This hotly contested segment has its benchmark in the Lexus ES 300. It blends comfort, style, luxury, and sport into an efficient package at an affordable price. ES 300 manages to offer a little more luxury than others in the class.

We Recommend the Acura TL, Audi A4, and new Infiniti G35. All offer comfort, speed, and nimble handling at attractive prices. The sporty and Euro-flavored BMW 3-Series is Recommended as a rear-drive alternative. The "3" has enough bodystyles and engine choices to suit anyone. At the other end of the near-luxury spectrum is the posh and comfortable Buick Park Avenue--an old-school luxo-cruiser from Detroit.

CTS rang up nearly 38,000 sales in calendar 2002, not bad for a new model with styling that not everyone approves. Cadillac hopes to build on this success with several upgrades for 2004. For starters, cars with automatic transmission switch to GM's new 3.6-liter V6 with dual overhead camshafts and variable valve timing. Horsepower checks in 255 and torque at 252 lb-ft, up 35 hp and 34 lb-ft over the 3.2-liter unit, which will continue on manual-transmission models. The 3.6 will also show up in Cadillac's new SRX crossover SUV and a premium Ultra version of Buick's similar but unrelated Rendezvous crossover. We also hear talk of interior upgrades for every '04 CTS. They apparently won't be made all at once, but Cadillac aims to silence criticism that its entry-level sedan doesn't match rival imports for materials or overall workmanship.

For the enthusiast market, Cadillac is prepping a high-performance CTS-V with a 5.7-liter V8 cranking out around 350 hp. Expected during 2004, perhaps as an '05 model, the CTS-V will boast larger wheels, tires and brakes, plus a handling-biased suspension and sporty styling touches including a specific grille and interior trim. Word is that other Cadillacs will eventually get similar treatments as the division seeks to establish a "V-Series" sub-line a la BMW's M models and Mercedes' AMGs.