$100'000 Sedans - Which is best?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Juiposa
  • 71 comments
  • 4,256 views

Which of these 100 Grand Sedans is best in your opinion?

  • Total voters
    61
Juiposa

Juiposa

Premium
Messages
326
Canada
SW Ontario
Messages
starboob
There are quite a few massive sedans that define luxury, and the usually range from $95'000 to $125'000.

So with such close competition, and each being great cars, which one do you figure is best?

Line up:

Mercedes Benz S-Class
BMW 7-Series
Lexus LS
Maserati Quattroporte
Jaguar XJ
Audi A8
 
Not particularly fond of the S-Class. Not interested in the A8. Have not ridden the Quattroporte or current LS.

The XJ is actually surprisingly nimble for such a big car, and I feel it gets the ride-handling compromise righter than BMW did with the 7.

And the interior of the XJ is absolutely spectacular. Just as with the old one, it feels much more bespoke and expensive than the Germans in the same price range, and this time, it's not tight on rear legroom.
 
niky
Not particularly fond of the S-Class. Not interested in the A8. Have not ridden the Quattroporte or current LS.

The XJ is actually surprisingly nimble for such a big car, and I feel it gets the ride-handling compromise righter than BMW did with the 7.

And the interior of the XJ is absolutely spectacular. Just as with the old one, it feels much more bespoke and expensive than the Germans in the same price range, and this time, it's not tight on rear legroom.
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree with you, the XJ is probably the greatest thing I've ever sat in, but the S-Class, I love to much to say no.

As with you I do not care much for the others.
 
As much as I like the quattroporte, I will have to go with the S class on this one. I mean, the car is pure luxury and technology. The maintenance is expensive, but then the maintenance on the quattroporte is probably much more expensive and I probably wouldn't care much about maint. costs anyway if I spent so much on the car.
 
It depends what you are looking for.

The S-Class is the most luxurious.

The A8 has the most advanced user interface.

But overall I think the Panamera is the best option. It is luxurious but at the same time not too soft. It is pretty much as close to a sports car as a full size luxury sedan can get without going to far. Overall the car is well thought out and well put together. The downside is that it is smaller than S-Class so it has less back seat leg room and a smaller trunk which is usually very important to the people buying these cars.

The other cars don't really have much to offer compared to the three options mentioned above. The Quattroporte has nice styling and uses high quality materials in the interior but isn't exactly reliable and tries to hard to be sporty while still being luxurious.

The 7-Series is kind of a mixture of the A8, S-Class, and Panamera but isn't better than any of them. It's not as nice as an S-Class, not as advanced as the A8, and doesn't match the performance of the Panamera. It's short comings compared to the other options are increased even further if you are start looking at AMG and the Panamera Turbo/Turbo S.

Lexus LS is high quality in the sense it is extremely reliable and well made but that is about it.
 
I don't know much, but I think the Audi A8 is absolutely stunning. I believe it got Automobile's COTY.
 
I'd go for the Jag, purely because it's the only one on the list I've driven, and it was utterly brilliant in most areas.

As Niky says, the interior is stunning, everything felt well made, highest-quality materials, perfect driving position (more sports car than luxury sedan) and it weighs a good third to half a tonne less than anything else in the class because it's made of aluminium - it's even far lighter than the Audi A8, also made of aluminium. In fact, it's lighter than the smaller Jag XF for several models.

I tested the XJ SuperSport and the performance was pretty impressive too. Cars that big shouldn't be able to move that fast.

I think, if I was lucky enough to be spending that sort of money on a luxury car, I'd want it to feel special - so good though the S-Class et al supposedly are, the only two I'd be looking at are the Jag and the Maserati.
 
Lucky you. I had to share the car with several other journos during a "test day"... one in which I was also acting as secretary, so I could only go out for brief stints in the car.

Absolutely delightful. Interior quality and bespoke opulence similar to high-end marquees like Porsche, without the Porsche premium or odd looks.

And yes, it does drive delightfully for such a big car.

-

RE: Maserati cost-of-ownership: Let's not kid ourselves. None of these big monsters are cheap to run. Not even the Lexus. I'm not loaded enough to own an S-Class / 7-series car, but my uncles have several. Know what happens when you need to have the brakes on your S-Class or 7-series done? $$$. Know what happens when you need an oil change? $$$$. Want to know what happens when your adaptive air suspension decides to go on holiday in an S-Class? $$$$$$$$$.

At this rarefied level, complaining about cost of ownership is like complaining that water is wet.
 
niky
Lucky you. I had to share the car with several other journos during a "test day"... one in which I was also acting as secretary, so I could only go out for brief stints in the car.
Click to expand...

I had a blissful half hour or so and some British B-roads to try it on. Even 30 mins is depressingly brief but thankfully I'll be attending a few more of Jag's events this year so I'll get another few goes...
 
