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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  Transmission problems for the past 2yrs. - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Gilfigga - September 14 - 4:10 am

  My 2002 X-Type just went out of warranty in March, 2008. This morning I took the car to the shop because the transmission began to slip. For the past 2 years, Ive been seeing a gear fault light but the service center could not duplicate the message. Now the transmission is gone and it will cost me close to $9K to get it fixed. The car is not even worth that much anymore! Where is the reliability for buying such an expensive car?

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  Last of the very best 2001 XJR!!! - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Cat-walk - September 11 - 6:56 pm

  I absolutely LOVE my car. It has style, elegance, and a rocket for an engine! For the money, you cant cant get a better car. With under 50K on her, shes pretty much a garage queen. However, she does comes out to play and beat-up on those (vettes, mustangs, merc, etc.) who dont know about her racing spirit often enough to keep in good running condition. Diff went out at around 48k, and cracked motor mounts, fuel pumps, and valve cover gaskets have been replaced under after market warranty. DONT BUY THIS CAR, without warranty coverage or if you dont have deep pockets, as repairs can be expensive. Other than that, its still one of the BEST XJs EVER BUILT!!

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  Best car ever - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By calhistory - September 9 - 10:00 am

  I bought a 2004 Jaguar XJ8 in 2009. After one year of pleasure driving, I am as excited about this car after 10,000 miles as the first day I took ownership. The ride, the quality, the looks, and the performance are unmatchable in this price range. I could not afford a new Jag, and I was hesitant, but couldnt help myself, and my decision to buy this 5-year old was one of the best decisions ever. This car has worked flawlessly in the city (San Francisco) and on long drives. I have the car regularly maintained by a Jag dealer and couldnt be happier. As they say, this car sold for nearly $70,000 new. Theres a reason it cost that much. Take care of it, it will take care of you.

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  Fun car to drive - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By sudhir - September 5 - 11:00 pm

  This was my first luxury car - moving from a Camry, this car swept me off my feet. I call this my little cat. Fun to drive, very stable and very comfortable. My car has sport mode and it accelerates like a cheetah - or shall I say a Jaguar. :). I am very satisfied with the ride, except for its reliability.

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  good - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By mean - September 5 - 2:00 am

  all togetther it is a good car to drive and it is real nice to look at. but it could be better.

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  XJ VDP V-8 - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Donmoore - September 3 - 9:03 pm

  Yeah, you have to be definitive when placing it in drive or it will stop in neutral. Actually, that may be a safety feature!! But, I love it and it just changes the value you equate to yourself to permit youself to drive such an automobile! Man, what a drive.

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  I Love It - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Mike Fitz - September 3 - 10:00 am

  nice car

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  Enjoy it every day - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By C.O. - September 3 - 10:00 am

  Had my jag for 4 months and I still give it second glances every time I see it. Drives like a sports car, but has the refined look that only a jag can have.

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  Near perfect - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By DrDan - August 30 - 2:00 am

  This must be the most beautiful car on the road. Very solid. Great quality. The engine is much happier at higher RPMs and lacks a little in low-end torque but not really a problem unless you what to "burn rubber" frequently. Get the 4.2 if this is important to you. But you MUST GET THIS CAR. I love it more as I drive it more. Im going to buy this car at the end of the lease and drive it forever OR give it to my wife who is already maneuvering for it at leases end and get another new one.

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  fun and sporty - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By d kashyap - August 30 - 2:00 am

  fun driving and sturdy