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.

The 9-5 has been a consistent if unspectacular seller since its debut as an early '99 entry. Indeed, it's proving almost as popular as the smaller, less expensive 9-3s despite offering fewer models.
Our crystal ball shows no big changes in the 9-5's future until 2004, when the car will be fully redesigned. Sedan and wagon body styles should continue with a choice of several engines, including a high-performance 4-cylinder and perhaps a V6 as at present. The new 9-5 may also introduce Saab's recently unveiled "variable compression" engine concept, in which electronics can slightly tilt the cylinder head to vary the compression ratio for optimal economy, performance, clean air, or all three.
Meantime, Saab has other lutefisk to fry. Predictably this involves car-like "crossover" vehicles a la Lexus RX 300. Two are in the works, one of which is said to be based on the next 9-5 platform. Code-named "9W," this is an apparent reply to the new Audi Allroad, reportedly being the regular 9-5 wagon with extra gound clearance, bigger wheels and tires, and standard all-wheel drive--but also a V8 engine, which would be a first for a Saab. That V8, if it materializes, would come from General Motors (GM now owns all of Saab's car division), but some sources say the Swedes favor a small-displacement turbo 4-cylinder per Saab tradition and are fighting anything larger. No matter how that squabble is resolved, the "9W" won't appear until after the next mainstream 9-5 models debut--say, 6-12 months later.
Coming much sooner--around mid-2002, sources now say--is a Saab-ized version of the new 2001 Pontiac Aztek and '02 Buick Rendezvous "lifestyle" wagons based on GM's minivan platform. Saab may go its own way with powertrains here too, and the new model will surely have a "Saab look" and many features associated with the brand regardless of what's under the hood. Unfortunately, our crystal ball is cloudy on specifics just now, but we'll be keeping you posted as we learn more.