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, A Real Luxury Car! - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By DrJ. - October 24 - 10:00 am

  This is simply the best car I have ever owned thus far. I was to the point of debating if I would ever buy a new luxury car again. This car has the best ride, tightness, feel, music system, gadgets and workmanship of quality I have ever experienced. I was thinking about a Bentley and after test driving both cars, the 2004 Jaguar Vanden Plas won in all categories hands down accept in looks. The Bentley won on that. I am making up excuses to run errands so I can get in the car and drive. I traded a 1999 Vanden Plas and it was terrible from the day I bought it new. WELCOME BACK TO LUXURY JAGUAR!

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  Whats a BMW? - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By AWADAJAG - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I have been a BMW buff for years purely for the performance and luxury of "The Ultimate Driving Machine". Then, I got a Jaguar S-Type. Initially it was all about the class and sophistication associated with the brand. Ill tell you what, this cars performance heritage is unleashed with a sport package option. It has all the handling capability of its competitors with a lot more style and presence. I love my Jaguar. Its got a few more safety benefits, better fuel economy, more room, more class and is a real head turner because of its rarity.

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  Saved our lives - 2000 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By stanhash - October 23 - 6:03 am

  This car was totaled because of a dummy who has dodged a deer in front of us but chose to leave his car sideways on a curve . . . at night, without his lights on. My wife and I (driving) hit him square (T-boned) (He had already run away). Both front airbags deployed, the traction control and abs brakes kept the car from skidding and there were no injuries save for a slightly scraped nose from the air bag deployment on the right hand side. The was crumpled to the back doors. We bought another one two years newer and like it even more!!!

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  2007 XKR Coupe - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By domesticdude - October 22 - 7:00 pm

  I LOVE this car, its beautiful inside and out, fast, and handles great. I have never had a problem of any kind with this car. The XKR is fast, not the fastest, but still plenty fast and yet still manages to ride extremely well. I have never driven a car with better handling, or that is more fun to drive. The only flaw with the car that i can find is that mine has one of the ridiculous antennas, but they thankfully got rid of that for 2008.

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  Best Jag Ever! - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By ace - October 19 - 1:56 pm

  Recently sold 98 XK8 to acquire the 2007 New XK. Looks good, drives like a dream, great gas milage for such a car. The fit and finish on this car is flawless. With Luxury package, Premium Sound and Technolgy Package there isnt much left. The advanced features are just so perfect for this car - keyless entry, auto everything, touch screen controls that are intuitive. If you are in the market for a sophisticated sports car vehicle this is definately one you will fall head over heels in love with.

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  Jaguar XK* Convertible - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By mdol722 - October 18 - 2:00 am

  This is the best handling vehicle that I have ever driven. The excelleration is supurb and the style is in its own class! A REAL EYE CATHCER AS WELL!!!

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  X-type grip it and rip it - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Steve L - October 16 - 8:46 pm

  This car is fun to drive, holds the pavement well. Acceleration is sufficient. Fit, finish and feel are better than expected.

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  Best car Ive owned - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Jim - October 16 - 4:23 pm

  The XJ8L is probably the best automobile I have owned. Just drove it from Chicago to upstate NY and achieved almost 30 MPG! The ride was great and engine performance excellent. The interior is luxurious and spacious for road trips. After owning two Mercedes Benz E series, I think Ive found a winner!

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  Great Car - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By Brewster - October 16 - 10:00 am

  After owing Mercedes and BMW, I found this car to be a lot of fun! The ride is so smooth. Even after owing the S- type for three years, I still look foward to getting in the car.

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  I LOVE MY FIRST JAG - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By FranPR - October 15 - 7:33 pm

  I had serious doubts about buying this car because I never owned a Jaguar before. I am very happy that I finally decided to buy; this is a GREAT car; the best sedan that I have had. Performance is truly impressive, unequaled by any of the two 5 series BMW or two E series Mercedes that I owned in the past.