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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  Wow Great Car - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By Jspan - April 13 - 5:46 pm

  Best Performing car I have ever owned. Great technology and ease of use. Unlike the terrible I drive on BMW

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  xk8conv - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By xk8 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  great car . love the handling and the "j" gate shifter

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  First car in years that I really like! - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By M Furst - April 11 - 10:00 am

  This is the first car in years that Ive really liked. Particularly the chassis, a part of the car that Ive never before paid much attention to, provides a solidity that makes this car a joy - on the highway where Ive cruised at 185 km/hour (115 mph) (and dont ask where) and on windy mountain roads (where I went much slower).

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  Stunning Big Cat! - 2007 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Brian Mac - April 7 - 5:26 am

  Incredibly smooth and quiet ride. Surprisingly quick and nimble for a car of this size. Far more class and comfort for far less money than comparable German cars when purchased preowned. Reliability has been flawless for the 10,000 miles I have owned it. Took a road trip and drove 23 hours with fuel stops only and found this car does not wear you out even after hours behind the wheel. LOVE THIS CAR!!! 08/31/2017-Owned 1-1/2 years & 20,000 miles now. I get bored with cars quickly, trade every year or two for something different. However, not this one. I still get excited to jump in for a weekend cruise thru the mountains or down the coast of New England. I own an auto repair shop so I know cars pretty well and this one is proving to be much more reliable than the German counterparts owned by my customers. It rides infinitely smoother and quieter. During spirited driving it may not corner quite as well as well as a BMW however, for a car this large it comes close. I would take the ride quality over the cornering agility any day. Reliability has been very good with a thermostat replacement being the only repair in the 20,000 miles I have owned it. What a pleasure to drive...and even at 10 years old it still turns heads everywhere I go!

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  Not The 80s Jag Nightmare - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By Nice Little Cat - April 5 - 2:53 pm

  I just bought this car pre-owned for my fiance and despite my objections being a previous Jag owner (1995 XJ8) that was junk, the S-type seems to be a much needed improvement. Nicely laid out inside & out, runs well, but compared to my BMW 528i, the gas mileage on the Jag for a V6 is horrible. Handles well for such a heavy car and picks up nice on the highway. Currently has 85000 miles and looks brand new inside and out! Compliments have been incredible and common. Certainly a car for somebody looking for something different. Im hoping the Ford influence pays off on this higher mileage Jag. Looks like we paid 3 times more then what we did, the neighbors are very jealous!

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  Good car, Horrible buying experience - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By L.A. Buyer - April 5 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Jaguar. I like them because they are the most beautiful cars on the road. This model seems to be very good. Handles well and a lot of thought has gone into the interior design. The good things with this new car has been overshadowed by the HORRIBLE buying and delivery experience with GALPIN Jaguar, including but not limited to being treated poorly, car sold and delivered by someone who didnt know how to operate the car, the navigational system or program the radio, car not detailed properly, calls not returned in a timely fashion. Ruined the experience of enjoying a brand new car.

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  Best Car in a Long time to hit the roads - 2008 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Ali Asaad - April 5 - 8:20 am

  What a car! This car is top. Best I have owned. Its legend, piece of art and best driving experience to hit the road in a long time.

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  Nice car... at 53 mph I get 32 mpg - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Rob - April 2 - 1:13 am

  The all wheel drive is great. When driving 53 MPH I get 32 mpg or more. Great for highway trips!

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  Big mistake for my money. - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By nomorejags14 - March 30 - 11:02 am

  I bought it for my wife, even so it was used for only three years, after a week the radio screen stop working, not long the wheels bent(all four). Check engine light came on, cat converter 2, after replacing twice the light stills on, then all codes possibles were detected by the scanner, PO 116,PO 300s, PO 430, and no mechanic could even look at it. Last hope I took it to a expert, his first words get rid of this thing. I did and now happy is my middle name.

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  Better and Better - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By D Akers - March 30 - 3:43 am

  I have owed a 1999, 2002 and now 2007 Jag XKs and this is a runaway hit! The aluminum body is much more rigid, the paddle shifters add a new dimension and the blue tooth technology and keyless entry are a big plus. Styling is better and the operation of the top is much better and the boot cover is automatic. Only down side is the greatly decreased truck space and no manual transmission (as per the past). Before I decided on this vehicle I drove the Mercedes CLK and the BMW 6 series and this beats them hands down! One caution, dont test drive one... you will buy it.