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:

• 

  Jag lives up to Powers high reatings - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By DW Clark - November 16 - 11:56 pm

  I am pleased with this Euro luxury sedan. I think the recent high Powers ratings are fully justified on the basis of fit and finish and quality. I like this car much better than the last BMW 530. It is smoother and I believe the 6 speed transmission is incredible. I planned to get a v8 but after driving the v6 I decided that the slight performance difference was just not worth $7k more. The dealer then admitted that they dont really push the v8 as the 3.0 does very well. At 80 this car is virtually silent on the road. Great handling that reflects the German heritage and the German test facility. I am pleased with this car and I believe I got a great deal from a great dealer.

• 

  Back from Benz - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By CBuck - November 11 - 2:46 pm

  Had some Jags, went to Benzs but they feel sterile and cold. Now back to Jags and I have been very pleased. Six years old and still a head turner getting lots of unsolicited compliments. No car draws like a Jag. 32 MPG on a 400 mile highway trip (70+MPH). I use the recommended premium on trips but regular around town. These are a bargain on the used market. Paid $18,000 for a beautiful car with only 43,000 miles. For that price I could have been stuck in a new econobox.

• 

  fun, fun, fun - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Pat Hund - November 9 - 7:46 pm

  This car is great and fun to drive. I purchased it w/navigational system (the british accent is great too). The ride is smooth and very comforatable, pick up to enter the highway is great and the braking is smooth and not awkward.

• 

  fun, fun, fun - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Pat Hund - November 9 - 7:46 pm

  This car is great and fun to drive. I purchased it w/navigational system (the british accent is great too). The ride is smooth and very comforatable, pick up to enter the highway is great and the braking is smooth and not awkward.

• 

  fun, fun, fun - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Pat Hund - November 9 - 7:46 pm

  This car is great and fun to drive. I purchased it w/navigational system (the british accent is great too). The ride is smooth and very comforatable, pick up to enter the highway is great and the braking is smooth and not awkward.

• 

  2006 Jaguar X-Type - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By rykom - November 5 - 11:23 am

  I recently had the opportunity to take a 2,000 mile journey in this vehicle and was amazed at how well it performs and the way power is delivered from its sweet purring 3.0 liter V-6. This is my first "Jag" and even though the fuel economy is not great, the way it rides and peoples reaction to the name and car design more than makes up for its deficiency. The all wheel drive and brake feel are reassuring in inclement weather and the ivory interior is pleasing to the eye, elegant as in british sophistication. If you are looking for head turning reactions and pride of ownership in this price range go for the Jaguar X-Type.

• 

  All I hoped for and more - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Jonty12 - October 31 - 12:30 am

  The build quality in my X-Type is excellent. No squeaks or rattles, nothing broken. The carÂ’s a blast to drive. More fun than my Eclipse GSX. Smooth manual transmission allows for great acceleration and passing speed. Fantastic cornering ability. The ride is so quiet you dont realize how fast youre going (100 mph sneaks up). You arenÂ’t jarred by every bump like you are in some of the competition. The sound system is superb, and the navigation system is first rate. Im very pleased.

• 

  Love My Jag! - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By Lydia - October 30 - 6:56 am

  I just bought a "certifed" Jaguar 2 months ago. The car is fun to drive, responsive and very comfortable. It came very well equipped. If your looking for an X type--buy used. The depreciation is very high on a new X type which is why I went used.

• 

  An Audi Alternative - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Jim Stiehl - October 27 - 4:46 pm

  I am a Audi A6 fan but didnt want a third car of the same. The S-Type has been a great alternative. Performance on snow and ice, and the radio is better with the Audi but comfort, style, and how you feel looking over the hood is clearly better with Jag. I sense that people are looking at me when I pull up in this car. Specifically, on comfort, the A6 causes a twinge of back pain after 300 miles but not the Jag. Seats are clearly more comfortable. Jag has a winner here and I am very pleased with this car.

• 

  Traded both of my Mercedes on a 2003! - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Ron Zarantenello - October 22 - 2:00 am

  This 30-something, single urban male was ready to purchase Mercedes #7 when I decided to try out the (03 2.5, auto) X-Type, based on a friends comments of his 2002 model. WOW! What a fun (not so little) car. Insurance costs went DOWN! I love the handling with the AWD - the Benz would just sit and spin when pulling away from a stop light in wet conditions. This car just wants to go! Summary: Love It!