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 XJ-Series
  By charlyn - September 1 - 12:16 am

  We have had only one problem with this car, a door handle. It has been replaced, but still is not completely fixed. It works.We have had trouble with the service dept. where we purchased it. That is our biggest complaint. The car is a wonderful car. I dont think it looks as classy as Jaguar used to, but its still distinctive.

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  Street glider, scene styler - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By mg200 - August 28 - 10:00 am

  White leather, AWD, moon roof with split rear seats, navigation (with gas stations!!), garage control, electronic seats - what same-class vehicle has these options? Critics mention the sluggish 2.5 acceleration - this matters if youre downgrading from an XJ/S. For the same price, you can drive a Mercedes shell, and "turn the dial" for seat control and use paper maps. The X type - take it skiing, take it touring, take it home...

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  Galpin not up to the level to do the job - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By royce - August 28 - 10:00 am

  i am tire of getting my car not fixed and the job not getting done correct and most of all dirty and oil in the interior i have spent alot of money over the years and Galpin does not respent the car owner and i will not buy a car from them again i have to drive to LA to have my 3 jaguars fixed when i talked to the owner they said well we are makeing money so we are doing something right they never seem to call me about the service when i have a problem ???? so Jaguar does not know

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  Lousy Seats - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By socalh2oskier - August 16 - 5:00 pm

  Gorgeous car. The engine is smooth and powerful, and the interior is terrific! BUT, the seats are terrible. I would expect seats that are firm but comfortable, with good lower back support and stiff side bolsters to hold you in place around corners. Instead, Jag uses soft, uncomfortable seats that deny a driver the pleasure of experiencing the cars capabilities...Try to going around a corner at anything but granny speed and youll end up on the other side of the car!

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  S-Type 4.0 - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By Celcisjr - August 15 - 2:00 am

  I am the proud owner of a S-Type 4.0. I hope this vehicle turns out to be reliable. the S-Type is a real head turner.

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  Jauguar S-Type/Style & Performance - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By Stephen Bailey - August 15 - 2:00 am

  Leased my 2001 S-Type in March, 2001 and havent looked back since. The car is a "looker" and different style than the typical Mercedes/BMW that seems to be everywhere. Ive enjoyed quality performance and a quiet ride. The S-Type has performed excellently and I look forward to driving it in the future.

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  A beautiful car - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Doug Andresen - August 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car because Ive always loved the looks. The fact that they retooled it in aluminum and modernized the body but kept the "Jaguar" look really sold me. It is a very quiet ride and handles well. I thought it wouldnt be a big deal to upgrade the sound system outside the dealership but no one wants to mess with it. All in all, I love the car and look forward to enjoying it for many years.

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  2004 X Type 3.0 - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Koze - August 15 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car! I love it.

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  XKR 100 Coupe First Impressions - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By J. S. Henry - August 14 - 10:00 am

  High performance, incredible luxury! Tackles any road at crazy speeds. Braking is outstanding, throttle response especially quick, gas pedal feedback too light. Engine is smooth, quiet, very torquey. Automatic trans is excellent; 6-speed would be more fun! Steering is tight and predictable, too insulated from "road feel". Recaro seats are spectacular. Buttons are "Fordish", but intuitive. Gas door/trunk release are too easily bumped. Sound system is great, needs in-dash CD player. Nav system accuracy and capabilities are better than most. Overall: Far classier than anything in its class. Interior luxury to match exterior sexiness. A spectacular car!

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  XKR 100 Coupe First Impressions - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Jeff Henry - August 14 - 10:00 am

  High performance, incredible luxury! Tackles any road at crazy speeds. Braking is outstanding, throttle response especially quick, gas pedal feedback too light. Engine is smooth, quiet, very torquey. Automatic trans is excellent; 6-speed would be more fun! Steering is tight and predictable, too insulated from "road feel". Recaro seats are spectacular. Buttons are "Fordish", but intuitive. Gas door/trunk release are too easily bumped. Sound system is great, needs in-dash CD player. Nav system accuracy and capabilities are better than most. Overall: Far classier than anything in its class. Interior luxury to match exterior sexiness. A spectacular car!