|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Luxury Cars Reviews
Updated May 2007
We analyzed auto-review sources to identify the best luxury cars, including comparative luxury-car reviews from Car and Driver and Cars.com. Car and Driver compares four sedans, including the BMW 550i, Infiniti M45, Lexus GS 450h and Mercedes-Benz E550. Ratings are based upon the judgments of multiple testers. Consumer Reports magazine isn't as comparative in its picks, but editors do road test nearly every car on the market, supplementing performance scores with ratings for predicted long-term reliability and overall owner satisfaction. We also found thoughtful reviews at Edmunds.com and Motor Trend magazines. Money magazine and Kiplinger magazine highlight value and reliability. We also check crash-test results at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) along with fuel-economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The huge land-yachts that defined the luxury-car class in previous decades have lost favor to smaller, sportier vehicles. While all of the cars in this report are roomy for at least four adults, they are also powerful and agile enough to appeal to driving enthusiasts. Auto reviewer Edmunds.com points out that features formerly found only in luxury cars -- such as side-impact airbags, CD players, remote keyless entry and high-end audio systems -- now come standard even on some economy cars. Today's luxury cars still have a lot of features, but what distinguishes them from more pedestrian fare are subtle elements like high-end materials and technology like voice-activation systems, heated seats, sophisticated climate controls and advanced safety features like line-change warnings and other collision protection systems. Many luxury cars are equipped with V-8 engines. Zero-to-60 speeds are usually faster than seven seconds. Keep in mind that there's a blurry line separating luxury cars from less expensive sports sedans , covered in our separate report. If you are shopping in the under-$40,000 range, you'll have more choices among sports sedans than luxury cars. Keep in mind that we also have other reports on coupes , convertibles and sports cars . In the luxury price range, as you might expect, there aren't many downright
poor choices. Rather, differences come down to more subtle variations in drive
quality, ease of controls and style. A good case in point is the Mercedes-Benz
E-Class, particularly the
E550
(*est. $59,000 to $61,500)
. The Mercedes-Benz
E550 sits among competitors like the
BMW 5-Series
(*est. $43,500 to $58,500)
,
Infiniti M45
(*est. $49,100 to $50,550)
and
Audi A6
(*est. $41,950 to $72,000)
.
Yet in comparison tests, reviews generally prefer these other luxury cars over
the Mercedes-Benz E550, even as the higher-end
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
(*est. $85,750 to $181,500)
gets raves. Three of the best, most detailed reviews we found for the Mercedes-Benz E550
come from Car and Driver, CNet.com and Edmunds.com, and there are common judgments
in each of these reviews. In Car and Driver's four-sedan comparison, the Mercedes-Benz
E550 comes in third. Editors say this is a good looking car inside and out,
and performance on the straightaway is great, with zero-to-60 times of under
five seconds. CNet's tester Kevin Massey and editors at Edmunds.com agree that
the Mercedes is a pleasure to drive on less challenging roads. However, opinions
begin to diverge when the E550 is tested on hills and corners. Reviews say
the Mercedes-Benz doesn't feel responsive enough -- there's not enough connection
between driver and chassis to make for a truly great drive experience. On corners,
there's a bit too much body movement, and even when adjusted to the stiffest
setting, the suspension is soft. Other common criticisms include the Mercedes-Benz E550's driver controls.
While reviewers say the steering-wheel controls and speedometer display are
excellent, testers are underwhelmed by the controls for navigation and satellite
radio, which according to CNet's Massey are "less than user friendly." Furthermore,
reviewers say the navigation display is a bit too low on the console. On the
other hand, safety features of the Mercedes-Benz are great, with an innovative
Pre Safe anti-collision system that senses an imminent collision, automatically
adjusting seats, closing windows and tightening seatbelts in anticipation of
an impact. Across the board, reviews say the Mercedes-Benz E550 is a classy
sedan with a smooth, predictable ride, but the lack of responsiveness and some
of its awkward controls hold it back in the opinion of many reviewers.
... Continued
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
Several of the cars in our consensus report are better classified as sports sedans. We cover the BMW 3-series, Lexus ES 350, Acura TL, Infiniti G35 and Audi A4 in our report on sports sedans . So if you're shopping in the $35,000 price range, you might want to also visit that other report. Among true luxury sedans, the Infiniti M series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class pretty easily top reviews. The Lexus LS 460 is one of the best-reviewed new cars for 2007, and its automated parking system has tongues wagging. These three sedans are the easy contenders for inclusion in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers. Advertisement
>> Do you know of a review that we've missed? Click here.
>>  Email
>> 
Yahoo!
Digg
Google
Reddit
del.icio.us
(What's this?)
Luxury Cars Reviews |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
© 2008 ConsumerSearch, Inc. A service from 
, a part of The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.
ConsumerSearch and ConsumerSearch.com are registered trademarks of ConsumerSearch, Inc. Other trademarks or service marks on this site are the property of their respective owners. ConsumerSearch is not sponsored by any source reviewed, and we accept no consideration or payment for including, excluding, or ranking any reviews, products or services in our reports.
* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
