Best Sports Sedans

The BMW 3 Series wins by a landslide

Once again, we found more recommendations for the 2011 BMW 3 Series sedan (Base MSRP: $34,600 to $44,150) than any other sports sedan. It has won 15 consecutive All-Star awards from Automobile Magazine and 19 straight 10Best awards from Car and Driver, where experts say "extraordinary precision" gives drivers "instant confidence."

"In short, it's the car we'd like to drive every day," Car and Driver says of the 3 Series -- in fact, "more of our staff has spent their own money to buy a 3 Series than any other car." Edmunds.com editors call it "one of the finest automobiles on the globe."

Although every car must make compromises, the BMW 3 Series sports sedan manages to excel at many different and seemingly mutually exclusive tasks. It's powerful but respectably fuel-efficient (19 to 27 mpg combined, depending on the model). It's comfortable on the highway -- quiet and smooth -- and one of the best friends you could hope for on a curvy road, reviews say. The driver's relationship with the car is what's most notable in a sports sedan -- the balance between the driver's action and the vehicle's feedback and response. In this respect, auto writers say the BMW 3 Series gets it just right.

"Automotive journalists like us often wax poetic about the 3 Series, but there's a reason for that: It's just that good," Edmunds.com says.

The BMW 3 Series gets twice as many nods from our sources as its closest rivals, but experts say competitors from Audi and Infiniti are very good choices, each with its own particular strengths. Both offer optional all-wheel drive and -- unlike the BMW -- include leather seats as standard equipment.

The 2012 Audi A4 sedan (Base MSRP: $32,500 to $33,300) costs less than the entry-level BMW 328i and boasts perfect crash ratings at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Testers say it's fun in corners, although not as precise as the BMW, but its turbocharged four-cylinder engine can't quite keep up with the six-cylinders in this class.

The 2011 Infiniti G sedan (Base MSRP: $32,000 to $41,550) gets a new entry-level trim this year, the Infiniti G25 -- and it's just as sporty and agile as its big brother, early reviews say. "The 2011 Infiniti G25 features a 218-hp V6 that should prove to be just enough for most while also getting slightly better fuel economy" than the Infiniti G37, Edmunds.com says. Still, it's the speedy G37 that Car and Driver calls "one of our favorite sports sedans," with its 328-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6. In a Car and Driver comparison, it's faster than the BMW 328i, and it ties it in braking and skidpad tests, but editors still prefer the BMW's more tactile steering and perfect-feeling driver's seat, clutch and shifter. However, other experts give greater weight to the Infiniti because it has more features for the price, and it is a top pick at Edmunds.com, Cars.com, Kelley Blue Book and ConsumerGuide.com.

The latest sports sedan to snag a spot on this A-list, the 2012 Volvo S60 (Base MSRP: $30,975 to $42,275) wows critics with its curvy, coupelike body and refreshingly minimalist Swedish style. Although not as sporty as a BMW 3 Series, it hangs nicely with the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The S60 also offers a slew of optional safety features, including a new one designed to automatically brake the car to a halt to avoid hitting a pedestrian. It's a finalist in Motor Trend's Car of the Year contest, an Automobile Magazine All-Star, a Top Safety Pick at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, one of CNET's top five tech cars and two out of three car critics at The New York Times pick it as one of the 10 best cars of the year: James G. Cobb calls it "the most exciting, endearing Volvo I've driven," and Lawrence Ulrich finds the S60 "impossible to ignore."

Lagging a bit in handling and speed (at least their competitively priced base models) are the 2011 Cadillac CTS sedan (Base MSRP: $35,345 to $49,700) and the 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (Base MSRP: $33,990 to $39,990). Still, both earn a few enthusiastic nods from respected sources like Edmunds.com and ConsumerGuide.com -- the Cadillac for being spacious and elegant, and the Benz for being prestigious and solidly built. Reviews say that if you like Mercedes-Benz, you won't be disappointed with the C-Class. However, several experts note that the Cadillac CTS sedan suffers from poor reliability. Even Edmunds.com, which picks the CTS as one of its Top Recommended sedans, says it "still trails the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G37 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in terms of quality and handling."

