So, after years of toil, you’ve arrived – a six figure salary, 80 hour workweeks, and Blackberry-enhanced vacations. But it’s not all toil at the executive level – you get to dump the Accord, and drop 50 or 60 large on a first-class luxury sedan.
But we’re not talking about yesterday’s luxury sedans, which handled like the Exxon Valdez – we’re talking about high-performance sedans that can pin you back in your seat, run like a sports car in the corners, coddle you in sybaritic comfort, and dazzle your friends with their high-tech toys.
Mercedes-Benz invented this market segment with the E-class, and BMW followed suit with the 5-series; these German warriors are still the top sellers in this class, so they’re represented here, respectively, by the all-new E350 and 535xi. From down the road in Ingolstadt comes the Audi A6, newly invigorated for 2009 with a supercharged engine.
But Deutschland isn’t the only source of dream sedans – England has a long tradition of making sumptuous sedans with scoot, and the sexy new Jaguar XF carries on a classy tradition, without the Camelot-era styling. Japan got into the game quite a while ago, bringing the concept of value to the luxury sport sedan segment. That tradition is represented here by the Lexus GS350 and Infiniti M35. In theory, the Volvo S80 and Acura RL could have been invited, but frankly, embarrassment is not something you dole out lightly.
So which one of our six success-mobiles fits the bill best? Each day this week we’ll roll out another result, working towards our test winner on Friday.
Second Place: Audi A6 3.0T
Third Place: Jaguar XF
Fourth Place: Lexus GS350
Fifth Place: Mercedes-Benz E350
Sixth Place: Infiniti M35x
77 Comments on “Import Sport Sedan Comparison Test: An Introduction...”
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AWD Bimmer…
your choice or BMWNA PR’s?
Infiniti is already showing the next-gen M, and stylistically at least it’s a major step up.
No Cadillac CTS? The STS might be a more direct competitor, but it’s less competitive, and also not here.
What, no Hyundai Genesis?
As far as these cars being luxury cars and handling well I think BMW defined the “sport sedan” class when mercedes still making big heavy German cars that were a European alternative to Caddies and Lincons
@Michael Karesh: “Import” Sedans…So CTS is out until China buys GM.
@Austin Greene “What, no Hyundai Genesis?”
Seconding this. Not sure if it’s lacking in the “Sport” or the “Snobbery” category, but where’s the little Korean upstart here for the guys who made their money by saving it?
“Infiniti is already showing the next-gen M, and stylistically at least it’s a major step up.”
Recent Infinities have god-awful, flaky exterior styling, the exaxct opoosite of “FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION”.
I am not impressed with any of the Lexus GS styles, they neither project an image of power or strength and safety.
Unfortunately both BMW under bangle and Mercedes after Bruno Sacco lost their way styling-wise. Which explains why the understated Audis are so successful currently.
I’d love to see where the Hyundai Genesis fits next to the Lexus and Infinity.
Silly me.
I thought 80 hour workweeks & 6 figure salaries helped you put down 20% on a house…..
I’ll stick with my STi at just over $30k out the door.
****I’d love to see where the Hyundai Genesis fits next to the Lexus and Infinity****
Since this is the truth about cars I’d like to know how much is pissed away when you buy the right name.
Unfortunately though Hyundai technically makes a great lux. car, it will be decades (or perhaps never) when Hyundai/Korea has the same visceral/emotional/impress-your-inlaws response as a Merc/BMW/Jag.
I’ll be rooting for the XF.
My subaru should impress the in-laws. I don’t think they’ve ever seen one in person (Brazil), let alone an STi. I guess that doesn’t apply to most people with in-laws in the US.
With that being said, There are so many Mercedes around here I don’t know if it would impress US in-laws either.
I see the “import,” but question the logic of comparing only imports.
Also agree that the Genesis belongs here.
But maybe these cars were selected by one of the manufacturers? No manufacturer is going to include the Genesis in a ride-and-drive.
“Also agree that the Genesis belongs here.”
I assume you mean the Genesis SEDAN and not its fraudulently named so-called “Genesis” coupe that tries to capitalize on the good press the sedan has received.
Even the V8 genesis sedan, much less the 6, does not belong here. The Genesis is a great VALUE and offers some interior luxury and power, but ZERO refinement, which is really what makes the BMWs, Audis and Mercs stand out.
If you include the Genesis Sedan, all kinds of others will want to be included too, from the Chrysler 300 Hemi to the Taurus and Lincoln MKS Ecoboost, the Pontiac G8, and maybe a supercharged Buick or two.
I would have like to have seen the Lincoln Ecoboost MKS as well. Not because I think it would win, but to understand where specifically the gap between it and the winner lies.
Frankly, I would buy the Accord Sedan v6 with far more confidence than the Genesis Sedan v6. And probably save quite a bundle. For those with less sporty preferences, get an Avalon. Plenty powerful and bulletproof reliable.
Sad to see neither a Saab nor a Volvo is included. It’s an “import sedan” comparison after all, not a “luxury import sedan” one. Not many years ago, the Swedes would at least be included in this kind of tests, even if they, as front drivers if for no other reason, usually got it handed to them.
