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by Csaba Csere and Tony Swan
The staff of Car and Driver has been assembling an annual 10 Best list since the early 1980s, based on testing of all new cars (or those that have undergone a major revision), plus the last year's winners.… For the 2008 model year, two sports sedans make the cut. Making its 17th straight appearance, the BMW 3-Series "continues to be the perennial benchmark of the entry luxury-sports-coupe, -sedan, -convertible class." The other winner is the newly updated Cadillac CTS, with the subhead: "Finally ready for the big time."
by Arthur St. Antoine
For the past 58 years, Motor Trend has evaluated all the new or "significantly upgraded" vehicles on the market and selected a car of the year. Ratings are based on extensive evaluations of all 18 nominees.… For 2008, the winner is the Cadillac CTS. Staff editors were especially impressed with the car's styling, craftsmanship, handling, ride and optional navigation system. Editors also point out that the price and equipment of the base 258-hp CTS compares favorably to smaller competitors like the 230-hp BMW 328i sedan.
by Editors of Automobile magazine
Based on testing by the editors, Automobile magazine names a Car of the Year along with All-Star picks that just miss. Two sports sedans earn All-Star recognition: the repeat winner BMW 3-Series and the… Infiniti G35 sedan and G37 coupe. Editors give the Infiniti credit for providing "enjoyment per dollar that rivals the venerable BMW 3-Series." Road tests and/or comparison tests of each model can be found elsewhere on the Automobile website.
by Auto Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
While we are sometimes critical of Consumer Guide's reporting in other product categories, it does a terrific job evaluating automobiles. Although the cars are put through their paces on a test track,… greater weight is given to how a car performs in more typical driving on public roads. Cars are given numerical ratings in ten areas. Two cars score a Best Buy rating in the Premium Compact category: the BMW 3-Series and the Audi A4. Best Buys in the Premium Midsize group are the Cadillac CTS and Infiniti G, while the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger are winners in the Large Car category.
by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Top-rated vehicles in crash tests are honored by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with a Top Safety Pick award. Each of the vehicles must earn Good ratings in frontal, side-impact crash tests,… plus in evaluations of head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. In addition, each winning vehicle must offer electronic stability control. Other factors are not evaluated.
by Editors of Consumer Reports
While most of the Consumer Reports website requires a subscription to view, they post a public list of their top-rated vehicles in ten categories. The best car in the Upscale Sedan group is the Infiniti… G35, which Consumer Reports testers call "one of the highest-rated sedans we've tested." Eight additional sports sedans earn strong recommendations. More detailed information on each car can be found in the site's subscription-only sections. One of the best aspects of Consumer Reports auto coverage is its user-survey data on owner satisfaction and vehicle reliability.
by Staff of Motor Week
Motor Week annually chooses what they believe to be the best of the best based on the previous year's road tests. While the writeups on the cars here are brief, longer reports can be found elsewhere on the… site. The Cadillac CTS takes the Best Sport Sedan prize as "an American-brand sport sedan capable of sharing the most demanding roads in the world." The newly updated Mercedes C-Class is a winner in the Luxury Sedan category.
by Tony Quiroga
Each of the four sports sedans in this comparison test is priced around $38,000 and features a manual transmission and optional sport package. To keep the price on a comparative level, editors opted for a… 2007 BMW 328i rather than the more expensive and more powerful 335i. All other cars are 2008 models. The winner is the 230-hp BMW 328i, which offers the "hushed refinement of a luxury car," and the best driving dynamics and top fuel economy in the test.
by Josh Jacquot
This test compares five 6-cylinder sports sedans: the 2008 Cadillac CTS, 2008 Lexus IS 350, 2008 Mercedes C350, 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport and 2007 BMW 335i. Editors use a 31-point evaluation, plus weighted… scoring according to price, performance and features. At the start, writer Josh Jacquot admits that the favorite is the BMW 335i, winner of many past comparisons. But after testing, there's a new champ this year: the Infiniti G35 Sport, for its "combination of engaging driving character, high feature content and low cost."