Other sports sedans get elbowed out of the recommendations by the big names in this class. The 2012 Acura TL (Base MSRP: $35,605 to $39,155) earns praise for its aptly named (and optional) Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, and a styling refresh this year subdues the beak-shaped nose that critics have panned for years. The less athletic 2012 Lincoln MKZ (Base MSRP: $34,645 to $36,535) is one of the most reliable sports sedans you can buy, according to two top consumer surveys, but more than one critic gets the uncomfortable feeling that they're driving "just a mildly upgraded [Ford] Fusion," as TheTruthAboutCars.com's Michael Karesh says after testing the MKZ. The 2011 Lexus IS (Base MSRP: $33,295 to $42,180) has a sporty look, but experts say it's not all that sporty to drive.

Value sports sedans

If you want to drive a status symbol, you'll probably ignore the 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedan (Base MSRP: $34,200 to $46,500), reviews say. But if you want a big, powerful, luxurious sports sedan that reminds reviewers of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (Base MSRP: $49,400 to $59,600) or 2011 BMW 5 Series (Base MSRP: $45,050 to $62,500) for thousands less, experts say the Genesis is a very smart buy.

Cars.com's David Thomas says the "posh" Genesis reminds him of the ultra-luxe Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Base MSRP: $91,000 to $158,050). But does the Genesis sedan drive like those superstars? Well, not quite, reviews say, but a tweaked suspension noticeably improves handling for 2012. The base V6 engine in the rear-wheel-drive Hyundai Genesis 3.8 sedan packs enough power (at such a reasonable price) that critics recommend it more often than the step-up V8 models, including the new 5.0-liter V8-powered Hyundai Genesis R-Spec.

The Genesis boasts excellent crash ratings, carries an impressive warranty (five years/60,000 miles basic, 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain) and includes heated leather seats, Bluetooth and a CD stereo with satellite radio and integrated iPod controls. "If it weren't for the sweeping 'H' Hyundai logo on the Genesis' steering wheel, we're convinced that most drivers would think they were driving a Lexus," Edmunds.com says. Still, there are two things you cannot get on a 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedan: There's no folding backseat and no all-wheel drive.

Other value-priced sports sedans aren't as luxurious as the Hyundai Genesis, reviews say, but they do cost less. These relatively budget-friendly options come in all sorts of personalities, from noisy rally cars to quiet cruisers.

The 2011 Acura TSX (Base MSRP: $29,610 to $35,150) falls somewhere in the middle, reviews say -- upscale and agile, but with dead steering feel and a tepid base four-cylinder engine. A V6 version quickens the pace and gives more steering feedback, but critics are divided as to whether it handles as nimbly as the lighter base model. High reliability, fuel economy and crash protection make the Acura TSX a top choice of practical-minded sources including Kelley Blue Book and Cars.com, but critics aren't crazy about it's styling – especially the "chrome beak" out front, as more than one reviewer calls it.

The all-new 2011 Buick Regal (Base MSRP: $26,360 to $28,860) markets itself as a direct competitor to the Acura TSX, and reviews say there's certainly no trace of the unexciting and forgettable Regals of the late-1990s and early 2000s in this new sports sedan. Critics find the Regal's pros and cons remarkably similar to the TSX's -- both offer a quality cabin and athletic handling, but with numb steering and a four-cylinder engine that some call competent, but others call slow. Overall, though, it's a winner in reviews: The New York Times says the handsome Regal "might be the best-looking sedan from any American automaker," and it's a finalist for Motor Trend's 2011 Car of the Year award.

Luxury sports sedans

Some luxury sports sedans are more athletic. Some cost less. But experts recommend the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan (Base MSRP: $49,400 to $59,600) more often than any other.

A running theme in reviews is the E-Class's reassuring, confident solidity -- "an obsession with perfection," from the entry-level Mercedes-Benz E350's (Base MSRP: $49,400 to $51,900) hefty-feeling headlight switch to its unflappable grip on a rain-slick road in Autoblog.com's test.

"It's hard to describe, but there's an overall sense of satisfaction, competence and experience that's somehow baked into the fiber of this car," says Inside Line, which rates the step-up Mercedes-Benz E550 (Base MSRP: $57,100 to $59,600) better than rivals from BMW, Infiniti and Jaguar in head-to-head tests. 

