Best Luxury Cars 2019
Luxury cars – a class comprised in significant proportion of large executive saloons, but with one or two hatchbacks and SUVs included – have to display a broad range of skills. These are the cars high-end executives choose to drive or to be driven in. That means they need to offer outstanding comfort both in the front and back seats, a silky smooth ride and excellent drivability and refinement.
High levels of in-car technology and infotainment are a must, and connectivity systems that will allow such machines to be used as mobile offices are increasingly important.
This list takes in cars that are both incredibly comfortable, great to drive and great to be driven in; and the ones at the top of our rankings are capable of more besides
Best luxury cars 2019:
1. Mercedes-Benz S-Class
When Mercedes-Benz sets out to make a new S-Class, the brief is to make the best car in the world. While it might not visually seduce like a Jaguar XJ, the big Merc offers an ownership experience that should be even more appealing.
This car does what it’s supposed to do superbly and is functionally exceptional. It was conceived as a long-wheelbase saloon, giving it unprecedented torsional rigidity, and the ride is helped by standard air suspension with adaptive dampers.
There’s a choice of three petrol and one diesel engine, with a nine-speed automatic ‘box standard equipment and advanced 48v hybrid electric powertrain technology used to boost both performance and efficiency in some derivates.
The S-Class is engineered to operate quietly and comfortably at all times. On both town roads and motorway it could hardly ride better, and it steers directly and precisely, with luxury-appropriate isolation.
The interior is spacious and supremely comfortable, and festooned with technology, including a 12.3in infotainment screen and Mercedes’ Comand Online system as standard, and a suite of rear-cabin infotainment equipment available as an option.
On ride comfort alone, the S-Class even challenges the likes of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Where the S-Class leads, the rest of the car-making world follows.
2. Range Rover
The latest Range Rover, the fourth generation of the model, is as revolutionary as any in history, with a new aluminium monocoque chassis and an unashamedly luxurious agenda. That it is a luxury car first and 4x4 second is not to run down its capability offroad one jot, however.
The spacious interior exudes quality and luxury, the seats are excellent and the driving position is first-rate, making it easy to drive for a car of its size. The heavy bodyshell provides excellent isolation from rough surfaces and, while it doesn’t offer the driving engagement of a Porsche Cayenne, it’s easy to make enjoyable and brisk progress in when the need arises.
3. Jaguar I-Pace
The Jaguar I-Pace is the first electric vehicle from a mainstream manufacturer to take on the likes of Tesla Models S and X.
More SUV than saloon, the I-Pace majors on interior quality and striking design, while offering a touring range of around 215 miles. With two 197bhp electric motors - one at each axle - it’s quick too, and not just in a straight line; with the I-Pace Jaguar has also engineered a fine-handling car.
It’s infotainment could be better, though, and a lack of 100kW chargers in the UK does hamstring its long-distance touring credentials somewhat. But overall, this is an impressive take not just on an EV, but on a pioneering luxury car too.
4. Tesla Model S
The first bespoke creation from electric car pioneer Elon Musk’s firm, the Model S is the machine that brought credibility, luxury and useful range to the electric car market.
There are four battery options, topped by a 100kWh pack with a credible 393-mile range.
The Model S can take off with the ferocity of a super saloon, but even more wonderful is how precisely and effortlessly you can meter out its pace, and how quietly it can be delivered.
The Model S delivers a hugely credible steer, a large, quiet, premium cabin and massive load space, with a futuristic feel. For a select niche, it will make financial as well as environmental sense.
5. Audi A8
The latest Audi A8 features even more advanced chassis, powertrain and in-car technology than the latest Mercedes S-Class including, when it’s switched on, the greatest capability for autonomous driving of any production car in the world.
There’s a choice of turbocharged engines – a 282bhp diesel or 335bhp petrol – with four-wheel-drive as standard and a 48V electrical system that gives it mild hybrid status.
The quality interior feels like it was built to outlast civilization itself, although it lacks the elegance and ambient warmth of the S-Class. The ride is smooth and the car is easy to drive, although it's not quite as pillowy and luxurious as its key German rival, and not quite the Mercedes' equal in the ways that matter most.