by Ed Hellwig
Edmunds.com compares four premier European sports sedans: the BMW 550i, Jaguar XF Supercharged, Audi A6 4.2 and Mercedes E550. Each has a V-8 engine and is priced in the $60,000s. Test drivers use a point… system to rate each car, based on daily driving and performance testing at a racetrack. Edmunds.com is surprised to find that the top-rated car is the Jaguar, clearly beating the second-place BMW. Editor Ed Hellwig says, "Sure, gearheads might appreciate the BMW's dedication to performance, but the Jaguar XF is a better overall package."
by Ron Kiino
Motor Trend worked toward a close price point of the four high-dollar sports sedans in this head-to-head comparison. As tested, there was only an $8,000 spread between the lowest-priced Lexus GS460 and… highest-priced Mercedes E550. In between were the BMW 550i and new-for-2008 Jaguar XF SC -- the Supercharged version. The Jag wins with its smooth ride, strong performance and cabin "adorned with an elegant blend of leather, wood, and aluminum." The last-place car, the Lexus, lacks "crispness and character."
by Douglas Kott
Four special high-performance versions of popular sports sedans from Lexus, Audi, BMW and Mercedes go head-to-head in this Road & Track comparison test. Each V-8 produces more than 400 hp, capable of… propelling each car to 60 mph in less than five seconds. The winner is the heaviest and most powerful, the Mercedes C63. Editor Douglas Kott comments that the "once-stodgy Mercedes can tune a chassis that compares favorably with its perennial Bavarian rival."
by Matt Stone
Three compact, high-performance sports sedans go head-to-head in this Motor Trend comparison test. Each car is V-8 powered with more than 400 hp and rear-wheel drive, with prices at about $63,000 as tested.… The article quotes one of the test drivers, Ed Loh, as saying, "The Lexus and Mercedes are great hot-rod sedans. The M3 is a race car with four doors." Other editors felt the same way, and the BMW M3 takes first place in this contest.
by Douglas Kott
Road & Track writer Douglas Kott says the Cadillac CTS and Infiniti G35 Sport are not equals of the BMW, but "are reasonable facsimiles at considerably lower cost." The results of the head-to-head road test… are close, but the Infiniti manages a few extra points for the win. Kott notes that the more expensive Cadillac CTS is the more attractive car, but the G35 is the better overall driver, with its "more fluent chassis, snappier drivetrain and slightly tighter structure."
by Sam Mitani and Mike Monticello
by Jason Kavanagh
Edmunds.com approaches the Subaru WRX STI vs. Mitsubishi Evolution comparison with a new twist: they include both the "base model" Evo GSR, the loaded Evo MR with automated manual transmission, and a… previous-generation 2006 Evolution. Interestingly, the lighter-weight 2006 model scores the fastest lap time, and the Subaru records the slowest lap time but has the fastest straight-line acceleration. The winner is the 2008 Evo MR, which runs faster and rides better than the second-place Evo GSR.
by Michael Austin
by Edward Loh
With their turbo 4-cylinder engines, all-wheel drive, rally heritage and mid-$30,000 base price, these two Japanese compacts seem to be quite evenly matched. Performance figures after testing reveal the… Subaru is the faster car in straight-line acceleration. But the Mitsubishi carves up a road course quicker and has a higher cornering limit, according to Motor Trend results. The winner is the Evolution, "by virtue of its sharper handling and superior fun factor," reporter Edward Loh concludes.
by Tony Swan
The new Pontiac G8's most direct competitor is the Dodge Charger R/T. Both sports sedans feature powerful V-8 engines and expressive styling. However, the price as tested for the Charger was more than… $38,000, while the G8's sticker price was under $32,000. Thanks to the advantage in value, better handling and stronger acceleration the top spot goes to the Pontiac G8 GT, called a "performance bargain."
by Arthur St. Antoine
Motor Trend pits these two well-matched American performance sedans against each other on public roads and at the racetrack. The Pontiac G8 GT wins the contest with praise for its quicker performance… results and better handling, plus a price as tested that's about $4,000 lower. The Dodge Charger performs well with its powerful Hemi V-8, but writer Arthur St. Antoine comments that it is "starting to feel old-school and overpriced."
