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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  2005 Jag wagon - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Chstine - March 14 - 7:06 pm

  I am one of the first lucky people to own this awesome car. Its fun, fast and luxurious. Also, its great in the snow with all wheel drive.The only negative is not enough leg room in the backseat. Other than that after owning 2 BMW wagons this is a very nice change.

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  Super car but not 4 eveyone - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Dave Wilson - March 4 - 10:00 am

  This car is great with the stability control, classic looks, fast, powerfull, handles like a dream. The comfort is unparllaed and interior is gorgeous.

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  Better than Mercedes & BMW - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Carol - February 28 - 12:36 am

  We have owned both S SERIES Mercedes & 7 series BMW. Our 2005 long body Jaguar XJ8L is better riding, handling, more beautiful inside & out, more standard equipment than either of the above, better gas mileage, more room inside & trunk. Better warrantee, free service, free maintenance, off road service.

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  AWESOME WOMANS CAR - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By Roy Harrigill - February 27 - 2:00 am

  It drives like a sports car. Handles excellent and turns heads everywhere it goes. It is fun, never boring and going anywhere in it is a pleasure. Can also carry grandkids in it as it is plenty roomy. Love my car....

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  No regrets - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Tommy D - February 25 - 10:00 am

  Picked up my BRG 2.5L car just 2 wks ago, put 1K mi on already... I never test-drove the 3.0L... why be tempted by $5,000 option when base engine gives more performance than one can truly appreciate in normal situations? A fantastic car in all respects... if you are looking at this car, spring for premium and sport packages... AWD and sport mode are incredible combination... Took a trip on back roads through coast range in NW Oregon... like riding on rails through "25 mph" curves at 50+... Quiet, quick, good gas mileage even when pushing it hard... will post a new note after Ive hit a few thousand miles.

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  X TYPE JAGUAR - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By JOHN PITRA - February 20 - 10:00 am

  GREAT LOOKING CAR THAT IS FUN TO DRIVE. LOTS OF ROOM IN THE FRONT SEAT,BUT THE BACK SEAT IS A LITTLE TIGHT.

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  Better than reported by the "experts" - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By love my X - February 20 - 9:56 am

  Everyone and their cousin has either a 3 series or C class - for good reason, both are excellent cars, Ive had both - but it was time for a change. On that note this little Jag delivers. People dont confuse it for a Corolla or Honda. The body style is very reminiscent of the 84 which was one of my favorite cars as a kid. Regarding power, it accelerates just fine, I dont need a racecar to go back and forth to work or run errands. As for issues regarding the small rear seat, this is a small car, not a Chevrolet Impala. Its meant to be small and nimble, which is part of what makes it perfect. It drives smooth and the sport mode makes it quicker.

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  I am not happy - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By taxmom2000 - February 13 - 2:00 am

  My x-type has 4000 miles and is going into the shop for the 3rd time. I have an annoying whistle, so they replaced the drive shaft, but the whistle came back. Now I am waiting for a new transmission, they think that is where the noise is coming from. The other problem is with the gas tank design. If the gas pump hits the door spring the wrong way, it knocks the spring off and you cant open the door, unfortunately Jaguar didnt design the car with a release in the trunk, so I had to go back to Jaguar to get the tank door opened before I could get gas. For the money, I expected a much smoother ride and it isnt there.

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  My wife is happy and so am I - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By krv460 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  My wife was ready for a new car so we looked at everything. The second she saw this car she knew this was it. I read the "whiny" reviews and tried to steer her elswhere... No Way! I made her test drive the Beamer and all of those "recommended" cars...No Luck. Well its been a short time but this car is great, definitely a chick car but she loves it and life is short so go for it, you will be happy too.

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  Good But Could Be Better - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Tucson driver - February 8 - 3:16 am

  I used to drive traditional 2-seat convertible sports cars. Now as a grown-up I buy 4-door sedans that have potential to be fun to drive, such as a turbo-charged Audi and a 5-series BMW. The 2005 S-type 4.2 beats those in terms of visual appeal and perceived poshness, but not in actual comfort or roominess and certainly not in handling. Smooth cruising, yes. Handling, no. The reliability is barely good enough to keep me semi-satisfied. Same for the amount of interioor rattling. Unless the 2008 S-type handles much better better, I am not going to be seduced by the sexy spy photos, and when my lease ends, I am going to switch.