I thought 80 hour workweeks & 6 figure salaries helped you put down 20% on a house…..
I had a friend who put 100k down on a house and then had to relocate for his job – the whole 100k was lost. If he had bought a S-class or 7 series he’d at least still have a car that was worth at least something.
It’s sad, really, when a bunch of $80k cars only gets a yawn from me. None of these vehicles are all that desirable, really, but they are expensive.
The positive thing about the German sedans is that they depreciate like mad. I can see the future of the E350 in three years, and it says $20k on the window sticker…
Saab and Volvo are near-luxury, but since they both were once owned by domestics and are near death, why bother to include them
ANd the test should be called Luxury Import sedans, not even near-Luxury. otherwise we would have to include the Avalon, the ES350, the Accord and there is no end in sight.
jmo> was he foreclosed? He should have been able to sell it. Either that or get another job….he must be paid alot to just “give up” 100k on the house. There are a lot of details missing from your post.
Rob,
He bought the place for 480k then got transferred he could only get 375k. He couldn’t afford to carry two mortgages. He does make good money but in this economy he doubted he would be able to find a job in a timely manner if he didn’t take the transfer.
He should have been able to sell it.
In his case he did sell it just for far less than he paid. While others are doing short sales or brining money to the closing – he just had to write off his downpayment.
Again, if he had bought a really nice car instead it would have much more sense than buying a home.
A gently used MB E63, silver, panorama roof for about $45k thank you very much.
Twotone
The title of this is “Import Sport Sedan”. So the Hyundai has no business here, nor the Avalon, nor an Accord V6. Been in all of them, and sport was the last thing they reminded me of. Yawn….
On the other hand, the title doesn’t mention “Luxury” either, so there at least a half dozen other contenders.
Time to be a bit more careful with the headline title, methinks.
“So the Hyundai has no business here, nor the Avalon, nor an Accord V6.”
I agree with excluding the avalon and the huyndai, but the Accord v6 is far sportier than the (non-AMG) E class Mercedes will ever be.
And Accords were always far sportier and far better handlers than their main rivals Toyotas. I did not mention the Camry for that reason.
I owned a 5-sp 90 Accord coupe for more than 14 years, and I know its virtues.
jmo> Sounds like that is a pretty rare case — he overpaid in a bad market.
I’m liking this comparison. I’ve only driven an A6 though (not my favorite car). I do wish I were driving them all.
he overpaid in a bad market.
Isn’t that what basically caused the economic crisis?
Thanks for this test. My E39 5-series is getting on in years and I have no idea what to replace it with. Please feel free to comment on the shape you think these autobahn stormers will be in after a few years, i.e. what life will be like for the second owner. I can’t help but wonder how long the wiring for gizmos like iDrive or brake-by-wire will stay functional.
Rather than argue about what cars should be included, I want to know what happened to the ones that are. If there are six competitors (Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Infiniti M, Jaguar XF, Lexus GS, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class), why did we start with fifth place? If there was a tie, why doesn’t it say “tied for fifth”, and if the articles will count down one per day until Friday, where would the second fifth-place finisher show up?
Robstar :
October 19th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
jmo> Sounds like that is a pretty rare case — he overpaid in a bad market.
Just like every single person who bought a house in California, Florida, Nevada, or Arizona between 2004 and 2007. Not all that rare.
Example: I personally purchased a foreclosed house for $150k in Riverside, CA this May. The last guy paid $400k in Dec. 2005.
I’m with carsinamerica. I also couldn’t help but notice there are only five cars pictured. Don’t know which one is missing though. I recognize the Merc, BMW and Audi, but beyond that no clue. What can I say? To me, luxury is a Neon with Power Locks and AC.
hurls :
October 19th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
AWD Bimmer…
your choice or BMWNA PR’s?
Good point, and one I should clarify. I live in Denver, and you simply can’t find RWD versions of these cars.
The exception, of course, is the Jaguar, which is not available in AWD.
Hope that clarifies things. Thanks for the question.
Michael Karesh :
October 19th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Infiniti is already showing the next-gen M, and stylistically at least it’s a major step up.
No Cadillac CTS? The STS might be a more direct competitor, but it’s less competitive, and also not here.
Michael –
Again, good point. The M isn’t going to be available for a few months.
As far as the STS is concerned…frankly, I drove it, and it just wasn’t up to snuff in this group. It suffers from dead steering, and no-joy handling. I excluded the Acura and Volvo for the same reasons. Hopefully Caddy is putting the same folks who rebooted the CTS on a redesign for the STS – the basics are there.
I was tempted to include the CTS, since it splits the difference size-wise between entry-lux cars like the BMW 3-series and the ones in this test, but after a lot of reflection, I came to the conclusion that it truly plays in the compact sports sedan segment, not this one.
Look for a test of the CTS coming up, though… :)
Austin Greene :
October 19th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
What, no Hyundai Genesis?
