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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  Not your Dads Jag! - 2008 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Steve-o - December 25 - 10:23 am

  The car is really big, but feels much more nimble that you would expect. The power in the non-supercharged engines is adequate for the cars weight. The acceleration is a bit better than my 2006 Mercedes S-350 with slightly better fuel economy.

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  True sports sedan - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By fasteddiefromLI - December 21 - 12:16 am

  Handles nearly as well as the Infinity G35, but better looking and a more luxury looking interior. Not as many luxury and comfort features as the Acura TL but much, much more fun to drive. Better handling and better all around than the new Maxima. A very good sports sedan for the money.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By chuggins - December 20 - 6:16 pm

  This can has some of the best features and quality craftsmanship I have seen in any vehicle I have ever owned.

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  My 7th Jaguar - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By ruyg7 - December 20 - 4:28 am

  I have never owned more than three of any brand in succesion, but my Jaguars have been an exception. My current 2004 XJ 8 was purchased with 73000 miles 18 months ago, it now has 114000 miles on the odometer It is the MOST dependable used car i have ever owned, except for my new Dodge trucks. This Jaguar routinely gets 28-30 mpg at highway speeds, and 20 mpg in city driving. It has been a dream to own, and has never let me down. The car is dead reliable, a pleasure to drive , and very quick. The interior is very plush, and is resistant to wear and tear. Dont believe the nay sayers about Jaguar reliability, I have owned BMWs and Mercedes cars that were a lot more problamatic than my Jaguars.

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  sexy lady - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By ferious - December 16 - 4:07 am

  well well i have driven many bmw mb lexuses and infiniti and i have now owned this xjr for 3 mths and i must say without a doubt this is truly one of the best vehicles i have driven.i think my fellow jag lovers we should really keep this one as our secret weapon,few cars can really hang with it.

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  My First Jaguar - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By jackson43215 - December 14 - 2:00 am

  This car is beautiful, the dealership is great, and the ride and performance is fantastic. It just isnt very reliable and has poor quality. A great ownership experience is spoiled by frequent visits for warranty work. Coolant and oil leaks; seat control problems/replacements; window motor, transmission, dash board and glovebox replacements, trunk leaks and other issues. With only 41,000 miles during my 3 year ownership. Inquiries directly to Jaguar were met with representatives who had no interest and no care about my issues. I have been so dissatisfied with a $50,000 Jaguars quality, but loved my $13,000 Saturn with nearly no quality issues.

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  Never thought I would drive a Jag. ... - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Converted - December 11 - 10:00 am

  Never thought I would own a Jag, did not seem like my style, a bit stodgy ... but I bought the XJR and love it. Beautiful car inside and out.

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  new jag - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By spillers - December 9 - 10:00 am

  the best preforming jag sedan. the preformance and gas milage -very good. good styling but would prefer to be more distintive. seats are more comfortable than earlier models.

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  Outstanding value when purchased used - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Tom - December 6 - 11:33 am

  I did a lot of research before deciding on this car, a mint 2002 X-Type 2.5 Automatic in Carnival Red. I had wanted an entry-luxury car to handle my long daily commute and I looked at BMW, Mercedes, Saab, Infiniti, etc. I was drawn to this cars great looks and the comments I get from others confirm that. I knew of Jaguars dubious history of poor reliability and also read many of the lukewarm and even negative reviews. I am very pleased with this car. It is an amazing value on the used market. I can understand that some who bought new may be a little underwhelmed because of the price. But at the price I paid this car is a steal. I was able to add an extended warranty.

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  Cry in Time - 2007 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Barbara Billiot - December 3 - 11:13 pm

  Love it! Hate to sell it but have two other vehicles and dont Use it as should be used! It will break my heart but its for its own good and someone elses luck!