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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  Jaguar X-Type - 2008 Jaguar X-Type
  By coyzan - July 29 - 9:48 am

  I bought the Jaguar X-Type 3 months ago and quite frankly, I had my reservations about it initially. It was love at first sight, but having never driven owned or driven a Jaguar, I was trepidatious to say the least. How misplaced those reservations were. This is a beautiful car to drive. Its power is exceptional, luxury finishing is good and the AWD is truly brilliant. On the day I bought it, I had to travel a distance of more than 1400km. I had a tyre burst doing 160kph trying to get my destination (I know its speeding, but the road was long and empty and therefore irresistable.) The Jaguar did not deviate an inch. I slowed down, assessed the damage, put on the spare and was away.

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  Stunning - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Paul OMara - July 25 - 1:50 am

  Ive only had this car for a week, but I just dont want to get out of it. Gorgeous, gorgeous styling - a real head turner. Amazing performance (Im used to driving R Jags - but you just dont need to R in this model) and responsiveness. Really smooth acceleration - and that growl when you floor it! Wow! I love this car.

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  My Jaguar XJ8 - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Richard Anapolsky - July 24 - 8:33 pm

  I love the vehicle, its look, ride and performance. The only major problem I have had is the computer system/modules. I find warning lights going on and then the dealer having problems tracing the route of the problem. Changing any of the 8 computer modules doesnt correct the problem. Hopefully the problem will be found and I will be able to enjoy my XJ8 even more. I have also not been able to find a supplier of the trailer hitch that Jaguar says is available for use with this auto. In addition producing an auto that is wired for cellular use and being told by the dealer that to activate it is $1,00- is ridiculous. Jaguar should price the activation to be affordable.

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  2004 3.0 Jag X-type - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Jagdriver - July 23 - 10:00 am

  This is an incredible car in the snow. Also fun to drive in the turns. I love the quick pull-out from a dead stop that the 227 horse allows.

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  Absolute BEST car in its class - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By #1 Luxury Sedan - July 22 - 3:00 pm

  I recently bought this car after test driving a BMW 750Li, Lexus LS, and a Mercedes S500. Let me tell you, when I test drove my car (05 Vanden Plas) for the first time, it was a great feeling. The V8 is smooth yet very fast.. sounds like a cat growling when accelerating which I love! I think, if youre going to buy an XJ, you simply MUST buy the Vanden Plas. The wood and leather piping alone add SO much to the cars appearance. People do not give Jaguar enough love. This car beats out every other car in its class by far. The steering and suspension are absolutely wonderful. If feels like your floating on air. The GPS Navigation System is the easiest one Ive used.

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  X-Type is pure class and a solid value - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By JagOwner - July 21 - 10:00 am

  Purchased my 2003 X-Type 2.5 5spd and it is an incredible car. Very solid build quality, no defects found yet (and Im very picky), and wonderful design features. It really stands out in a crowded market segment, and is not a "Me too" kind of car. I compared this car to many others, but none could compare in terms of functionality (AWD), style, standard equipment (connolly leather, maple wood trim), and price. Dealer treatment has been absolutely 1st rate. You would think I had paid $100K for the vehicle. Concerned about what youve heard about past Jaguars? Dont be. This new X is a force to be reckoned with. A lot of bang for the buck.

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  jagluver - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By jagluver - July 20 - 10:40 am

  I bought this car when it first arrived in the US. I have had more than 10 service visits in 3 months. The gas door would not open and had to be modified. The check engine light has come on 4 times with no real reason. The power seat failed, the windows do not move down a little everytime when you open the door and then up to seal when the door is closed, therefore, door will not shut normally. The radio antenna causes a wind noise at high speeds. There was a funny noise like a creak in the brakes when the car tilted and came to a stop. Overall, I love the looks of the car but am frustrated with the little problems that keep recurring.

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  X-Type Sport - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By KristenMarie - July 17 - 10:00 am

  I love this car and would surely recommend it to others. It drives well, looks beautiful and is a lot of fun to be inside of. It is great that their exterior styling hasnt been influenced by all the Japanese lines that other Euro car makers are currently wrapped up in. Jaguar should take a look at the interior of Audi A4s to get some hints on how to make the interior feel more like a luxury vehicle though. It is very nice but some aspects like the seat track and some other materials just really dont belong in a Jag.

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  The best Jaguar ever! - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Eric - July 11 - 1:13 pm

  My first Jaguar was a 1997 XJ6L, bought certified pre-owned. It went to 140,000 miles before any repair problems. This new XJ8 is a better automobile in every way. It retains classic British feng shui with state-of-the art technology. I also own a Mercedes and Cadillac. The Jaguar is simply a superior automobile.

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  The New Jags Rock ! - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By PRI - July 10 - 7:33 am

  This is my second Jag. The first being a new 1974 E-Type "back in the day". My 4.2 S-Type is fantastic... everything they promised it to be. A real "head turner". Adjustable everything, great handling and style, better than advertised gas mileage (19/30). I drive more now (just to get it on the road for that Jaguar experience!).