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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  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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  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.

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  XJ8 - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By HJF 2 - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I leased my car, knowing I would purchase after 2 years. The car looks great and rides perfect. It uses a great deal of oil. (1 qt every 800 miles) The dealer says it is normal.The mechanis say the xj8 engine has serious problems with the breather system. Engines are being replaced in the XK S (an option) as well as XJ8.I decided not to keep it, my independant mechanic said dont buy it, it will get worse. I am very disappointed with Jaguar, I still like the car, not the engine.

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  Visit Repair Shop Monthly - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By DarnJag - November 5 - 10:00 am

  I have only had my jag for 3 months, and within the 1st week, the driver door lock failed allowing me no access. Never use the emergency brake. dont even touch it, because you will have a annoying loud clunking under the car for about 2 days until it wiggles it way back into place. Dont expect your car to start either. Fuel pump replaced at 29000 miles. Many other problems, seats recline on own when away from car, air bag failure light comes on and off. Wiper hoses dissconnect, seat stablizers loosen easily, crome worn out before 30,000. Still cant figure out how to get vent feature on a/c system.Im selling at 32,000 before i cant get my money back.

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  Lemon or not? - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By Rkfd - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Electronically a nightmare!!! EVERYTIME the dealership trys to fix something it causes another problem. Finally, after 3 weeks in the shop, CA flew to IL to figure out the problems. But then there is always more... (Nearly 2 months in the shop in all)

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  This cat purrs but doesnt roar - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Seeabe - September 27 - 10:00 am

  The best looking sedan on the road - by far. Nothing beats the style of this car, inside and out. This is my second Jag - my first a 95 XJ6 was also a dream. I wish Id opted for the 4.0 (dont like the R, I want the chrome)- the 3.0 6 cyl lacks response in lower gears. After having driven a BMW 5 series for the last 3 years, I was used to lightning quick excitement. Still, the beauty, grace and ride quality are more than worth the trade-off in acceleration. And did I say it was the best looking car on the road? This is a head-turner - no mistaking this car for anything but a Jag. I am so sold on Jags I got an X-type for my daughter.

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  I think mine is a lemon - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By surfsidejo - September 23 - 10:09 am

  I purchased my 06 S Type last Feb (2011) from a reputable Ford dealer. As soon as I got it home, my husband noticed the door seal was torn big time. I didnt notice when doing the test drive or checking it out, because I was always looking at the interior. Never thought to check areas like that. Anyway, $125.00 later we thought no more problems. 1 week later, husband was washing the car and noticed the lense on one of the fog lights was cracked. Took it for repair, $350.00, we thought we were good to go, spring comes along and we sure cant get cooled off. Everytime I slow down in traffic the AC gets warmer and warmer. Took it to reputable mechanic, $700.00 later we think we are good. Wrong.

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  Like it but to soon - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Carol Derry - September 18 - 10:00 am

  Ilike the car very much but because of past models I am very cautious in making a Final judgment.

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  Motoring Delight - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By NiceWheels - September 12 - 9:40 am

  The car is a fantastic machine with timeless styling. The generous use of high quality wood and leather make it a pleasure to sit in each and every time. Rear seat is absolutely unusable even by my toddlers. Should not even be there. I still look forward to driving the car which is more than I can say for most cars after the initial euphoria wears off.