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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  Love the "baby" cat - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By oldengineer - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Have put over 5000 miles on X-Type 2.5 automatic with no problems. Performance is about equal to competition. Exterior styling and interior are more elegant. Cornering is excellent with AWD. Car has great traction in wet conditions. In my book BMW325 and little Lexus dont compare.

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  Jag Envy: Gen X - Type - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By dasan7 - March 14 - 10:00 am

  My first Jaguar. Ive always wanted a Jag, but didnt want the "old man" looking style of the XJ. I was looking at Mercedes, BMW. None of the models I looked at compare to this car! The style, and feel of driving this car blows away the competition. My neighbor bought a new Nissan of some type. He was livid, absolutely beside himself with envy when I parked my Jag next to him.

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  Fun car, build quality weak - 2003 Jaguar XK-Series
  By bobsmith - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Performance and styling are outstanding. The factory quality has declined over the previous jaguar I had. The interior headline is impossibile to keep clean and the boot for the top is antiquated.

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  The critics arent always right. - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Trenton Critic - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Critics are pretty tough on this car but I disagree. The car is beautifully styled. The interior looks great. The seats are extremely comfortable. The wood trim is gorgeous and the controls are generally easy and intuitive. The engine is powerful enough particularly with the manual.Brakes are powerful, handling is balanced and precise. All wheel drive is a definite plus-no slipping, skidding or torque steer. Unfortunately, there are still some quality control issues. The shifter cables had to be replaced due to very sloppy shift quality. Also the clutch is difficult to modulate and too abrupt. Overall tho, this is an excellent car at the right price.

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  A loveable car - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By t. williams - February 26 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Jaguar and it has been pleasure all the way. I recentley owned a Mercedes C230 and its no comparison. I love the leather, wood, and great looks. I sold to Jaguar for now on.

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  Excellent Choice - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By LongIslandAl - February 19 - 10:00 am

  Our first Jaguar after years of Lexus and Infiniti. So far the Jag is awesome. Great looking, great handling and an excellent overall choice. Interior appointments are first class and the ride is far better than we anticipated. Hugs the road and accelerates smoothly and easily. No hiccups in the transmission and braking is effortless. After considering Lexus and Infiniti, we are very happy with the huge savings and comparable performance.

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  Wonderful Driving Experience - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Will - February 17 - 11:20 pm

  This is the most comfortable and best driving car that I have ever owned. The Jaguar styling is distinctive and classical in every respect. Unlike BMW and Mercedes, the instrument panel is not cluttered with complicated controls. I have the long wheel base model--the rear compartment is almost livingroom-like. For a car of this size and weight, milage is excellent; I have gotten almost 30 mph on the highway.

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  the cat - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By la1 - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Lovely car to drive and be seen in.No problems as of yet.Love this car

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  5 Years Old and Still Purrs Like a Kitten - 2000 Jaguar XK-Series
  By jagboi - February 15 - 2:33 pm

  All you can say is the design is now 8 years old, and its still one of the best looking cars on the road today. Ive only had the car for a year and a half, but have been very pleased with it. The performance, handling, build quality, and reliability are all exceptional. I dont typically keep cars for more than a year, but Im making an exception with this one. Just cant seem to find another one that I think has better styling.

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  Are The Edmunds Reviewers for Real - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By RonDC - February 10 - 2:00 am

  I completely love this car. From the styling to the leather interior, this is far better than the BMW 3 or the MB C Class. The trunk space is awesome. Drove the sport package and did not purchase it as it seemed to make a lot of noise. The non-sport package is just fine. The AWD is spectacular. Edmunds reviewers need to look at the posts to see how happy people really are with this vehicle. Did I mention the head-turns of other drivers when they see the styling?