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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  Jagster - 2003 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By grs - December 30 - 2:00 am

  My second XJR, and worth checking out. The supercharger helps the V8 get up to 60mph in a little over 5sec., not bad for a 4000lb car. Styling has been around for a few years, but still a head-turner and unique from the 4-wheel box cars out there now. Only option available is Brembo brakes (recommended), everthing else is standard (incl. DVD navigation system and CD player). The cheapest limited production, luxury, high performance vehicle you can buy.

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  Great Car - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Union Jack - December 30 - 2:00 am

  GREAT CAR GREAT PRICE BUT WOULD BE HESITANT TO PURCHASE AT END OF LEASE DUE TO UNKNOWN FUTURE RELIABILTIY

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  This Jag is Sassy - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By SJLEE - December 30 - 2:00 am

  I love this entry level Jaguar. It goes!! I cant believe that there are bad reviews about this vehicle. I would like to read them . I will say that very large people would fine it small for them inside. I like the sporty fit.

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  Jags got it RIGHT!! - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By William Shepherd - December 26 - 4:13 am

  I bought this car for my wife and she loves it. I had reservations due to the negative Jaguar mechanical image it had in the past but let me tell you that this Jag is awesome! The all wheel drive is incredible. The power in the V6 3.0 will put you in your seat. We now love it.

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  Life Long Buick Man - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Life long Buick Man - December 25 - 7:23 pm

  After toying for many years with the idea of "upgrading", I couldnt get excited about anything but a Jaguar. The interior is soothingly comfortable and the exterior is exciting. This car is the smoothest, quietest car Ive ever owned and the 2.5 motor will have me collecting speeding tickets if Im not careful. I get 26 mpg around town and still look for opportunities to just get out and drive. Im 6-2 but the interior fits me fine. I love the looks and comments I get and that it looks more expensive then it is. I cant imagine ever needing more then this - "Baby Jag" delivers!

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  The Un-M5 - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By John - December 24 - 9:53 pm

  Looking for a fast, comfortable, and unique car is difficult in todays car market. When you nail the throttle and the supercharger responds with rrrrooowwwooowwh! All you need to do is lay into the accelerator, invoke its supercharged 4220-cc V-8s 390 bhp and 399 lb.-ft. of torque — and hold on! The suspension is not Track Day Lotus but its also not Brougham DeVille. Jaguar was able to find a happy medium between the two. As far as the interior goes, you always feel like first class British Airways in the front or the rear seats. Set the desired gap and speed on this radar-based system, Jaguars ACC adjusts itself to maintain a safe combination of both. All in all a fantastic car!

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  Jag X Type-Move over BMW - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By TJ2003 - December 19 - 10:00 am

  If youre considering purchasing a MW series or an Audi A4 you owe to yourself to look into the Jaguar X Type. The sytle and smoooth ride of this baby is heads above the rest and all for a little over $30K. AWD is standatrd in this vehicle and cat be beat. It handles superbly and corners better than my Cobra.

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  AWOL Performance - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Dave in Texas - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Although the 2.5 X-Type doesnt jump off the starting line, it makes up for it in comfort, style and affordability. The X-Type is much more comfortable that my 99 Cadillac Catera and a lot more stylish but just not as zippy. The Sport mode helps some as does the J-Shift automatic transmission. All in all, this entry-level Jaguar is a great buy. Routine maintenance coverage is an unexpected bonus.

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  Top of the Line - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Will P. - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I have been driving luxury cars since the early 1970s. For the most part, they have been Mercedes S series or equivalent. The Jaguar XJ8 for 2004 is the finest automobile that I have driven to date. It combines luxury with great handeling. I recently averaged over 30 mpg on a road trip. It is a pleasure to note that Jaguar has not gone the route of other luxury manufacturers like Mercedes and Mercedes by making the car too complicated to operate.

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  lease - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By bill wittick - December 13 - 10:00 am

  great car, but not happy with morning starts, car seems to miss , like an old type car with a carb. and i use top grade gas 93 and 94 oct. also this ten 10 thousand mile oil and filter change is a cock of bull. i had it changed at 4000 miles and i will have it done every 3 to 3500 miles to protect engine .