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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  Finally! - 2005 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Toni Elkins - July 21 - 12:43 pm

  After years of wanting this car--I got it! A gift from my husband---and it was worth waiting for! Excellent!

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  A Most Beautiful Automobile - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By TJA - July 18 - 2:40 pm

  Even though I just purchased an almost 6 year old automobile, this car is absolutely beautiful. The interior is warm, elegant, and exceptionally comfortable. I searched for over 6 months for a BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Infinity or Jaguar and found this most excellent of motorcoaches. I feel good about my purchase and the car runs like a dream. The impressive acceleration is something that my Infinity does not share with the XJ8. Although I love my Infinity. This really is a work of art.

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  Mercedes Beater - 2008 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Gray Jag - July 18 - 11:03 am

  I recently bought a Mercedes, trading in mY Range Rover, as I travel long distances on business. After 500 miles I realized it was uncomfortable and poorly built. I then bought my Certified XJ8L and have since put 3000 fast, quiet comfortable miles on the car in three weeks. Although a (very) big car, with room for the times I take my teenage kids, its aluminium construction means it takes corners quickly, stops quickly and has reasonable gas mileage. Its classic looks in Pearl Gray always attract attention and it stands out from the generic luxury sedan look. The car gives me great pleasure. If you are looking for a light, fast luxurious car, you should try one.

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  2002 S-Type 4.0 - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By Jim - July 10 - 10:23 pm

  Very fun car to drive. Limited interior space. It has been a very reliable car with over 75,000 miles since new the only maintenance has been regular service a new battery and 1 ignition coil (covered under warranty).

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  F-Type V8S - 2014 Jaguar F-Type
  By walterr5 - July 5 - 9:52 pm

  Just took delivery of F-Type V8S. BRG exterior and Red Interior. Beautiful looks Beautiful engine noise and great fun to drive. Wish I could post my picture here to show off. The car is a bit small for me but, I am very tall. Seats are comfortable and supportive, handling seems very tight. but it is a very small car. Rear view is extremely limited but it is a convertible. Still too early to say too much but, I am already scared of the cars performance.

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  Love My Jag! - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By DeeMo - July 5 - 3:43 pm

  Purchased brand new, and it was money well spent. Invested in additional options e.g. interior wood package, chrome rims and body chrome.... and with the Jag being Black.... it remains a head turner. I have owned and continue to own many luxury cars, as well. Within the past two years, the only out of pocket expenses paid were for a cracked windshield fluid container, oil pan gasket, ignition coil set replacement, and the interior roof fabric had to be redone. My Jag has been reliable, and it is fun to drive. It is a definite keeper! And it is now 2009.

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  nothing but PROBLEMS - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Russ122 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I have put less than 40000 miles on this car and have nothing but problems. The rubber used in the tires is very soft - I have put on 13 tires due to flats (they are not cheap either). The coolant systems had to be replaced, the engine uses 2 quarts of oil a month (and the dealership argues that nothing is wrong with the car). The leather is splitting in the front seats. It costs over $150 for an oil change.

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  Jaguar XJR New - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By David Cromwell - July 4 - 2:00 am

  Strengths: Fun to drive and very fast on a dry road, zips around trucks like a breeze. Looks great, attracts, "Nice car, man!" comments several times a week. No mechanical problems, very nice sound system. And it actually does achieve 21 mpg on the highway. Weakness: does not go in the snow, at all, not even a little bit. Rear wheels just spin even with a light dusting. Not great in the rain, either.

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  Drives Nicely But Unreliable and Shoddy - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By fenn - July 2 - 7:56 am

  My 2004 XJR is a lovely car to drive, but it has the most atrocious reliability I have ever experienced. The car has numerous malfunctions and flaws and Jaguar customer service is unconcerned and callous. This car has been in the shop for every problem imagineable. This has been a horrible experience with respect to service and reliability

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  Best value for $$$ - 2013 Jaguar XJ
  By carlspackler1 - June 28 - 9:46 am

  Simply the best car Ive owned. After many Mercedes, I grew tired of their mundane interiors, and lately their Rube Goldberg exterior styling. The interior is measureably more luxurious and inviting than any Mercedes weve owned. The doors close with a solid "thunk" reflecting the quality. Instrumentation is straightforward, and the audio quality is far beyond anything weve heard from Mercedes. Despite the negative reviews of the audio/navigation system, weve found this system much more user friendly, and programs easier than Mercedes clunky system.