By Eric Peters
top lux cars of 2005
Everyone wants one -- but only some of us can afford them. Still, we can dream and drool -- even if we can't afford the payment.

Masters of the Universe:

2005 BMW 760Li (MSRP $117,300):
If The Donald ever drove himself, this is probably what he'd drive. With a 438-hp V-12 engine -- and nearly four feet of rear seat legroom -- the 760Li is every inch BMW's Ultimate Luxury Car. Of course, only a select few can handle its heady six-figure sticker -- or become adept at operating its amazing array of multiplexed electronic systems -- all of them managed by a mouse-like central input device called iDrive. But those who can afford to take one of these rare birds home -- and then successfully figure out how to work everything and drive at the same time -- get the satisfaction of knowing they're among an elite fraternity. Own a 760Li and you get to play with the players -- not wannabe middle management types who have bosses -- and live in tract development McMansions on 1/3 acre "estate lots."

The extra $47k you pay for the 760Li (over and above the cost of the standard $69,900 745i ) buys you an extended wheelbase uber-roller with individual 14-way power actuators for both front and rear seats (20-way up front; 14 way for the back seats). In addition to its executive suite backseat accommodations, the limousine-sized 760Li also boasts seat heaters and fanny coolers for all four seats -- plus 19-inch road wheels, a computer-controlled auto-leveling suspension, "soft close" doors and trunk with electric motors to pull them tight, GPS navigation, even a climate controlled center console storage area (champagne optional).

2005 Maserati Quattroporte (MSRP $95,500):
Eagles singer-songwriter Joe Walsh would surely be pleased with the race-derived 400-hp V-8 under that drop-nosed hood -- and the six-speed "Duo-Select" transmission with F1-style paddle shifters that operates as either a manual or an automatic, depending on how you like your burnouts. While this new Maserati sedan may not do "one-eighty-five," its 171-mph top speed could just as easily leave you sitting in the clink singing Joe's lament: "I lost my license, now I don't drive." Or you could just snuggle deep into the rich hand-stitched Italian leather -- and savor the flavor of being one of the handful of exceptionally fortune souls to be able to even get near a car like this.

Unlike the Maserati Coupe and Spyder -- which are mechanically similar to existing Ferraris -- the Quattroporte sedan does not share a platform with any current Ferrari model. Its four-door (hence "Quattroporte") configuration really stands out amid the sea of two-doors it shares floor space with at Ferrari-Maserati dealerships, though. It also targets a completely different market. While Ferraris go up against Porsches, Aston Martins and other ultra-exclusive coupes, the Quattroporte's mission is to steal sales -- and prestige -- from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Bentley and anyone else with a high-line sedan up for sale.

2005 Mercedes-Benz S600 (MSRP $124,750):
The top-of-the-line S600 is about as far beyond the orbit of mere mortals as you can get -- short of hand-built quarter-million-dollar rollers like the Bentley Arnage, Rolls-Royce Phantom or Daimler Maybach that are simply untouchable if you're not Bill Gates or an NBA forward. Even so, the S600 is no one's untermensch -- with a twin-turbo, 5.5 liter V-8 that delivers an incredible 493-hp, enough to rocket this 5,000-lb. sled to 60-mph in just 4.5 seconds -- faster than all but a handful of the world's quickest sports cars. It's the ideal machine to enjoy a triple the double nickel jaunt from Stuttgart to Munich -- along with four well-chosen friends.

The S600 is also more traditionally styled than the radical "flame surfacing" look of its main competitor, the BMW 7-series -- but offers a similar level of creature comforts and opulence, including hand-fitted wood and leather trim, seats with built-in massage function. There's also a "Pre-Safe" impact detection system that automatically tightens the seatbelts and repositions the seats for maximum occupant protection when a crash is imminent.

Who could blame you if the urge to hum a few bars of "Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles"?

Ultra-Premium - but almost affordable:

2005 Audi A6 4.2 Quattro (MSRP $51,500):
The redesigned for '05 Audi A6 is best experienced at speed -- when the six speed automatic transmission hits its overdrive stride and the car settles into the land of triple digits as comfortably as a Gulfstream IV corporate jet leveling off at its 40,000-foot cruising altitude. While such Teutonic motoring may be felonious here in America, the great advantage of owning a machine with such deep reserves of capability (335-hp V-8, full-time Quattro all-wheel-drive) is the ease with which it handles our much less demanding 65-75 mph highways.

Much recommended (if you live in a colder climate) is the optional Cold Weather Package. For an extra $900 you get heated front and rear seats and headlight washers. The $1,250 Sport Package adds 18-inch rims and 40-series high-speed tires, along with a recalibrated, sport-tuned suspension. XM satellite radio, Parktronic sensors, a power rear window privacy screen/shade, tire-pressure monitoring system and keyless ignition system are other new for 2005 features that make the A6 -- either the standard 3.2 version or the top-of-the-line 4.2 V-8 model -- the equal of anything within financing range of $50,000.

