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 Vanden Plas (Boca Raton, FL) - 2008 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By J. Lo Re (Florida) - December 5 - 2:16 am

  This car is an absolute dream to drive with a ton of features and a new sportier exterior design in the 2008 model. The interior is beautifully crafted with 2 tone leather seats and elm wood finish. The car just handles extremely smooth and is very comfortable with a long body for tall passengers in the back seat. The drive is very luxurious while it has a feeling of plenty of power (I have the 300 HP version) since the aluminum design makes it lighter than ever. It just handles very well overall and corners extremely well. I have had 2 BMWs previously and this stacks up extremely well (maybe a tad better) to BMW.

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  Its A Jag - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By jaghappy - December 2 - 2:00 am

  Yes, it is an entry level luxury car and it is fair to call it a kitty as opposed to a cat. But it IS a Jag and it has been nothing but pleasure to own and drive.

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  Outstanding value and gorgeous! - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By PRSchwob - November 26 - 10:00 am

  A beautiful car which is a joy to drive. I may exchange it for the 3.0 liter model though as the 2.5 is a bit shy for this rather heavy car. What is most impressive is the road handling. It hugs the asphalt like a racing car and its 4x4 drive train is outstanding in any weather.

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  X type, XJ looks at a K- Mart price - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By thebobs - November 17 - 11:40 am

  A great road eating machine. Why the bad reviews? The car transforms from a blvd. cruiser for my wife to a true sports sedan with a touch of the "S" button and the help of VVT for me. The AWD is great in both wet and dry conditions. I drove the car 226 miles in heavey rain, wind and fog. The AWD made the trip fell like it was a sunny day.The rear fog lights that are three time brighter then regular tail lights made me fell safer since I could be seen at a greater distance Very comfortable on long trips.I have had no problems since day one, everything was perfect.The large 4 weel dual piston disk brakes with ABS stop the car on a dime. Real wood in the cabin. Great leather seats. Love the car

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  Jaguar X-Type: The Car of the Future-Today - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Richard Atkinson - November 16 - 9:47 am

  This car will set you back in your seat if you press the gas pedal half way down. I wouldnt dare press mine all the way down as the front end jumps up in the air-There is too much power, so be careful, it can get away from you. Beautiful paint (Mine is a champaign color). Its an Arizona car. Its got the injection system of the new corvettes, its low to the ground, sleek and stylish. Id strongly recommend this car to any serious buyer (IF you can find the X-Type Sedan). Mine was made in Germany. What a car !!!

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  Just Great - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By keith - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car with 60K miles and now after just over 2 years have 144,000 miles. Only just replaced brakes, replaced radiator overflow tank and put in new plugs at 100K. Have done nothing else. Gas mileage is great. Paid $10K and get offers for $7-8K all the time. Most people think it is a 20K+ car. Great for road trips. Handles great in all areas. I expect to easily get another 100K miles out of this car.

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  Reborn Driver - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By David T - November 9 - 11:30 am

  This car has put the fun back in driving for me. What was a chore has become pure pleasure. I jump into my Jaguar at the slightest excuse. On the highway, you set the cruise control, settle into the pilots seat, & luxuriate. What strikes me after driving high-end Volvos for 25 years (& a TR-6) is the quiet of the cab, the surge of power when needed, & the superb handling. And lets face it: theres no other car in the price range that has such beautiful styling. Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus - especially from a 3/4 view - all look the same. I take pride in owning a classically distinctive motorcar that turns heads, esply mine. Admittedly Ive only owned it three months, but Im still in love.

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  Great Car - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By NenaKennedy - November 2 - 9:33 am

  I love this car!its one of the best cars Ive ever owned. not only does it do great in the snow,but you look good driving it. I always get compliments on this car as well!

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  CANT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS SO FAR - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By LAUREN 329 - October 29 - 10:00 am

  HAD 1999 JAGUAR XJ8 THOUGHT WAS GOOD CAR BUT GAVE ME PROBLEMS TOWARDS END. TRIED XK8 FOR ABOUT A WEEK BUT WAS HARD TO GET IN AND OUT OF SO DESPITE MY LOVE OF ITS APPEARANCE I TRADED 2005 FOR 2004 VAN DEM PLAS. IT RIDES AND FEELS SO MUCH BETTER THAN MY OLD XJ8 AND THEXK8. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A BETTER RIDING CAR BUT I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD BE AS RESPONSIVE ON THE ROAD AS IT IS OR AS COMFORTABLE. HOPE I DONT GET MECHANICAL PROB. BUT SO FAR COULDNT BE HAPPIER

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  - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By cortez - October 23 - 10:00 am

  this jaguar will give more bang for your buck. comfort, performance,great warrenty, you just cant beat it!