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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  Classic Weapon - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By LarryChen - August 13 - 10:00 am

  This new generation XJ8 is too good to be true. Its so nimble and precise. More responsive while offering a even better ride than before. I like the sporty driving experience on this car. This one is a totally different car from its predecessor. Thats why a BMW enthusiast like me go for Jaguar this time.

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  Quick Silver Cat - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By lflouie - August 12 - 1:03 pm

  Great combo of performance, style, and luxury. Competent handling at 8/10ths, great acceleration only limited by "open" rear end, electronic trac control and lazy ECU that limits revs in lower gears. Incredible suspension for great ride and good all around handling. Gets more looks (especially females) than my M5 and is much a more enjoyable ride around town. Had a few annoying but non-critical electrical glitchs, overall releiability is good but build quailty is only average. 28 mpg on the hwy..WOW. I love the car... its unique, stylish, comfortable, quick, and overall a very competent sport sedan. Used prices offer an incredible value if youre the buyer. LOVE IT!

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  The Jaguar Experience - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Alexandros - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased a black Jaguar XKR Convertible, and have had the pleasure of driving it around, although mostly on the weekends. The overall performance of the car is overwhelming and it has proven to be both an elegant and a great sports car, both at high and low speeds. Fuel economys not so good, but you forget about it once youre cruising.

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  HATE MY JAG!!! - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By My Jag Experience - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Jag last month. Immediately it started to have problems. First, it wont shift out of gear when parked at any incline. That took two trips to the dealer, 10 days, and a new transmission. Got it back. First day, it didnt start! Dealer unresponsive. Their answer is "You got warranty. Bring it in and well fix it." Well, I dont want to keep bringing it in. I get to drive my car only three times since purchase and each time, I had a new problem. Dont buy this car!

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  ME AND MY JAG - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By RACER X - August 6 - 10:00 am

  ACTUALLY THE 2004 XJ-8 IS MY WIFES DAILY DRIVER BUT IT IS A THRILL TO DRIVE (WHEN SHE LETS ME). ROCKET LIKE ACCELERATION AND BRAKES THAT BRING IT TO A HALT WITHOUT BRAKING A SWEAT, FAST. THE ACCELERATION IS SO FLUID AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SO SMOOTH, IF YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, YOURE EASILY DOING 90. WE HAD CONSIDERED THE 745 BUT HAD HEARD A LOT OF NEGATIVES REGARDING THE "I" DRIVE, ITS LOOKS AND ELECTRONIC "GREMLINS". THE JAG HAS IT ALL OVER THE 745 IN LOOKS, PERFORMANCE AND LUXURY. THE INTERIOR IS LUSH AND COMFORTABLE. THE EXTERIOR IS UNMISTAKABLY JAGUAR AND ENGLISH. WE ARE THRILLED TO OWN THE XJ8.

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  two timer - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By wmpatton - August 6 - 10:00 am

  OK, so my first was a total wreck. A 62 Mark II I bought in college for $300. A real head turner though. My 03 S-type was purely an emotional buy. Still a head turner four decades later. Styling cant be beat or go unoticed. Had every intention of getting a BMW 5-series until I got the Take it or leave it, this is what we have available attitude. I left it and so far am very happy with my decision. Its been five months and have had no reason to revisit the dealer yet. I would, however, rethink getting an ivory interior again.

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  Jag X - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Gonzales - August 6 - 9:56 am

  The X-Type is a Jaguar in every sense, especially in the one important one: you feel good every time you sit in it, feel the leather, see the wood and chrome, the curves of the bonnet, and feel the way it performs. A delight.

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  Love this car - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By FormerBmwfan - August 5 - 10:00 am

  I just wanted to echo the sentiments of all the other reviews I have read about this car, its simply the most incredible machine on the road. I have owned flagship German cars and I promise you, if you drive this car you will be hard pressed to purchase an S class, 7 series, or an A8. The supercharged version is brutally quick. The interior of this car shames all of its German competitors. I have always been a fan of Jaguar but for reliability reasons was never comfortable enough to buy one, until now. This car is a game changer for Jaguar.

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  I love this Cat and I am a dog man - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By automan - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This car is simply excellent. It looks great, drives like a dream and is comfortable as well. The all wheel drive and optional sports shift (push a button) let you play formula 1 or old foggie driving. As the Army would say, be all you can be and drive this cat.

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  Wow GREAT Performance for 2.5S - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By AC - July 30 - 3:06 am

  I purchased the jag with 56k mi about 1 1/2 yr ago and I was blown away on how well the performance of this car it sounds like an American muscle car when I punch it to pass uphill or entering freeway. Its fast for a V6 and it does roar. Now Im hooked on jag! The only thing is when I needed oil pan gasket fix its hard to get into the pan without taking apart everything from the bottom and labor was expensive plus parts $1000. When I purchased it I did not know that it was an AWD and my gas mileage is poor in mix driving but you can get good mileage on the freeway.