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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  Jag, baby, yea!!!..This cat roars! - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By TAS - September 18 - 2:00 am

  I always wanted to own a Jag and it has been a dream come true. I test drove the 3 series BMW, and Audi 4, Mercedes C320 basically all the models in the price range and the interior was nothing to compare against the Jag.The car is excellent. I guess you can always be unlucky and get a lemon with any make of car, like some of the reviews here have been. Well worth checking this car out if you are buying a car in the 29k to 35k dollar range.Everyone will think you purchased a $50k plus car. Let them!!

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  Favorite Car - 2000 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Chadwick - September 7 - 11:06 pm

  I decided to take a chance on a Jaguar and it is by far the best car I have ever owned. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it is responsive and a joy to drive. Select the sport function and this baby is a rocket. As fun to drive as my 911, but in a different way. A real head turner!

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  This mean cat kills all Mercedez and Bmw - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By jin_makaveli - September 7 - 10:00 am

  with a huge 4.2 litre engine, the jaguar s-type type R and its new edge styling exceeds the standards of the Infinity G35, Nissan Altima, Most Mercedez and Most BMWs. Undoubtably, this car will change the world of motoring. This mean cat has it all, power, luxury, styling, accesories, and most of all a mean growl off the V8 300+ horsepower engine, pushes 0-60 mph in an impressive 6 seconds flat! This car is a great buy!

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  Purrfect! - 2007 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Mike - September 4 - 5:00 am

  I purchased a 2007 XJ VP and find this car to be an absolute joy to drive. For the first time in owning most other prestige makes, I have finally found a vehicle that I am proud to own. The XJ VP interior is total comfort and the finish quality is unbeatable. Despite its size, the 300 HP V8 and all-alloy body makes this car surprisingly quick and it handles almost like a sports car. Thank you Jaguar! After so many years I am enjoying the experience of driving again.

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  Wonderful Jag ! - 2008 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By gmayfield - August 30 - 2:30 am

  Very fun to drive. Not sure about reliability as it only has 14k miles. Drives like a dream & very responsive handling and acceleration. 2 quirks I will mention: No back-up camera in navigation system. "beep" signal is very adequate though Rear seat headrests hinder rear outward vision TREMENDOUSLY !!! I wish they could flip down out of the way or could be removed easily. The headrests enlarge the blindspots on both sides, therefore you must rely heavily on rear view side mirrors when changing lanes. Make sure mirrors are adjusted correctly or you WILL cut someone off when changing lanes. Otherwise, one of my most memorable cars to drive & to look at.

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  A SOLID RELIABLE CAT - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By str8cash - August 29 - 11:11 pm

  I have owned this x-type for 3 years and I bought it with 125,000 miles on it. I am the 2nd owner.It now has 160,000+ miles and still runs & looks like new. Only things I have had to do is oil changes and a new coolant tank ($129.00 ebay). This car was very well maintained by the original owner and that is key. She had all maint records and only major repair was new rear struts. Other items were normal wear items, brake pads, oil changes,tune up, coolant flush, tires, battery,etc. I have owned several Lexus, BMW, Infiniti, Acura, Cadillac, Mercedes vehicles and this is my favorite. AWD is fantastic. Car is now 10 yrs old & still gets looks. I would recommend this car without question.

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  Understated, Elegant & Reliable - 2007 Jaguar X-Type
  By markle1 - August 27 - 11:05 pm

  You get all the luxury without a BMW or Mercedes price tag. Bought it with 70K miles and put a little TLC into it (brakes, oil, air) and have had no problems for the last 10K miles. This Jag loves the open road. Rides straight, quiet and comfortable. Put it in cruise control and drive from San Diego to Phoenix with 100% ease and peace of mind.

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  Number 1 on the market - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By trc468 - August 26 - 1:10 am

  I am back to Jag. It is like coming home to that smooth, comfortable and quite ride. Besides the XJ8s unmistakable classy exterior design, it offers the most beautiful interior on the market today. With its 300HP, this car can preform as well. It is tight and quick on its feet. Great performance with a remarkable average of 19.4 MPG (mostly city driving). This is my third Jag since Y2000, and I can tell you these cars are extremely dependable! Do not make the same mistakes by straying away to the other luxury brands. Wow, its great to be home!

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  Remarkable value. Exceptional car - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By razrover - August 19 - 4:23 am

  This car has to be the best value on the market. It get a respectable 24 MPG with 400 horses under the hood. This is not your dads jag. It feels light and responsive. When you hit the sport button the throttle is very responsive and you feel extremely fast. The interior is perfect. Everything that looks like leather IS leather and everything that look like metal IS metal. Things you expect when your original sticker is $90k. Ridiculous depreciation that is mostly due to the sins of the past make this car a remarkable value. Currently the car has 85,000 miles and Ive had it for 3 years. Buy an extended waranty and pat yourself on the back for buying one of the greatest cars ever.

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  WOW...Awesome Vehicle! - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By CDuda - August 14 - 10:00 am

  This car is fast, nimble, and luxurious inside and out (plus I really like not seeing one of these at every stop light). The stated MPG numbers are a little generous, but I did not buy this car for economy. This car strikes a nice balance between sports car and family car. My daughter has plenty of room in the back seat (you can fit taller adults back there as well) and I have plenty of horses at my disposal.