Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison - Can You Guess Who Won?

The end of the year always brings out interesting reviews, comparisons or rankings. One automotive magazine, compiled a list of the most popular luxury sport sedans, in the $50,000 range.

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

The BMW chosen was the 535i powered by the six-cylinder twin-turbo engine with 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. Despite the upcoming bodystyle change, the E60 5 Series takes the crown this time as well, outclassing the Audi A6 3.0T Quattro and the MB.
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bmwdrvr - 12/23/2009 11:46:49 AM

+3 Boost

your right the actual buyers certainly wouldnt have voted for the 5 series, its not as if its the best selling car in its class....lol, yeah I think "buyers" agree its enthusiast that dont....im curious who got 2nd and third though my votes would be 2nd. 3.0t A6, 3rd XF

America - 12/23/2009 11:39:05 AM

-2 Boost

I guess that the out-going BMW won against the other seven cars.

Oh look, I'm right.

My favorite paragraph:

"The numbers, of course, are only guidelines; the 535i driving experience can't be properly conveyed with digits. No number could sum up the turbo six's fluid power delivery, the chassis' near-magical blend of road isolation and feedback, the hefty feel of every control. For entertaining the human in the driver's seat, the 535i has no equal in this test. It's a stunning feat, given the BMW's age."

America - 12/23/2009 11:41:00 AM

-1 Boost

I also like:

'The fifth-generation, Chris Bangle-designed "E60" 5 Series quickly knocked any notions of "past its prime" right out of our collective heads. "Yeah, I know it's old, but I love, love, love this car," writes Ed Loh. "So much fun to drive. Unlike many here, this one actually feels fast. Sonorous engine note, excellent driver controls (M Sport steering wheel and shifter), and near-telepathic steering."'

JustaCar - 12/23/2009 11:49:09 AM

+7 Boost

This is a repost of an article which was debated ad nauseum last week.
Next thread please!

bmwdrvr - 12/23/2009 2:19:21 PM

-3 Boost

"at"

JustaCar - 12/23/2009 6:43:26 PM

+2 Boost

"ad"

America - 12/23/2009 12:51:23 PM

+3 Boost

Yeah, because everyone know that there is no such things as subjective qualities. If you can't put a number to it it doesn't exist right? What number does Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 have? Seriously, give it a number. Please give us numbers for "joy", "love", "happiness", and "elation" while you are at it.

Yonder7 - 12/23/2009 1:15:30 PM

+1 Boost

America: please understand : the BMWSpies, and they will post the same article as many time as BMW says.

PerformanceGuy - 12/23/2009 1:27:34 PM

+1 Boost

It is a nice car, but by no means is it #1. However, that is always subjective to each person.

America - 12/23/2009 2:35:14 PM

+1 Boost

Well actually it is #1. See article above.

JustaCar - 12/23/2009 6:51:17 PM

+1 Boost

The 5 series was placed 1st in the Motor Trend comparison. Some people will interpret that as "the 5 series is the best sports sedan in its class". Best is relative and subjective. If you look at a similar comparison Car&Driver did recently, the 5 series was placed 2nd after the Audi A6. Did the C&D comparison mean the 5 series is a loser? No. These comparisons are not completely objective. Problem is, people take them as gospel.

Anthony - 12/23/2009 2:10:19 PM

+2 Boost

Nobody is saying that there is no such thing as subjective. However to give the subjective areas of comparison more importance over non-subjective areas is weak. If you can't put a number on it as "America" mentioned, then why are these magazines putting numbers on it and factoring it into the results? That seems unfair seeing as everyone is not the same, and obviously wont feel the same way.

America - 12/23/2009 2:42:06 PM

-4 Boost

As for the numbers, the BMW was the fastest AND the most frugal. So the "numbers" weren't under-weighted. They wanted to make certain that the readers understoond that it won because of offering a superior experience AND offering the best performance. WIN WIN. So "quit crying, girls" lol

Anthony - 12/23/2009 3:02:32 PM

+3 Boost

The only person crying here is you. Nobody else seems to care as much as you do. Your avatar is littered all over this page.

tattedtwice - 12/23/2009 2:14:41 PM

+2 Boost

Quit crying, girls. If it helps, look at it like this; the last time MT compared these cars, the 530i came in 3rd, behind the then-new m35 and rl.

So, for it to come out on top this time, either its middle-life improvements made it worthy of the top spot this time around, or those two aged poorly and can no longer keep up with the competition. Personally I think it's a little of both....