2005 Cadillac STS V-8 (MSRP $61,815):
No more "starter casket" old men's cars -- dawdling along in a prescription drug-induced semi-coma there in the left lane, blinker on, at precisely 52-mph. That kind of Cadillac is history -- along with fake wire wheels and Delco CB radios. The new kind of Cadillac lives up to its Led Zeppelin soundtrack -- the kind of car that makes the old Cadillac's pacemaker skip a beat -- and leaves its driver shaking his bony fist as the whippersnapper executes a fast pass.

Though it shares a few distant visual cues with the car it replaces -- you'll see the faint familial resemblance in the rear quarter panels, where the sqaured-off angles of the old car still show through a bit -- it's otherwise a completely new car. From its burnout-capable rear-wheel-drive layout (the old Seville was FWD) to its 40-something hot-shoe executive stance, this is a car like Caddy used to make back in the 1960s -- when the Eldorado and DeVille were coaches for players -- not their grampas.

The STS comes three ways: base V-6 and rear drive ($40,300), V-8 with rear-drive ($49,645) and top-of-the-line V-8 with a first-ever for Cadillac all-wheel-drive system ($61,815). The 320-hp Northstar-equipped model has the brute force to push the two-ton sled close to 150, if not faster -- which you may never get to sample but it's still nice to know you could. And when you need a burst of thrust -- even at 70-80 mph -- the Northstar has the reserves to provide it.

2005 Jaguar XJ8 Vanden Plas (MSRP $70,330):
It's tempting to go on looks alone -- but it's what's under the skin that makes the aura of good feeling that attends the purchase of a $70,000 luxury car last longer than Lisa Marie Presley's latest marriage.

On the outside, the perpetually stunning coachwork that has made every XJ sedan from 1968 onward an automotive icon has not been "improved" by some 26-year-old designer with a "new idea" -- although a good eye will catch the subtle changes made to the exterior, including a restyled "leaper" hood ornament and the updated High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamp assemblies. What the eyes can't see, however, is the all-aluminum bodyshell -- which shaves several hundred pounds of weight off the car and improves the performance of the already potent 292-hp "AJ" V-8 engine.

Inside, the changes are likewise subtle and evolutionary -- no "bold" departure from the drawing room elegance that has always been part of the Jaguar experience. The XJ's inviting interior beckons the weary like a sanctuary -- giving the owner the feeling of being tucked away in a private suite far from the paparrazi -- right down to the softly padded, metronome sound of the turn signal indicator.

Incredibly nice - and incredible deals:

2005 Acura RL (MSRP $49,100):
With 300-hp, standard all-wheel-drive and literally everything (leather, GPS, dual zone climate control, 8-inch flat screen DVD entertainment and GPS system, power sunshade, 10-speaker Bose surround sound audio) already included in its base price, the '05 RL may be the most sensible luxury car on the market. New for '05 is a Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system that can kick back a full 70 percent of the engine's power to the rear wheels when the fronts begin to lose grip -- and can even split power delivery between the left front and right rear wheels, sort of like a very high-tech limited slip axle on a high-performance rear-wheel-drive car. The system helps prevent rear-end fishtailing under high load conditions such as aggressive cornering, especially on rain or ice-slicked surfaces.

The '05 RL also boats the first-ever production use of a real-time traffic information system that can tell you if there's a bottleneck or accident along the route you've programmed into the GPS system -- and help you pick your way around it. Other interesting features include "adaptive" Xenon High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights that track with the steering wheel -- just like a '48 Tucker!

This is the car for the person with money -- who knows how to spend it wisely.

Lexus LS430 (MSRP $56,225):
Also known as the "blue chip luxury car" -- because it holds its value better than almost any other high-end sedan -- the Lexus LS430 remains a great alternative to higher-priced models from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. It offers a very comparable driving experience and competitive luxury amenities -- for tens of thousands less.

Like the Acura RL, it comes in just one fully-equipped version -- with a 290-hp V-8, six-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch wheels, dual zone climate control with oscillating air vents, power trunk closer, 14-way power seats and "adaptive" headlights that turn with you as enter corners. Unilke the RL, the LS430 is a rear-drive machine -- so it's not as sure-footed in bad weather. But enthusiast drivers may prefer the traditional rear-drive layout for the better sense of balance it delivers when the car is driven hard.

For the ultimate RL, order up the optional Mark Levinson audio system with integrated GPS navigation and closed-circuit rearview camera, Smart Access key detection system, dynamic radar-assisted cruise control, active suspension and Sonar Park Assist. Even though it'll push the price of the LS430 close to $70,000 -- that's still $20,00-$30,000 less than a similarly loaded-up Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7-Series.