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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  Entry level jag - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By 167wood - January 5 - 10:00 am

  Great car. surprisingly good in snow and rain. i did slide off the road once in ice, but that was probably because i was a bit overconfident.

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  who has a lemon - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By oh well - December 31 - 3:06 pm

  I was looking for schematics of the front diff. (pumpkin) and came to Edmunds and found this review of a lady totally dissatisfied with her x- type. I am sorry but I purchased a 04 with 40,000 miles for my wife and the car has been exceptional. Nothing but normal stuff...rear brakes. this lady who says it has been nothing but trouble must have received a Monday/Friday car and am truly sorry she cannot enjoy the luxury of a Jaguar. This is what Ford intended...to have a luxury car be affordable to the middle class. I am a GM fan, oh well cant win them all.

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  Kudos to X-Type - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By b. dandar - December 22 - 8:53 pm

  Before buying the X-Type I used to drive an XJ8. Although I love the style and ride of the XJ8, I always felt that the XJ8 was too much car for me (I am 5 tall and petite). The X-Type is a glove fit for me and I am so pleased that I made the change. My husband who has an XR series, was firmly against the X-Type predicting a litany of problems, etc. Happily, I have had no problems. The X-Type is sporty and stylish with many of the interior features of the XJ8. The trunk space is much larger than in the XJ8 and the rear seats fold down with minimal effort if more space is needed. I feel so connected with my car and Ill be in the market again within the next two years for another X-Type!

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  A Jag review - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Glen - December 22 - 7:36 pm

  I like the car over all it has a lot of power. It is small enough I like all the features in it. Coming from Volvo background, it has same comfort and gadgets as Volvo does. Very satisfied.

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  Amazing car! - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By jessrayo - December 17 - 7:53 am

  I have had my S-Type R for almost 2 years and Im now putting the experience on the web for others to see. This is the best car I have ever owned. I now have 80,000 miles (purchased with 40K). This car is quiet, comfortable, and amazingly fast. I was concerned about reliability and maintenance so I specifically looked for a certified pre-owned car. I have had one trip to the dealership for a warranty claim in the 2 years I have owned the car, I have driven it hard. Im kind of a speed junkie and nothing touches this car. I had to get a radar detector to keep from loosing my license. If you are not looking at the speedo you cant tell how fast you are going.

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  2002 X-type Jaguar - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By B.Wolfrum - December 15 - 4:03 pm

  We paid around 40k for car & find it to be a very nice auto.19-20 mpg around town 27-28 0n the road Very good fit & finish.Paint(Adriatic Blue)very nice.Only problem noted so far windshield washers weep onto hood.Car handles very well Power is good 3.0 auto trans.0-60 aprox. 7.5 sec.Rear seat a bit cramped for adults.We really like this car

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  Great Buy,Great Value - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By abmargolin - December 15 - 10:00 am

  This Car is the value of the century! I walked into the showroom and got $6,000 OFF Sticker Price. When I found out what the sticker price was to begin with I thought it was good value. The saleman treated me like a prince. It was the first positive experience buying a new car in years. The only issue I had with the car was that with the sport button was pushed, the car had really low fuel economy. I was later told that I should only use the sport setting on Christmas Day. Besides that, the car has classed up my act.

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  not the purest of cats - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By blackxjr - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Have had 7 and still have my first 1973 XKE.The last a 2002 XJR, the new 2004 is a much better car as far as ride, speed, tightness, better quality,less outside noise and they have added some high tech to compete with the Mercedes and BMW. Xenon self leveling lights, radar cruise control, folding mirrors,auto pull down trunk great sound system, Brembo brakes and Nav. system.Nice badging to tell its a XJR and more.

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  This Car Turn Heads like no Other - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Mcellyc - December 15 - 10:00 am

  My experience with tha jag is alsome! This is my first expensive car and it rides like a fighting machine! I think it has BMWs faded all the way. I would tell anybody in the market of buying a car, to check out the jaguar!

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  Awesome Automobile - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By pjl275 - December 14 - 4:03 am

  This is one excellent machine. I cannot believe the power and smoothness of the engine and the ride comfort. I paid less than $47k (left over 04) for a car that rivals the "S" Class and 7 Series. You cannot find a more elegant, distinguished car for the price. It really turns heads. I am having a tough time leaving it in parking lots and have yet to use it in the rain. Would not bother with the XJR, 294hp for a 3700lb car is over kill. So far averaging about 20mpg which is impressive for this type of car. Workmanship is top notch. Interior style will make any other car look like a coal bin. For less than the price of 5 Series or an A6, go find a deal on a Jag. Youll love it.