by John Pearley Huffman
In what has become a popular comparison test, Edmunds.com pits the two mid-priced, V-8-powered, rear-wheel-drive "American" sports sedans against each other: the Australian-built Pontiac G8 GT vs. the… Canadian-built Dodge Charger R/T. The outcome is the same as for other publications: the Pontiac G8 wins. Not only does it have a lower price, but it beats the Charger in almost every performance category.
by Jason Kavanagh
by Editors of Edmunds.com
At the end of each model year, Edmunds.com editors choose which vehicles they'd most like to see in their own garages. While the selection criteria are clearly spelled out, the site admits that sometimes… their love of a particular car "overruled common sense during our selection process." Among the sports sedan winners in various price categories are the BMW 3-Series, BMW 5-Series and Infiniti M35/M45.
by Jason Cammisa
Automobile magazine editors take the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR and its rival Subaru WRX STI, and pit them both against the somewhat more expensive BMW 335xi. As in other comparisons, the Evo gets more… praise than the STI for its aggressive performance and agile handling. But neither car can beat the BMW, writer Jason Cammisa says. Unlike other publications, this comparison does not include track testing in its evaluation.
by Editors of KBB.com
KBB.com, the online home of Kelley Blue Book, offers much more than the values of given vehicles, including some insightful reviews. Cars are not compared, but the reviews themselves include pros and cons,… driving impressions, pricing, resale value and more. Editors place a handful of favorites on a "recommended shopping list" of 2008 mid-size sedans, including the BMW 328i, Chrysler 300 and Nissan Maxima. Recommended sports sedans classified as luxury include the Acura TL, BMW 528i, Infiniti G35 and Lexus IS 350.
by Joe Wiesenfelder
Cars.com chooses a variety of cars that meet a set of minimum standards to qualify as a Best Bet. Each car must achieve acceptable marks for reliability, crash tests and other criteria. There is no sports… sedans classification, but worthy cars can be found in the luxury and sports categories. Unfortunately, the list is lengthy, and no ratings or other help is offered to assist readers in determining which of these is best overall. Links lead to more detailed reviews.
by Wayne Cunningham
CNet.com may be best known for its reviews of consumer and computer technology products, but it also features a surprisingly strong section of auto reviews. The reviews emphasize technology -- perhaps too… much so; it's an interesting approach that covers a unique niche, but it works for expensive cars better than for budget wheels. Among current-year cars, the BMW M3 Coupe, Cadillac CTS and BMW 5-Series earn Editors' Choice awards.
by Mark Solheim and Jessica Anderson
Each year, Kiplinger's revises its buyer's guide, which complements their series of well-written reference articles about auto insurance, leasing, driving and safety tips. Best Cars are chosen in a variety… of categories, although discussion about the individual cars themselves is disappointingly sparse. In the $30,000 to $45,000 sedan category, the Cadillac CTS is Best New Car, while the Audi A4 is named Best Resale and First for Safety. In the sedans over $45,000 group, the BMW 5-Series is Best in Class.
by Editors of PopularMechanics.com
by Editors of MyRide.com
MyRide.com is Autobytel's auto enthusiast website. Editors have chosen 24 new vehicles that they feel stand out. Every winner has been driven by at least one of their editors, and voted for as being "the… vehicle they'd most often recommend" in each award category. The Cadillac CTS wins 2008 Car of the Year as well as Best New Entry Luxury Car Under $40,000, and the BMW 5-Series wins Best New Luxury Car Under $75,000.
by Editors of IntelliChoice.com
Every year, IntelliChoice looks at "nearly 2,000" vehicles to find those that represent the best value in their class. These vehicles are chosen on the basis of "data-driven automotive analysis" that points… out which vehicles will cost significantly less to own than expected at the time of purchase, but no one has driven or otherwise tested the cars for themselves. In the sports sedan over $38,000 category, the winner is the Lexus GS. The best luxury car is the Infiniti M35.
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