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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  10+ Months/11k+ Miles Later... - 2016 Jaguar F-Type
  By 2016JagF-TypeC - November 26 - 5:29 am

  Still in love and yes, extremely fun to drive! Just tinted the windows so it looks bad a** on white. Ill summarize the good and bad Ive experienced so far. Pros: According to trip computer averaging a whopping 25.5 mpg in mixed city/hwy driving. Beautiful interior design and aesthetic layout of controls. My first Jag and everything was very intuitive and easy to learn. Very quick and super smooth gear shifts whether in automatic or using manual paddle shifters. Dynamic mode turns this from a civilized luxury sport car to a hilariously fun roaring "beast". Trunk space able to fit all road trip essentials including full size cooler and more. Once you find a good fit the sport seats provide excellent support and fits like a glove. Lovely safety features of the Vision Pack (e.g. blind spot monitor, rear camera, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic warning, etc.). Security knowing its covered by Jaguars "Best in Class" 5 yr./60k mi. warranty, scheduled service, and roadside assist. Exceptional VIP customer service from the dealership. Cons: Technology (e.g. GPS, electronic menu, blue-tooth, etc.) slow and from the stone ages. Experienced one or two minor electronic display glitches. Check engine light at 6k miles from faulty O2 sensor, dealership replaced . Low front plastic air dam annoyingly scrapes bottom all the time. Speakers vibrated on high volume at beginning but problem seems to have gone away now? I get friendly compliments from people all the time. My best experience is driving with the stereo off just listening to the purr of the active exhaust note or rocking it with the stereo on full blast. I actually get an urge and miss driving it if a few days have passed with it sitting in the garage. Worth every penny in joy and happiness imo!

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  A Joy To Drive - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By DesertRat - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Drove Lexus 430s and other cars and have not taken a look at the Jag for a long time. Finally got around to driving one and fell in love with the car, its performance, and the style of the design. There is a quiet power about the Jag that is simply wonderful to drive and be a part of....and the looks you get when driving it are telling. This is a class car in every respect.

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  In Love with Jaq - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By dchonj - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely love this car. Its a beauty to behold, and a price tag thats more than $10K less than equally equipped BMW330xi or MB C320. The two weeks since we took it home, its performance has exceeded our expectations.

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  XKR - Simply The Best! - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By BriteRedJagXKR - November 17 - 2:26 pm

  I previously owned a 1998 XK8 and after totaling it I felt like I lost one of my children! I do love this car. Now I own a 2001 XKR and its just tweaked enough to make the XK8 even better. Sorry they discontinued this body style. Its sleek without being overdone. Its macho yet feminine. The curves are a woman, the power and the hood design are a man. What better combo in styling? I can get 21 mph easily. NOT BAD!!! My only criticism is the steering. It is so fine that if you look to the left you can easily be there without meaning to. That being said...no one drives my car but me and Hubby! Driving is pure pleasure even on travel trips of 10 hours. Go Buy One!

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  Almost no gripes - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Jagman - November 14 - 1:33 am

  The only thing I could find wrong with this car is that the interior is not up to Jaguar standards, even though it is more sport-oriented than the others. Jaguar is known for their Connolly leather and acres of trees chopped down for wood paneling, and this doesnt have enough of it, but other than that, it is a great car.

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  Hesitant at first - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By sdettra - November 13 - 12:51 am

  I had always wanted a Jag but had heard bad things about them. So after 2 months of looking at reviews, researching the model and even pricing out parts for the repairs that were sure to follow I took the leap. Bottom line is I am very glad I did. Great car and with over 90,000 miles I have replaced a front wheel bearing for $28.00. Great ride Great styling and slightly above average performance.

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  Have to Love a Jag - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Jerry - November 7 - 11:10 am

  If you want Performance and luxurious comfort, the XJR is the XJR is the only one. The quality of the leather and wood is not found in the German or Japanese competitionand the 0-60 time of 5 seconds along with the air suspension makes this both perform and ride better then the rest, and unlike the past, the quality is top notch, let alone the service you receive from the dealerships even when only having an oil change.

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  Cool little cat - 2007 Jaguar X-Type
  By macktee - November 3 - 6:03 am

  Moving from a 1994 XJ-6 to the 2007 X-type, I was pleasantly surprised by the same "Jaguar" feel of the car. It is as quick as the older car and feels every bit as stable. Very nice ride, smooth and corners like a go-kart. Get the "luxury" package. BIG difference in the interior accomodations and well worth the cost. Its small, but its definately a Jaguar!

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  Love my 05 X-type AWD - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By robert allen - November 3 - 2:03 am

  The only thing I dont like about my car is the mileage, but I knew that going in. The car drives like a sports car - quick off the line, responds easily and effortlessly, takes the corners like a champ! There is one annoyance - a sporadic rattle and bump from the steering column (I think) which the dealer cant figure out. Other than that, this car is a gem! And people ooh and ahh when then see it or I tell them I have a Jaguar.

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  Fast and Faster - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By George Peri - October 28 - 2:00 am

  The XJ has alot of power sometimes to much to handle. The car is built to last the long haul. The interior is more like a Buick then the last generation Jaguars. All in all its a great car to drive.