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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  Jaguar X-Type - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By ajl24paws - January 6 - 2:00 am

  Great car. Loads of fun to drive. Sporty looks inside and out. However it does have a weak sound system and a faulty thermostat has left me waiting for a towtruck once.

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  Same Drive as VP - 2007 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Patty - January 1 - 5:33 am

  I have owned a Jaguar since 2002. I first purchased the Vanden Plas, which I still have. The just recently purchased the XJ8 LWB, which drives even better (maybe because it is newer), but never the less, the drive is smooth. The luxury is to die for and it is an overall showstopper, head rocker. This car is not cheap on the wallet, but classy in the street and when you need to get there, (your there). If it is luxury you want, this Jaguar is what you need, if you are worried about your wallet a (Pinch Buggy) is what you need. The question is which is more important, for me it was the drive, the look and the dependability, and Jaguar has all of these.

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  Do Not Let The Review Fool You - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By msiseng - December 12 - 2:00 am

  Bravo to Ford for resurrecting this line of vehicle. Do not let the reviews fool you; this is a nice car for the money. The 2.5 is quick enough and very nimble. In fact, the 3.0 does not feel that much quicker. The dual exhaust (Y-Pipe) is a nice surprise for the 03 model year producing more torque at higher speeds. Jaguar service is superb and is welcome after SUFFERING through VOB Nissan in Rockville, MD service for years. Free maintenance is what finally swung my decision to lease this car. The Jaguar loyalty program and road-side assistance are also very nice.

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  JAG S TYPE "R" - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By RON TAYLOR - November 19 - 2:00 am

  HOT PERFORMANCE A GREAT LOOKS MAKE THIS CAR A HEART STOPPER. DROVE BMW 5S AND 7S BEFORE THIS CAR AND WOULD MAKE COMPARISON AS FAVORABLE TO BMW QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE AND AT LESS DOLLARS. GREAT CAR...TOO BAD DEPERCIATION HAS BEEN AN ISSUE.

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  Great pre-owned car for the modest price - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By TDUBYA - November 9 - 4:13 pm

  The Jaguar X-type 3.0 Sport is an excellent vehicle. Good gas mileage great entry level comfort and a very sexy appearance that could only come from Jaguar. Incredible pre-owned value for all those whove always wanted to own a Jag but couldnt fit it into their budget. The key to owning a reliable, pleasurable, fun to drive, X-type is to purchase a pre-owned one that is still under factory warranty, take it directly to your local Jag dealership, and have the maintenance department verify or carry out all the service bulletin upgrades, recalls and repairs which will be free of charge. After all services and repairs are complete take you vehicle home drive it and enjoy.

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  The 2003 S Type - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By gonzo22 - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Its the little things that annoy me. The automatic trunk release doesnt always pop open all the way. The climate control stopped working and got stuck on hot, very hot! Overall the car has a nice smooth ride and its very comfortable. All the luxury features are a plus. The car has excellent accelaration with all the controls at your fingertips.

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  A bargain exotic sedan if youre careful - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By John Mulvihill - September 25 - 5:43 am

  This car is a bargain in the used marketplace, with excellent performance and reliability. But there are a few weak areas. Make sure the plastic timing gear has been replaced with factory metal components. And, that the plastic water pump has been replaced with the factory metal unit. Do not buy an XJ thats been through an overheat. The ZF automatic is "sealed for life" and prone to failure over 100K miles unless thoroughly cleaned out. Buy one of these cars only if you know of a non-dealer Jaguar speciality shop that can service it. (Check with your local Jaguar club.)

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  A Beautiful piece of crap! - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By vballer1 - September 16 - 4:56 am

  I bought this vehicle with 90,000 miles on it as a back up vehicle, but simply fell in love with it. It rides so smooth that we ended up driving it more and more, unfortunately it has too many issues; the transmission being the main one. Also the fail safe engine mode light comes on once a month, it seems like and its always a $400-500 repair. You have to get it fixed b/c if you dont your car can shut down and just go 15 mph; not something you want to happen when you are on the interstate. Beautiful vehicle, but too much of a headache!

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  Mechanically a disgrace! - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Richard Bobo - September 16 - 1:16 am

  I have owned this car for 7 months. It went back to the shop under warranty 5 times in less than two months. The transmission still shifts ruff after having the control module reset twice. I have had to replace the drive shaft at an expense of $883.00 and now I have to have the power steering hose replaced at a cost of $489.00. The warranty ran out last month and these expenses have been incurred within less than a month of that!!!! What a piece of junk!!!! Oh I forgot that the vent covers on top of the dash pop up when the temp outside changes and I finally supper glued them down. I will not buy another.

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  X Type surprise - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By TDD - August 18 - 10:00 am

  The x-type holds the road beautifully. You can corner at high rates of speed without a problem. Ive never experienced engine braking like this car. The only real negative is that the 2.5 L is fairly sluggish in traffic. It could definetely use more pep. the gas mileage is around 21 mpg. Not bad.