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.

Jaguar's senior sedan is being redesigned for 2003 and a late-2002 U.S. debut. Developed as project "X350," it replaces the current "X300", the 1995 makeover of Jaguar's last new big sedan, the 1987 "XJ40".

Full details weren't available for this report, but X350 will use a heavily modified S-Type/Lincoln LS platform to be somewhat longer and wider than current XJs. Wheelbases are stretched 4 inches for extra legroom in both standard and long-body models. Despite the dimensional gains, weight reportedly drops by over 400 pounds, to below 3550, via a high-tech unibody made of bonded and riveted aluminum a la Audi A8. Styling is modernized around classic XJ themes.

Being so much lighter, the new XJ may reach America with a base 3.3-liter V6, derived from the 3.0-liter Ford "Duratec" engine and good for a reported 250 hp. But this line's mainstay power will be a new 4.3-liter enlargement of Jaguar's 4.0-liter "AJ-V8," offered in normally aspirated form with 300 hp and, for a sporty new XJR, with supercharger and close to 400 hp. The transmission in all cases should be a 5-speed automatic.

Among other new features are a computer-controlled suspension with air springs instead of conventional steel coils, a more sophisticated traction/antiskid system, and Jaguar's Advanced Restraint Technology System (ARTS). The last, introduced on Jaguar's XK models, uses ultrasound occupant-position and crash-impact sensors to trigger dual-stage dashboard and front side airbags. Curtain side airbags should be standard. Options will likely include a radar-based "smart" cruise control, similar to Mercedes' Distronic system, and voice-recognition control for climate, audio and navigation functions, plus Internet and e-mail access.

Such wizardry underlines the X350's twin missions of showcasing Jaguar technology while matching or exceeding rivals for luxury, performance, refinement and roadability. The new models will be timely, as XJ sales dropped 14.2 percent in the first nine months of 2001 after a 6.3-percent decline in calendar 2000.