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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  Great Auto - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Garry Hardt - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Best Auto in the World

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  S Type, 3.0 - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By JP - January 17 - 7:56 am

  This is a retro of the 1957 Mk1 Jag saloon I purchased years back. Very comfortable and enjoyable to drive and ride in. Great road car. Has enough power to get out of tight spots. I have it serviced regularly and it is reliable. Keep good tires on it for a smoother and quiet ride.

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  Superb Car - 2006 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Fred - January 13 - 12:40 pm

  Recently traded my XJR for an XKR. This car is so much superior and draws far more attention. The styling is timeless and the performance excellent for a touring car of this type. Not as much raw fun as my old TVR but still the best car Ive ever owned.

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  Malooly review - 2006 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Ray Malooly - January 11 - 12:26 pm

  The only complaint is the front bumper is too low to the ground, you have to be careful not to hit parking guards. Lots of fun to drive. Sure attracts attention from everyone. Lots of power, and looks.

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  Repeat Customer - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By dondson - January 3 - 10:00 am

  Previous satisfied owner of 2000 S Type 4.0 Liter V8. Was impressed with 2003 S Type 4.2 Liter V8 new suspension, 6 speed transmission, and completely redesigned interior(much better). Vehicle has even better power, drive, performance, and is much quieter than first model (which I loved). They really have thought about where things could be improved and have surprised me in topping the original. I plan to keep this car for many years.

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  bad a$$ - 2018 Jaguar F-Pace
  By Joe - January 2 - 7:38 am

  First SUV that wasnt a Toyota and loving it. Drove interstate speeds for a long distance and averaged 30mpg in eco mode. At in town speeds, I sometimes opt for the paddle shifters as the car does hunt for the proper gear on inclines. The turbo inline 2.0 4 cylinder has not disappointed us in performance and the handling is definitely Jaguar sedan type. Acceleration is VERY responsive. The seats hold you firmly on sharp turns and the vehicle holds the road like a sports sedan. All the cargo room youd ever want and, while we probably differ from other SUV owners, we like to feel the road and there is just enough with the F-Pace with the 19" wheels to realize you are on a road and not sitting in your living room on cushy couch. For us, the amenities and electronics are not distracting and very functional. We did purchase a set of Worth floor mats to protect the carpeting as we intend on keeping the vehicle for quite awhile and they are well worth the $200. Jury is still out on cost of ownership but the factory warranty, while not great, is very adequate. Have had the vehicle less than 30 days and most categories in the rating scheme are N/A at this time.

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  Jaguar S-type - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By red rabbit - December 23 - 8:50 pm

  The boxy back detracts from its classy design and some of the side lines look like dents from certain angles. Im also tired of the style of back bumpers in all cars these days since they definitely are not designed for "bumping". The paint dings on the broad canvas of the bumper look like hell. I knew the mileage per gal. would be lower than the 3.0, but I am surprised it is as low as it is...... 11 mpg in town and 17 mpg on interstates.

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  Incredible Car and a Great Value - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Steve - December 20 - 10:06 am

  Absolutely love this car! Off the line performance put to shame my old 2001 996. Add 25 more HP, more aggressive differential and transmission gearing and you have the equivalent performance of BMW M and MB AMG at tens of thousands of dollars in savings. Ride is great and styling to die for...I get more walk-ups and comments on the Jag than the 911. The R is a rarety even in San Diego and people notice.

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  A dream car - 2006 Jaguar XK-Series
  By inheritablessing - December 13 - 3:13 am

  Love everything about it!!! There is nothing like the vintage looks of Jaguar. Its smooth as butter. Havent yet been called to have serviced. Absolutely a dream car.

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  THE Car to Buy - 2006 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Bob K - December 9 - 3:56 am

  2 months into this 06 XKR. Love the car. 3rd XK in 5 yrs. XKR is far superior to XK8. For Style and Performance, it is without peer. I park next to an SL600 every day and people stare at the XKR.