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 car for the money - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By tarrid - November 16 - 8:54 am

  Well !!!!! as with every car we review, we will find owners that hate and owners that love ther rides. My Jag is by no means perfect ( NO CAR IS ) but for a car under $5000 Look at what you get. Luxury!!!!!. Do your own oil changes. Your own break job. And if you cant. DONT take it to a dealership. Find a good indi shop. Buy your parts on e-bay. It will cost you just as much to repair as a Ford. (preventative maintanance) is what it is about. You will have a very reliable car with the Jaguar.

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  Overall, I love my Jag - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By epc - November 1 - 10:00 am

  After trading in my big SUV I am having fun driving again. Its a pretty car, maneuvers well, has good pick up, and feels secure in all types of weather (really tested due to our tough New England winter this year). However, interior space feels a bit tight, and pricing with options is a bit high, which in particular, causes me to be disappointed when I the similar styling and paint colors on Fords out on the road (Jag should be more distinctive). Overall, though Ive had no complaints and I love my Jag.

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  Fun Jag - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By BJ - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Looked at a number of vehicles but kept coming back to the X-Type. Fun to drive. Road holding is exceptional. Very comfortable and well finished. Dealer was great ... Didnt push.

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  My X-type - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Celtic - October 12 - 6:13 pm

  The more I drive The x-type, the more I love it. I wanted a sports/luxury car. Very nicely appointed, handles excellent full of safty features and 4 wheel drive. I was disappointed to see the the reviews. The noise in the cabin is not overwhelming I think its ads to the sportiness of the ride the interior is absolutely perfect. Jaguar sales and service have been great so far.

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  In and out of the shop constantly - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By CHRIS - October 5 - 4:43 am

  This is a beautiful car. If it only ran as good as it looks. I had a 2001 S Type which was an excellent car. However, the reliability went south on this one. It has been in the shop many times - sometimes for weeks. Jaguar was not particularly responsive or compassionate about selling me a lemon. I wont buy another jaguar.

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  Robert - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By robert - October 3 - 12:43 am

  Number one when I tell people I bought my wife a jaguar x they think I spent a lot of money but not really. The car is a lot of fun to drive, holds the road great, fast when I need it, stops great also. I feel safe. The warranty is very good and the company contacts you on every thing. But two things I dont like are brake dust on the wheels and it looks like the Ford Taurus sometimes.

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  Cat, Subies and Bimmers, 70K update. - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By kkakear - September 22 - 11:46 pm

  OK, so said I wouldnt buy it out of the lease and I did anyway. It was the cheapest thing to do. Just put shocks, struts, tires and front brakes on it, all wear items. Havent had any other problems other than a front axle seal leak, covered under warranty. The cars style stands out in a sea of styling mediocrity and angry kitchen appliances. Gas mileage stands at 23 MPG on premium fuel over 71K miles. Never any major problems, just a bunch of annoying small ones and it has never left us sitting, unlike every Japanese car weve ever owned.

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  2002 Jag X-Type wows young family - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By MarkT - August 31 - 10:00 am

  My wife and i really enjoy our Jag X- Type 3.0. It is very secure in cornering. Accelerration is relaxed at low speeds but spirited when you are on the highway. The leather and real wood make the interior very comforting. The seats hold up to long trips. The ride is stiff but bumps are muted effectively by the exceptional suspension. The exterior styling is the best in class by far. I would recommend it to anyone who is shopping for a luxury car with tasteful styling and solid performance. Just remember to not place high value on interior gadgets because they are few in this car but it does make up for it with AWD and excellent engineering.

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  My Jag - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Sancho - August 23 - 7:23 am

  Vehicle was delivered with grossly over-inflated tires (50lbs) ... should be approx 30lbs. Have a standard transmission; am a conservative driver; have yet to get over 22 mpg combined city/highway driving. Car handles great; takes turns smoothly and requires minimur of braking on sharp turns. Excellent on snow and rain. Developed a high-pitched sound; failed to repair correctly on first try; tape recorded sound and the Dealer replaced the DRIVETRAIN... have not heard sound in approx one month since this repair.

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  Love the Car, hate the wheels - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By JRHurley - August 16 - 11:10 pm

  I puchased this car to commute back and forth from work. Work is 100 miles away from my home. That means I am driving in it for at minimum 4 hours a day. It has to be comfortable and reliable. While I had a couple of issues which were promptly resolved by the dealer I have a major complaint with Jaguar. The 17" low profile rims that cam with the car should be recalled. I had replaced three of them before deciding to get aftermarked Jag 16" rims installed. Lost some performance but I can at least hit a pothole without having to buy another $500-$600 wheel