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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  MY FIRST JAG - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By TERRY SPRINGER - June 11 - 10:00 am

  THE STYLE, THE THRILL OF DRIVING A JAG PEOPLE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU CAR. PEOPLE NOTICE YOU IN JAG WHICH IS A NICE FEELING

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  This car is the BOMB - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By Jeff B - June 6 - 1:56 am

  I have had many high performance cars in my life, including a 2001 BMW M5, a Porsche GT3 and a Benz E55. The Jag "R" is the best. The M5 would beat it 0-60 (barely) but jeez, the Jag just FLIES for an automatic. The transmission is just awesome, the seats are SO much more comfortable than the hard ones in the M5, and the suspension is absolutely just right for me. Besides the nasty-fast accelleration, the brakes are fantastic. Definitely recommend this wicked, elegant vehicle.

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  JAg - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Carol F - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Service personnel have been fantastic. Any problems solved in short time period

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  New 06 Jag - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By LJ - May 29 - 5:43 pm

  Traded in a 2002 Sport 2.5 for loaded 3.0. The build quality is quite a bit better than the 02. It has a very a beautiful Zircon metallic paint with a chrome mesh grill that turns heads wherever we go. Looks like a much more expensive car than it is. Its a powerful car coupled with a dynamic AWD.

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  Love my Cat - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Jag-girl - May 27 - 2:00 am

  I never thought I would be able to afford such a great car! My jag is everything I could hope it be.

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  Great Car! - 2003 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By matt69 - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Very happy with the car. Can run with my Boxster S from 0-60 while giving you a plush ride. Drove both the 2004 and my 2003 and decided on the 03 because it has the classic XJ looks. The 04 is a nice car, but it looks more like a Ford than a Jaguar!

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  Jag - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Shrinksjp - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Beautifully looking and easily recognized, the Jaguar S type is an impressive vehicle. The interior could use softer leather and the front window frame on the passengers side seems to block the drivers view at times when looking to the right.

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  the s type - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By litlraindrop - May 17 - 10:00 am

  the car feels like true luxury, the performance is enticing. smooth acceleration, exceptional handling and response, overall it is a dream to drive.

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  Watch out for that Cat! - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By Dreski - May 11 - 12:40 am

  The new design is an eye catcher for sure. If youre a luxury car driver, the SuperCharged will definitely place you in a status of your own. I love the drive feel, when all you have to do is slightly place your foot on the accelerator and watch out, you may be getting pulled over b4 you know it. Its a shame how other luxury manufacturers either charge you as options for what is standard in the SuperCharged. Plus you have more interior options to choose from then say, MB S550.

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  Great!!! - 2017 Jaguar F-Type
  By Jen - May 9 - 9:03 pm