Mercedes/Genesis/Cadillac/Tesla Motors
The SUV may reign supreme in the U.S. as far as vehicle classes go, but there’s still room for the car. In fact, there are still plenty of rather appealing sedans on the market right now, especially if you’re looking for something big and luxurious. This is due in no small part to the auto industry’s embrace of electrification. The hybrid-assisted and all-electric powertrains mean sedans, or saloons as they’re sometimes called, are more powerful than ever. They also look pretty good. The boxy land yachts of yesterday have been replaced by more sophisticated vehicles that are often as likely to turn heads as sports cars. With that in mind, here are the 10 best full-size luxury sedans you can buy right now.
Our Best Full-Size Luxury Sedan Picks
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Best Overall: Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS
Image Credit: Mercedes No car in the Mercedes’ current lineup has the gravitas of its flagship, the S-Class. The full-size luxury sedan, which is the oldest nameplate on this list, is commanding, muscular, and sophisticated in equal measure. It also has the kind of interior that wouldn’t put off Bentley or Rolls-Royce owners. It’s basically the platonic idea of this class of vehicle, which may explain why German marque offers so many different versions. There are currently three different core variants, along with a performance model from AMG and an ultra-luxurious model from Maybach. Since 2020, there’s even been an all-electric version of the model called the EQS, which delivers the performance and amenities people expect from the S-Class, but has an ultra-aerodynamic exterior that may not be for everyone.
In Production Since: 1954 (the EQS since 2021)
Top Powertrain Option: Twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with an electric motor (AMG S 63 E Performance)/Dual-motor electric powertrain (AMG EQS)
Power: 791 hp and 1,055 ft lbs of torque (AMG S 63 E Performance)/649 hp and 700 ft lbs of torque (AMG EQS)
Zero to 60 mph: 3.2 seconds
Top Speed: 180 mph
Price: $114,500 -
Best for a Quiet Ride: Audi A8
Image Credit: Audi Audi may not have the gravitas of its German luxury peers, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but the company knows how to build a solid luxury car. Just look at the A8. The car isn’t particularly sexy, but the company’s design language, which has almost been stuck in amber since the aughts, still looks good when stretched out. The same can be said about the spacious cabin, which features all the amenities you’d expect of a modern-day executive car and is particularly quiet. Performance is strong enough, especially if you opt for the sportier S8 model, which comes with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that delivers 563 hp and 590 ft lbs of torque. It may not set the heart racing, but sometimes that’s OK.
In Production Since: 1994
Top Powertrain Option: Twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 (S8)
Power: 563 hp and 590 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 3.8 seconds
Top Speed: 155 mph
Price: $90,900 -
Best Powertrain Options: BMW 7 Series and i7
Image Credit: BMW The long-running 7 Series is about as big and commanding as BMWs get. In production since 1977, the long-nosed saloon has a regal air to it. It currently has a more sculpted look than in previous generations, along with a pair of gigantic kidney grilles up front. The most intriguing aspect of the current iteration, though, might be that it’s available with one of three types of powertrains—gas-, hybrid-, or battery-powered. The last of those options, which is found in the i7, is a dual-motor setup that produces a monstrous 650 horses and 749 ft lbs of twist. Thanks to all that extra oomph—the traditional 760i xDrive makes just 536 hp—the car can launch from zero to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds.
In Production Since: 1977 (the i7 was introduced in 2022)
Top Powertrain Options: Twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 (760i xDrive)/Dual-motor electric powertrain (i7)
Power: 536 hp and 553 ft lbs of torque (760i xDrive)/650 hp and 749 ft lbs of torque (i7)
Zero to 60 mph: 4.1 seconds (760i xDrive)/3.5 seconds (i7)
Top Speed: 155 mph (760i xDrive)/130 mph (i7)
Range: 321 miles
Price: $96,400 -
Best for Customization: Cadillac Celestiq
Image Credit: Cadillac The Celestiq will be, by some margin, the most expensive Cadillac of all time. It’s also the Detroit-based luxury automakers most technologically advanced vehicle and will serve as the flagship of its electric lineup. The four-door is a built-to order model that the brand hopes will eventually be viewed as an American-made alternative to Rolls-Royce’s bespoke builds (we consider those ultra-luxury vehicles, in case you were wondering why the Phantom Series II isn’t on this list, though the jury is still out with Celestiq in that regard.) Still, the liftback sedan will also be one of the brand’s most customizable models yet, with buyers offered the opportunity to help design an exterior and interior that meets their exacting standards.
In Production Since: 2024
Top Powertrain Option: Dual-motor electric powertrain
Power: 600 hp and 640 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 3.8 seconds
Top Speed: 126 mph
Range: 300 miles
Price: $340,000 -
Best for Cushy Comfort: Genesis G90
Image Credit: Genesis The G90 is why Genesis is what it is today. The sedan, which stretches over 17 feet bumper to bumper, was the luxury brand’s first model, both in its home country of South Korea and the U.S. With its sophisticated design and potent powertrain, the car made quite the first impression. Today’s version is the most refined yet. It’s sleek on the outside and ridiculously cushy inside, thanks to its onboard fragrance diffuser and comfortable leather-covered seats. Under the hood, you have a traditional or hybrid powertrain to choose from. The latter E-Supercharged setup pairs a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 with an electrical motor that combine to produce 409 hp and 405 ft lbs of torque.
