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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  Great Car!! Miss it and think about it often. - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By K Taylor - April 14 - 6:28 am

  The base engine is a little light on power compared to other cars in this segment. If you are looking for super performance look at the XKR. I am more of a Grand Tourer driver than an all out performance driver. I think it has something to do with my age now. The base model had plenty of power for me and from 40mph to 120mph there was never a situation where I needed any more. In fact I was, ticketed while test driving on a desolate NV highway. I was going 100+ and the cop was nice enough to write the ticket for only 10 over. I have owned numerous high end and luxury cars over the years but none compares to the reactions this car received, especially when the top was down. BMW 6 series and MB SL are very common but you dont see many XKs which was something I enjoyed about the car. I bought the car used with 25,000 miles on it when it was 5 yrs old. The technology was on par and up to date with the newest cars of that time. Bluetooth and touchscreen navigation, adaptive cruise control and headlamps as examples. I purchased an extended warranty since the car was 5 years old and there was only one issue with a window that was moving slowly. I did have to replace the battery which when it was going bad messed with the drivers seat controls and the convertible top which may stop working even if the car has no troubles starting. The battery was expensive as were oil changes. I replaced the original tires with Michelin Super Sport that had plenty of tread after 3 years. Fantastic Car that gets tons of compliments, is quiet and very comfortable. The car handles great and has a great exhaust note which makes it fun to drive. It is pretty much maintenance and repair free although it is thirsty when it comes to fuel around town. 16-18 mpg city, 26-28 mpg highway

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  I love this car - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By John - April 3 - 6:26 am

  This is my first Jag and I love it. It handles wonderfully, has lots of power, and has presented no mechanical problems whatsoever. The sound system is superb. Its great in the snow and cuts through large drifts without problems. Overall I would definitely lease this car again.

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  Could Not Be More Pleased! - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By ndb - April 1 - 1:00 pm

  Recently acquired to replace my 98XK8 that served me well. This car is so much more in many ways - performance is outstanding, looks are just the best, ride excellent, seating very comfortable. My car fully loaded and greatly enjoying the many luxury features including adaptive cruise control, GPS and high end Alpine stereo. Bravo Jaguar you made a good thing better!

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  My favourite car - 2003 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Gazman - April 1 - 2:00 am

  My jaguar is the best car ever, it is superb especiall in design - no wonder Jaguars motto is ART OF PERFORMANCE!

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  Great Car - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By dwbarry - March 30 - 3:56 am

  I bought my X-Type new in 2004 and still have it. After over 90K miles there are only two problems - the interior cloth material falling away from the front and read roof posts (like several others have mentioned) and the headlight assembly breaking due to what I guess is the front end stiffness. My dealer in New Orleans has been terrific and fixed the interior cloth issue for free. The headlight repair estimate was quit expensive so Ive opted to operate the car with less than perfectly aligned headlights. Overall the car has been one the best cars Ive owned in 41 years of driving.

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  Bad news when problems happen - 2003 Jaguar XK-Series
  By PerryR - March 27 - 10:00 am

  I just had my 2003XKR break down while I on a trip. My steering went out. Jahuar does not keep replacement parts! They kept telling me "next day" stories on when it would be fixed. After almost three weeks I got the car back. Now I am getting the roal run around on what they promised to reimbusement for travel to get back home. Beware...this company wants to sell you a car, but does not live up to any of the after the sale promises. Its always a story as to why someone else gave you wron information.

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  Looks great but needs minor improvements - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By jd7425 - March 27 - 10:00 am

  Looks and drives great, handles well on the road and is quite comfortable on long trips. Havent experienced any major mechanical malfunctions, only gripe I have is that the car needs better quality parts on the smaller items. For instance, the gas cover needs a metal latch versus the plastic one it has (broke once already). The window mechanisms tend to breakdown quite often (3 times) causing the window to drop down into the door and in Yuma, AZ during the summer its not a great experience with over 100 degree temps during the day. The stereo amp was replaced due to a loud humming noise even when the stereo was turned off.

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  LEMON - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By LemonJag - March 25 - 9:40 am

  Leased this vehicle hoping that Jaguar has improved the build quality with the assurance that I would be able to give the car back in 3 years if I was unsatisfied. Unfortunately... or Fortunately... mine was a lemon! Returning the Vehicle after only 6 months!!!

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  A "Gorgeous" Value - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By D. Stumpf - March 23 - 11:40 pm

  I have had my eye on the re-designed XK for some time and finally had the opportunity to aquire one this fall. Almost everything about the car is exceptional, foremost the styling. Call it what you will, a "poor mans Aston" perhaps, but it is one of the most beautiful automobiles on the road. Handling and performance are great (a bit underpowered perhaps - although given the aluminium monocoque construction the power/weight is commendable), interior design is outstanding (pitch the back seat!), overall fit and finish are excellent. Time will tell regarding reliability, but Jaguar has risen steadily in overall quality and reliabily in recent years. A real head-turner to say the least.

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  Great design, needs attention to quality - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By CUM85 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  This is a car with lots of character and style. Performance is much better than many Japanese cars with about the same horsepower engine. Engine performance is excellent for a 6 cylinders vehicle. Lacks a bit of quality details in construction and mechanical durability. Overall, a FUN car to drive.