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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  Tea Cup Holders - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By RLines - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Great Car...Just a few minor interior changes would make it even better. Cup holders in front are small. Maybe the English have small tea cups. Thats all. See John Rubik in sales he was great too.

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  Nice Ride - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By jay theuer - September 20 - 2:00 am

  It is still very new, just over 1000 miles on it but I really like the ride and handling. I kind of wish I would have purchased the v-8, this is my first 6 and while it is adaquate, I miss the power of a v-8.

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  Be Warned - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By ccantrell - September 18 - 10:00 am

  Great Looks. If only they could make a car worth the $$. My car has been in the shop more than 45 days total. My MAIN complaint about the car is the amount of road noise and rattling (doors & dash). They have a design problem with the front heater vents; they pop-up and will not stay in place. The other problems I have had with our car is gas tank issue (service advisory), gas gauge, manual trans issues when cold, drivers interior door (re-design on clips). My recommendation is DONT buy. Better quality available for the same price. If you want the cat on the hood, look into the S-Type or higher. I feel like we paid $35,000 for a YUGO most days.

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  JAGUAR XJ8 MEOW! - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By meowman - September 12 - 10:00 am

  THE Car is fun to drive and very responsive. BUy Used, you cannot beat one for the money and get the 100,000 mile warranty

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  Two-year road test - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By JagDriver - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the V8 version with the sport package in platinum because it was love at first sight. I was a bit leary of owning a new model in its first year. I expected better from the transmission (I didnt know it was made in Cincinnati). I had some problems like an oil leak, faulty stereo amplifier, and transmission lock-up. The trunk is a bit small. The dashboard rattles way too much.

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  2005 X-type Sport...Love it!!! - 2005 Jaguar X-Type
  By medicinegirl - September 11 - 2:06 pm

  This is my second X type. My first was a 2003 2.5 liter, that was very reliable, and fun to drive. This one is a Sport 3.0, and is WAY better! The handling is really, really improved over the plain X types, as good a BMW 3-series, I think...well worth the difference in price. I shopped around first, looking at the Audi A4, the BMW 3s, the Infiniti G35 and M35, and even considered the S-type, but after I drove an platinum-colored X-type Sport, I ordered a black one on the spot!

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  The XKR is INCREDIBLE!! - 2008 Jaguar XK-Series
  By cool - September 11 - 9:06 am

  I just picked up my brand new 08 XKR convertible, and it is a blast!! In my opinion, it is the best looking car for under 100k. I am glad I got this over the 6 series. It has great performance and great sound! I get looks from everybody. My son loves to drive it as well.

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  Best Jag Ever! - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Murray - September 10 - 6:23 am

  Ive driven/owned all luxury vehicles and none have pleased me like the XJ series Jag. This is my fourth one, and I will continue to buy them. No faulting these cars any longer on quality and reliability. And, its still exciting to drive and gets 18/29 mpg in city/highway driving. No BMW, Benz, or Lexus look-alikes for me.

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  Performance - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By ken - September 10 - 6:16 am

  The comfort and performance of our 06 Jag XJL is well beyond everything we expected. I have owned a Mercedes SL and this Jag responds much better in any type of driving. I do not understand the low rating on MPG as after almost two years, I get at least 20 MPG around town and no less than 30 on the highway at 75+ MPH. More if I keep it under 70.

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  Drive it with care as a quality product - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By Stanley M - September 8 - 10:00 am

  My first two tanks of gas, city 19.4, highway 26.Very enjoyable.Window fell out, dealer repairing at no charge.Was surprised but not dismayed. Noticed from other reviews same problem with window falling out.Mileage predicated on driving sensible.Quality of fit and finish excellent. Positive steering. Engine checked out with flying colors with my mechanic on electronic equipment.Felt that if properly maintained should have long life.My mechanic severly critical out manner most people maintain vehicles. Have always been nut at maintainence. Will do same here.Eyecatching and distinctive. Trunk needs to be a little larger.Limited space for luggage (wife!)