Well $100k in the UK, is about £63k, and that doesn't get you much in this in class. My choice would be a 7 series normally, but since you'd only get a 730 for that money I'd probably drop down a class and get a 5 series, or 5GT, something like a fully loaded M-sport 550i/550i GT.
 
Depends on what type of Quattroporte. If it's the standard model, then I'd have the Jaaaaaaaaaaaaag. If it was the GTS, I'd have the Maser.
 
I'd easily say S-Class.

I've driven all but the Lexus, and own a w220 S600 (I've also driven the newer w221, specifically the s63 TT), and I can tell you the S-Class takes the cake. Being one of the heaviest cars produced by Mercedes-Benz, it's no surprise considering there is literally an option and a corresponding button for everything. In return for the weight though, you get one of the smoothest rides on the market (in my opinion).

Performance wasn't MB's top priority when designing the S-Class, though they didn't skip out on it entirely. With a v12 producing a little under 400HP (in my S600, not sure about the current line up though it is surely more), you can still have some fun even with all the weight.

I probably seem biased towards the S-Class, but I must say I really do love it. ;)
 
I voted for the S class, I like the 7 series also but I haven't driven that car... So for now, the S class..

mercedes-s600-parts.jpg


:O
 
Adamgp
None of the above.

I'll take a CTS-V and have almost $40k left over.
Click to expand...

Yes, but this is not a competition of 60 grand cars, else I'd have put the C 63, A6, M3, and such.
 
LOL... it has all the luxury stuff, but it's just not priced high enough to compete with the A8, 7 Series XJ or S-Class.
 
Adamgp
A Cadillac isn't considered luxury sedan?
Click to expand...

It's one of those grey areas really. It's a luxurious sedan, so you could consider it a luxury sedan, but then is a top-spec C-Class with leather and all the gadgets also then a luxury sedan, even though there's an E and S class above it?

I'd personally consider the CTS-V a sport sedan, in the same vein as the C63 AMG, M3, IS-F etc, but I can understand why you'd consider it a luxury sedan. It's just not as limo-like as the larger stuff, I think is where the grey area lies.

Though in that sort of market, my own money would be on another Jag, the XFR.
 
Bottoz
LOL... it has all the luxury stuff, but it's just not priced high enough to compete with the A8, 7 Series XJ or S-Class.
Click to expand...

Guess it has to be an expensive European model. :rolleyes:

It's one of those grey areas really. It's a luxurious sedan, so you could consider it a luxury sedan, but then is a top-spec C-Class with leather and all the gadgets also then a luxury sedan, even though there's an E and S class above it?

I'd personally consider the CTS-V a sport sedan, in the same vein as the C63 AMG, M3, IS-F etc, but I can understand why you'd consider it a luxury sedan. It's just not as limo-like as the larger stuff, I think is where the grey area lies.

Though in that sort of market, my own money would be on another Jag, the XFR.
Click to expand...

A CTS-V (or any CTS) is a "luxurious sedan", but not a luxury sedan?

Why can't a CTS or C-Class be a luxury sedan, you can't have small luxury sedans?
 
Adamgp
Guess it has to be an expensive European model. :rolleyes:

...

Why can't a CTS or C-Class be a luxury sedan, you can't have small luxury sedans?
Click to expand...

Well since the OP asked about luxury 'sedans' costing around $100k it kind of does have to be an expensive European model, and most C-classes don't fall into the 100k region....

.. also if you're going to play the "what I could get for less game" for a fraction of the cost of a CTS-V I could get a nice used 745i/750i/760i and a track orientated car to use at weekends.

.. also, face it, rightly or wrongly, Europe is a long way off taking American cars seriously when it comes to quality.. I genuinely couldn't tell you without googling it if Cadillacs are even sold in the UK, let alone Europe.
 
Adamgp
A CTS-V (or any CTS) is a "luxurious sedan", but not a luxury sedan?

Why can't a CTS or C-Class be a luxury sedan, you can't have small luxury sedans?
Click to expand...

You'll note I didn't state that it wasn't ;) I'm just saying that, for the purposes of this poll, I suspect the OP was implying vehicles more along the line of the S-Class rather than the C-Class - the more limo-like vehicles from each maker.

Hell, it's all speculative anyway. Most of us haven't driven most of the vehicles on the list, and even fewer of us can afford them. You could choose a Hyundai Accent for all I care.
 
I think this poll was meant for comparing executive saloon cars. The CTS-V is a nice luxury car of course. But it's not an executive car. If you want to include a exec Cadillac, it would be the DTS.

If it were me, I would choose the Lexus LS. It would still be expensive to maintain, but it has enough Toyota DNA to keep it somewhat affordable to keep around. Of course, the only model in the LS lineup work $100k is the 600h hybrid.

If it were to be any of the other models, I would choose either the A8 or S-Klasse. But I would go with the D2 S8:
big2216.jpg


Or the W108 S-Klasse:
102_6648.jpg
 

Latest Posts

Back