drives (SF to LA). Comfort is by far the biggest plus for the XJ.

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  LEMON !! - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By N. - November 26 - 5:16 pm

  My husband purchased this car for me for my 40th birthday. Not a day goes by without regret. It has been nothing short of disastrous. It has been in the shop 7 times for the same two problems: 1)grinding noise located in the right front 2) at about 35 mph the engine begins to vibrate - best description: feels like you are driving over a washboard. They actually REPLACED the engine and it still is not fixed. The interior is falling apart. The lining surrounding the front and back windows is peeling off. The visor mirrors are broken. The back seat seat belts have broken. The glove box will not close properly. Electrical side mirror adjustment switch is faulty. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE!!

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  Pretty Lemon - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Tom - October 23 - 2:46 pm

  We purchased our 2002 x-type after leasing it for three years. During those three years we have had an interior water leak from the vent filter on the dash, pop ups of the vent, interior wood replacement, drivers door panel replaced, coolant hose prung a leak - twice, bearing replaced in suspension, squeaks, brakes replaced, worn tires- we have practically rebuilt the car from the ground up. Every time we bring it in we swear its the last time - but the beauty of it draws us back. Great looking car - but overall, a lemon. I would buy another BMW over a Jag any day- much more reliable.

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  I hate my car. Its now a mid size Ford - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By BB1 - April 3 - 2:00 am

  I have had 3 Vanden Plas and loved them. Ford has turned a beautiful Jaguar into a Bobbed Cat. They took all the extras out and put in stuff you see on most every cheep car. No back seatleg room at all, small doors, bad visibility hard to read middle panel. Looks like everything else on the road. What more dont you want in an expensive car? Please take mine.

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  JUNK - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By jcpil1515 - December 25 - 1:00 am

  This is the biggest piece of junk i have ever bought. it started breaking down the 2nd day after i bought it. its has been in the shop 23 times. Warranty just ran out and we are getting rid of this car as quickly as possible. i have had problems with brakes, transmission, ignition, main computer, door panels. My wife and baby have been stranded 3 times because the car wouldnt start it would say security enabled and the only way to reset it is at the dealership. which is 100 miles from where we live. When i had problems with the brakes it went on for 3 months they had to get the engineers who designed the brakes and fly them into the dealership to finally fix them. Bottom line its junk