LexFather

Executive Privileges: Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison
For Those with the Means, Eight Lovely Sport Sedans...
December 17, 2009
/ Photography by Brian Vance

Eight Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison Front Collage
Click to view Gallery
Fifty grand is a lot of money, certainly in a recessionary economy riddled with layoffs, bailouts, furloughs, and pay cuts. In some parts of the country, that kind of cash would not only make for a healthy down payment on a home, it would also cover the entire cost of the home. Yet, when it comes to a premium mid-level sport sedan from a luxury automaker, whether with six- or eight-cylinder power, $50,000 is pretty much the price of entry.

Eight Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison Rear Collage
Click to view Gallery
Scan the present offerings -- Acura RL, Audi A6 3.0T, BMW 535i, Cadillac CTS 3.6 DI, Infiniti M35, Jaguar XF 4.2, Lexus GS 350, and Mercedes-Benz E350 -- and the average base price comes out to nearly $49,000, with a high of $52,000 (XF) and a low of $44,650 (CTS). Through September 2009, sales of these nameplates were down 29 percent compared with 2008, but that still translates to nearly 110,000 Americans writing $50,000 checks during those nine months. Recession? That just means S-Class buyers and the like are stepping down to E-Class territory.

To determine which of these eight sport sedans best justifies its premium pricetag, we headed to the formidable and telling roads in Malibu, where our assembly of editors scrutinized, evaluated, and debated the merits (and demerits) of each. Which one had us writing a check we wished we could cover? Click on the following pages to find out. - Ron Kiino

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0b76PQV


1ST PLACE: BMW 535i
Sublime Engine and Brilliant Chassis Belie Age
2ND PLACE: AUDI A6 3.0T QUATTRO
A Hit that Just Misses
3RD PLACE: MERCEDES-BENZ E350
Still a Strong Contender After Eight Generations
4TH PLACE: JAGUAR XF 4.2
Stylish, Graceful, and a V-8 for V-6 Money
5TH PLACE: CADILLAC CTS 3.6 DI
The 3 Series/5 Series 'Tweener Feels Tight on Space, Overweight
6TH PLACE: LEXUS GS 350
Pass the Hot Sauce, Please
7TH PLACE: ACURA RL
Captain of Curves is Otherwise Behind the Times
8TH PLACE: INFINITI M35S
Bad News? A New One's Coming

LexFather

2010 Infiniti M35 S
Base price $46,665
Price as tested $54,465
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
Engine 3.5L/303-hp/262-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
Transmission 7-speed automatic
Curb weight (f/r dist) 3945 lb (53/47%)
Wheelbase 114.2 in
Length x width x height 194.3 x 71.1 x 59.5 in
0-60 mph 5.9 sec
Quarter mile 14.3 sec @ 99.1 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 113 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.85 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 26.8 sec @ 0.65 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 17/25 mpg
MT observed fuel econ 15.1 mpg
CO2 emissions 0.98 lb/mile

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0bKvJxO

2009 Acura RL
Base price $47,490
Price as tested $54,910
Vehicle layout Front engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
Engine 3.7L/300-hp/271-lb-ft SOHC 24-valve V-6
Transmission 5-speed automatic
Curb weight (f/r dist) 4082 lb (58/42%)
Wheelbase 110.2 in
Length x width x height 195.7 x 72.7 x 57.2 in
0-60 mph 6.9 sec
Quarter mile 15.4 sec @ 93.0 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 125 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.82 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 27.8 sec @ 0.61 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 16/22 mpg
MT observed fuel econ 13.4 mpg
CO2 emissions 1.06 lb/mile

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0bk7K1l

2009 Lexus GS 350
Base price $45,875
Price as tested $51,195
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
Engine 3.5L/303-hp/274-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Curb weight (f/r dist) 3763 lb (52/48%)
Wheelbase 112.2 in
Length x width x height 190.0 x 71.7 x 56.1 in
0-60 mph 5.6 sec
Quarter mile 14.1 sec @ 99.6 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 119 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.82 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 27.1 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 19/26 mpg
MT observed fuel econ 16.7 mpg
CO2 emissions 0.91 lb/mile

