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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  Love my S - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By G. Kunz - July 19 - 10:00 am

  For me this car is the best of all worlds. It is definitely one of the most distinctive, stylish and elegant looking vehicles on the road today. It is very responsive under any condition and can serve as a family car when needed with plenty of storage and luggage area. It is very luxurious on the inside, very comfortable, smooth and quiet on the open road as well as in-town. Since taking delivery it has only been back to the dealer for its 10,000 mile service check and oil change and once for them to show me how to use a function on the radio. Its instruments are easy to read, use and locate. Based on its competitors its gas mileage is as good or better than most. Very impressive auto.

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  Style lacking quality - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By robin3263 - July 19 - 10:00 am

  This car has superior style and performance. The flashy style attracts a lot of attention. The service is lacking the same quality the car lacks. They seem to prefer to argue that the car is not defective than to actually take the time to fix it. I drove their X-type loaner as much as I drove my car (not really, but it seems excessive). 12 repairs in 2 years. I traded it with 20K left on the warranty and an air conditioner problem they didnt fix during the first service. Jaguar style with Ford quality and service.

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  Acceleration problems - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By harold duke - July 18 - 2:13 am

  Occasionally engine surges dangerously to 6K rpm and tries to drive forward while stopped at stoplight with foot on brake and car in drive. Owners manual suggests putting car in neutral or park when stopping for electric signal. Jaguar cannot tell me why they make this recommendation.

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  Dont do it - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By nojag4me - July 17 - 2:00 am

  I have never had more problems with any vehicle I have owned. The car is in the shop more than it is at my garage. No doubt the best loooking car on the road...but it is seldom on the road. Did not find dealership helful. I have purchased my last Jag. Give me my Mercedes back!

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  Move over BMW, Audi - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By elsaidst - July 14 - 9:03 pm

  Jag got it right, no matter what reviews say. This car is a gem. More spacious than its competition, as powerful and certainly more luxurious. Add to that reliabilty. Driving it is a pleasure, certaily a cruiser for long hauls. On winding roads it tends to float but is forgiving when pushed hard. A head turner it is at ease in traffic.

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  Second Time Around - 2007 Jaguar S-Type
  By JaguarRose - July 8 - 7:10 am

  This is my second Jaguar. I love the overall look of Jaguars, they have a look all their own. The S-type is luxurious and stylish. It rides well and is comfortable. This car is definitely eye catching.

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  "Experts"??? - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By HistoryDocBob - July 5 - 4:43 pm

  I was an MG driver for many years and have always enjoyed the "British" feel for a car. Yes, the X-type is not a standard Jag, but with gas at $4, who would want one? This car is perfect for what we all do -- drive to work, the Metro or run a few errands. I find nothing "cheap" about the interior; the camel interior goes beautifully with the British racing green exterior. Yes, I cant get to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, but Ford (which has a long tradition in building British cars) has put together just the right package of performance, appearance and creature comforts to make this car worth every dime. Youd be a fool to waste your money on a far more expensive German or high-end Japanese car.

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  x-type heaven - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By cesar47 - July 5 - 10:00 am

  i purchased this vehicle as a loaner car from the dealer. it was one of the early jags made. at first, there were some problems all covered under warranty. heater went out, noise from the drivertrain, malfunction fuel sender unit causing a gas leak, all repaired at my local dealer that provided a free loaner car. twice i was given a s-type. since february 02 i have had no problems. the dealer even gave me 100,000 mile/ 6 year warranty. i am not worried about any future problems. i would recommend this car.

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  People love to hate Jaguar. - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By benn0019 - July 5 - 10:00 am

  People love to hate Jaguar. You hear it all the time...."They are not well built cars, it is just a glamorized Taurus, and it must be pretty stripped down for that price." The truth is the car is absolutely beautiful and a pleasure to drive. I have had my car for 2 years now and nothing has gone wrong. The car has only been to the shop for its scheduled services and with the free maintenance plan, I havent had to pay for anything other than gas. Drive the car, buy the car. You will be glad you did.

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  Let Jaguar Work the Kinks Out - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Esteban - July 5 - 10:00 am

  A beauty, quick, fun to drive. Easily fits my 63" frame. But, at 100 miles an emergency brake warning came on. Took 3 weeks waiting for parts and an overnight in the shop before problem was solved with a new brake from England. I had to keep calling for latest updates; Jag customer Relations was no help. Also, 1-touch up for all windows are erratic, and dont work at all after visit to shop. Service manager observed this problem on several new XJs, but does not yet know the solution.