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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  X-Type 3.0 2003 Review - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By JDR - October 27 - 10:56 am

  Very pleased with this car. Purchased in 2006 in near immaculate condition. Ride, look, comfort are wonderful. The used price was amazing (with many extras from the dealership - shopping around and being prepared was very useful).

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  Honest Review - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By I.K. - October 25 - 2:00 am

  Bought the S-Type a year ago. Love the looks. Mercedes/BMW/Acura all look too plain and old to me, especially the cheap-looking interior on Beamers. S-type definitely has something exotic and different about it. Hand-carved wood/lamb leather/other interior parts are top-notch. V6 engine wishes for better performance. 240 horses aren’t adequate for the heavy body. Acceleration is quite jumpy, especially when downshifting. Very nice handling for the price of tight suspension. Had very loud clicking noise in steering wheel shaft, took it to dealership 4 times before they finally took it apart and replaced it. Overall, its a very good vehicle and definitely the biggest head-turner for the price

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  Oh my GOSH!! - 2008 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Leos A.C. - October 25 - 1:06 am

  I drive many cars before I make a buying decision. Not this time. 5 minutes into my test drive I went back to the delaership and signed the paperwork. The only thing better than the drive and the beautifully updated interior is the exterior which is clearly the nicest looking car on the road. Have only had it for a few weeks but each day gets better and better.

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  Great CAR - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By bmangana - October 20 - 10:00 am

  14K miles and 2 years with no problem. Fun to drive, very confortable. The V8 has more than enough power. Best looking car on the road.

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  In A Class Of Its Own - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By cattom - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Best car I have owned !! Mercedes-s seris and BMW-7 seris cannot compare. Smooth and elegant and a great car to drive. Corners like no other car I have owned

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  excellent car for the price - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By phamhuy - October 17 - 10:00 am

  for the price...you get all the lux and an awd...cant beat it. not to mention the name plate...if youre in to that sort of stuff.

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  SUPER - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Thomas2 - October 14 - 10:00 am

  This car is perfect. The best car I have ever driven. My dream car.

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  Love it. - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Larry - October 10 - 5:33 am

  This is my second Jaguar, having owned a 2000 Vanden Plas, before this one. If they hadnt changed the body style I would still be driving that one. But Im glad they did, the acceleration on this one is great and the gas mileage is over 28 on the highway. Love the new nav system, much better than the old one.

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  Not Allergic to this Cat - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Impressive Cat - October 7 - 4:06 pm

  Overall very pleased and impressed with this vehicle. As a first-time Jag owner, had not considered a Jag in the past, had previously owned MB, Audi. Have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this vehicle. So far, my ownership experience has been great and has exceeded my expectations!

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  ALL-WHEEL DRIVE JAGUAR ! - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By 1STJAG - October 7 - 2:00 am

  ***** THIS IS THE PERFECT JAGUAR FOR SOMEONE LIVING IN THE NORTHEAST OR SNOW BELTS ***** All Wheel Drive is just awesome. Great control in first few snow storms. 2.5 6 cyl performs pretty much the way it should w/hp. This vehicle is equipped with all premium & sport packages. This loads the JAG right up. No squeeks or rattles. Fit & finish is great. Trunk is usable especially with folding rear seats. Leather heated seats are superb. Automatic transmission shifts smooth. Traction/stability control adds to vehicle alot. I would highly recommend. Great road feel. This JAG performs for the money.