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0c48yvC

2010 Cadillac CTS 3.6 DI
Base price $44,650
Price as tested $51,990
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
Engine 3.6L/304-hp*/273-lb-ft* DOHC 24-valve V-6
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Curb weight (f/r dist) 4093 lb (52/48%)
Wheelbase 113.4 in
Length x width x height 191.6 x 72.5 x 58.0 in
0-60 mph 6.5 sec
Quarter mile 14.9 sec @ 95.3 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 108 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.84 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 27.1 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 18/27 mpg
MT observed fuel econ 13.7 mpg
CO2 emissions 0.92 lb/mile
*SAE Certified

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0cEZqvh

2010 Jaguar XF 4.2
Base price $52,000
Price as tested $52,000
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
Engine 4.2L/300-hp/303-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Curb weight (f/r dist) 4044 lb (51/49%)
Wheelbase 114.5 in
Length x width x height 195.3 x 73.9 x 57.5 in
0-60 mph 6.6 sec
Quarter mile 15.0 sec @ 96.9 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 123 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.79 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 27.6 sec @ 0.62 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 16/25 mpg
MT observed fuel econ 13.8 mpg
CO2 emissions 1.02 lb/mile

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0ch0lux

2010 Mercedes-Benz E350
Base price $49,475
Price as tested $59,965
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
Engine 3.5L/268-hp/258-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
Transmission 7-speed automatic
Curb weight (f/r dist) 4013 lb (51/49%)
Wheelbase 113.1 in
Length x width x height 191.7 x 75.9 x 57.6 in
0-60 mph 6.6 sec
Quarter mile 14.9 sec @ 84.5 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 123 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.82 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 27.4 sec @ 0.62 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 18/26 mpg
MT observed fuel econ 14.5 mpg
CO2 emissions 0.93 lb/mile

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0cu6e0I

2009 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro
Base price $50,925
Price as tested $55,725
Vehicle layout Front engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
Engine 3.0L/300-hp/310-lb-ft s’chgd DOHC 24-valve V-6
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Curb weight (f/r dist) 4153 lb (56/44%)
Wheelbase 111.9 in
Length x width x height 193.5 x 73.0 x 57.4 in
0-60 mph 6.0 sec
Quarter mile 14.5 sec @ 96.9 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 113 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.87 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 26.5 sec @ 0.66 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 18/26 mpg
MT observed fuel econ 13.6 mpg
CO2 emissions 0.93 lb/mile

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0d62hwz

2010 BMW 535i
Base price $51,925
Price as tested $57,675
Vehicle layout Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
Engine 3.0L/300-hp/300-lb-ft twin- turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6
Transmission 6-speed manual
Curb weight (f/r dist) 3844 lb (50/50%)
Wheelbase 113.7 in
Length x width x height 191.1 x 72.7 x 57.8 in
0-60 mph 5.5 sec
Quarter mile 14.1 sec @ 100.6 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 112 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.85 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 26.5 sec @ 0.67 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 16/24 mpg
MT observed fuel econ 16.7 mpg
CO2 emissions 1.03 lb/mile

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0dIlfsx

pagemaster

Can someone tell me why Motor Trend allows V8's into these comparo's...

i would of expected Lexus to finish 4th, but 6th is bad.

Back in 2000, the GS300 finished first in the same camparo with BMW, Audi, Infiniti, Cadillac, and Merc....times have sure changed.

LexFather

Some Quotes for those too busy to click the link

BMW
Indeed, the motor doesn't really feel like a turbo -- it suffers from zero lag, and any turbo whine is well-muted. All you notice is smooth power. Speed comes easily to the 535i: It delivered the quickest 0-to-60 time and tied the Lexus' quarter-mile elapsed time. Yet the Bimmer also tied with the Lexus for best observed fuel efficiency (it and the GS 350 being the two lightest cars in the field).

