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:

• 

  Very Affordable Jaguar for the Masses - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Joseph L - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Re:Jaguar X type AWD 2.5 auto, sunroof, heated seats for invoice OUT THE DOOR. Because of the $2k incentive that dealers are getting from JaguarNA. Power is 3rd in class behind BMW & Audis. Goto the 3.0 if u need to race. 2.5 V6 is sufficent for mix hwy/city. Well made & put together inside. Quality seems to be improved in 2nd year of production. Weird is the free included service schedule calls for oil changes @ 10K interval Yet, the car doesnt use synthetic oil!! If u plan on keeping the car for a awhile...stick w/ 3K miles oil changes @ YOUR expense. Very good package for the price esp. now that car market is full of competitors.

• 

  Gorgeous car; ugly repairs. - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By indiansummer - September 2 - 6:11 am

  Bought this car in January of 2011 with 13k miles on it. Always wanted this model. I knew what I was getting myself into but was stubbornly optimistic. I wanted to believe Jag had improved their reliability over the years but was quickly disappointed. The performance is beyond reproach and I admit I am now spoiled with its power and plush interior. But by 20K, one of the shocks blew. By 30k, the air suspension compressor died. By 40k, another shock blew. By 45k, the car died mid-ride (thank God I wasnt on the freeway). The dreaded "engine systems fault" light illuminated. Dealer couldnt figure out the problem and it magically cured itself; promptly traded it for reliable Lexus.

• 

  Quality midsize performer. - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Flyingweightech - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Although classed as "Midsize" its quality seating makes the interior seem small. Should the driver require all the available seat adjustment, it gives very little room for the rear passenger. As a drivers car, it has few equals. The All Wheel Drive gives great confidence in all weather conditions. The superb road handling can give the impression the car is on rails! Powered by the zesty 3.0 litre engine it can leave you with the impression that you are behind a turbo charged V8! Take your foot off the power and you are driving a luxury limo. Put your foot down and the smooth powerful engine puts you in the Ferrari class.

• 

  Best car ive had - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By MXRIDER - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Great car, inside and out. Sporty exterior, and user friendly interior. Relatively smooth ride with great handling and respoinsiveness, and the engine has plenty of "get up and go" considering the size of the engine. However, a faulty thermostat and faulty cooling fan regulator have both left me waiting for flat bed :( . In both cases, the warrantee covered all repairs and labor charges. Another drawback, the stock sound system is very weak for a Jag, I was very dissapointed. Overall, I LOVE THIS CAR!!! VERY FUN TO DRIVE! Now im just waiting for the 05 introduction of the X TYPE R :)

• 

  I love my Jag! - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By Dr Nev - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Granted, I have only owned 4 different auto styles, but I have driven countless others. My 2002 Jag S-Type (3.0 V6 sport) is the most fun car I have ever driven. I love the way it handles and despite the smoothness of the ride, I still can feel the road. My only complaint is that the same as everyone elses: Not enough interior storage space!

• 

  Jaguar X-Type 2.5 awd - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Mikeps - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought this 2003 X-type (manual transmission) with 5,400 miles. I love it so far. Have had it for four months and have had no problems yet. The awd is excellent. Near impossible to spin a tire or lose control of car. Acceleration is good and handling is great. Exterior styling turns heads wherever I go.

• 

  Excellent All Around - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Chindit2 - July 14 - 8:33 pm

  I recently drove my X Type home in a snow storm. The only cars on the road that were not having trouble were the SUVs and me. The X-Type is under rated!! Ford has done an excellent job of working out the problems without taking the British styling out. It is an excellent value, excellent performance, extremely comfortable, head turning styling. My only complaint is that the in-city fuel economy is awful, 17/18 mpg on premium. The car does however love to run down the turnpike at 80 mph with 25 mpg. If you are wondering if you should get one for yourself, stop wondering and go for it.

• 

  Great GT - Pooooooor Electrical - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Frank - July 13 - 8:46 pm

  Love the car - Drives great - great head turned. Power is good but could be better. But the most annoying thing about it is the electrical problems - especially the display screen that is totally inoperable at times. The dealer has been no help and Jaguar Engineering who inspected the car is no help either. Awaiting decision on a buy back. Probably would not purchase another.

• 

  Incredible Value - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By MM - July 7 - 8:13 pm

  I couldnt believe the price for this beautiful, like new Jaguar (under 12,450) purchased just this year. Never owned a Jaguar before, but am impressed by the 6-speed ZF automatic (same as used in BMWs 7 series), excellent fuel economy, and though a V6, it really accelerates. Gorgeous interior and exterior - cant take my eyes off of it. Quiet, smooth drive.

• 

  Not for everyone - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By g. osman - July 4 - 10:06 pm

  Handles well and is very stylish. Received a lot of compliments from consumers on tha appearance of the car overall. Do not like the 17" low profile tires. Prone to flats if running over obstacles in road. Jags overall ride is hard and you feel and hear every crack and bump in the road. This may be due to the low profile tires but maybe its the car suspension. Gas mileage leaves a lot to be desired. Open road I havent gotten over 25 mph.