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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  XJ8 - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Stanley Langbein - December 9 - 4:56 pm

  Its good, the car is very fine, its fun to drive, and accelerates very smoothly.

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  The Editors Dont Get It - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Noel cab - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Excellent all around vehicle. Will outclass, outrun, outperform the German cars in its class in any road condition, any weather. I know. I have two other German marques that are useless with the slight pour of rain or snow. Not for the masses. Purrfect car for the Northeast. I really dont care what editors say. Excellent dealer service too.

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  "My Last Fling" - 2007 Jaguar XK-Series
  By Black Diamond - December 3 - 7:53 am

  This car is so exciting to drive and to look at that I call it "my last fling". When Im behind the wheel, I feel like I never need to own another car, ever. Driving it is like cruising down a ski slope on fresh powder. You glide along until you decide to exploit its power with a burst of acceleration. The sexy growl of the engine when you push the start button and the power of the engine when you shift it into gear and accelerate let you know that this is no kids toy. This car is for the enthusiast who cant wait to find a stretch of open road.

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  A real road hugger - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By w.taylor - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Love the way the car handled a close call on snow and ice. Saved me!

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  This is my third XJ over 28 years - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By geezergourmet - November 28 - 3:19 am

  The 83 XJ6 was stately and stable, the 98 XJ8 had elegance with performance. This 2011 XJ, with the interior upgrade package, has all of the above attributes on steroids. Steering is very quick and precise. Acceleration and braking are awesome. Jaguar now has a car with all the bells and whistles expected at this price point, along with the beautiful styling and brilliant performance expected of Jaguars. This is a world class car.

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  Excitement All Over Again - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By Don West - November 23 - 11:36 am

  What a refreshing example of a brand! The old XJ was tired (but reliable) and needed an update. Just left the car wash and felt sorry for the Panamera next to me! An extra $30,000 for a four seater that doesnt know if it is a sedan or not. Havent seen a breakout car since the 2005 Chrysler 300 till this. Should be the luxury Car of the Year. Front row car at five star restaurants. Move over Audi, BMW & Mercedes.

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  Used again?? - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By jag4jj - November 23 - 7:53 am

  This is my first Jag. I was a Vette person for years. Ive had problems with the driverside rear alignment due to the fact the car was hit and repaired prior to my purchase, which I did not know about. Once this is corrected, I do believe it will be excellent. I look forward to trading in a year or so for a 2007. Like the retractable top, not keen on the lact of trunk space. Not much room for golf clubs. :)

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  Pirelli Tires -- whats the deal? - 2003 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By BruceMa - November 19 - 2:00 am

  I have had a lot of problems with flat tires driving in DC MD VA DE. And pirellis are not cheap. I sometimes wonder if it had bad or used tires when I bought it, since they all went flat within a year.

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  JAG S TYPE "R" - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By RON TAYLOR - November 19 - 2:00 am

  HOT PERFORMANCE A GREAT LOOKS MAKE THIS CAR A HEART STOPPER. DROVE BMW 5S AND 7S BEFORE THIS CAR AND WOULD MAKE COMPARISON AS FAVORABLE TO BMW QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE AND AT LESS DOLLARS. GREAT CAR...TOO BAD DEPERCIATION HAS BEEN AN ISSUE.

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  A great drivers car - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By John M - November 19 - 2:00 am

  What a beauty. I owned 3 other S- types, because I love the classic Jaguar lines. Upgrading each year is due to the engineering refinement and design enhancements. The R has the performance, power, handling, and flexibility in unique balance. Nothing feels harsh which is rare in a 400hp rocket. The Jaguar racing legacy is alive here. With the odd looking new BMW 500 series, Jag investing in R-engineering will have a promising future. I sense the E-Type racing heritage in this car, which makes it all worthwhile. And with 5 seats my family can enjoy.