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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  Cup holders only problem - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Margi - January 20 - 10:00 am

  One cup holder is not enough for the driver and a passenger. Everything else is wonderful. I love the double takes when I drive it.

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  Jaguar X Type - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Hnoetzli - January 20 - 10:00 am

  Excellent drving behavior and lots of fun to drive

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  My Jag - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By stanny - January 19 - 6:33 am

  After driving a mercedes for 7 years and RX7s for 11 years I switched to the Jag. I could not be happier, it drives like a sports coupe, but still has a safe backseat for my 7 yr old daughter.

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  11 XJ is a Winner - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By BCKOLENA - January 12 - 4:20 pm

  This is an all-around outstanding vehicle. Beautiful design inside and out. Rocket fast for its size. Its unique from all other cars on the road today. While the XJ is a very expensive vehicle, it is a relatively good value compared to other super premium sedans.

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  The fastest Gentlemans Club in England - 2003 Jaguar XK-Series
  By David Ford - January 11 - 10:00 am

  OK, so Im biased. Im a Brit, work both in the US and the UK - but the XKR is the second Ive had - and the 2003 model is my latest purchase for my UK travels. Ive driven stacks of different and very nice cars - but something just keeps me in these Jaguars. Perhaps its the feeling that any moment the waiter will come over and ask if sir would care for another Pimms.. All that leather and walnut combined with neck snapping acceleration make this a seriously quick tool for demolishing distances in style, grace and comfort. I guess (proudly) its something that us Brits still do well

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  Great car. - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Ph0enix* - January 6 - 10:00 am

  This is just a great car. I fell in love with it the first test drive. A great car.

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  jaguar KJ8 - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By R. Anapolsky - January 4 - 8:40 pm

  This is a wonderful automobile to drive. I can say without question it is the best auto that I have owned and driven in my nearly 50 years of driving.

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  Beautiful, Reliable and Still Great - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By ed orgon - December 31 - 4:36 am

  Have had this vehicle for more than 7 years, and still outperforms others. Has been SUPER reliable, no mechanical, build or cosmetic issues AT ALL. Only my usual Mobil 1 oil changes.

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  The rat has a cat - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Mr. Ratman - December 30 - 10:00 am

  After falling in love with this car at the auto show back in February I spent all year convincing myself I needed to buy one. With a 191,000 miles on my 10 yr old Park Ave, I figured its only a matter of time before it died. Taking advantage of year end close out sales I found myself a 2.5 sport package in British Racing Green. What a beautiful car! I bought the car thinking I would still drive the Buick until its death. I now have almost 6,000 miles on the Jag and spend no time in the Buick.

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  A good decision - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Tom Moore - December 30 - 6:53 am

  Ive owned Mercedes & Lexus. The Jaguar is the best yet and they are not as common as the others. The AWD Jag performs on ice and snow just as good as the AWD Lexus. To date, Im very pleased and believe I made the right choice.