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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  Awesome Luxury Car - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Jaguar man - October 22 - 10:26 am

  I just bought my first jaguar A 2004 Jaguar x type 3.0 With sport package And love it..It seems to ride great good pick up power all around great car a little expensive for insurance and plates but the car is well worth it..Love the heated seats and the seats are very comfortable I have put 3000 miles already on it... A very dependable car. I love the looks that people give when they see the car - looks like a million bucks very sleek look. The gas millage is not as good as advertised but I get about 20 miles to the gallon. I did do a lot of research on this car before I bought it and seen a lot of positive stuff about it

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  2004 Jaguar Vanden Plas - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By R Horkey - October 19 - 3:00 am

  For the money the best car I have ever owned. Perfect ride for my wife, a little soft, but the kick in the engine is for me.

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  Jag Addiction - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By lyleseven - October 19 - 2:00 am

  this has been a fabulous car. Absolutely no problems other than a front end alignment which the dealer covered under warranty and replaced front tires at no charge. The Pirelli P6000s wear out within 20k miles but they handle and ride beautifully. if you can afford this car why complain about a $125 tire? Gas mileage has been consistently 16+ around town. Everything works. Compared to my 87 XJ this is heaven....

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  Problems - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By babe jag - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Nothing but PROBLEMS. Had to have the gearshift replaced with only 8,000 miles. Had to have a new sunroof because of leaks at 12,000. Required complete transmission replacement at 20,000 miles. Needed four new tires at only 22,000 miles. Now at 25,000 miles I am told that I need a complete brake replacement. The locks freeze in cold weather and you could possibly be locked in or out. I will never buy another Jaguar X-type again.

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  Dream of an R/Car - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By elibruno - October 16 - 3:40 pm

  You fall in love with the exterior-nothing like a Jag. But it is the drivability of these autos that shock even the most avid BMW owners ( I have had 13!). No car has the luxo/performance bang for the buck even close to this R. Wish Jaguar USA would advertise this way, as one rarely reads anything in comparisons of mid-size euro sport/luxury sedans that includes what might be the best of the breed!!

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  A terrific vehicle - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By peregryne - October 14 - 8:23 pm

  This car is a blast to drive, it handles really well, and has good acceleration. Unfortunately I havent been able to verify the top speed :), but at high speeds its still very smooth and quiet. The convertible top produces little noise, and looks great from inside. Jaguar reliability is much better than it used to be, and the AJ-V8 engine and ZF tranny are a very solid combination. Research the timing chain tensioners however, esp. on pre-2000 models. Oil changes are very easy thanks to intelligently-situated filter and drain. Good amount of trunk space, but the back seat is all but useless for moving people.

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  New Jag XJ8 - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Louwalt - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Car handles beautifully, acceleration great and holds the road well. Interior room finally works for those of us over 6. Fun to drive and much more class than a Mercedes or BMW.

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  If you need 4 doors and speed - wow! - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Karen - October 13 - 1:13 am

  I had been missing my fast cars after purchasing a 2001 E320 MBZ, but I needed the room of a sedan. This car with its racing suspension, brakes and supercharged engine is definitely it! I beat our 96 Porsche 911 off the starting line. It is so responsive and quick and does not hesitate when down shifting the automatic. In corners you can feel it completely set down and hug the road - no fishtailing here. Its a sports car in a sedan body style.

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  What a Mistake - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By LGross - October 9 - 2:50 am

  When we walked into the showroom my husband and I fell in love with the JagX. It didnt take long to find out we had made a mistake. In the two years that we have owned this car it has been in the shop 25 times. Rattles and noises have been endless. Many have been fixed just to come back again. We put on our third set of tires at 55,000 miles. Remote locks have been fixed 4 times. Dashboard has popped up 4 times and currently rattling again. Electric windows broke, wheel covers fell off, seatbelts jammed, wind leak in windows, door jammed from outside, Grinding/rubbing noise when stopping. Rattles everywhere! Looks nice but grrrrr! I will do more investigating next time I buy.

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  X Type 3.0 - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Chef David - October 8 - 10:00 am

  The pretige and appearance of Jaguar is the best of all cars. "Wow!" was the reaction by all my friends and relatives. I love the luxurious feeling of driving it.