This diverse segment offers the widest price range and obviously our Best Buys are somewhere in between. We think that the Acura RL is a steal at $44,000 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. The refined Lexus LS 430 can't be beat for comfort and features at just under $55,000. 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 roomy Cadillac DeVille or Lexus GS 300.

New for 1996, the RL has never been a strong seller even by luxury-class standards. Though impressive on its own terms, the RL offers only a V6 instead of the V8 expected in a flagship sedan, plus fewer gadgets and dull styling that smacks of "big Honda Accord." No surprise, then, that sales keep trending downward--off 27.7 percent year-to-year in calendar 2001 and another 10.3 percent in the first quarter of '02.

Acura may be able to turn things around with a fully redesigned RL, which is still reportedly on the menu for 2003. Honda insiders point to rear drive or even all-wheel drive replacing the familiar front-drive format. V8 power is also possible, suggested by prototypes spotted in Europe. However, Honda is said to doubt that a new RL could generate sufficient sales with a V8 alone, so some observers expect the next RL to carry the same 3.8-liter V6 destined for Acura's 2003 MDX sport-utility. A V8 sedan could be added or substituted later if the market seems favorable.

Other details are strictly educated guesses at this point, but we'd expect more expressive styling than the current conservative RL, plus the inevitable new gizmos and a standard 5-speed automatic transmission, also borrowed from the MDX. Keep checking back with us for further information as it becomes available.