This diverse segment offers the widest price range. It covers everything from the $34,000 Saab 9-5 to the $130,000 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. Mercedes-Benz E-Class, though a bit long in the tooth, also continues to impress with its impeccable road manners and luxurious comfort.

If you are looking for something a bit more sporting we recommend the BMW 5-Series. If your taste ranges more toward the luxury end, then take a look at the Cadillac DeVille or Lexus GS 300.

A holdover from another age, Eldorado continued its long sales slide in 2000, calendar-year orders dropping another 13 percent to just over 13,000. As things stand now, the current big coupe dies after the 2003 model year and will have no successor. However, there might an indirect replacement in the form of a high-style midsize coupe and/or convertible derived from the new rear-drive 2002 CTS entry-level sedan. The target would be V6 luxury Europeans like the Mercedes CLK and rumored new "personal cars" from BMW and Audi. When might it happen? Your guess is as good as ours, but we hope Cadillac at least considers the possibility. Not that they've taken our advice before, you understand.