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.

Infiniti's flagship sedan has been a sales dud since its 1997 redesign, which many critics thought a step backward. That's why a brand-new Q45 has been introduced somewhat earlier than normal. It comes not a moment too soon. Despite a booming luxury market in most of 2000, sales of the old Q declined some 33 percent for the calendar year to a rather paltry 4178. For full information on the far more ambitious 2002 Q45, just click that report.