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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  Babied from Birth - 2000 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By g huelsman - May 19 - 10:00 am

  Truly an excellent automobile. Always did everything I expected of it. Braking, acceleration, handling, etc. Won several awards in appearance.

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  Third Time is the Charm - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Dr J Rapp - May 16 - 1:30 pm

  Three weeks ago I took delivery of My XJ8. I had previously owned a 2002 X type which was so poorly built it made me (a grown man) want to cry. I then was foolish enough to go for an 04 X type on the word of the dealer that the car had been radically improved, which it was, but still shy of acceptable for a "premium" automobile, even an entry level one.I managed to convince myself that I had bought the wrong Jag and traded the X for a very svelt looking new XJ in Midnight Metalic Black. All I can say is that the XJ is a truely wonderful automobile in all respects. Day by day it continues to surprise me with its comfort, cat like agility, outright speed and overall grace.

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  X-tremely Pleased - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Pete - May 15 - 5:36 pm

  Purchased used with 12,000 miles for about 1/2 original retail. The manual 5 spd. provides plenty of zip with the 2.5, and the AWD handles like a dream. By far the best feature is the exterior styling but a close second is the outstanding warranty Jag provides on certified used cars (bumper to bumper, 100k/6 years from original date of purchase). Finally, I enjoy not seeing dozens of other cars like mine (I see about a dozen BMW 3 series for each X-Type), and people think I spent a LOT more than I did! Someday, Ill graduate to an XK, but I hope to be a Jaguar owner for life.

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  hott - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By matt landes - May 14 - 2:00 am

  This car is a beast. I swear there is a nuke under the hood. If you buy the car the 20" are a must.

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  WOW! - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By thebigone - May 13 - 10:00 am

  The Jaguar XJR100 is one fine vehicle. It rides like a dream and looks great. I have had this car for only one week and the car has had absolutely no problem. Ford has really turned Jaguar around. I strongly suggest you look into a Jaguar for your next car.

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  I LOVE THIS CAR - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By JANET JAG - May 9 - 2:00 am

  i HAD PREVIOUSLY LEASED MY 2000 jAGUAR S TYP AND LOVE THE CAR. HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH IT wHEN MY LEASE WAS EDNDING jAGUAR BOUGHT OUT MY LEASE EARLIER THAN THE ORG 36 MONTHS AND PUT ME IN A 2004, tHE SALES PERSON SAID IF I LOVE MY FIRST JAG THIS NEXT ONE WAS EVEN BETTER DUE TO THE CHANGES JAGUAR MADE. WELL THEY WERE WRIGHT. THE CAR IS PURE LUXURY AND SPORT IT DRIVES ITSELF. AND IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. I LOVE IT

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  Jaguar X-Type 2003 AWD 2.5L - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Fred VeHorn - May 9 - 2:00 am

  Excellent job in assembly and quality.Performance for a 2.5L engine is good. Handling is excellent with the AWD and suspension. Does not have a luxury ride but more fitted to sports car enthusiast who wants to "feel" the road.

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  Power and Grace - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By deaningred - May 7 - 10:00 am

  370 HP in a machine so beautiful is truly unique. Sheer acceleration and handling far surpasses my previous S- Classes and 7-series. Interior comfort is surprisingly good for my 65 frame. Exterior and interior design always earns admiring comments. With 19 inch wheels and huge tires this car draws attention wherever it goes. Its nice to see the Benz and BMW owners wait endlessly for valets to get their car while my XJR is parked prominently in the front and center.

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  Beatiful and fun Car - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Joe - May 6 - 5:40 am

  Previosuly owned a 2002 XJR and changed to an X-type VDP since moving back North. My comments are as follows: Beautiful and sporty design, elegant yet chipper interior, nice torque and dampered suspension, excellent feel with the AWD. The only problem I have with this car is the cheap plastic used in the center instrument panel and the amount of road noise on rougher roads. This is perhaps attributed to the lower profile tires. Other than that, an excellent car that always turns heads! Evryday and everywhere. I hope they keep making this model forever, improve the interior plastics, and come out with a supercharged version. Grossly under-appreciated vehicle.

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  CANT BEAT THE JAGUAR 3.0 - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Trevor55 - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I have owned Mercedes Benz for many years. Looked at the Mercedes C Class before I purchased my Jaguar. The Jaguar 3.0 wins hands down over the Mercedes C Class.The Jaguar grips the road under all driving conditions. The exceptional interior and exterior design are exactly what one would expect from Jaguar. This is just an exceptional automobile in every way. The dealership I purchased my car from, Thomas Cadillac - Jaguar, was extremely professional and made this purchase a very pleasurable experience.