gavriil

From here Car and Driver

"God is in the details," said the renowned architect Mies van der Rohe.

Featured in this Comparo
Audi A6 2.7T Quattro
BMW 530iA
Infiniti M45
Jaguar S-type 3.0
Lexus GS300
Lincoln LS V-8
Mercedes-Benz E320

"So is the devil," say we after five days chasing through the deserts and mountains of Arizona in seven of the sedan world's most enviable four-doors.
A perfect car is hard to find. We already knew that before ordering up this collection valued at $334,505. Still, like everyone who daydreams, we're always convinced that the next set of keys we twist will light off combustion and rapture in equal measure. Ah, the optimistic leanings of all enthusiasts.

The theme behind this adventure was appealingly straightforward. If your automotive dreams are backed up by pockets deep enough to swing something in the mid-$40-thou range, then you're up into the no-excuses zone. You deserve undiluted precision and pleasure.
For sure, there are enough choices in this class—we rounded up seven labels—so that you should be able to find a perfect fit, never mind your (or our) peculiar preferences.

Moreover, the class is as active as Italy's lava-oozing Mt. Etna. Two entries are all-new this year. Mercedes-Benz pulled the tarp off the next-generation E-class just months ago, available with an intriguing adaptive air suspension and ever more electronic interventions to protect and amaze you. The interior looks as good as the princely price, too.

From the other side of the globe, Nissan reached westward to insert its Infiniti brand into this mid-luxury slot in the form of the new M45, a cautiously retro shape with a breathtakingly potent 340-hp V-8 driving the rear wheels. You know there's at least one thing about this four-door that will bump up our boiler pressure.
Other makers have been doing their homework, upgrading their older models. Jaguar's S-type has a new six-speed automatic. To keep the price in the mid-$40K range, we had to moderate our performance urges. The test S-type has the standard 3.0 all-aluminum V-6 instead of the zesty, and pricey, V-8.

Lincoln, to perk up the LS for 2003, offers a "V-8 Premium Sport" package that supplements the newly invigorated 280-hp engine (252 last year) with a manumatic shifter, sport-tuned suspenders, and 17-inch alloy wheels wearing 235/50VR-17 Michelin HX MXM4 tires. Could this be, finally, everyone's chance at a hot-rod Lincoln?
In our comparisons of this class in recent years, Audi and BMW have duked it out for top honors. The Audi A6 Quattro with the twin-turbo, 2.7-liter V-6 is a classic, all-around performer disguised as a thing of visual beauty. This car sets a benchmark for the others, we think.

That said, the BMW 5-series is a veteran that even in its golden years (born as a 1997 model) continues to please. With the 3.0-liter in-line six and a base price of $43,070, it fits nicely in the class.
Lexus offers another veteran, the GS300, which enjoyed its last makeover in time for the 1998 model year. It, too, has 3.0-liter, six-in-line power and the associated smoothness and purring exhaust we've come to expect from that configuration.

Naturally, our price target took a few hits, one of them nuclear. We really wanted to try the Benz with the Airmatic DC (dual control) suspension. It comes in a package that includes bi-xenon headlights, 17-inch wheels and 245/45WR-17 tires, leather seats, tea-stained bird's-eye maple, and aero furbelows along the sills for a nice, round $3800. Ah, well, you only live once. The bottom line was $54,020, and we'll be off to debtors' prison before you read this.

Buyer's remorse? Not us. Still, as we end the beginning of this inquiry and work into the individual profiles of each car, we can't conceal our disappointment. We were hoping for Mozart but found a lot of Mahler. Mahler is good, some say great, but he never made the heart sing like Wolfie did.

The best this group can elicit from our hearts is a tuneful hum. Please give us a chance to explain.

Seventh Place
Jaguar S-type 3.0

It's about time that those who predicted Ford would foul up Jaguar admit they got it wrong. The S-type goes its own way, as different from the Lincoln LS (with which it shares a platform) as Sean Connery's James Bond is different from Pierce Brosnan's. Whether you're outside looking at its softly feminine contours, or fitting into its snugly compartmented cockpit, or fingertipping the low-effort steering to get just the right sense of the road, the S-type is deeply infused with Jaguar DNA.
Surely this example would have fared better against the M-B, BMW, and Lincoln, all given quickened reflexes by their optional sport suspensions and tires, if this test car had similar equipment. We were unable to find an example in time for deadlines.

