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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  A Joy To Drive - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By DesertRat - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Drove Lexus 430s and other cars and have not taken a look at the Jag for a long time. Finally got around to driving one and fell in love with the car, its performance, and the style of the design. There is a quiet power about the Jag that is simply wonderful to drive and be a part of....and the looks you get when driving it are telling. This is a class car in every respect.

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  In Love with Jaq - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By dchonj - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely love this car. Its a beauty to behold, and a price tag thats more than $10K less than equally equipped BMW330xi or MB C320. The two weeks since we took it home, its performance has exceeded our expectations.

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  XKR - Simply The Best! - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By BriteRedJagXKR - November 17 - 2:26 pm

  I previously owned a 1998 XK8 and after totaling it I felt like I lost one of my children! I do love this car. Now I own a 2001 XKR and its just tweaked enough to make the XK8 even better. Sorry they discontinued this body style. Its sleek without being overdone. Its macho yet feminine. The curves are a woman, the power and the hood design are a man. What better combo in styling? I can get 21 mph easily. NOT BAD!!! My only criticism is the steering. It is so fine that if you look to the left you can easily be there without meaning to. That being said...no one drives my car but me and Hubby! Driving is pure pleasure even on travel trips of 10 hours. Go Buy One!

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  Jaguar X-TYPE Sport Package - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Antonio - November 17 - 8:46 am

  The car handles well even in tight corners and with all features included in the price of the car compared to its competitors it becomes the best value for money in its class. Very eye catching especially in black. The overall ride is comfortable albeit in the sport package you feel the road more often. Engine is well positioned to provide quick acceleration when needed. The cars interior wood grain enhancements lend a level of elegance while its external mesh grill in the sport package provide fun and flair compared to others on the road. All-round best value for money with great handling and style.

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  Almost no gripes - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Jagman - November 14 - 1:33 am

  The only thing I could find wrong with this car is that the interior is not up to Jaguar standards, even though it is more sport-oriented than the others. Jaguar is known for their Connolly leather and acres of trees chopped down for wood paneling, and this doesnt have enough of it, but other than that, it is a great car.

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  Hesitant at first - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By sdettra - November 13 - 12:51 am

  I had always wanted a Jag but had heard bad things about them. So after 2 months of looking at reviews, researching the model and even pricing out parts for the repairs that were sure to follow I took the leap. Bottom line is I am very glad I did. Great car and with over 90,000 miles I have replaced a front wheel bearing for $28.00. Great ride Great styling and slightly above average performance.

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  Working better than I thought! - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By longhorn57 - November 12 - 2:06 pm

  Bought my Jag with 23k miles in June 07. After I bought it, I read all these horror stories about how awful the car was. Well, so far, after one whole year, its really been fine. Its very fun to drive, looks extremely attractive, has some nice pep, and the gas mileage is OK. Just keeping my fingers crossed that the car continues to operate reliability. So far, so good!

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  Have to Love a Jag - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Jerry - November 7 - 11:10 am

  If you want Performance and luxurious comfort, the XJR is the XJR is the only one. The quality of the leather and wood is not found in the German or Japanese competitionand the 0-60 time of 5 seconds along with the air suspension makes this both perform and ride better then the rest, and unlike the past, the quality is top notch, let alone the service you receive from the dealerships even when only having an oil change.

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  Entry level review - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By OregonXtype - November 3 - 10:00 am

  So, after looking at a number of cars to buy, I decided on the entry level X type. After signing the 3 year lease, the car was mine. I purchased a base model with a 5 speed manual. Almost right away, the heater broke, which, is a bummer in Oregon during the Winter. So, back to the dealer ship and then we waited for parts. To make a long story short, we eventually ended up with another X type as the first one was not fixable. To show there appreciation for the problem they gave me a S type as a loaner (During my three week wait) and when I got my new X type back, they upgraded me to 17" wheels at no extra charge!

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  A real improvement - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By RA Spell - November 3 - 10:00 am

  After owning a 99 XJ8 and an 01 XKR, I wanted a different brand of car for my wife. After test driving all models with a bias to NOT buy a Jaguar, I still bought the Jag. THIS CAR IS A VAST IMPROVMENT OVER PAST MODELS and I believe it to be currently the best car on the road. My one complaint is outside appearance. I liked the lower profile Jag. This is taller and more rounded but compensated with better cabin room. Performance is its strength as it is incredibly more responsive. Test this car and you wont be disappointed.