Nope. Nice piece, but I doubt anyone who’s considering a $60,000 BMW will really cross shop Hyundai. Part of the rationale for buying a car like this is prestige – whether that’s right or wrong, smart or stupid is a good question – and Hyundai has no cred in this regard.
And while it has the basics to compete in this class, it definitely lacks the handling finesse you expect of a car in this group.
Maybe a Genesis / Taurus SHO / Chrysler 300C test in the future?
SherbornSean :
October 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I would have like to have seen the Lincoln Ecoboost MKS as well.
So would I, but there wasn’t one available to test when I wrote this.
‘I’d love to see where the Hyundai Genesis fits next to the Lexus and Infinity.”
Why in the world would they include a Hyunda? Say that to yourself- Hyundai. You know, crappy cheap fall-apart in 5 yr Hyundai!
“As far as the STS is concerned…frankly, I drove it, and it just wasn’t up to snuff in this group. It suffers from dead steering, and no-joy handling.”
This is a case where the specific options make a difference. I’ll bet you drove a V6 version. The V8 performance luxury package brings the magnetic ride control shocks which transform the handling. IMHO, equipped like this the STS is a much better car. There’s no appreciable body roll and it’s a lot of fun on back roads.
As far as entry-lux brands go, the Saab 9-5 would have been interesting to include if you could have somehow gotten the ‘10 model, otherwise it would have just gotten its ass kicked.
Sure, I would have liked to see an MKS, STS (V8), S80, and the TL just for comparison’s sake, but that would have also almost doubled the testing field!
regarding the sts, it is the worst thought out car in its class.
the glovebox is usless and tiny. thanks to the airbag it is too low to see into and doesnt even fit the owners manual. the transmission is in the wrong place/too large and there is no leg room for the front passanger, and its way to expensive for what it is. i really dont know what they were thinking when they designed the interior.
I’m a Hyundai Genesis fan, but it doesn’t belong in this test. The reason: price.
I cross shopped the Genesis with CPO BMW’s for this reason. I doubt I’m the only one.
BMWnut:
I’ve got an e39 as well, and am considering an e38 7 series for fitting car seats and clients in the back as well as the lack of toys I don’t want that you articulated (although the 7 has other regular maintenance issues). Not so concerned about drive by wire, but all the other electrical doodads that do nothing but distract from enjoying the car.
Am I the only one who laughed at the idea that six figures qualifies you to spend 50 large on a car? Maybe MID 6 figures….or maybe if you are leasing. I make well over 100K a year and cringe at the thought of spending more than 25K on a car. I don’t have the luxury of throwing money out the window. Not with kids in college and 30K miles a year on my vehicle.
but unlike real car magazines you have to wait a whole d-mned week to get the results of the comparison test you started reading.
i thought the internet was supposed to increase the speed of information.
stupid waiting…
Acura RL may not be suitable for this test. How about a TL?
I mean if you compare a TL to an A6, they are very similar in size, power, and layout (front biased AWD). One has a beak, they other one has an infamous big mouth. A perfect match!
My prediction for the ranking:
1) Jag, because it will be too MSM to make the bimmer No.1
2) 535, see above
3) A6, see below
4) GS, it’s a Toyota
bunkie :
October 20th, 2009 at 11:06 am
This is a case where the specific options make a difference. I’ll bet you drove a V6 version. The V8 performance luxury package brings the magnetic ride control shocks which transform the handling. IMHO, equipped like this the STS is a much better car. There’s no appreciable body roll and it’s a lot of fun on back roads.
You’re right, I didn’t drive the V-8, so I’ll take your word on it, but here’s the problem: option it up to match the others in this test (big engine, AWD), and you’re talking 70 large.
wsn :
October 20th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Acura RL may not be suitable for this test. How about a TL?
I mean if you compare a TL to an A6, they are very similar in size, power, and layout (front biased AWD). One has a beak, they other one has an infamous big mouth. A perfect match!
LOL…yeah, I tried both the RL and TL. The TL is just too downmarket to fit here. The RL has the luxury component, and it’s not bad to drive, but it’s not a sedan with sporting intentions.
And I hated the steering on the TL – it felt like one of those mid-’80s arcade driving games with artificial road feel. Yecch.
wsn :
October 20th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
My prediction for the ranking:
1) Jag, because it will be too MSM to make the bimmer No.1
2) 535, see above
3) A6, see below
4) GS, it’s a Toyota
We shall see… :)
@ BMWnut and JKRoss…
If you’re thinking about trading, consider an off-lease 7-series. Thanks to Chris Bangle and IDrive, the resale on those cars is God-awful, but if get one that’s ‘06 or newer, with the IDrive and styling updates, and skip the stupid stuff like the active steering, it’s really a magnificent car to drive.
I’ve seen three-year-old examples locally with 20-30,000 miles for $45-50,000, with CPO warranties. The current 7 goes for $90,000 or so. Amazing deal.
Jag??
Isn’t this a Tata? Sexed up, but as a thrice abandoned brand, one has to wander. Have you seen the resale price on used Jags lately?
Makes one want a 7 series.