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.

The SL was last updated for 1995, receiving a heavy makeover of its basic 1990-model design. Sales had been holding up reasonably well since, but the SL lost ground in calendar 2000, falling 31 percent to just 5409 units. Probable factors include the economy's year-end slowdown, strong in-house competition from the newer 2-seat SLK roadster and 4-seat CLK convertible, and the fact that some customers may be waiting for the new-generation SL that's been in the news for some three years now.

They won't have to wait much longer, as Mercedes finally unwraps a fully redesigned SL at this autumn's Frankfurt Auto Show. U.S. sales should begin in early 2002 for the '03 campaign. Like the latest S-Class sedans and CL coupes, the new SL will be no heavier than its predecessor despite slight gains in length and width. Credit greater use of aluminum for a new purpose-built platform, a surprising extravagance for such a low-volume car. Wheelbase is also slightly longer to improve cockpit room and provide storage for a standard SLK-style power-retractable hard top. The chassis sports new suspension components borrowed from the redesigned 2003 E-Class, rack-and-pinion steering instead of less precise recirculating-ball, an improved traction/antiskid system, and uprated antilock brakes with electrohydraulic actuation.

Initial U.S. offerings will again comprise V8 SL500 and V12 SL600. A bit later comes a high-performance AMG version with a supercharged V8 making a rumored 450 horsepower. A base V6 SL320 is slated for Europe, but may not come Stateside. The only transmission at first will be a 5-speed automatic similar to today's unit, but a stronger new 6-speed automatic will reportedly be offered for '04, likely as standard for the high-torque V12 and AMG models.

Naturally, the new SLs will offer the same high-tech features as other newer premium Mercedes. Among these are the anti-roll Active Body Control system, Distronic "smart" cruise control, and the COMAND dashboard screen for controlling audio, cell phone and navigation functions as well as the Web-based Info Services e-mail and Internet access.

As for styling, the new SL is more rounded than the old and a bit more wedge-shaped in profile. Mercedes' now-customary oval headlamps appear in a more visibly downswept nose. The folding hard top includes a slightly curved rear window and is said to be more compact and quicker to raise or lower than that of the smaller SLK. Pricing wasn't available for this report, but Mercedes' recent track record suggests the new SLs will cost little if any more than the outgoing models and may even be cheaper on a comparably equipped basis.