Top 100 Cars 2016: Top 5 Luxury & Prestige

1 Mercedes-Benz S-class

Mercedes isn’t shy about trumpeting its S-class as the best car in the world. Irritatingly, it might be right. The latest models treat occupants to levels of comfort and convenience even Rolls-Royce struggles to match. It’s not the most engaging car to drive, but has one of the smoothest rides — particularly if fitted with Magic Body Control, which adjusts the suspension for potholes by using sensors to spot them in the road.

• PRICE £67,995-£183,075
• OUR PICK S 350 d SE Line L (£67,995)
• ENGINE 2987cc, 6 cylinders
• ACCELERATION 0-62mph: 6.8sec
• TOP SPEED 155mph
• FUEL | CO2 50.4mpg | 148g/km

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2 BMW 7-series

Just arrived in showrooms, the 7-series feels nimble and features an electronics shop’s worth of hi-tech gadgets, including optional camera-linked air-suspension along the lines of the S-class. It goes to near-comic lengths to pamper: cooling and intensive massage seats, rear seats that recline as standard and even the option to spray scents into the cabin air. Coming shortly is a self-parking function that allows the driver to get out of the car and control it into a space via the touchscreen key fob.

• PRICE £64,530-£79,970
• OUR PICK BMW 730d (£64,530)
• ENGINE 2993cc, 6 cylinders
• ACCELERATION 0-62mph: 6.1sec
• TOP SPEED 155mph
• FUEL | CO2 60.1mpg | 124g/km

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3 Jaguar XJ

Updated last autumn, with new tech and styling, the XJ is the luxury saloon that is the most fun to drive currently on the market. It’s now more powerful too, with an upgrade to its V6 diesel engine, which delivers 296bhp. The XJ can’t match its German rivals for ride comfort, but the interior is a stylish, modern blend of leather and wood (or carbon fibre), and the long-wheelbase version is spacious and airy. Near the top of the range is the XJR, with a quite sensational 542bhp supercharged V8.

• PRICE £58,690-£100,000
• OUR PICK 3.0 V6 Luxury diesel (£58,690)
• ENGINE 2993cc, 6 cylinders
• ACCELERATION 0-62mph: 6.2sec
• TOP SPEED 155mph
• FUEL | CO2 49.6mpg | 149g/km

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4 Bentley Mulsanne

Bentley has built a Mulsanne for the owner who fancies getting behind the wheel now and again. With a tuned version of Bentley’s 6.75-litre V8, the Speed produces 529bhp — that’s 25bhp more than its sibling. The result is sports car acceleration in a motor the size of a barn. It’s surreal, wonderful fun — until you reach town, at which point hand over to your chauffeur to negotiate this leviathan on tight roads.

• PRICE £229,360-£252,000
• OUR PICK Mulsanne Speed (£252,000)
• ENGINE 6752cc, V8
• ACCELERATION 0-62mph: 4.9sec
• TOP SPEED 190mph
• FUEL | CO2 19.3mpg | 342g/km

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5 Rolls-Royce Ghost

It might be the entry-level Roller but it doesn’t feel that way, with mile-deep lamb’s wool floor mats, leather, wood and alloy details, and a cabin that’s not much smaller than the Phantom’s. The Ghost is more rewarding to drive, though, with assured handling. Meanwhile, the fact it can get to 62mph in exactly the same time it takes some versions of the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 never ceases to amuse.

• PRICE £216,864-£253,944
• OUR PICK Ghost (£216,864)
• ENGINE 6592cc, twin-turbo V12
• ACCELERATION 0-62mph: 4.9sec
• TOP SPEED 155mph
• FUEL | CO2 20.2mpg | 327g/km

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Top 100 Cars 2016 contents

• Introduction and star cars launching this year
• Sunday Times Driving Car of the Year 2016

1. Top 5 Sports Cars
2. Top 5 Large 4x4s & SUVs
3. Top 5 Luxury & Prestige Cars
4. Top 5 Electric & Hybrid Cars
5. Top 5 City Cars
6. Top 5 Superminis
7. Top 5 Hot Hatches
8. Top 5 Two-seat Roadsters
9. Top 5 Warm Hatches
10. Top 5 Supercars
11. Top 5 Family Convertibles
12. Top 5 Coupés
13. Top 5 Compact Crossovers
14. Top 5 Large Crossovers
15. Top 5 Five-seat MPVs
16. Top 5 Seven-seat MPVs
17. Top 5 Mid-size Estate Cars
18. Top 5 Large Estate Cars
19. Top 5 Mid-size Family Cars
20. Top 5 Large Family Cars

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