The Best Luxury Sedans
The Luxury Cars that We Love
On the socials, on the airwaves, and across the country, there’s a growing movement to take down SUVs. I get it. They take up tons of space, consume far too much fuel, and raise questions about how they could endanger pedestrians due to their massive curb weight and proportions.
As a responsible automotive journalist, I suggest a different approach. Remember cars? Cars are still for sale. A car has everything that most people need.
Cars can also be more fun to drive. A sporty car is responsive to corners and stops. Driving cars doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing cargo space, because, in modern sedans, every ounce of cubic space has been maximized for storage, far beyond the standard set of golf clubs. And let’s be honest, unless you have more than five people in your immediate family, those few times you offer to carpool are not necessarily worth the decision to bump up into a seven-seater. The extra space will cost more in gas, be more difficult to maneuver, and more expensive to park.
I present to you the Le Car Luxury sedan list. Some of these makes and models may seem far out of range, but take this as a benchmark for cars as a transportation option. A deeper dig into the segment will reveal many great affordable options. If your car is your own personal castle, these are fine options to consider.
Mercedes-Benz EQS and S-Class
I once met a couple who’d built their own landscaping business. It was actually started by her and over the years, he’d tailored his life to support his partner’s growing empire. She started from scratch in New Jersey, born in a blue car family, and was wildly successful. From what I gleaned, she was among the go-to companies for designing the greenery in front of large important looking office buildings. The couple split their time between New York and a home in West Hampton, where her greatest pleasure was doting on her adult son’s friends, and hosting grand parties by the pool. The home was big, but not overly ostentatious. Candy dishes were everywhere, overflowing with colorful Snicker, Skittles and Starbursts. She was whip-thin, and in her 60s was yoga chic and sharp. She told affectionate stories about her employees, and I wanted to believe she wasn’t a cruel boss. She told me her last five cars had been Mercedes-Benz S-Classes. She loved everything about that speed boat on wheels. And yes, I say speed boat, because driving an S-Class is like gliding on the water, even in the face of treacherous surfaces. While there are exotic Rolls-Royces, and elegant Audi A8s, the flagship Benz is unique in its stature. Maybe there’s a whiff of Lewis Hamilton’s mesmerizing performance in Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 cars informing my current brand bias, but there’s something about the S-Class that always feels best-in-class capable. When the new S-Class arrived, stuffed with tech options, such as the hyperscreen, and superb performance skills. I’ll bet the landscaping queen of West Hampton has already made her pre-order, wherever she is.
Lexus 300H
Early in my auto journalism career, I worked with purists who had narrow definitions on the definition of what made a car good. The ability to take corners and reach breakneck speeds ranked at the top of the list. They would eye roll over the Lexus brand, and therefore missed the point. Over the last few years of driving hundreds of cars, I’ve expanded my own definition of what I admire about a car’s attributes. A good car can also display a silky smooth disposition. And silkiness is the defining characteristic of Lexus, and why so many people show up for the brand, again and again. A Lexus is more than a shiny Toyota, and the ES is arguably one of the most cozy mid-size luxury sedans on the market that wins for consistency. Even better is the efficient ES 300h hybrid variant that earns an impressive 41 miles per gallon. It triples the efficiency of what some SUVs on the road today earn, and one more way to define what makes a car “good.”
Tesla Model S
It’s hard to talk about modern car companies and not mention Tesla. The upstart automaker has built a shiny, sexy brand based on the promise of a glossy, greener and techno future that transformed the entire automotive industry. While the first Tesla was a roadster, the Model S sedan is the car that made Tesla go mainstream in 2012. It’s still a potent offering of all-electric power, a swoopy exterior form, and sophisticated driving experience. While the Model S is no longer the new car on the block, it’s prowess has withstood the test of electrified competitors, and inwardly it keeps getting better. Part of this is due to Tesla’s over-the-air updates, and a new motor and refinements to the suspension on its most recent version. When it comes to going the distance, the Long Range Plus model can go for 402 miles before requiring a recharge, and may soon be able to access Tesla’s new supercharging network.
BMW 5 Series
Life is stressful, and your car shouldn’t be. Enter the BMW 5 Series, a soothing, luxury ride that still kicks out a strong pulse. I once visited the BMW Museum in Munich, and saw dashing examples of its design evolution, an affirmation that BMWs stand the test of time. While the 5 isn’t as racy as other models — such as the M cars in its lineup — it checks all the boxes as an enticing car to drive and one that delivers on the brand promise of German engineering and signage designed in a Helvetica font.
The 5 Series is a standard-bearer for the luxury sedan. It’s the understated old-schooler that exudes effortless clout. The 5 comes with hefty trunk space for making this a do-all ride that does more than just flex its luxury label on the streets. The cabin is super quiet, and ideal for conference calls. It also is available in multiple personalities -- as a plug-in hybrid that can drive for 21 miles on electric power before switching over to gasoline. For the driver that craves aggressive performance behind the wheel, there’s the enthusiast pick, the M550i. Most people will fall in one of the models somewhere in between, all of which have respectable performance figures and earn a place in the BMW cult of enthusiasm.
