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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  Super Jag - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Ed - July 19 - 6:06 pm

  Mileage on a long trip. Fantastic. Exceeded 29 mpg at high speed. Yes over 80 mph for most of trip. In town low speed exceeded 19.5 mpg. Much better than ratings. At end of 16 hours on road, still comfortable!! Boot small, but that comes with territory. Back seat used to hold a small brief or camera bag. Touch screen much easier than BMW 750i I had previously. Nav system much more user friendly. Love it!

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  Jaguar 2000 S Type - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By eugene - July 18 - 2:50 pm

  Total reliability for 5 years. Poor gas mileage (13 mpg) in town, driving up and down hilly streets, but 28 mpg on the highway.

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  2000 S-Type Jaguar 3.0 - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By Gerry Jackson - July 17 - 1:10 am

  This is my third used Jaguar since 2000. Each one was 6 years old when I purchased them. They have each been better as the years went on. Build quality in the 2000 is much better than my 1994 SJ6. It is a very comfortable car (my wife reminds me of this regularly) and has lots of bells and whistles. We enjoy the heated front seats this time of year (January) and the moon roof in the summer. The car is plenty fast enought for me and as long as I stay around 75 miles an hour, fuel economy is good. So far the car has cost me $0 in maintenance (dealer looks after all fluids for first 2 years). They replaced two burned out lower beam lights no charge. Lights are on all the time.

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  Will Always Have One If Possible - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By My Jag - July 15 - 2:00 am

  I love this car! It handles great. The car saved me 2 times from accidents on the interstate with its quick handeling. Also, I can count on the Jag to get me work in the ice and snow, I never had 1 problem getting around the past 2 winters. Customer service from Jaguar is also excellant. Two things I would change about the car is the sliding armrest and the pop out head lamp washers, Jaguar should get rid of both.

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  excellent Jag - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By AJ daoud - July 15 - 2:00 am

  great car fun toi drive, priced right, good looker, can use bit more interior room

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  dwrm jaguar 06 - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By dw221a - July 14 - 8:16 pm

  excellent. no problems to report classic looks fun to drive missing almost nothing in terms of options or feature that you might want

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  ITS IMPROVED - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By Brooks - July 14 - 4:26 am

  I had been leasing a 2002 X Type. I find the 2005 a much improved car. The transmission is more responsive. The car handles better, has memory seats and mirrors. A great sound system is even better. Before leasing this car I test drove an Acura RL and a BMW 330i. I found the ride and performance of the Jag to be more satisfying In 2 months of driving there have been no defects.

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  Power to spare - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By JP - July 13 - 9:13 am

  If you are looking for a car that personifies elegance and style with the power and performance of a sports car, then the 2001 XJR is your ride. With almost 400 horses on my supercharged Jag, its so much fun watching upstart Mustangs and Maximas recede in my rear view.

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  XKR The Only Way to go! - 2006 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Dan Geib - July 12 - 3:46 am

  I purchased this vehicle used from a private individual with low miles. I have enjoyed driving the car every time I get behind the wheel. This car is fast and tight and holds the road at any speed!

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  Nothing like it - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By skay fayad - July 11 - 8:13 pm

  Driving a Jag takes you to a completly new level of the driving experience. There is nothing like it. Youre in a category all on its on.