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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  2000 jaguar xj8l - 2000 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By kevin bick - December 14 - 10:00 am

  Great car, great styling very comfortable, handles better than any car Ive driven

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  Great little Jag - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By wm - December 13 - 10:13 am

  Traded 2000 S-Type, hated to let it go, perfect for 130000 miles+. But needed wagon type AWD vehicle, not SUV. Still get admiring glances, although not as many as we did with S- Type. Comfortible, beautiful, classy, great in snow. Plenty of power, and most luxury features found in higher priced cars. Carpeting and sunvisors are cheap jack, but overall cars lives up to its image. Wife loves to drive it, and feels very secure doing so in adverse weather.

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  PURRRRFECTION!!!! - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Brooklyn Lion - December 10 - 7:53 am

  Having owned previous XK8 and having at least one compliment per month from strangers, I wondered how that styling could have been improved on. Well, Ian Callum and co. showed me how. This car surpasses previous models in practically every category. It is a stunning car to look at and to drive! Styling-wise, it vaporizes every other car out there (except, perhaps, Aston Martin). Seats are supremely comfortable. The acceleration growl is music to the ears! The interior is all driver-oriented, without converting the car to space-shuttle complexity and clutter. Everyone should experience driving this car at least once! But be warned: youll be a center of attention everywhere you go.

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  Newbie - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By mcyrwv - December 8 - 10:00 am

  My x-type is barely off the showroom floor, but I am -so far- impressed with the performance and build of the car. Spent countless hours researching features and price. After checking out the "Car Discussion" forums, was able to find a dealer (Rahal, Wexford, PA) and negotiate a terrific deal. This is a dream car with classic styling, despite the "Ford-like" criticisms by some reviewers. My experience places this car in the "superb" category. The x- type provides a lot of bang for the buck. If youre looking for a distinctive automobile at an affordable price, consider the X-Type Jauar. Zooooooom!

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  Not Quite Perfect - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Dr.Roentgen - December 7 - 6:30 am

  This is the most beautiful and fun car I have ever had. Its like a corvette but for grown ups. There have been several annoying problems that you wouldnt expect at this pricepoint. The bluetooth system doesnt work as promised. I have changed cellphones (three times) and carriers (from verizon to cingular) per Jaguars advice, but the phone still doesnt sync as promised. There are other small computer probs as well. I still love the car.

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  A real head turner - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By billnov20 - December 6 - 8:00 pm

  Bought this British Racing Green vehicle from the dealer with 41,000 miles. Came with a 100,000 mile warranty. Car is immaculate inside and out. Added beehive grille, chrome pillars and side mirrors. Vehicle looks like it just came off the assembly line. Power is awesome, car is quiet and comfortable. Vehicle now has 131,000 miles and going great. Biggest expense to date was replacement of passenger side Xenon Headlight Assembly (leveling device went). Real pain to change burnt headlamp bulb. Bumper needs to be dropped adding a big cost for a simple problem.

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  XJ8L - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Timothy - December 3 - 7:36 pm

  This is my second XJ8L and the body design is a blend of the lower height 2003 and front grill of the X-Type. Im a fan of the performance. The car is very quiet and on two extended trips of 2,000+ miles I averaged 29 and 28.5 mpg respectively. Portions of the trip exceeded 30 mpg at 65 mph. The driver seats are amazingly comfortable with excellent lumbar support. As a musician, the Alpine stereo system delivers a very rich and neutral sound across the EQ spectrum, with the base being very natural, not boomy.

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  Its a Wind of Change - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Zaiman - December 2 - 5:36 pm

  Bought the car new for a Birthday present to my dearest wife. I let her choose for any brands and any models (mid size). I took her to all dealers except Al Tayer - Jag sole dealership in UAE. She did not choose any, not until I took her to see this stunning Jag. Had to wait eagerly for a month before finally arrive. I had many luxury brands since 30 years, but this S type was totally the winner of it all. Never had a problem since and enjoy every bit of it. Very good in mileage especially on a long cruise. The V6 3000cc is a bit underpowered but more than enough for my wife to chew. Smooth, luxury and have class. Beats any Mercedes, BMW, Volvo or Audi. No regrets and still loving it till now

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  second xtype - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By a. amendola - November 30 - 8:06 am

  My first was a 2002 X-Type 3.0. It was a good car, beautiful to look at, and never gave me any trouble. My new 2005 is the 3.0 sport. Wow! What a difference. I just love to drive it. Its exciting to both drive and look at. Jag addressed all the little quirks I had in the 2002. Great job Jaguar! World class fit and finish. I can also fit three sets of golf clubs inside walking bags in the trunk.

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  Student - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Student - November 29 - 2:00 am

  My Jaguar x-type just hit 120,000 and still drives great! My dad purchased the car in 2005 and recently I purchased the car since I commute to school. The car drives well, and is extremely responsive. Its a very high performance car, and will perform to keep you safe. The interior is like riding in your living room. The car is very good in the snow. I have the FWD drive model, and while everyone else is skidding off the road, I am moving along with no problems. We are located in Ohio and I have driven on some nasty snow packed country roads with it, and it performed great. As a student who commutes, I needed a safe reliable car and Jaguar fits the bill.