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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  Beautiful car! - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Robin Sue - February 10 - 9:13 am

  This is the best car I have ever owned,including 500 series M-B, 700 series BMW, Lexus, as well as Jag XJ. Great balance of everything I was looking for. Love the look, performance, handling and ride. The retro styling is perfect.

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  A very good cat - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Maria Parelta - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased this vehicle in July and I have been in heaven ever since. I just love this car so much that I look for reasons to drive. Everything is so perfect and the car screams luxury and british carm. People have complained about the reliability of Jaguar and I think that they are wrong. This car feels safe and reliable and is powerful.

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  A beauty! - 2007 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By John - January 29 - 5:13 pm

  A beautiful car inside and out. A very British look makes heads turn when you drive it. Smooth powerful engine that gets excellent gas mileage - typically 28mpg highway driving. Navi system a bit difficult to use and has a great display.

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  Just traded - 2005 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Jagman - January 29 - 2:00 am

  Five months ago I traded my 2002 XKR conv. for the 2005. The only available was the same color: black. I can pass it off as the same car, if I want. The upgrades are subtle but significant. I thought the 2002 was the best car I ever owned, the 2005 is now the BEST. More power, more torque, 1 more gear, better handling, better looking exterior. I really look forward to driving every day. This car has the power available when you want it. It is also very comfortable on long trips. The 2008 may be next, when my warranty expires in two more years.

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  Super Cat - 2000 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Gabriel - January 25 - 9:53 pm

  What a wonderful car to own and drive. I upgraded the wheels to the XJRs 18" and had a cone air filter installed to take off the restrictione. It opens up about 30hp and really lets the engine scream. Huge difference. The car is at home both in city or highway use. I wish it had a more modern navi system like the newer ones, and that gas cost $1.50 other than that, this is my dream car. Everyone that has ridden it loves it. Very, very solid. Get one if can. Dont even consider a Germany car over this, they do not compare.

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  SO FAR SO GOOD - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By RUBES - January 20 - 10:00 am

  HAD BMWS AND MERCEDES IN THE PAST. FIRST JAG AND SO FAR I LOVE IT. EVERYTHING WORKS ALTHOUGH SO FAR THE GAS MILEAGE ISNT SO HOT. AVE. 21 MILES/GAL. THE ONLY TIME I SEE THE DEALER IS WHEN I GO FOR A WASH I THINK ITS THE BEST LOOKING SEDAN ON THE ROAD. CHANGED TO JAG CAUSE I GOT FED UP WITH GETTING RIPPED OFF EVERYTIME I WENT IN FOR MERCEDES SERVICE. THE DEALER WAS ARROGANT. HE THOUGHT HE MUST BE SELLING POPE MOBILES. YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAND HIM YOUR WALLET WHEN YOU ENTER THE SERVICE AREA. ALSO HAD FOUR MERCEDES AND WITH EACH ONE THE QUALITY PROGRESSIVELY WENT DOWN.

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  Dream Car - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By ThomasE - January 18 - 7:56 pm

  I love this car. I have only had it for three weeks and its so much fun to drive I cant stay out of it. I find excuses to drive somewhere/anywhere. Best looking car on the road and the performance is outstanding. Almost perfect blend of luxury and performance. I picked this car over MB, BMW, Lexus, Audi, and all the Infinitis. I made the right choice.

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  Best car I ever owned.....so far. - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By BigMac - January 16 - 6:03 pm

  Over the last ten years Ive owned an S430, an A8L, an S550 and an XF. The new 2011 XJ is superior to all. Interior, exterior, ride, comfort and price! Economy? Drove 130 miles to Atlantic City and got 29 miles to a gallon! This car is a monster.

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  A Great Road Car - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By DAH - January 12 - 2:00 am

  The people that dont like this car must be people that have not drive this car more than around the block. It has great handling, acceleration and a soul. It is not refined like a Toyota Lexus, but it also doesnt look butt ugly like one either.

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  X-Type Rates 5 out of 5 - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Dedalus Again - January 8 - 11:20 am

  For some reason, my review of the X-Type ("Edmunds Got a Lemon", 1/29/02)was listed as giving the car a 2 rating. Im not sure how that happened, but it mustve been a mistake, since I love the car. Hopefully, this follow-up review will clear things up. The X-Type deserves a 5 rating! (I noticed the same thing about some other reviews, such as "X-Type is an Excellent Car" and "Best in Class". Im sure those reviewers felt the car deserved better than a 2 rating, as well.)