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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  A Dream comes True - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By crhjag - April 17 - 10:00 am

  All that I dreamed it could be and more. Ive driven 2500 miles and have enjoyed every one. It seems to enjoy cruising at about 95mph best but has pleanty of power still in reserve. It attracts attention wherever it is and pleanty of comments from even people I never met before. I remember the feeling I had seeing it in the showroom the day I picked it up and still get that same feeling as I approach it in a parking lot. I have owned many makes of automobiles and driven even more, but the XJR not only has no equals, but none even come close in driving pleasure, or joy of ownership.

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  My Cat - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Tami Herman - April 15 - 11:40 am

  This car has provided not only a fun driving experience but also an elevated sense of self esteem. Its been reliable for this Northeasterner and outpaced our Volvo Cross Country in severe weather conditions.

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  Not worth the money - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By DTS - April 14 - 9:20 am

  This particular XJ8 is the XJR version, so performance is amazing and fun. However, the interior is dismal. The buttons fall off the airvents, the driver-seat is worse than a wooden bench, and the ignition is placed in a way that we tend to accidentally brush the key with our knee and shut the car off. Trunk space is small for a model like this. Headroom is minimal. Backseat is cramped for a car this size. I am not impressed.

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  Luxury, Performance, Beauty, Value - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By David T. - April 13 - 2:43 am

  Ive compared specs with small-block MBs, BMWs, Audis, VWs. The XJ VDP is the roomiest, best ride, highest hp/ton of them all and the best compromise between comfort and sport in the luxury vehicles. Its so quiet and comfortable, yet I can drive it aggressively whenever I need to or want. Rear knee room is huge cause the wheelbase is longer than even a Bentley! The riv-bonded aluminum frame is state-of-the-art, so my VDP weighs only about 200 lbs more than my 2000 Firebird. Imagine that! A limo that responds like a sports sedan. My wife loves this car for the comfort and big back seat. All this for much less than the others. This Jag is a very fine automobile.

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  S-Type 01 - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By Bonanza Bob - April 6 - 10:30 pm

  Beautiful appearance, excellent handling and classy. Sure beats driving a Sedan DeVille!

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  Excellent experience overall - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By ckshep - April 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned my 2002 over a year now. Overall its been excellent, improving with age, and very solid on the road. A few minor issues that were cleared up in no time at the dealer, just trivial things as with any new car. Car is wonderful to drive, with the 5 spd manual and sport package, has plenty of power for everyday use and feels very solid. Wonderful for long distance trips. Gas mileage has gotten way better over time, from the low 20s to the high 20s by now, almost 30. The upgraded audio package is great. Overall ownership has been wonderful.

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  Jaguar x-type initial thoughts - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By DAC17 - April 1 - 8:00 am

  Had the car for about a month. No problems with it. Had at least 10 people (unasked) tell me how much they loved the looks of the car. The interior is typical Brit; gorgeous and aromatic! Great lease deals going on; interest rates about 1.6%, and good discounts. Early reviews in Edmunds probably didnt help residuals (not that Jags are very good residual-wise anyway)

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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.