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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  Good Entry Level Luxury Car - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Blake - August 20 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. Drove both the 3.0 liter and the 2.5 liter and did not find much difference. The styling is fantastic. The car did need an alignment if the first week and the paint started to chip. Jaguar immediately corrected these problems. I also heard a supercharged model is coming in a few years.

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  Is you or is you aint? - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By alfa man - August 20 - 2:00 am

  This sweetheart is no baby. The x-type is a proud new standard bearer in the small European sport coupe tradition. And thank goodness because I had been worried about how to replace my Alfa 164 being loathe to purchase some hyped up classless German go-cart diminutive offspring of a tank. This is a car designed for people. This car also isnt an American or Japanese marshmallow with leather standard. If you get upset because you feel the road under your seat, this is not the car for you. But if you want a well-built, luxuriously appointed, fun to drive car that lets you feel the road, I have driven nothing better.

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  Outstanding Sedan...I love it! - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Rosalie Lynn Friedma - August 13 - 10:56 pm

  This automobile is luxurious in looks and the way it drives. I am pleased with its interior, as well. It is responsive on the road, and very easy to drive, and all comments received are very favorable. I am proud to drive this vehicle, and enjoy owning it immensely. I would recommend this car to anyone who wants to own a large, comfortable, prestigious automobile.

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  Awesome Jaguar - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Wendy - August 11 - 3:13 pm

  Rides smooth, I have the new color, Midnight, it looks black in the day and blue in the evening, chrome wheels and mirros, plus love all of the extras, 6 CD player, Navigation, built in phone. I bought the VDP and this one is so beautiful. Lots of chrome!

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  This Jaguar ROARS - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By Jim Cossack - August 9 - 11:36 am

  This is by far and away the most fun Ive ever had getting from point A to point B and back again!! There are too many great features I love about this car to mention. The only negative about my 4.0 S-Type is the transmission does lag a bit when down shifting into the passing gear. But Whoa...it makes up for lost time!! The reliability has been excellent. This car has performed above my expectations both inside and out.

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  True Blue but often Yellow - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By KCnHouston - August 8 - 11:30 am

  It was the best of cars, it was the worst of cars. After almost 5 years I still love this car. But the fun of driving a X-Type Sport 2.5 quickly wore thin after returning the car for service and repairs more often than I can remember. I kept all of the records but I dont think that I will keep them in the car when I go to try to sell it because I dont want anyone to see how many times the car has needed repair.

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  Great Car for the Money! - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By DonS2 - August 7 - 5:40 am

  I purchased a 2004 leftover for $22.8k. It was a base car w/ a five speed manual. A lot of bang for the buck. It would be hard to find something in the same price range w/ all wheel dive, V6, leather and full power even if it wasnt a Jaguar. Power is okay, especially for a small displacement V6. Mated w/the five speed its more than adequate. Overall I think its a well thought out car w/a lot of nice touches (adjustable armrest, rear fog lights. etc.). I would strongly recommend the car.

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  Nice Car - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Steve C - August 6 - 4:03 am

  I dont see how anyone could really complain about this little Jaguar. The engine has good power. The all wheel drive makes the car handle well. It has every feature you would reasonably use or need in a car. It has its own personality which makes it feel different from other cars. I like the wood shift knob and lack of a button you have to push down to get the shift out of park. I even like the hand break between the seats. I read a review that said the engine lacks torque. The cars goes 0 to 60 in 7 seconds and has a top speed of near 140 miles an hour. The engine cant be that weak.

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  Love it! Tons of fun!! - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By Jag Man - July 30 - 11:16 am

  I have the 4.0L and it is awesome. It has a beautiful black interior and a captivating silver exterior. It turns heads everywhere and people think we are rich. With the right gas it gets 28 mpg with its nearly 300 hp. The quality is incredible and it feels like an extension of your body.

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  Unbelievable! - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By Midwest STR - July 29 - 7:40 pm

  This car is nothing short of incredible! Be prepared for massive stares of envy wherever you go. Its nice to have a vehicle that has enough speed to leave, even those hemi powered vehicles gasping for breath. The passing power is world class. It leaves all but the worlds fastest cars on the highway. Plain and simple. This car will stop, corner and then speed with the same authority as any performance car costing over a hundred thousand dollars. I just love this car.