Unless you really crave speed, experts say the entry-level E350's V6 engine is more than enough. The E550 pours on the power with a 382-horsepower, 5.5-liter V8 engine, and both come with a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. The maxed-out Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (Base MSRP: $87,600) is covered in our section on Performance Sedans.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class may be the plushest of the luxury sports sedans, but critics say the runner-up 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan (Base MSRP: $45,050 to $62,500) and 2012 Audi A6 sedan (Base MSRP: $41,700 to $49,900) are more athletic, and they cost several thousand dollars less.

Cars.com, ConsumerGuide.com and Kelley Blue Book judge the A6 to be a particularly good value -- especially with its punchy optional 300-horsepower, 3-liter, supercharged V6 (a 2.0-liter turbo four comes standard). Car and Driver calls the revamped 2012 A6 "pretty close to perfection"; it gets beautiful cabin detailing, a lightweight aluminum suspension and body panels, and advanced tech options like wireless hotspot capability for up to eight computers and a nav system with voice and handwriting recognition. The all-new 2012 Audi A7 (Base MSRP: $59,250) strikes experts as -- happily -- very similar to the latest A6, but it's wrapped in a fluid, five-door sportback body that Car and Driver says "could be the most beautiful of all Audis."

The newly redesigned 2011 BMW 5 Series is bigger and heavier than before – experts say it's basically a shortened version of the luxe 2011 BMW 7 Series (Base MSRP: $70,650 to $137,300) -- which is great if you're looking for opulence. But several sources, -- including Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Autoblog.com, TheTruthAboutCars.com and Popular Mechanics -- say the beefier 5 Series has lost a bit of its sporty edge, although they still find it more athletic than the E-Class. 

If you're looking for something sexier, reviews say you should get an eyeful of either the 2012 Jaguar XF (Base MSRP: $53,000 to $68,100) or the 2012 Infiniti M (Base MSRP: $47,700 to $61,600). The curvy Jag "screams sex appeal," says Michael Freed at TheTruthAboutCars.com, and the equally sleek Infiniti M is "Japan's Jaguar," says Wes Siler at Jalopnik.com. Both prove agile and very quick in tests, too -- right at home with Germany's best.

Performance sedans

Car and Driver calls the BMW M3 (Base MSRP: $55,900) "perhaps the best car on the planet," and the 2011 version is no different: It is critics' favorite performance sedan. "The perfect all-around car for enthusiasts," Edmunds.com says, "from track-day shenanigans to the daily commute … a sports car that doesn't look like a sports car."

Testers usually cite the same two complaints about the M3: a cramped backseat and pricey options. Otherwise, experts say they love this car. They love the roar of the V8 at full throttle, the scalpel-sharp cornering, the tenacious grip and the way the M3 seems to meld with its driver. "Go for the M3, thank us later," Car and Driver recommends.

Although it's less precise than the BMW M3, the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V sedan (Base MSRP: $62,360) is no slouch on the curves, testers say, plus it's got a monster  556-horsepower, 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 engine that will eat up the BMW on the straightaways. The CTS-V beats the M3 in a head-to-head test at TheTruthAboutCars.com, although tester Mike Solowiow says the M3 is still the better choice if you "prefer finesse to raw thrills." Still, its slight deficit of finesse places the CTS-V a bit behind high-performance rivals from Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW in shootouts at Car and Driver and Motor Trend, but the fact that they can be mentioned in the same breath "shows how far Caddy has come from the days when most of its customers left their teeth in a glass by the bed at night," Motor Trend's Angus MacKenzie says.

Low on luxury -- but high on thrills -- is the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (Base MSRP: $33,995 to $37,195). The Evo beats its arch-rival, the 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI sedan (Base MSRP: $33,995 to $37,345), in an off-road rally course test at Road & Track. Both of these all-wheel-drive hot rods attract rabid devotees, but for years critics have preferred the Evolution as the "rawer, tougher and most importantly faster" of the two, as Jonny Lieberman puts it in a review for Autoblog.com. Edmunds.com agrees that the Evo carves curves better than the STi, but says "raw" is right: The interior's "fine for an economy car but disappointing for a vehicle costing about $35,000."