In Production Since: 2015
Top Powertrain Option: Twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 with a 48-volt hybrid system (E Supercharged)
Power: 409 hp and 405 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 5.1 seconds
Top Speed: 132 mph
Price: $89,200 -
Best Value for Your Buck: Lexus LS
Image Credit: Lexus Despite having one of the lowest starting prices on this list, the LS is a luxury car through and through. Lexus’s full-size sedan is midway through its fourth decade and continues to shine. Whereas most full-size luxury sedans have designs that seek to convey a sense of sophistication, the LS’s heavily sculpted body is almost sporty. The interior is stylish and comfortable and features all the amenities you’d expect from the class. The vehicle only comes with a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6, but it’s potent enough to produce 416 hp and 442 ft lbs of torque (there’s also a hybrid variant, but it’s actually the least powerful version). All in all, the LS is a great example that it’s not about how much you spend, it’s about how you spend it.
In Production Since: 1989
Top Powertrain Option: Twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 (LS F Sport)
Power: 416 hp and 442 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 4.6 seconds
Top Speed: 136 mph
Price: $80,635 -
Best All-Electric Sedan: Lucid Air
Image Credit: Lucid Motors It’s going to be hard for any EV-only marque to catch up with Tesla. Rather than try to match Elon Musk’s company’s popularity with consumers, Lucid has just tried to build a better battery-powered full-size sedan. The brand’s debut model, the Air, was very clearly developed with the distinct purpose of taking down the Model S. The robust four-dour has a more distinctive exterior, more luxurious and spacious interior, and a more potent powertrain. The top-of-the-line Air Sapphire has a tri-motor setup that produces 1,234 hp and 1,430 ft lbs of torque. Its most impressive feature is easily its range, though, which tops out at an industry-leading 516 miles.
In Production Since: 2021
Top Powertrain Option: Tri-motor electric powertrain (Sapphire)
Power: 1,234 hp and 1,430 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 2.2 seconds
Top Speed: 205 mph
Range: 516 miles
Price: $71,400 -
Best Looking: Maserati Quattroporte
Image Credit: Maserati You won’t find many full-size sedans, luxury or otherwise, that are as stylish as the Quattroporte. The long-running four-door has a sleek and muscular exterior closer that looks like something you’d expect to see on one of the Italian marque’s sports cars. The car looks just as good inside, where you’ll find a spacious cabin decked out in premium materials. This is a Maserati we’re talking about, of course, so the vehicle also offers top-notch performance. The range-topping Trofeo variant is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 that pumps out 572 horses, allowing it to reach speeds of over 200 mph.
In Production Since: 1963
Top Powertrain Option: Twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 (Trofeo)
Power: 572 hp and 538 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 4.2 seconds
Top Speed: 203 mph
Price: $108,400 -
Best for Sports Car Lovers: Porsche Panamera
Image Credit: Porsche We all associate Porsche with the 911 and other sports cars, but the brand also knows a thing or two about building an excellent four-door. After having flirted with the idea around the middle of the last century, Porsche finally released its first series-production sedan at the end of the aughts. The Panamera has proven itself to have real staying power, especially since it no longer looks like a stretched-out 718 Cayman. It helps that the car is just as powerful and almost as fun to drive as a 718 or 911. The current top-of-the-line model, the Turbo S E-Hybrid, had an electrified powertrain that pumps out nearly 700 horses. It’s also available as a shooting brake-style wagon, which is pretty cool if you ask us.
In Production Since: 2009
Top Powertrain Option: twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6 with an electric motor (Turbo S E-Hybrid)
Power: 690 hp and 641 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 3.0 seconds
Top Speed: 192 mph
Price: $196,400 -
Best Charging Network: Tesla Model S
Image Credit: Tesla Motors Tesla really hit it out of the park with the Model S. The company’s second EV—following the Lotus Elise-based, first-generation Roadster—is still part of its lineup 12 years after its introduction and, even though it’s getting a bit long in the tooth now, it’s easy to see why. Sure, it may look a tad generic, and its interior is a bit plain for the luxury segment, but it’s an excellent all-around full-size sedan. This is especially true of the range-topping Plaid variant, which has a tri-motor powertrain that produces 1,020 horses. This performance-oriented version of the sedan goes from zero to 60 mph in just two seconds, reaches a top speed of 200 mph, and still has a 359-mile range. And when the battery is running low, you also have access to the nation’s most extensive EV charging network.
In Production Since: 2012
Top Powertrain Option: Tri-motor electric powertrain (Plaid)
Power: 1,020 hp and 1,050 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 1.99 seconds
Top Speed: 200 mph
Range: 359 miles
Price: $74,990
