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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  Shoulda gone for the R - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By yogistein - February 2 - 10:00 am

  I love driving this car, and I wish it had more amenities, like the BMW 7 series. If you can, go for the XKR: while the XK8 is great, the extra--wheels and the nav system--make it all the more worthwhile.

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  Great Value - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Mike - January 23 - 5:50 am

  This car has not only been fun to drive but a great value as well. The trunk is huge. However the back seat is very tight with limited legroom and headroom for passengers and somewhat difficult to enter/exit.

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  The Cats Meow - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By John - January 8 - 12:20 pm

  This car has standard suspension and has excellent handling and braking. The interior layout is just fair. It lacks thoughtful displays a dedicated driver needs; eg, the information panels are tiny, LCD panels that cannot be read when wearing polarized lenses. The old J-gate transmission shifter needs updating. The auto on/off lights and wipers are terrific. The seats are extremely comfortable, even in back, where the seats can fold down. Unfortunately the trunk is so designed as to limit access of some larger boxes.

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  What a car - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By Bill Weigold - January 5 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for about 6 weeks and if your looking for something different, then this is the car. Ive been driving a Toyota Avalon and was looking to upgrade. But although the styles of the various cars were different from the outside, once I sat in them, it was just another Avalon - and the Avalon was a great car. This really moves down the highway and you need to be careful because at 80, you feel as if your no moving as the ride is so smooth. Its great on turns as if it was hugging the road and although I didnt rate the gas mileage very high, Ive been getting around 21 to 22 miles per gallon. Its a great car if you want to be noticed.

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  Fantastic handling - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Chris - January 1 - 8:13 am

  I was seriously looking at the Aston Martin V8, because of its better looks, but after a test drive it was clear: the XKR is by far a better car. It handles great and shifting gear is much prettier.

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  Baby, its cold outside - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By etherjag - December 8 - 10:00 am

  I love driving my new jag. Having come up from a taurus sho, it handles better, has better performance and is a joy. My biggest complaint however, is the low outside temperature message that comes on each and every time I turn on the car, and wont go away until I hit reset. For goodness sake, I live in Michigan, I know its cold in January.

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  Hit Or Miss Car - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By acg042000 - November 30 - 3:46 am

  I have owned 2 3.0 Liter X Types. One was great, only a few minor problems in 2 years. This sport model I have now is a lemon. Constant new noises, died 2 times for who knows what, and has probably been in the shop 10 times for maintenance. Good thing I have a warranty. To top it off, the car loses its value faster than anything Ive seen on this planet. All European cars are finicky, its really hit or miss. If you want these cars, get a warranty.

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  Jaguar X-TYPE Sport Package - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Antonio - November 17 - 8:46 am

  The car handles well even in tight corners and with all features included in the price of the car compared to its competitors it becomes the best value for money in its class. Very eye catching especially in black. The overall ride is comfortable albeit in the sport package you feel the road more often. Engine is well positioned to provide quick acceleration when needed. The cars interior wood grain enhancements lend a level of elegance while its external mesh grill in the sport package provide fun and flair compared to others on the road. All-round best value for money with great handling and style.

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  Working better than I thought! - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By longhorn57 - November 12 - 2:06 pm

  Bought my Jag with 23k miles in June 07. After I bought it, I read all these horror stories about how awful the car was. Well, so far, after one whole year, its really been fine. Its very fun to drive, looks extremely attractive, has some nice pep, and the gas mileage is OK. Just keeping my fingers crossed that the car continues to operate reliability. So far, so good!

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  Entry level review - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By OregonXtype - November 3 - 10:00 am

  So, after looking at a number of cars to buy, I decided on the entry level X type. After signing the 3 year lease, the car was mine. I purchased a base model with a 5 speed manual. Almost right away, the heater broke, which, is a bummer in Oregon during the Winter. So, back to the dealer ship and then we waited for parts. To make a long story short, we eventually ended up with another X type as the first one was not fixable. To show there appreciation for the problem they gave me a S type as a loaner (During my three week wait) and when I got my new X type back, they upgraded me to 17" wheels at no extra charge!