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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  Wouldnt believe it if I didnt drive it - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By onebeatatatime - May 20 - 7:13 pm

  Not too long ago J D Powers gave Jaguar a glorious review especially for reliability. Eye opener. Driven several BMWs and 2 Mercedes SLs (500, 600) in the past. The new XK blew me away. Jaguar has carved design and performance. Power is less than 911 but plentiful. Drives like a sports touring. Purrs when slow but ready to leap with a growl with the push of the accelerator, wheels always hugging cement, driver held tight in the seat. Navigation / phone / Audio in the center with intuitive touch screen controls simply ingenious, yet enormously functional. bluetooth pairing with Blackberry seamlessly. Jaw dropping looks. Most people dont know what just rushed passed them.

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  So good I am getting another one - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Pete04XType - May 17 - 7:43 pm

  I purchased my 04 certified from a local Jaguar dealer. It has been nothing short of excellent. The car is 6 yrs old and still gets compliments where ever I go. I keep it mostly dealer serviced and it has really not cost me much in repairs. With the select warranty they have fixed the little things that have popped up, but nothing major so far. I like it so much that I am trading it back to the dealer for another low mileage X Type with more options. I was hooked the first time I drove it and the awd system is excellent. I can drive through anything with other cars and trucks are stuck on the side of the road. I wish that Jaguar still made them or came up with a gen II X Type. Hello Jaguar!

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  Most well kept secret - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Frank - May 15 - 7:40 pm

  A beautiful, understated, elegant and powerful vehicle. AWD is a huge plus for me and I am surprised how well this car is built and drives like butter. The feel of it while driving is incredible. I have ridden in and driven BMW, Mercedes and other luxury cars, Jaguar X-type is the most humble (in a good way) and solid luxury car. I would buy another X-type in a heart beat. Test drive one and you wont be disappointed. The body construction is both light and feels strong. I love it.

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  Jags are still the coolest looking cars - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By The Chirag - May 14 - 10:00 am

  I have a racing green Jag X type 3.0. You can really feel the road with it. As with all smaller, sportier cars, you will feel every bump in the road. But its handling performance on the highway and around turns is great. Im sure the "luxury" cars (which I think are only suitable for people who look and feel old) are smoother riding, but nothing looks cooler than a Jag!

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  Dont Believe the "Experts" - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By EuroCar - May 14 - 10:00 am

  First off let me say that I didnt think I would buy this car when I started looking, I had read the reviews and thought it wouldnt stand up to the other cars I was looking at (Acura TL, Infiniti G35 Sdn, Saab 9-3 Aero). But after driving them all and studying the exterior and interior, options and price, it really ended up being a no brainer. This car has it all plus AWD, and nothing comes close to the beautiful interior.

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  Infotainment is outdated and unreliable - 2016 Jaguar XJ
  By Bob D. - May 9 - 11:08 pm

  I have now had my 2016 XJL Potfolio for 1 year. I love the looks of the car and it’s driving performance and luxury. However the infotainment system is years behind Merecedes, Audi, and BMW. I had an Audi A8L prior to this and this is a step backwards as far as the electronics. The worst part is that The Bluetooth and hands free system have never worked properly since day 1 and are completely unreliable and dealer had not been able to get it resolved. Also my ability to get it to play my music from my phone is equally unreliable. Just way too many electronic glitches with this car. Getting assistance from Jaguar and the dealer has also been a big hassle. I am going to take a hit and get ride of this car in the next few months, tired of the glitches and their inability to get it resolved. As a whole I have been very disappointed with my experience and the quality of the car and Jaguar’s service. I would not recommend getting this car unless you have lots of patience.

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  S Series is a big disappointment - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By JMcRey - May 8 - 10:00 am

  While a great looking and driving car, the quality and reliability (=maintenance expense) for this $50,000+ luxury car is bitterly disappointing. Ownership costs for maintenance alone exceeds $2000 per year - from basic manufacturing defects. Ford does not stand behind this product. Consequently, Ive purchased my last Ford product.

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  My Beautiful Baby - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Maggie Cloud - May 8 - 10:00 am

  My car is a 2005 S-Type Vanden Plas. I Traded in a 2001 S-Type 8cyl for it. This new car is a great improvement over the old one (which I was very fond of). It has a good solid road feel and the brakes are now very good. The red color is gorgeous! I am very pleased with this car.

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  Limited Edition Carbon Fiber - 2005 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Pam Washkewicz - May 2 - 10:13 pm

  I bought this car for its looks and fuel economy. I love the 19" wheels and the fact that this was a limited edition. The only thing that really bothers me about this car is that there is no cd player on the dash, and I have to go in the trunk to change the cds.

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  It is reliable - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By Greg - May 2 - 5:16 am

  I bought this car new. Had mostly Toyotas, last car was Volvo. This car is a joy to drive. Quiet, smooth, powerful and just a classic beauty. I get 20-23 MPG with a 3.0L. People stop me still to compliment the cars looks. Radio reception is sometimes weak and sunroof has been balky lately. I like this so much better than my wifes Lexus. I would definitely buy another one.