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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  Underrated Cat - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Filmwritin - March 23 - 9:20 am

  I read lots of pros and cons on the Jags before the purchase, but proceeded after a test drive. No regrets. The car is quick and nimble. It handles like a dream and has all the creature comforts necessary to survive the speeds of L.A. commuting, along with the parking-lot nature of the rush hour. Kudos to Ford/Jag for refining this model.

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  Wagon is superior to x-type sedan - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By roger - March 21 - 7:43 am

  This is second x-type (first was sedan)- this is an awesome car, and we love driving it- great power, great handling, and love the style. Its roomier than the sedan (in the back) and the storage capacity is wonderful. The styling is excellent, and it sets you apart from the crowd. Dealership is great to work with, and service is excellent. Highly recommend this car as it comes with all comforts without the confusion of myriad of option packages. Get the nav system and bluetooth

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  Elegant Cat, Undeserved Poor Review! - 2007 Jaguar X-Type
  By Jaffrey - March 19 - 1:00 pm

  The typical herd mentality of reviews is on full display here. For instance: 1. Reviewer claims the X type lacks power. Yet it offers more power than both the competing BMW 328xi and Mercedes C280 4 Matic. 2. Reviewer claims interior is cheap. Yet both BMW and Mercedes ship with Leatherette seats (that is vinyl) and the C280 in particular has cheap chrome around the drink holders that flake off. The interior of the x type is real leather and plastic at least as good as the competitor 3. The x type has better 0-60 acceleration than both the BMW 328xi and C280 4 Matic. I am glad I bought one after test driving the competition. Its beautifully to look at and drive.

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  The Bomb - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Rap - March 16 - 2:00 am

  This car had one word to explain it awesome

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  XKR - 2004 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Jeff Siebels - March 11 - 10:00 am

  Excellent, car is solid powerfull and sinfully goodlooking

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  sweet car - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By hobojobo - March 11 - 10:00 am

  it is so amazing

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  Beautiful and an excellent value - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Minimac - March 10 - 5:10 pm

  I purchased this car used from the local Jaguar dealer with the 6 year 100,000 mile certified warranty, which made this car an incredible value. It was $2,000 - $3,000 less then most new American sedans that had no features. This is a beautiful automobile. The all wheel drive is worth every penny, including the reduction in gas mileage. The 5 speed automatic is perfectly matched for the 2.5 litre engine. More horsepower would be a plus, but mid-range acceleration is still darned impressive considering this engines displacement. Great car for the money! As good as any European sedan at a lower price, better than most others.

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  FUN to drive! - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Roger Henslee - February 25 - 1:46 pm

  Before I bought this car, I had heard some negative things about Jaguar quality. After test driving the car, I fell in love with it. I opted for the 3 L upgraded engine which has something like 250hp, and is very quick in this size car. The handling is super, braking great and stylish inside. This car is very nice for the price! Negatives are the seat belt buckles which are plastic.. This car has had no problems at all ad seems a perfect mix of styling, perfomance and price. Another good thing is it is owned by Ford and made in Britian(I dont want to buy anything from the Germans since their lack of support for the USA)

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2003 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Rick - February 14 - 1:03 am

  Amazing vehicle. I have owned A Mercedes S600, a Lexus LS400, a BMW 750il,and a Bently Arnage. None of these cars even comes close to the Jag. I love the engine, it is smoother and more powerful than the V-12s of Mercedes and BMW. I rip apart every mustang and corvette that stops by me at a light. The transmission is amazing. It always shifts very smooth and right on time. I love the beautiful interior, it is much more luxurious than those of its competitors and even my Bently. Its also better looking than them too. You simply cant get any better than a Jaguar Super V8.

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  Gets better all the time - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By L. Kraft - February 12 - 9:10 pm

  I recently bought the S-Type 3.0 Jaguar. Of all the cars out in carland, this was the only car that stood out. You cant see yourself coming and going in a Jag. And this proved to be very true. I had my friends guess what type of car I bought. I only told them that it wasnt a German, Italian, Japanese, Swedish or American car. After thinking for awhile, they exclaimed: "Tell me its not a Jaguar!" Thats the reaction I have been getting and feeling while driving this terrific automobile. It is one of a kind. I find myself wanting to go out and buy things that I dont need in order just to drive the car. Needless to say, it is a great alternative to the other high-tech cars out there.