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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  Thrilled - 2011 Jaguar XJ
  By Carolyn - August 23 - 10:00 am

  What a car! Ive been a Jaguar fan most of my life having owned 7 over 45 years. Ive also owned a BMW & MB. The first time I saw this new Jag was while passing it on an interstate, and I had the immediate reaction of missing the old XJ look. Then I started looking at photos and reading about it. My old XJL has over 212,000 miles on it so started driving & comparing several new luxury sedans. I saved the Jag for last. The beauty & performance of the car were stunning! After a week of testing the speed & cornering limits (mine, not the cars), Ive settled down to enjoying its stately side around town, like a grandmother should. I love the car!

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  Unbelievable Deal - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By Axiomlover - August 23 - 7:03 am

  At the year-end closing prices, this vehicle was impossible to pass. Interior is put together very, very well, just as any luxury vehicle should be. The 2.5 manual has a healthy accelaration and is very quiet. The road feel is typical of a European sedan and cornering is outstanding. The AWD makes you forget about snow, rain and gravel. The manual takes some getting used to, especially shifts from first to second. It is not a large car, especially in the back, but the trunk is larger than most competitors. I am looking forward to many months or years of fun every time I put the key in the ignition.

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  S-Type rules! - 2006 Jaguar S-Type
  By Salvatore Giunta - August 21 - 7:36 am

  When I saw the S-Type for the first time I fell in love with her. So I bought her simply because she looks marvelous and is a Jaguar. Then driving her I found that fantastic stylish was not all, power, ride and comfort are at the top. The best car in the world.

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  The Ultimate Sport Sedan - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Caliber35 - August 18 - 2:00 am

  Having driven and owned just about every make, the New XJ is simply the finest sedan on the road. It is fast, comfortable and luxurious transportation for four. The highway mileage is an unbelievable 30mpg cruising at 80mph. It is a big improvement over my previous S-Type, which I loved. Must be driven to be appreciated!

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  04 s r - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By jaguar74 - August 12 - 2:00 am

  Purrfect car that is much better than comparable high line high performance cars for the money.

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  great car - 2002 Jaguar XK-Series
  By jag lover - August 11 - 10:00 am

  Have just put 1000 miles and love everything about the vehicle. Comfort, performance, looks. I have had more people come up to me and talk about the car. A sheer beauty. I glad I sold my SC430, cant compare.

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  back to jag - 2002 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By jag lover - August 11 - 10:00 am

  After owning Jags since 1998, decided to try the LS430. After 3 weeks in the Lexus I knew I made a mistake. The Lexus felt like a van, cross winds, uncomfortable seats, road noise from the rear tires. I thought I sold my cabin cruiser in 1994. Back to Jaguar in 4 weeks. The drive, comfort, style, handling. Just sit in the car and let it go. It purrrs at 85 mph.

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  Love my X-Type 3.0 - 2006 Jaguar X-Type
  By Steve F - August 7 - 4:20 pm

  This is my first Jaguar. Was a bit concerned about reliability, but really loved the look and feel of this car. I decided to buy it, as it has a good warranty. Just got back on a 1800 mile road trip from Oregon to Montana. Got 26 MPG! Great road car. Fun to drive. Have almost 9000 total miles on the car, with NO problems or issues. The all wheel drive is great. The car is quiet and handles very well. Build quality is great. The dealership made buying a Jag the best experience I have ever had.

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  Movin on Up..... - 2005 Jaguar S-Type
  By Bill D. - August 6 - 10:46 am

  First imported luxury sedan. Captured by the looks and heritage. Held by the performance and pure enjoyment of the drive. Wife looks good and feels good in this vehicle. The 4.2L has enough power to make this car go. Braking and handling match the power plant. She gets what she wants and I get to have some fun too! Black exterior with charcoal gray interior look exceptional when shined up. Absolutely no regrets. Like a thoroughbred that wants to run all the time. I always feel like I have to hold her back. The car I mean.

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  Gorgeous Perfection - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By John - August 5 - 11:03 pm

  Have owned our Radiance Red/Ivory Leather Vandan Plas for 5.5 years now. It is still perfect in every way. It has never made a visit to the dealer for anything except routine maintenance. It gets 28-30 mpg on the highway.(Averaged 28.6 mpg on trip from New England to Florida a few years back and that average included local driving! Only weighs 3800 lbs due to Aluminum structure and ours was the 1st year of release and is short wheel based just as we like it. This has been our 2nd XJ (the only real Jag saloon) and both have been flawless. No one does luxury like the Brits!