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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  First Class Car - 2003 Jaguar XK-Series
  By tomsimstad - February 2 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I shopped ALL the luxury convertibles. We narrowed the search down to the 2003 SL500 (hardtop) and the 2002 XKR (ragtop). The non- availability of the SL500, the poor quality CD based NAV and the cheap" looking interior of the SL500 made our decision easy. Both cars are quiet, smooth and really great vehicles. We bought the XKR and were loving every minute of it. We made the right decision. Its a reallllly fun car to drive. Quite, powerful, smooth, and very comfortable - FIRST CLASS, ALL THE WAY! May be Mercedes will make some improvements for 2004, till then XKR is the way to go.

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  Love this car - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Dee - January 26 - 4:26 pm

  I fell in love with this car the first time I saw it. Bought it the following week. I am sure that the dealer knew what he was doing as he gave me the keys and said...take it for a drive, you know the area, right?.....wow, I loved the way it drove, looked, and the way I felt in it. I especially liked that it is a manual transmission. I have had it a year and a half now, and havent had anything go wrong. I go in for regular tune- ups, and oil changes according to scheadule, as I drive about a 100 miles a day. I get really good gas milege 29 mpg, probably because of the manual. Have 84000 miles on it now and it drives like a dream. I would buy another Jag in a heartbeat. It is great!

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  Dont get a Lemon! - 2000 Jaguar XK-Series
  By donnyb - January 26 - 2:00 am

  Car in the shop for a total of 2.5 months in the first three years (every third month the car is in the shop). Poor electrical system and poor support. WOULD NOT BUY AGAIN...!!!

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  BMW nut is converted. - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By one1bmwnut - January 26 - 2:00 am

  After almost twenty BMWs in the last fifteen years, I purchased my first Jaguar. Wow! What a car! First of all, it IS beautiful. It is an absolute head-turner. Nothing, except my MINI Cooper S, turns heads as consistently as the Jag S-Type. Only complaint. Rattles - air vents in front dash appear cheap and are prone to rattle. A little bit of a squeak in the rear somewhere. Will bring both issue to Jags attention at next service. Otherwise, I love it. My wife loves it! Unless BMW starts building beautiful cars (and not butt ugly ones!), Im here to stay! Thanks Jag for being Jag!

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  A new jaguar - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By fhoos - January 21 - 2:00 am

  The smooth drive and classic look

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  Love my Kitty - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By ericburford - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I would recommend the X-Type for those of use who want a Jag, but dont want to spend a crazy amount of money, and want a sporty car. I wouldnt recommend it for the large family, but for a couple with a baby/child, this is perfect. Note that the back seat can accomodate rear facing baby seats, unlike BMWs of higher grades!

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  Timeless design, is aging well - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By jkirk - January 20 - 8:43 am

  The classic S Jag still elicits "its gorgeous" comments. Looks aside, car performs on par with todays peers...powerful, quiet, and with excellent road manners. The Jag (knock on wood...and there is plenty to knock on) has been reliable with only one issue (radio went out).

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  A cat with bigger claws - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Oldengineer - January 17 - 8:40 pm

  Just replaced my 03 X Type 2.5 with an 06 3 Liter X. The new cat has far better acceleration and handling. As part of the sunroof package, you get 17 inch wheels and wider tires. I also noticed that Jag has made a number of subtle improvements since 03 - brakes are better with no dust problem; the center consol is higher quality; a second cupholder has been added; the seats have been improved. Another plus is the availability of Jags extended warranty for a reasonable price. I opted for the 7 year -100K because this cars a keeper.

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  XJ8-The Epitome of British Craftmanship - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Steebie - January 16 - 10:00 am

  Performance really kicks a..! Its curb height has improved and is no longer low to the ground. Sound System is something to behold. NAV system is DVD and its quite a treat to listen to a Female with a British Accent to guide you to your destinations. This is the 6th XJ I have owned and it is truly the best of the lot.

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  Love It - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Rich - January 15 - 10:56 am

  I have not had my jag in the shop other than normal services. It has been very dependable and a pleasure to drive. The ride is great with lots of power and it handles like a sports car.