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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  I Love It! - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By kewt - February 14 - 12:33 am

  I bought this car used with 30,000 miles on it. It has been wonderful. We havent had a moments trouble with it. We took a six-week cross-country trip in it and it couldnt have been more comfortable. We average about 27 MPG on the highway and anywhere from 12 to 16 in town. Its also a real head-turner. Lots of fun! I would recommend this car in a heartbeat.

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  Faster than my old AMG - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By billk - February 13 - 9:16 am

  Once rolling, this car pulls strong in the mid-range and cruises easily up to 130+mph. Nav system slow. Brakes are grabby with tons of black dust all over the wheels. Most annoying is the wake the dead screeching brakes when brakes get warm and coming to a stop - factory wont warranty. When not moving and turning wheels, power steering jerky like not pumping enough fluid. Dealer sez this is normal on all Jags - NOT! The warranty people treat you like a Ford owner.

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  Jaguar is everthing I hoped for - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By trajan117 - February 4 - 10:00 am

  Bought the Sapphire blue 4.0 version. Had it since May 2003. Great car! I always wondered why a luxury car would cost so much more than a regular sedan. Now I know. Comfort, solid build, and power. So far I havnt had one little problem with it. I just love driving it.

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  Big Cat - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By ljosephus - February 3 - 2:10 pm

  We only have 3,000 miles on our SJL but, so far, we are really pleased. Performance is fine. Rear seat legroom is exceptional. With the exception of what appear to be overly wide gaps at fenders, hood, trunk lid, etc. the build quality seems excellent. Just a few minor niggles: The rear cup holders are positioned in a way that makes them virtually unusable. The wood grain on the front doors does not match that across the dash (under the windshield), there is no dead pedal and the electronic responses (start-stop button, for example) is way too slow. Ride is a little harsh. Standard radio is great! Both the transmission and engine are A-OK! And the value, overall, is outstanding.

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  Exceeded My Expectations - 2008 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Mark - February 2 - 10:00 am

  Bought a certified used XKR convertible with 9220 miles, 6/100k warranty, and the Jag special financing. Ive owned Mercedes SL, Boxster, Audi, and other luxury automobiles. This vehicle is the perfect blend of all of them. Great ride, neat exhaust notes, unbelievable sound system, and OMG - the power. Does not handle like the mid-engine Boxster, but a small inconvenience. Did I really get nearly 27 MPG on the interstate?! One thing is for sure, the Mini Cooper drivers wont be waving at me!

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  Elegant Fun! - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Mark - January 30 - 3:53 pm

  After having my X-type a year, I still stop and gaze at its distinctive, classy, and sporty styling. The 5 speed is fun and quick. The 4WD grips the road and has gotten su through all kinds of weather. Headlights tend to burn out fast, but the dealer pops them in with no problem and the new bulbs seem to have been lasting longer. The defroster grids pop up from the panel, but its no big deal to snap them back in place. Overall we love the car.

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  Better Then Expected - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By fd1000 - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased a 2002 S-Type V8 Sport. So far I have been impressed with its smooth ride, and quick acceleration. This is the first car I have had in a long time, that made me say "I NEED A RADAR DETECTOR!", because you could get in trouble with this thing, its fast! Of course the greatest thing about this car is, one, its a Jag, and two, it turns the heads. I was three blocks away from the dealership, just picked up the car new, and I was already gettin admiring looks for strolling members of the opposite sex. THAT, puts a smile on your face... Dont think you would get that kind of reaction with a 530i, or an E class. Life is good.

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  2005 XJ8L Review - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Jaguar lover - January 24 - 5:30 am

  This is my third Jaguar and by far the best. The quality of this car is outstanding. Owning a Jag always meant you had to have a back up auto to drive when your Jag was in the shop. But, not anymore. Class, comfort, reliability and prestige you cant get from a German or Japanese mark. Four good sized adults can fit easily in this car and everyone is happy. The aluminum body, V8 and six speed transmission are light years ahead of the previous design. I love this car. If youre looking for the whole luxury package in a full sized car, check it out.

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  worst car and service we ever had - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By paul mazzilli - January 22 - 7:56 pm

  The clutch failed at 13k miles then the car was off the road for a faulty linkage and the clutch failed again at 25k miles. We were told the failure was due to normal wear not covered by warranty.We can’t believe a car of Jaguar’s prestige has an expected clutch life of 12 to 15k miles.We have driven sticks for 30 years and put between 35k and 115k miles on cars and have never had a clutch fail. This car has mainly highway mileage with little shifting.We find it nasty to be told that the damage is due to our driving habits. Two separate Jaguar dealers told us they see around 15 to 18k miles as the average life on an X-Type clutch and that they do not have experience with many manual cars.

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  ? - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By BrianLee - January 22 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. All the things one hears about Jaguars arent true. Ive never had a problem with it.