Ride quality of the standard suspension ranks in the top half of the class. Impact noise is surprisingly high, though. There were also a few dingling rattles up close to the driver, and we noticed that certain fits of body panels, particularly the hood, were substandard.
Seventh Place
Jaguar S-type 3.0

Highs: Veddy tweedy British style inside and out, intimate cockpit (if you like that in a four-door).

Lows: Driver's seat needs orthopedic surgery, junky rattles in the dash, performance muscles not up to the price.

The Verdict: Like an ascot for the road, it makes a dashing impression.

Jaguar cars are famous for their cockpits, both for the undiluted British flavor of them, thanks to extravagant expanses of wood and leather, and for their confining intimacy. The driver's foot space is narrow (if you want spread-out room, buy a Buick), and the roof curves down close to your head. That mood continues to the rear passenger space, among the tightest of the group, and tied in comfort with the Benz at the bottom of the class. The Jag interior seems to be designed specifically to score poorly in our comparisons.
It also creates a mood that Jaguar owners prefer over all others.

Acceleration at low speeds just nipped the Lexus (the six-speed advantage), with the Jag's advantage widening to 2.8 seconds in the 0-to-120-mph trial. They tied, too, for skidpad grip (the Jag disadvantaged by its all-weather tires, a choice that pays off big in freezing climates). It scored last by a clear margin in braking.
The S-type's standard suspension is fairly soft, allowing lots of body motion when you hustle. Combine that with the EZ steering, and to unfamiliar drivers, this is a car that's hard to grab a hold of; it won't settle down in the twisties.

Another disappointment: Jaguar still has electrical gremlins. The J-gate, which allows manual selection of the lower gears, liked to take sick days without calling in.
New millennium, same old story.


Sixth Place
Lincoln LS V-8

A wuss no longer, this invigorated LS showed taillights to all but the overachieving Infiniti in track runs. Zero to 60 rolls up in 6.5 seconds, on the way to a 14.9-second quarter-mile at 95 mph, all accompanied by a heavily Detroit-accented basso profundo beyond the fire wall. The tone is more authoritative than musical. You'll know who's in charge.

In most track trials, the Lincoln set stellar marks. Although it was wearing all-weather tires, usually thought to be a disadvantage, it outran all but the Benz on the skidpad and topped all in the lane-change test. Very shrewd choices were made in the chassis tuning of this car.
That is, if you're focused on track numbers. On the road, the "Sport" Lincoln has a heavy-footed way over imperfect surfaces. You hear every impact of the tires as the thumps and bumps jar the car's bones. Little shakes are transmitted up through the structure; you feel them in the steering wheel, and you hear little rattles.

Sixth Place
Lincoln LS V-8

Highs: Potent engine, darn good grip from the all-weather tires, runs up impressive numbers at the test track.

Lows: Heavy-footed ride, contrary seat, transmission cringes at any thought of a downshift, way overpriced.

The Verdict: Hot-rod Lincoln was more fun as a pop tune.
The five-speed automatic makes hustling this car less satisfying than it might be. You have to drive as if you were mad at it. It dreads the thought of downshifts, pausing and sighing and making pouty "If I must!" gestures, particularly when asked to drop into second. If you've forgotten the Bickersons, this powertrain marriage will recall them.

The driver's seat is no help, either. Lateral support for your upper body is nil; even for urban intersections you must brace against the wheel to hold your place. And the cushion has a hard contour toward the rear—a stylist's addition—that applies nonstop pressure near the tailbone.
The rear passengers fare much better. Space is very good back there, just behind that of the top-rated Audi. Three adults across are fairly comfortable, too, because the center occupant is spaced up and forward, keeping three sets of shoulders out of direct alignment.

The optional seat heaters in back are a deluxe touch. We notice, too, that every handle, even those for overhead gripping, is heavily damped in its motion. They never thunk into place.
Still, this Lincoln's luxury is thinly applied. The look, feel, and texture of the plastic door panels and interior moldings are too close to Mustang, too far from Jaguar, to appraise at 48 grand. Also troubling: Something about the interior set off nonstop Ka-band warnings from all the Valentine One detectors used by staffers. Ford Engineering promised to look into it.

Let's just say pumping up the engine for 2003 was a good start.

Fifth Place
Infiniti M45

Talk about pumped-up powerplants. Hang on! This baby boogies.

In this class, for this money, nothing comes close. The hot-rod Lincoln, at second best, was 0.4 second behind and 3 mph short in the quarter-mile and nearly a second in arrears from 0 to 60. Practically speaking, the Infiniti wins by a light-year. The M45 executes its muscular rush with only the sweetest whisper from the all-aluminum 4.5-liter V-8. This smoothie makes effortless acceleration all the way to a top end of 147 mph, where the governor says, "'Nuff."