Porsche Panamera
The Porsche Panamera makes me think of Tiffany. I drove with Tiffany once and noticed that driving makes her smile big. The Panamera is Tiffany’s dream car, a fact that shatters the stereotype that people her age don’t want cars. Tiffany is in her late 20s, which makes her the last of the millennial generation. She grew up in Dallas and finished business school at the University of Michigan last year. After earning her MBA, she moved back to Texas for her job, and needed to buy a car. What first struck Tiffany about the Panamera is its standout styling, which commands a bold sense of arrival. Tiffany and I sorted through pre-owned Porsche options, and by the time her new job started, she was the owner of a pre-owned 2016 Porsche Panamera. The Panamera has since received a refresh, and a more favored design, but with its hefty price Tiffany couldn’t spring for a brand new model.
Tiffany’s right — what makes the Panamera exciting is that it doesn’t look like any other vehicle on the road. What makes it fun to drive is the engineering excellence under the hood.Tiffany is still working toward her career goals, but when she achieves them, the next thing on her list is a brand new Porsche Panamera.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Alfa Romeo is an insider car geek’s brand. If you don’t subscribe to a big car magazine and you didn’t watch the 2014 Super Bowl to learn of its relaunch with the 4C sports car, you might have even missed it altogether. Sometimes it seems like the insiders want to keep this sports star of a sedan all to themselves. Why? Because it’s a unique, super-fun-to-drive looker. If you need a primer on the history of the Alfa brand, check out our coverage of the 110-year-old maker’s Italian lineage. But for modern purposes, the Giulia is one of the funkiest options on the road today. Italians prefer to refer to their cars with the she/her pronoun, and so “she’s” worth considering for the driver that favors intelligent, daring and adventurous sedan at a reasonable price. The newest Giulia model has added a bigger touch screen and partially autonomous driving features, delivering more new-age tech to this nifty iconic sports sedan, which will make the insider car geeks jealous.
Audi A6
If you’re like me and wear black almost all the time, the Audi aesthetic might suit your vibe. Where the Audi shines bright is its interior design execution, and since drivers will spend more time on the inside of their vehicles, this category is important. The composition is modern, minimalist, and clean. The A6 is not a race car in its intention, but more like a seductive modern living room. In fact, the Audi S7 is the sportier version of this model, if rip-roaring performance is what you crave. Audi made the S-lineup for those purposes. The A6 engine is plenty capable for any daily driving on the calendar and guarantees you always will arrive in the utmost style.
Volvo V90 Cross Country
I snuck a wagon onto this list of luxury cars. It’s a valid argument. For one, station wagons sit low like cars. What I love best about wagons is that they drive like cars, too! The V90 is one of the more elegant wagons on the market. Form and function find harmony in this Swedish staple. The V90 makes my list of test cars that I didn’t want to give back when the test drive was over. Its understated decadence make it liveable and a joy to scoot around in. On the inside, the V90 uses the same iPad-like tablet for navigation as the XC90 SUV, a tech-meets-design vibe that I appreciate. One look at the spacious trunk compartment should be enough to sway the customer that still thinks they need an SUV to haul groceries in their getter. Schlepping bric-a-brac was the reason for the first wagons, which appeared in 1910 around train stations to cart luggage. A little known fact is that a good wagon earns mad props on the streets among true car enthusiasts. There’s no better way to be car nerdy cool, sans the pretension.
Genesis G80
Genesis G80
Let’s talk about the Genesis brand. If this prompt was followed by a confused pause, rest easy because you’re not alone if this name does not ring a bell. The downside is that no one knows what you’re driving, but the upside is that no one knows what you’re driving. And that means your shopping for what you like to look at and not what others think. So buying a Genesis now means you end up with more car for your money. That’s the benefit of being a Genesis customer in its sixth year of being on the market as the luxury spinoff of the Korean Hyundai brand. The G70, the sports sedan, is chock-full of all the latest tech and performance tweaks that make a sports sedan feel fancy on the inside. Genesis also makes the G80 and G90, two elongated versions of the same blueprint. It’s always better to be early, Imagine going back to 1988 and being among the first to drive a Lexus model, and later earning those bragging rights.
Hyundai Ioniq 6
Everyone always asks me about my favorite car. In fact, that’s why we started Le Car in the first place, to figure out the answer to that question. I’ve served on the jury for the World Car of the Year since 2016, where we scrutinize all the new vehicles introduced for the year in multiple categories. It say something about design, quality, and innovation when the Hyundai Ioniq cleaned up all the categories as its betters itself for number six.