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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  My XJ-8 - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Sumner - June 12 - 4:46 pm

  great car to drive... lots of gadgets, can be confusing. Bucket seats could be more comfortable. Excellent fuel mileage, up tp 32 mpg. Superior exterior finsh. Very steady at high rates of speed and difficult to stay within speed limit.

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  I LIKE the car - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Dean Waddle - June 6 - 5:03 pm

  I LIKE the car a lot. Great stereo, great comfort, great accelleration when you want to pass, and you can pass anyone doing less than 150 mph. Whats not to like.

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  The Bomb - 2003 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Ericp - June 4 - 10:00 am

  This is my fav. car! I am so glad my dad decided to get this work of art for me! if u are considering getting this car my words to you are wat r u waiting for!?? It makes me feel like i am the happiest 16 year old in the world. My words to you:Get one now!!!!!!!!!1

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  Bought it 3 years ago with 139,000 miles - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By catcrazy3 - May 28 - 8:39 pm

  The only thing I have spent on is oil changes, worn brakes, tires, or general maintenance. This car even with the high mileage rides very very good. It is quiet and rides smoothly. It is aesthetically well proportioned and luxurious. I will say it isnt economical on gas. It also doesnt hug the road like my Volvo 950. It is solid feeling and I am enjoying the ride. I now have about 178,000 miles.

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  Had to have it! - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By Andy - May 26 - 10:00 am

  We had been looking to replace my wifes 2005 Infiniti Q-45 which was coming off lease. We looked at the MB S-550 and the BMW 7 series. Because of the pricing of both, I really thought we would wind up with a used 550 or 7 series. That was until I saw the Jag XJL. For basically the same price as a 1-2 yr. old MB or 7 series, we wound up with a fabulous car that looks great, performs unbelievably and is way ahead in all aspects when compared to the competitors.

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  Nice, but VERY High Maintenance - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By JGY - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car and the dealer highly suggested I purchase the extended warranty, and Im glad I did. I like the car, drives great, is quiet, shifts smoothly, fuel economy is ok, around 21 avg. However, it is in the shop every 2-4 months for either oil leaks, electrical probs (my wife called me this morning saying the temp read out was flashing on and off), transmission fluid leaks, parking break motor going out, etc. and I have only had it 2 years. The dealer is normally good about giving me a loaner, and they always fix it for free, except when the gas tank latch broke. I thought that was bad, but didnt say much. All in all, I would never buy a Jag again, but I am glad I owned a nice car

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  The Rocket Ship - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By The Rocket Ship - May 23 - 8:50 am

  The 2006 XJ Super V8 Portfolio is my 6th Jaguar and by far the best and my previous 5 Jaguars were terrific. MB says that the S550 is a rocket ship. Not true. My wife owns an S550 and I can say from experience the 2006 Super V8 Portfolio is the true rocket ship.

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  THE MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE - 2003 Jaguar XK-Series
  By CLINE DAVIS - May 22 - 2:00 am

  THIS CAR IS THE MOST EXCITING CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED AND WILL CONTINUE TO TURN HEADS EVERY WHERE I GO! THE FUNNY THING IS MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER REALLY SEEN ONE AND I LOVE IT!

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  rv - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By Rava - May 17 - 10:43 am

  Leather is great, every thing is electric, It has its own personal phone with hands free, a lot of room in it.

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  Great Sports Sedan - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By jagman73 - May 16 - 2:00 am

  I purchased a 2003 S-Type with the 5- speed manual transmission. Great performance, smooth shifting, very nice exhaust note on acceleration. Absolutely no problems to report. The car is beautifully styled inside and out, fit and finish is top-notch. I average right at 20 mpg around town, and took a 4 hour highway trip recently and the computer indicated 31.5 mpg. My third Jag and the best yet.