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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  I love my X-type - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By ash - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I love my Jagaur X-Type. My model has the sport package and is a 5 speed. It is great in adverse weather as it went through a Maine winter. It is a pure joy to drive - quiet, smooth, handles great, and is very comfortable. The trunk is very large for a car this size and the seats that fold down are easy to use. Overall I love this car. Worth every penny!

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  The Best There Is for Us - 2008 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By suoxor - April 22 - 1:20 pm

  Now 58, I have always desired to own an XJ8. That dream was realized this past August when we purchased the L model. In no way has this dream car let us down. From the youngest to the oldest, heads turn toward it when it appears on the street. Never in my life have I enjoyed the comfort and style of a car more than our beauty silver model.

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  Amazing Car! - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Weslowery - April 20 - 2:36 am

  We just bought this car and its amazing. The seats are stiff but they are so comfortable. It doesnt really get good gas mileage but its our luxury cruiser. We have been getting about 20.5 in the city. It rides great and drives even better.

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  Best Car in Sight. - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Leaper - April 20 - 1:26 am

  When driving my newly purchased used Jaguar XJ8 I feel like I am driving the best car in sight, no matter where I am. It has a combination of speed, comfort, agility, style, reliability, and economy that makes it the best car on the road in America. The interior has features similar to the Bentley and Rolls Royce, also designed by Van den Plas, the man who worked on the interior of this Big Cat Jaguar. The full power of the car is felt in the passing lane acceleration, when it pushes you back into the seat. The eye catching looks when you pull up in front of the finest hotel in town, or the great admiration of all the people who simply root for Jaguar owners is not to be missed.

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  Cant beat it for the money - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By forcefed - April 16 - 7:46 am

  Amazing power and handling for a car its size, the ability to get 29mpg if you cruise on the hwy. gorgeous good looks. Tight rear seat but thats not why I bought it. Brakes and Tires go fairly fast but the driving experience is well worth it. a few squeaks and rattles showed up and are not covered under warranty after 12k miles. Im writing this after my car was totaled last week, I walked away with minor cuts and bruises, so I can now say, its a very safe car to be in if things go wrong. Frame was bent and the engine mounts broke but I was able to get out and walk away. Might find myself in another one sooner than later

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  Heaven on Wheels - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Ward - April 14 - 11:06 pm

  How do you describe drivers heaven? The new Jag is an engineering marvel and its performance leaves nothing to be desired. Road feel is exceptional, and the 4.2 V8 along with the light aluminum body give it performance second to none. I have found no defects in the car at all. And the smell of that English leather and wood are impossible to duplicate.The fringe benefit of the Jag is that the car park people at the finest restaurants leave your car out in the front to show what kind of clientele they attract. They put those ordinary German and Japaneese cars in the back.

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  I will not drive any thing else - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By dan00z28 - April 14 - 4:36 pm

  Jaguars product is outstanding. I previously owned a 2003 x type which was perfect but a little under powered with the 2.5 motor (which Jaguar stopped making). But this time my wife encouraged me to move up. Now understand I own a lot of cars such as a 68 chevell, 2000 camaro z28, 2003 ford expedition, 96 mercedes sl 500 and this 2004 S type I bought this week. By far this my favorite vehicle of all.

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  Excellent Car - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Chrisnashville - April 14 - 10:00 am

  I own the model with Navigation, premium sound and heated seats. I have yet to have a problem and it just turned 19000 mile. The free maintenance is a plus. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a fine european car.

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  Awesome - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By ASDF - April 8 - 10:43 pm

  If your looking for style, comfort & performance then the Jaguar S-type is for you!

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  WOW!!! - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Vagabond - March 31 - 10:00 am

  God! How much do I love this car! I had been looking and test driving cars since October of 2001. I test drove the BMW, the Acura, the Benz, the Audi, the Cadillac CTS, the Saab. But none of them as great as the X-type. I thought that the BMW was too small, the Acura was just ok, the Benz was pathetic and the Saab was too expensive. The guy at the Cadillac dealership was one with really bad attitude, while the only problem with the Audi was it was smaller. I settled on the Jag because of it offering most of the features that I wanted. Boy! It drives like a dream. I really dont know what the editorial reviewer was thinking, but this car definitely rates in the high 9s.