The M45 also strikes a commanding pose on its gleaming-chrome, long-spoke, 18-inch wheels. It has the custom look you'd expect from a Manny, Moe & Jack makeover. Uh-oh. Does that make you a little uncomfortable? Yes, us, too. If Mercedes, BMW, and Audi have defined this class, and we think they have, then this sort of immoderate glitter appeals to different personalities. Fine, everybody needs a car, but to win over the usual buyers, this Infiniti must then excel at the class's usual virtues.
Fifth Place
Infiniti M45

Highs: Velvety thrust at the touch of the right pedal, peaceful cockpit, shiny 18-inch rims get huge respect from the hip-hop crowd.

Lows: Orange markings on a black instrument panel look like Halloween decorations, LCD logic is determinedly obtuse, exterior looks like one of those anycars patched together for bank ads.

The Verdict: Speak softly and haul ass.

For sure, the M45 does quiet and smooth and fence-post blur with the best of them. But what about the details? The titanium metalesque and ink-stained burl trim inside are fine, but we must confront the orange-illuminated dials and buttons, stark against the all-black dash.
Orange. Isn't that—what? . . . Reese's? Kubota?

Centered in the dash, and in your face, is an LCD. It tries to please. It automatically goes dark at night to avoid ruining night vision, but you have to wake it up just to reset fan speed (okay, some of us are never satisfied with "auto"). So the glare goes on and off. In daytime, the sun often obscures readings. Only computer geeks will approve of this arrangement.
Another contrary cue: With the optional sunroof, the ceiling crowds down in an unwelcome way.

At first, we were uneasy with the feel of the controls—too much artificial flavor added. And too much pancake syrup in the rack and pinion. After lots of driving, though, the M45 seems all-natural compared with the Benz. Usually, outshining a Mercedes would earn high praise. Here it says more about poor choices made in the E320. The Infiniti is much less disciplined in its body motions, however. Only the engine gives this car an athletic feel.
Rear-seat space and comfort are good for two but near the back of the pack for three.

Such details matter hardly at all, however, when it's your foot playing the thrust pedal.

Fourth Place
Lexus GS300

This Lexus has charm-school manners. We fit nicely in the driver's chair, the dials and details are easy to read if a bit small, the controls have a pleasing directness, and the in-line six sings a mellifluous purr. Even the BMW can't match its harmony. Nor can it approach the luxurious textures and hues of the GS300's interior appointments. Inside this car you feel a resident of the very best neighborhood.

That said, we must also confront the numbers deficit. In measurements of speed, the GS300 falls a tick behind even the relaxed Jaguar. The BMW, with a similarly sized engine (three liters), quickly gets small in the windshield when you line them up side by side.

Lots of qualities count in a car, and the GS300's 8.0-second sprint to 60 mph is hardly embarrassing. Still, the ignominy of last-place numbers can't be ignored. The Lexus is a full second below average to 60 and also the slowest in the quarter. By the slightest fraction, it was also below average in braking and skidpad grip.
Its EPA fuel-economy ratings were exactly average.

Fourth Place
Lexus GS300

Highs: Built like a jewel box, great shifter buttons on the steering spokes, cockpit seems to fit all sizes, impeccable manners over the miles.

Lows: Overly sensitive stop and go pedals, weak engine muscles, hunchback body shape.

The Verdict: Just what the doctor ordered when he said, "Low-passion diet."
Generally, we like the handling a lot. It understeers predictably when pressed. Body motions are controlled, with a pleasing balance between athleticism and ride plushness. Part of the pleasure comes from the astute driver position—you sit up in this car—with a nicely located and large rest for your left foot. This is a machine you can work with. The shifter buttons on the spokes allow you to change gears without taking your hands from the rim. The steering is light, yet the turning effort builds appropriately as you corner. You can feel what's going on down at the tire contacts. The GS300 talks to you with tactile subtleties rather than sounds. It never goes numb on you.

As a passenger hauler, it ties the longer and far wider Audi for best comfort in back with two passengers and tops them all for three. As usual, Toyota knows exactly where to carve out space and add padding.
This Lexus is a superb choice for those who start a vacation by reeling off 900 miles the first day. No annoyances and no saddle sores here. You don't have to head for the horizon to enjoy this car, but it might make you want to.


