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.

Now Jaguar's senior sedan, the XJ8 is being redesigned for a likely U.S. debut as a 2003 model. Known within Jaguar as project X350, the new XJ succeeds the current X300 series, the 1995 makeover of the original 1987 XJ40 design.

Spy reports say X350 will be somewhat longer and wider than the current XJ, yet it could be over 500 pounds lighter thanks to a new high-tech body made of bonded and riveted aluminum. The body is said to weigh 440 pounds, 110 pounds less than the Audi A8's aluminum shell. An extra 4 inches of wheelbase will help give the Jaguars more passenger and cargo room than they have now, which would be welcome. Head room in particular should improve, as the new models are said to have the domed roof and general contours of Jaguar's smaller S-Type sedan. Other styling cues, including a wide grille and twin headlamps, are said to provide strong visual links with the 1980-86 XJ Series III, regarded by some as the last "real" Jaguar sedan.

The new XJs will retain rear-wheel drive and Jaguar's trademark double-wishbone all-independent suspension. Industry sources say three engines will be available: a newly enlarged 4.3-liter version of the XJ's existing AJ-V8 with about 300 horsepower, a supercharged edition for the sporty XJR with about 400 horses, and a new 3.3-liter 250-hp V6 derived from the S-Type's 3.0-liter Ford-based engine. All three powerplants should link to a 5-speed automatic transmission similar to the current unit except for possibly a new type of manual-shift arrangement to replace today's controversial "J-gate." Expect standard 4-wheel antilock disc brakes and traction/antiskid control as at present, plus Jaguar's usual wood-and-leather luxury. A likely option, perhaps standard on some models, will be a new "smart" cruise control similar to the Distronic system being made available this fall on several high-end Mercedes-Benz models. Like Distronic, the Jaguar system is designed to sense vehicles directly ahead and automatically adjust throttle and brakes to maintain a safe following distance. Like the S-Type, the new XJs will undoubtedly be available with voice-recognition control of climate, audio and navigation systems; sources suggest the VR will be expanded to include Internet and e-mail access.

Besides a hot XJR, Jaguar's next big sedans should be offered in a base model, perhaps with the reported V6, plus a posh long-wheelbase Vanden Plas. Further out is the prospect of an ultra-luxury XJ that may be sold as a Daimler, a name intertwined with Jaguar since 1960 (and unrelated to the former German Daimler-Benz company). Though this model can't be confirmed yet, it may return V12 power to a Jaguar sedan for the first time since the late 1970s. Said to make around 380 horsepower, the V12 is reportedly a more "cultured" version of the powerplant found in Aston Martin's high-performance DB7 Vantage. Like Jaguar, Aston Martin is part of Ford Motor Company's upscale Premier Automotive Group.