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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  Awesome.....a must buy!!!! - 2014 Jaguar F-Type
  By shaymasdaddy06 - August 29 - 3:35 am

  I test drove the base F-type in Polar white with black leather/suede interior this weekend and it drives well as it looks. The pictures dont do justice for how amazing it looks in person. Even with the base 18" wheels, its a stunner!!! The build quality is excellent. From the body panels to the well thought-out interior, Jaguar did their homework and produced a car that it is more than worthy of its asking price. The Drive: Amazing!!! Despite some slight turbo lag from the 340 hp supercharge engine, the F-Type pins you back in your seat and provides an exhilarating driving experience without beating you up. The balance in the suspension and steering preciseness is uncanny.

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  WOW! - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By welchct4 - August 24 - 9:54 am

  I have owned my, low-mileage (23k), 2004 XJ Vanden Plas for a little over a month now. This automobile is without question the finest automobile that I have ever owned. The quality of the interior blows away anything from Germany or Japan. The electronics (Alpine stereo, Nav, Rear DVD, etc.) are simple, logical and easy to operate. The exterior is a timeless classic and the aluminum body make the MPGs incredible (18-20 city/28-31 hwy). In fact, Ive averaged 27.3 mpg (80% Hwy./20% City) for the first 1,300 miles that Ive owned the car! Ridiculous depreciation, based upon sins of the past, make this without question the best value in the used luxury car market.

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  Beautiful, powerful cat - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By jsecada - August 19 - 12:06 am

  4000 miles without absolutely any problems. Handles beautifully on all terrain and weather (better than Imprezza); at 3000rpms+ lot of smooth power. Manual transmission works perfectly. Spacious, very comfortable interior. Huge trunk. Great audio. Complaints about being "spartan" "plastic" are ludicrous (less so than Mercedes or BMWs). Classic, beautifully designed car. Dealership service excellent, first-rate. Best experience ever buying a car.

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  S-type 4,2 - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By NewJagOwner - August 14 - 10:00 am

  The S-type is a luxury car with adequate performance. It offers similar features and capabilities as the E-class and 5-series at thousands of dollars less.

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  best ride ever - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By apatientone - August 14 - 10:00 am

  unbelievably refreshing compared to run of the mill domestic and japanese autos. Many compliments on its looks, and extremely smooth ride, great in corners.

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  The awesome Jaguar - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Jaguarantony - August 14 - 10:00 am

  The new Jaguar X-type is an excellent vehicle. The car is very Jaguar. It handles and corners very well. A great deal of people dont know enough about Jaguar. The 3.0 V-6 is very quick, 0-60 in about 6.6-6.8 seconds, I have the 2.5 with a manual,and this is their base model car. Jaguars fastest car is the XJR. It is rated at 0-60 time of 5.0 seconds. As for the interior of the X-type,it has gorgeous wood maple veneer,and beautiful Rolls Royce like interior. The critics are overly too critical of the X-type.

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  Best looking car made in 2000! - 2000 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Scott - August 11 - 4:33 am

  Always wanted an XK but was afraid of Jaguar quality. The 98 and 99 had pretty good reviews so I took the chance on a low mile 2000. Great vehicle!!! Very few issues and way fun to drive.

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  The Bang for your Buck! - 2008 Jaguar X-Type
  By john stolck - August 10 - 6:00 pm

  On sport mode (standard to all X-type models) it is amazingly fun to drive. Surprisingly it had an interior that put my friends, family, and clients ahh. The luxury package is the way to go. The chrome exterior is flashy and still maintains its profesional look. Lot of power and prestige.

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  Jag SR - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By Duane Marlink - August 8 - 2:00 am

  If your thinking of a Jag, its an excellent car. We have driven Mercedes for the past 3-4 years, and the performance surpasses the E430 and Clk420

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  2004 X-Type - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Monty414 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  2004 X-Type. Love this car. A lot of luxury for a relatively low price. No problems or issues as described her by other buyers. Cabin interior is quiet. WI climate has been cold/snowy and the AWD is excellent. Styling is nice and interior fit/finish is excellent. The only criticism to offer relates to mileage (it could be better for a compact), but in the near luxury class who can complain? :-) Not an XJ, but at this price its a great substitute! Jenkins Jaguar here in MKE has been wonderful to deal with.