Third Place
Audi A6 2.7T Quattro
On paper, this A6 takes the trophy. For $44,835 you get 250 horsepower and all-wheel drive wrapped up in a sheetmetal envelope so sculpturally perfect that it deserves a spot in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. That price, by the way, is the lowest of the group, $20 behind the M45 and more than $9000 behind the option-packed Benz. Not that this Audi is underdressed—it has a glass sunroof, self-dimming mirrors all around, Bose audio, and heated leather seats.

But price doesn't win comparisons. Nor does horsepower. We're looking for that elusive combination of qualities that produce a witty and untiring dance partner. It's all about moves and manners.

The A6 2.7T Quattro comes close. Partly, it's a turbo problem. The V-6 has twin turbos blowing through an intercooler. Lag is the usual failing, and this car has close to zero lag, if you define that as throttle-open time where nothing seems to happen. Some Volvos have lots of lag by this definition. When you push this Audi's pedal, something happens almost instantly. The problem: In a tick or two of time, way more happens than you want. For example, on corner exit, you call for power, then quickly find yourself backing off, then pressing down again, trying to chase the optimum as torque ramps up on a slight time delay rather than rising predictably with revs. This up-and-down of the pedal makes ragged exit lines. The best partners don't dance like that.

Third Place
Audi A6 2.7T Quattro

Highs: Looks sensational in Light Silver Metallic, exquisitely detailed black interior, first-class seating in back, beautifully disciplined turbo power.

Lows: Even the best turbos are troubling, relentless sing-ring of the tires, a touch too much rock and roll in the ride.

The Verdict: A classy player at an appealing price.
The Audi has another annoyance that's hard on its companions. As soon as its wheels start to turn, you hear a singing-ringing noise from the tires against the road. It never goes away. Tinnitus sufferers—the staff has more than its share, maybe because of past racing adventures—find that road noises of this sort kick up the ringing in their own ears.

Still, the Audi finished out of first place by only two points. The rear seat is the most hospitable of all for two occupants. Making room for three puts the outboard heads close to the roof. Toe space is also tight under the front seats. So the Audi's rating moved back toward midpack for three.
Interior appearance details find favor with all. Audi has mastered the combination of satin black trimmed with rich wood and subtle details of polished metal. It brings back memories of Eames chairs, so sought after for so long.

All in all, we're charmed, but not smitten.

Second Place
BMW 530iA

Readers of enduring loyalty expect BMWs to score high in our tests. Don't they always?
Second Place
BMW 530iA

Highs: Control responses feel familiar and comforting, driver's seat accommodates all shapes, lots of engine music (for the few who need that in the $50K class).

Lows: Dated dash, tightly confining driver's compartment, loud at idle, ride on the harsh side.

The Verdict: A golden oldie.

The 530iA finished one point out of first place, leaving us asking, "Is this all there is?" BMW's 5-series is the senior citizen of this group, a 1997 model with freshening along the way. On the road, it has the kind of trusty, predictable control responses and moves that we like. And, of course, impressive power from its 3.0-liter six. But it shows its age, too. Once a great-riding car, it now has been surpassed. Others are smoother and have fewer quivers in their structures following road impacts.
Others make less noise, too. Lots of sounds filter into the cockpit at idle, more than in the others. Interior controls, particularly for the heating and air-conditioning systems, seem wrongheaded. There's a rustic look to the dash, in part from markings and positioning of buttons and dials that may be BMW traditions but also betray a Munich isolationism.

Criticism of the Jag—that it's confining for the driver—must be applied nearly equally to the BMW. Both companies try to wall off the driver from the rest of the car with a narrow foot space and a prominent console down the center.

Part of the reason BMWs draw raves from us for their handling is that test BMWs are almost inevitably equipped with the Sport package. BMW of North America shrewdly chases down appropriate equipment for us because it knows how we drive (other makers are less helpful). In this case, the Sport package ($2300) includes 235/45YR-17 "summer" tires on special wheels one inch wider and one inch larger in diameter than standard, quickened suspension rates, and front buckets with more lateral support.

Naturally, a car so equipped responds more surely to handling overtures and rides stiffer. BMWs usually understeer heavily on the skidpad. This one was more moderate, circling at 0.82 g, slightly above the group's average. Braking, at 171 feet from 70 mph, was five feet shorter than the average.
The 530i was the lightest car of the group (due at least partly to age; the trend is toward rising weights, as cars are reengineered to meet newer structural requirements). It was also quick, barely behind third place in the quarter, which is a good indication of overall performance.

