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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  First and Last Jaguar - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Last Jag - August 19 - 4:30 pm

  The car is beautiful on the exterior, the interior is not very functional with misplaced buttons all around. Reliability is horrible, I think I spend more time in my rental car than my Jaguar. My sons popsicle stick birdhouse is built better than this car. I have decided I am ending the lease early and buying a BMW 6-Series.

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  In the shop more than on the road - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By Wendy Willis - August 10 - 12:20 pm

  My 2004 s-type spends far too much time in the shop. The car has 57,000 miles on it, but it seems to be falling apart. In the last 6 months my car has been in the shop 4 times. One time for 7 weeks because parts had to be made in Britain. Problems have been with the entire AC unit, radiator system, cooling leaks, catalytic converter, some kind of crack in the engine. Thank God for the extended warranty, however it is about to expire. I will be getting rid of this lemon next week as soon as I pick it up from being repaired yet again. It looks good, but runs terribly!

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  Do you like your wallet? - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Style, not substance - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Then look elsewhere. Jaguar entices people with a low initial MSRP, but add anything that you feel a Jaguar should have and your in the high 30s. Interior is beautiful, probably finest in class. 2.5 engine is lacking but not abysmal. Ride is pleasant. Even if your budget allows for a fully loaded car, youre better off with a German nameplate if such things appeal to you, which it does just about everyone. I understand how the style convinces the buyer, but the reliability on long commutes would worry me a great deal. BMW does a much better job with value and quality. Just my impression based on extensive research and test drive.

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  interior quality design flaws - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By myjag3 - April 23 - 12:38 pm

  Bought the car new. The interior is made cheaply and has flaws. The headliner fell down after a few years and is expensive to replace. The vanity mirrors have covers that break off easily. The cigarette lighter works some of the time. The clock and radio require the manual to reset as it is not easy to remember.

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  Nice ride - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By hans song - March 8 - 12:16 am

  The vehicle is a great looking and bears a great name, yet does not drive in that manner. I love the stylish interior and exterior. The reliablity is somewhat of an issue.

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  Lemon to Lime - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Marybeth - February 17 - 4:20 pm

  I have had 2 X Types. My first one was an actual lemon, and Jag gave me a new one. This one also drops gears at 35- 40mph and has a heavy steering wheel shimmy, as the "Lemon" did. It is performing about 50% better. Jag has been good about fixing things thus far, lets see how fast I sell it once it hits its 30K mark. Do I like Jags, yes.. mostly a smooth ride, and I like the look. Could it perform better and get better mileage, you bet.

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  Jagau X-Type 3.0 - WARNING !!! - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Dean358 - December 21 - 10:00 am

  I bought a new 2002 X-type 3.0. Although I really enjoy driving this car it has been a maintenance nightmare. The car was delivered with three Continental and one Pirelli tires (should have tipped me off). Selected problems over the course of 30,000 miles: transmission seal has been replaced four times, transmission has been replaced, master computer has been replaced, cooling system main valve has been replaced (car had to be towed), brake pads replaced, trunk latch is intermittent. Spoke with jaguar repeatedly about this car – no help. STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST BUYING THIS CAR!!!

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  Great design. Quality needs improvement - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Junaid Q - November 13 - 2:00 am

  Love the design. Great nav. Uncomfortable seats. Small problems here and there. Fuel caps doesnt open sometimes. CD changes has stoped working. I only have 27000 miles and I have experienced 5 problems so far. Still fun to drive but fun to own. Will I buy it again...Nope.

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  Bad cat, worst pick of the litter - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By mad lawyer - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned many luxury cars, all American, hence I never had a jag before. Bought this one used because it was just so pretty sitting on the lot. From day one, Ive had nothing but extremely expensive repair bills from the most wide variety of areas, including, windows, sun roof, shocks, transmission, wheel bearings and finally the engine. In just over 3 years I spent over $10k on repairs, including $3500 for trans., and now they want $7k for a new engine, as I was stranded out on a quiet freeway in a corn field when the engine died last month. I would never recommend this vehicle.

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  reliability DOG - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By unhappy jag - August 14 - 10:00 am

  Certified used purchase, 16000.00 miles. Since then in the shop 5 times. Completely unreliable car. would discourage anyone prom purchasing. Also would not recommend Toyota Volvo Jagarf Warren, Ohio.