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0e1nyMz

AUdi
"Tons of grip and unfailing control," says St. Antoine. "Engine feels pretty strong, and I really like the short-throw paddles behind the wheel." Assistant Web producer Martinez agrees, "Corners approached quicker than in the rest -- even than the Bimmer -- and it exhibited gobs of grip thanks to the winning quattro/Continental tire combo."

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0eK9VMl


Benz
Then again, a sporty but not entirely athletic luxury sedan, proper for a business person or retiree, is exactly what Mercedes-Benz wants its new E350 to be. It manages to excite the senses subtly while providing maximum luxury, but overall, comes up shy dynamically when compared with the other top two German contenders. Plus its near-$60,000 price tag was the headiest of the group and more appropriate for a sport/luxury sedan firing on eight cylinder

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0ebPqVP

Jag
On our challenging loop through the twisty roads in Malibu, the XF proved to possess a composed chassis, but we found the suspension a little soft, lacking the confidence-inspiring tautness of, say, the BMW. Moreover, the all-season Continental tires really limited this car's fun factor, evidenced by the lowest-in-test 0.79 g. That said, the XF is still more enjoyable to drive than any other modern Jag.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0esMUSz

Caddy
The big direct-injected six drew praise as the only engine not to demand pricey premium fuel, but got nicked for a slightly coarse bark and performance that seemed strained, shouldering a 4093-pound load (including about 200 pounds' worth of Premium-package wood, hand-stitched leather, and insufficiently shaded panoramic sunroof). That extra mass also contributed to the CTS' sixth-place observed fuel economy, despite its second-best EPA figures. The transmission was universally praised for possessing the most intuitive sport-mode programming of the group. St. Antoine deemed it "way better than A6's -- it holds gears and is smart enough to downshift quick and early when you're braking hard into a bend."

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0fhjtS5


Lexus
Don't push the Lexus hard, though, and it's all manners and poise. Standard features include everything from dual-zone climate control to bird's-eye maple trim, keyless pushbutton starting, a 10-speaker audio system, and acres of premium perforated leather. It's beautifully done, too, with flawless tailoring and a luxurious feel to all the surfaces. Add hard-disk navigation, Mark Levinson surround-sound audio, and heated and ventilated seats, and you're still well under the price of the less-richly equipped BMW. As a rolling living room -- and a superbly crafted one at that -- the Lexus is tough to outclass.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0g4YcQl

Acura
Alas, other than its grin-inducing handling, the RL struggled to wow our crew. The culprits were many, notably a five-speed automatic that came across as archaic among six- and seven-speeds. "Transmission is weak in this field and only performs adequately," says Loh. "Shifts are reasonably quick for just driving around, but not great when you're running through the canyons." Further, the RL's suspension transmitted too much vertical motion, its cabin suffered from a "big Mess o' Buttons" and questionable plastics, leather, and trim, and its sweet-sounding, smooth-revving V-6 nevertheless produced the most underwhelming acceleration numbers of the group. A 300-horsepower sport/luxury sedan that needs 6.9 seconds to hit 60 mph? That performance is arguably unacceptable in a day and age when the heavier and less powerful Lexus RX 350 -- a sport/utility, mind you -- requires just 6.8. Further, the RL, at 13.4 mpg, returned the field's lowest observed fuel economy, guzzling more gas than the V-8 Jaguar and the supercharged V-6 Audi.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0gGc1Qy

Infiniti
Given the Infiniti's last-place finish in this highly competitive comparison, it's obvious there were M attributes we didn't find endearing. Before we delve into those, though, let's first examine the characteristics we applauded. The new-for-2009 seven-speed automatic, for instance, proved an M bright spot, delivering quick, intuitive shifts (certainly in sport mode) and seamless and euphonious throttle blips. "Always seemed in the right gear for the occasion during my drive in S mode," says technical director Frank Markus. The 3.5-liter, 303-horseV-6, while a bit coarse under WOT, provided speedy test-track figures -- 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.3 at 99.1 mph -- and the steering and brakes were deemed above par for the segment. The navigation system, too, was given top marks for its ease of operation. "The nav is simplicity itself to use -- one of my favorites on the market today," notes editor at large Arthur St. Antoine.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz0a0gXblVF

LexFather

Yes that WAS ten years ago. Also I think u have comparos confused as there was no INfiniti tested during the time as they had no car in that class and the CTS was never compared vs the GS as it was the Catera. In other words, Wut?

mmarshall

I agree with them that from a pure drivers' standpoint, BMW is tops.....among sedans, there simply are no better steering/chassis engineers. But I disagree with them on both the RL and the M35.....I think they panned both cars too much. And the build quality of both of those cars easily tops that of BMW.

