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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  One Ultimate Cat - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By pcard - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Take the beauty and grace of the timeless classic Jaguars, add the safety and technology features of the 21st Century, mix it with supercharged engine generating 390HP and 399lb-ft of torque, and you end up with a vehicle that stands out among a herd of me- too "sport-luxury" boxes. The Jaguar S- Type-R is destined for greatness, let it take you with her.

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  Brakes - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By capital - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Brakes squeak early in the morning when backing up might go away later.Some times when stopping.

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  Leaper Triumphs! - 2008 Jaguar X-Type
  By Joan L - July 1 - 4:20 pm

  In winter gold, my new Jag X Type is elegance in motion. My neighbours have BMWs and Mercedes but my car has style in & out. Sadly, this the last year of production - a misguided decision by Jaguar.

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  S-Type R is incredible...Wow - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Robins - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Wow, what a car. Im so glad I did not buy the M5. Power, style and that beautiful retro Jag look. Seating for 5, the smooth transmission (that is also in the 745iL) and much more power than the 911. It is still a very unique car because the R just came out in 03. I hear that the model goes unchanged into 04, which says wonders for the engineering of the new R.

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  What A Disaster! - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Todd - June 26 - 10:43 pm

  Please! I beg you to think twice before buying an X type. I have had it for 3 months... and it has been nothing but a disaster! The remotes dont work, the gas tank does not open!! The windows are constantly breaking and get stuck in one position. The plastic buttons on the inside break off!!! Stay as far away as you can!!!!

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  Terrific Vehicle - Highly Recommended - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Sam - June 25 - 7:43 am

  Bought this after evaluating the competition. Best price compared to options offered as well as stylish interior and exterior. Wish I had gotten the 3.0, but will get that next. Highly recommended as it is powerful, well built (only in the dealership for no-charge oil changes), gets looks, and is well-priced.

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  Wow, what a great car!! - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By bill - June 25 - 6:36 am

  I am a retired car dealer and have owned all kinds of cars. I bought this jag for my wife to drive (411") after buying a jag x type for a customer. This car is the total package. Great mpg, 31 hwy, 24 mixed in town. Besides oil changes and a K&N air filter, I have spent a total of $2.57 for a tail lite bulb in over 20k miles of driving. V6 has plenty of power. No quality issues at all. Solid and safe. One of the greatest interiors of any car I have owned. With this experience, we will probably upgrade to an xj8 at some point. Dont let the quality issues of 20 years ago hold you back from owning one of these great cars.

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  Not the Jags of old - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Fred Tramutola - June 23 - 2:00 am

  5th Jag. 3rd XJ. My wife wouldnt even consider another car. Very reliable, comfortable to drive, handles and performs well. Solid family/luxury car. Ford has done an amazing job with these cars.

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  one dentists second jaguaar - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By wm hodgson - June 23 - 2:00 am

  This is the most relaxing car I have ever driven. It also is such an inconspicuous luxury car that you feel incognito. Powerful sedan, smooth power delivery. Beautiful inside and out. Could not wish for a more complete package.

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  My 3rd Jag - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By draman - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Have an xk8 and traded an 1999 xj8 on this new design xj8. It drives better than an audi a8 I was considering...and better than BMW...besides the Brits always support us.