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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  Ready Set Go!! - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By 1..2..3.. GO - October 7 - 5:56 am

  This car is unbelivable. Ive owned this vehicle for 7 years now and have never given it credit to write a much deserved review. Going on 46,000 miles this car remains in my personal showroom. But when its pulled out on weekends you better believe it delivers. I just cant get rid of it! Always sporty and a pleasure to drive, not quite a thrill as my E500 or Lexus GS 430 but still is a number one contender in the luxury midsize division. For a seven year old car it still turns heads and has always caught the eye of any common bystander in any parking lot.

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  cant believe its a jaguar! - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By elibruno - October 6 - 2:00 am

  after 13 bmws, i made a move for the jaguar because of its standard safety features and its timeless beauty. I also opted for the V6 which i knew is a derivative of the Ford Duratec, one of the best and most reliable 6s out there. nothing has disappointed me; i got the sport package which better approximates a BMW type of ride and has bigger brakes-a plus with Florida drivers! And the ZF 6 speed automatic is superior to anything short of the 745i. Put a thousand miles on the first week of all types of road conditions with 23 MPG! So far, so great!

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  great car! - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Bruce - October 3 - 7:53 am

  Love this car. Great handling, speed and ride. Retro look is perfect. In 06, HP to be increased from 390 to 400. The engine of the new 07 XKR is reported be increasing to a 4.7 liter, 450 HP. Please, please put that engine in this car. I would be thrilled to upgrade again.

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  Jag X 2.5 5M - First 8 months - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By steve - September 30 - 6:56 pm

  Pleased with the car - great value. Interestingly, I switched from a V6 GTI and my back no longer hurts when I drive. The Jag body curves are sensuous and the car is easy to wash and dry. Service has been exceptional, as was the salesman and dealer. In a sea of possibilities, this little Jag is a good bet.

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  Victoria and Albert - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By newjaguar - September 30 - 12:20 pm

  This car is so good we bought an identical certified used one. We call these fine cars Victoria and Albert. My initial 2004 review remains true. "I cannot quite believe that I am getting a Jaguar. My last 3 cars were BMWs. I do not like the design of the new BMW. The quality of the new Mercedes was inferior. The new XJ8 design, quality, performance, and value are clearly superior to BMW and Mercedes. My new XJ8 is extraordinarily comfortable. The performance is terrific. This is not your fathers Jaguar. The new aluminum body is a leap ahead of the competition."

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  A great baby Jag - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Pete V. - September 19 - 1:36 pm

  I purchased my jag new in 2004, and still own it and love it. After comparing it to BMW 325, MB C240 and others, it was the best car for the price. I still get lots of on lookers and the car looks / runs great with no problems after almost 5 years. It also came with a "no cost" maintenance for 4 years, so all I paid for was gas until today. :-)

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  Still enjoying the new car "Buzz" - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Taftster - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I took the Jag on a windy mountain road for the first time, wow. The AWD was a definate improvement, as there seemed to be no limits to the amount of accel. in the curves. Truely thrilling. Even with the 2.5 L engine, there seemed no lack of power. I test drove the 3.0, and although there was a noticeable increase in HP, it was not appreciable. I commute 120+ miles/day, so I went for the mileage, rather than the power, and I dont regret it.

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  Fun to Drive - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Dallas - September 11 - 10:00 am

  This car is a lot more fun to drive than I expected. The 3.0L five speed really takes off. Comfort is great, sound is even better. Top notch audio system.

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  Disappointed - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By X X-Type - September 6 - 2:00 am

  Trouble from the start. I have never taken a trip without visiting a Jaguar Dealer for repairs. My current dealer has tried to fix all the problems, but they seem to be totally overwhelmed with all the problems. They now refuse to even try to repair. The car is still under warrenty, but Jaguar has walked away.I talked to the dealer about other models, but they say they are even less reliable. Bad News!!!!

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  Nothing to fear from this Jag - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By AtlantaJag - September 3 - 8:00 am

  As a former Lexus owner, when I bought this Jag, I was prepared for the worst, mechanically. After over three years - to my absolute pleasure - this has been and remains a phenomenal vehicle - mechanically and visually. I would purchase another without hesitation when that time comes. During my ownership, Ive only had one issue. A rear window belt snapped and had to be replaced. Easily done at the dealership...and not too obnoxiously priced. So far, the quality is right on par with the Lexus...but with much better performance and more style.