Here's the one comment, from the article, that wraps the whole thing up:

This is not just B.S. either.....they are correct.

Now, the I-Drive? And the Audi MMI? Well..........................

pagemaster

My bad. I just checked my magazine, it was.

1. GS300
2. Audi A6
3. Volvo S70
4. Saad 9-5 SE
5. Merc C280
6. Cadillac Catera
7. Mazda Millenia S

And it was a Car and Driver Issue. Same issue had the GS430 placing 2nd behind the 540

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

Infiniti shouldn't be dead last IMO.. Maybe they have used the M45 since others were v8's..

pagemaster

No doubt about, the 535 is hand down the best sports sedan of the test.

The GS350 has some pretty impressive performance numbers that eat up the Caddy and the Jag numbers but yet it finished lower. The Merc numbers really, really suck, and the Audi has respect.

This was supposed to be a Luxury-Sport test. Not once in the main write-up did they mention the luxury of the BMW. Luxury and sport should be weighted equally.

my rankings
1. BMW 535
2. Audi
3. Lexus GS350
then the rest.


Acura TL should not be in this test, the TL should be compared to the Nissan Maxima.

LexFather

I am actually with you here. I also find it funny that PRICE is seemingly thrown out the window. They explain people are downsizing from S-class's etc to this class then its okay to spend 60k on an E350 and 58k on a 535 with 6 cylinders?

The GS has nothing to be ashamed about here. It really got a glowing review outside of what we all do agree in, the confidence in the handling is not there. As we can see, it DOES handle, the performance numbers show it corners with the best of them, the "feel" is not there.

They basically loved everything outside of how it feels as it had MANY MANY positives
-lowest weight
-lowest price
-best MPG
-2nd best acceleration (.1 seconds behind the 535)
-world class interior
-fantastic features


They just felt it needed some "hot sauce". How I WISH LEXUS would get their heads out their butts sometimes and SEND THE BEST CAR. Imagine if it was a F-sport equipped GS. I am positive it would have handled better and been more confidence inspiring.

I've seen this happen for a decade now...Lexus offers some sports parts but rarely EVER sends it to a mag for testing. Hell twice I've seen Lexus send an IS and GS with the rare 16" wheels.

Still, I think the positives really outweighed what we knew here.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/index.html






I have yet to see a GS without the wood wheel here outside of the Passionate black and in Europe....yet they sent one.

pagemaster

[COLOR="Red"]

Then test would be a M5, vs GSf vs Caddy V vs Merd AMG vs Audi S6 (I don't even know if it exsists)

pagemaster

The Lexus and BMW are far ahead of everyone else in the comparo while the Audi is there on handling but slower on accel. Even the V8 Jag is slower to 60mph and has less g than the GS yet it finishes higher.

It is a very silly test. With biased rankings


The BMW and Audi are turbocharged yet the GS is not and number of the GS are on par or better....biased results.

Fizzboy7

Wow! I have not seen a 3GS without a wood wheel since 2006! That thing should not even be part of the press fleet. Actually, something doesn't add up with the test car. It has the premium wheels, but no wood wheel. Must be some bizarre package we don't get in Cali.

Alas, there is no 16" wheel option on any U.S. 3GS or 2IS.

felixsc300

iTrader: (5)

IMO the 3GS, along with the E60 and Infiniti M-something, looks outdated in comparison to the rest of the competition, but moreso the GS.

Luckily Lexus has 4GS in teh works.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Isn't Jag already having all sorts of issues?