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 - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By albrtgld - March 21 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Jag. First was a 1959 3.4 that I drove for 5 years. Never had any problems although in those years it was supposed to be plagued with electrical and other. In between I have had a BMW 528 and BMW 733. I couldnt resist the grill and overall shape and size that reminded me of my 59. When I took delivery there was not 1 item to be fixed. The ride is great...all the power, and more, than I will ever need. Engine is quiet. Interior noise is low. Fit and finish is excellent. I dont know where some reviewers claim there are a few cheap Fordlike parts in the cabin. This Jag is a fine automobile and I expect to get many enjoyable miles out of it.

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  NICE!!!! - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By KimInPoint - March 21 - 10:00 am

  X-Type w/Premium Pkg white/champagne I LOVE MY CAR! I bought it two weeks ago, 1000 miles already and its just so fun to drive! The biggest test was driving it in the rain at night and felt it really held to the road. U definitely feel that this car wants to go...and go fast!!! Dealership experience was great, bought it over the phone, in and out in less than 1 hour, got a fruit/cookie basket and other little extras as a thank you.

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  A Great Car At Last - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Anita Gontz - March 21 - 10:00 am

  This is the first time I owned a Jaguar and I cant believe I waited so long. It is an extremely responsive and dependable. I was amazed at the way it performed in the all of the snow storms. Never a problem. The Jaguar will be the only car I own from now on. I am hooked!

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  Jag S type - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By mjde - March 19 - 12:03 pm

  This is my second S-Type, and it has performed perfectly as both a long- distance and commuting (30 miles each way) car. Fun to drive, safe, decent mileage (19.5 city, 25 highway) and great looks. Used great split rear seats and large trunk to carry guitars, cooler, suitcases for road trips.

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  classic jag style with poor quality - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By pfmurphy - March 17 - 2:00 am

  vehicle has serious and repetitive defects-dealor stocks few parts-post warranty will be a expensive car to maintain

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  top notch - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By oyahc - March 15 - 5:56 pm

  I have owned this one for 3 years; it is awesome! I also have an XKR and an XKE. The power is incredible; it exudes luxury, and the maintenance has been minimal.

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  Awesome styling and performance - 2000 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Pletzman - March 12 - 10:00 am

  There is only one Jaguar experience and the XK8 Convertible is it. Inpired by the XKE design, the XK8 Convertible offers quantum improvements in every mechanical and electrical area as well as superb fit and finish. Timeless British Jaguar styling and road feel give this Euorpean touring sports convertible a permanent place in the pantheon of classic automobiles. So far, I have experienced no mechanical problems. I would be remiss if I did not point out that the XK8 Convertible is also a remarkable babe magnet.

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  Possible lemon - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By been xd - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Within 12,000 miles the transmission went. I had to be towed via flatbed truck after only 14 months of ownership. The car never had any pep. Now it needs a totally new transmission at 12,000 miles. I should have stayed with the Camry.

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  Transmision is crap - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By Linda1 - March 7 - 10:00 am

  With age, (i.e. around 50000 mi), the transmission will not come out of park on "any" slope. This is not fixable according to Jaguar and is still being duplicated on the new ones. To us, this means, that it is not econimically fixable without listening to a lot of our grief, or some class action response. Their "answer" is to always remember to put the emerg brake on first, then put in park, then turn off the engine. Their own service person didnt do this on our last oil change. According to their consumer response people, this is a "Typical and common problem".

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  Love My Jag. - 2000 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Ricardo - February 22 - 7:03 am

  I purchased my XJ8 with 38,000 miles on it have driven it 2500 without any problems. I am now having an issue with the drivers side brake light. The passenger side works. I think it may be a ground problem as it works some time. The 4.0 engine is quiet and powerful,really like driving it. It is my 3rd Jag., and I love it.