Think of the high overall score of this BMW as you would a racer who's had a championship season but didn't win a race.

First Place
Mercedes-Benz E320

From the crisply imaginative rendering of its instrument cluster to the day-night differences of behavior at the click of its suspension switch to the often-surprising feel of its controls, every detail of the new Benz grabs our attention and holds it for miles and miles. This is a surpassingly interesting car.
Interesting is good. Interesting and unfailingly correct would be even better.

We can't go that far, so the all-new E320 tops the old BMW by one point.
Like the BMW, this Benz has an optional Sport package, this one featuring a three-position switch near the shifter, allowing you to choose "auto" or two software programs more restrictive of body motions. This feature really pays off. The auto position seems to pave the road, masking small disturbances almost completely. The stiffer programs give the E320 a quick-footed feel—you know how a boxer moves in the ring—and unshakable aplomb in the twisties. The extra-grippy Continental SportContact 2 tires share part of the credit; skidpad adhesion topped all others at 0.84 g. Engine power is smooth, luxuriously quiet, and medium strong. Based on quarter-mile results, the Benz is fifth out of seven in acceleration. In stopping distance it's best of all.

First Place
Mercedes-Benz E320

Highs: You can have it ride sporty or creamy at the touch of a button, lots of designer flavor in the expensive-looking interior, great driving position.

Lows: Weird steering, brake, and accelerator feel; transmission is reluctant to downshift; lots of road noise.

The Verdict: An endlessly interesting car in its many exaggerations and excogitations.
This car has an incredible amount of computer manipulation in the feel of the brakes and steering and in its throttle response. All of that is much less successful than the computer's suspension interventions. The steering effort goes up at times, to a degree not anticipated by the driver. Moreover, crosswinds produce exceptionally large force variations at the wheel rim when you're trying to hold the car straight. Brake response is nonlinear, seeming to increase retardation midway to a stop sign. And sometimes throttle response at very low speeds is so soggy we thought the brake was on.

Generally, we very much liked the solid feeling of the body structure. This car feels valuable. M-Bs traditionally have had wide panel gaps around the doors and lids. They're much closer in this new car, but both the hood and the deck were inaccurately aligned in their openings. The back seat was relatively uncomfortable, too, as its firm cushion contours try to force occupants into a slouchy position.

The interior has the look of fine jewelry about it, with delicate chrome bezels and pleasing textures throughout. More than any of the others, this car looks rich enough to justify its price. The near-$50,000 class is a tough league. Knockouts are rare. The E320 wins this one on a close decision.

gavriil

Zoot

So Gav shall I just cancel my subscription and depend on you?

gavriil

They dont like this about the 530, they dont like that, still they put it 2nd. What is the matter with these people?

gavriil

DelawareCLS

I just got the mag in the mail a day or two ago, and I swear I can't figure these people out. They pride themselves on focusing on vehicles that true drivers enjoy (sporty, solid, fun, luxurious, etc). That's fine, but when I had seen BMW win every single comparison is has been in in the last 5 years, I start to wonder. OK, it lose a couple, but never lower than 2nd place.

Now, I am a big fan of Mercedes, especially their styling of late and the plain tank-like solidness of their vehicles. I had the pleasure of driving a 2003 SL convertible for a week, and also a 2001 E320 for about the same time. Both were impressive, but the SL was less sporty than you'd think.

This article seems to nitpick on the Mercedes more than the others. The BMW is very dated looking inside, but that's the only knock against it. It seems to outperform almost every other vehicle, yet this seems to hold it back. The M-B is the newest and has the most gadgetry, which they knock because it makes the car feel disconnected. Yet it wins. Next issue, the M-B (or, insert any other non-BMW car here) will lose because of the very fact that it is not as sporty and electronics-heavy. I think it defeats the purpose of helping the consumer who has all 7 vehicles on his list decide between them, because they magazine is not consistent in its opinions.

gavriil

I mean, the 5 gets 2nd place in its LAST year for this generation. Think about that guys. That says to me that there is NO doubt that the next generation 5 series, will be getting 1st place for at least the first 3-4 years. Give me a break C&D. That is why I cancelled my subscribtion and only read their website.

DelawareCLS

Although, if the 3-series redesign you posted in another thread is any indication, BMW is beginning to slip. They are starting to take the driver input out of the equation (ala Mercedes, but in a much worse way) and are beginning to make dog-ugly vehicles. I think they are on the way down.