This diverse segment offers the widest price range. It covers everything from the $33,000 Saab 9-5 to the $128,000 Mercedes-Benz SL500. Obviously our Best Buys are somewhere in between. We think that the Acura RL is a steal at $42,000 fully equipped. Though it is a front-drive V6 in a field of V8 rear-drive models, it has a great ride, plenty of power, and is quite luxurious. In the same vein, the more-expensive Lexus LS 400 continues to impress, excelling in every way except for handling.
If you are looking for something a bit more sporting we recommend the BMW 5-Series, Jaguar S-Type, or Lexus GS 300/400. If your taste ranges more toward the luxury end, then take a look at the new Cadillac DeVille or Mercedes-Benz CLK.

With sales still slipping and production slated to continue only through the 2002 model year at best, the Eldorado as we know it is a dead duck. That doesn't necessarily mean the name will disappear, but Detroit insiders have outlined several scenarios for a future Eldorado, and it's likely that General Motors itself hasn't yet come up with a final answer.
Here's what could happen. First, the Eldorado simply dies, name and all. Or, the name transfers to the production version of Cadillac's new high-performance 2003 roadster, which will be much like the 1999 Evoq (say "evoke") concept car. Whatever its name, the first 2-seat Cadillac since the ill-starred early-'90s Allante will be a rear-drive design based on the next-generation "C6" Chevrolet Corvette platform, but with a much-modified version of Cadillac's Northstar V8 within its sharp-lined body.
Another rumored possibility is that Eldorado would remain a high-style coupe, but would share GM's new rear-drive Sigma platform with Cadillac's next Catera sedan, due for 2002. That car will be built in America rather than Germany, but will retain an Opel-based V6 enlarged to 3.2 liters. The Sigma platform will also support Cadillac's next Seville, scheduled for '03, so doing a V8 coupe spinoff wouldn't be too difficult or costly.
Still another prospect, says one source, is a Sigma-based Eldorado wagon, and not a "sports wagon" either. That idea seems far-fetched, however, given Cadillac's plans for a car-based "crossover" SUV (which the division calls LAV--Luxury Activity Vehicle) and a sport-utility pickup to rival Lincoln's forthcoming Blackwood. Then again, maybe the Eldorado name will get picked up for one of those new trucks.
Our own scenario is for Cadillac to offer a new 4-passenger Sigma-based convertible with styling in the spirit of past drop-top Eldos. This would not only polish up the once-shining Eldorado name, but would give Cadillac a product that no other luxury-class make currently offers. We've even suggested this idea to Cadillac officials, but we don't honestly expect them to take our advice.