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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  The S-Type is solid and stylish! - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Eric Erickson - April 17 - 10:00 am

  The S-type Jag, 4.0 V-8 sports model is one hot machine. It doesnt lean into sharp curves, but hugs the road like a magnet on a refrigerator. This car is solid, with no squeeks or creaks. Dont confuse it with your fathers Ford. Dont confuse these beauties with Jags from the past that had electrical and other problems. Ford has focused on quality - and they have delivered.

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  2002 Jaguar XKR - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Les - April 14 - 12:06 pm

  After 30 years of driving, this is by far the best driving car I have owned. Recent 3500 mile trip was a smooth satisfying experience (as opposed to other sports cars where I needed to rest kidney bruises). Bought it Select Edition pre-owned. Very satisfied with reliability and efficient warranty repair and maintenance program.

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  Wow Great Car - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By Jspan - April 13 - 5:46 pm

  Best Performing car I have ever owned. Great technology and ease of use. Unlike the terrible I drive on BMW

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  xk8conv - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By xk8 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  great car . love the handling and the "j" gate shifter

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  First car in years that I really like! - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By M Furst - April 11 - 10:00 am

  This is the first car in years that Ive really liked. Particularly the chassis, a part of the car that Ive never before paid much attention to, provides a solidity that makes this car a joy - on the highway where Ive cruised at 185 km/hour (115 mph) (and dont ask where) and on windy mountain roads (where I went much slower).

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  Stunning Big Cat! - 2007 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Brian Mac - April 7 - 5:26 am

  Incredibly smooth and quiet ride. Surprisingly quick and nimble for a car of this size. Far more class and comfort for far less money than comparable German cars when purchased preowned. Reliability has been flawless for the 10,000 miles I have owned it. Took a road trip and drove 23 hours with fuel stops only and found this car does not wear you out even after hours behind the wheel. LOVE THIS CAR!!! 08/31/2017-Owned 1-1/2 years & 20,000 miles now. I get bored with cars quickly, trade every year or two for something different. However, not this one. I still get excited to jump in for a weekend cruise thru the mountains or down the coast of New England. I own an auto repair shop so I know cars pretty well and this one is proving to be much more reliable than the German counterparts owned by my customers. It rides infinitely smoother and quieter. During spirited driving it may not corner quite as well as well as a BMW however, for a car this large it comes close. I would take the ride quality over the cornering agility any day. Reliability has been very good with a thermostat replacement being the only repair in the 20,000 miles I have owned it. What a pleasure to drive...and even at 10 years old it still turns heads everywhere I go!

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  Best Car in a Long time to hit the roads - 2008 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Ali Asaad - April 5 - 8:20 am

  What a car! This car is top. Best I have owned. Its legend, piece of art and best driving experience to hit the road in a long time.

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  Nice car... at 53 mph I get 32 mpg - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Rob - April 2 - 1:13 am

  The all wheel drive is great. When driving 53 MPH I get 32 mpg or more. Great for highway trips!

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  Better and Better - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By D Akers - March 30 - 3:43 am

  I have owed a 1999, 2002 and now 2007 Jag XKs and this is a runaway hit! The aluminum body is much more rigid, the paddle shifters add a new dimension and the blue tooth technology and keyless entry are a big plus. Styling is better and the operation of the top is much better and the boot cover is automatic. Only down side is the greatly decreased truck space and no manual transmission (as per the past). Before I decided on this vehicle I drove the Mercedes CLK and the BMW 6 series and this beats them hands down! One caution, dont test drive one... you will buy it.

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  Love my Jag, Practical and Beautiful - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Jill Leone - March 30 - 2:00 am

  First time Jaguar owner, love the ride, the inside room for passengers including the back seat, love the trunk space for my golf clubs and rollaway cart with room to spare and could still put the seats down for more, love the style, everybody still looks at it when you ride by, only have 1300 miles on it, but so far the mechanical performance has been perfect, and, it is super fun and easy to drive, reat rear views everywhere (former Audi owner), just love it!!!