1990 Comparison Test: Full-Size Luxury Sedan Showdown

Car and Driver

11 hours ago

From the December 1989 issue of Car and Driver.
Millennia from now, archaeologists will dig down through the layer left by the Automotive Era, and when they fin­ish their sifting and sorting, they'll con­clude, "Wow, 1990 was a showdown year in the car business."
Model-year 1990 will be looked back on as the time when competition finally hit the high end of the market. The same on­-rush of new models and new technology that enlivened the menu of low-priced automobiles in the 1980s is finally coming to high-priced automobiles in 1990. Toyota and Nissan are pushing their Lexus and Infiniti four-doors into the exclusive territory of BMW and Mercedes-­Benz.
What's going to happen? Easy. The market will go to the best cars. Not imme­diately, of course—people don't dump their present cars and loyalties the minute something better comes along. But over the years, buyers in the lower­-priced markets have moved unerringly toward the better cars. Competition has forced the laggard brands to quicken their steps or be left for dead. The same realignment will happen at the top: our choices up there will just get better and better. Competition is a wonderful thing. The customer always wins.
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That brings us to the central question: What's the best luxury sedan of this new season? Again, easy. God invented com­parison tests for just such questions. All will be revealed below.
But first, let's talk about the candidates. What is a luxury sedan? The Japanese automakers have plainly cited BMW and Mercedes as "the competition." The top models of those German brands sell at prices so far above Cadillacs and Lin­colns that no one would think of the Detroiters as comparable. Moreover, there is a great philosophical difference be­tween the European and American ap­proaches to expensive-sedan design. The Europeans take driving seriously, and a fine car must therefore be a fine tool for the discerning driver. Detroit generally regards driving as something that the affluent would leave to a chauf­feur if they could, so the assignment of a Detroit luxury car is to isolate the driver from the drudgery.
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We unhesitatingly side with the Euro­pean definition, and from that standpoint, the comparison choices become obvious. In size, price, and engine type, the Mercedes-Benz 420SEL and the BMW 735i match the new Japanese chal­lengers more closely than the other of­ferings from their respective makers. The new Audi V8 Quattro offers traction advantages beyond all conventional se­dans, which is surely a luxury from a driv­er's standpoint. The Jaguar XJ6 brings a unique British perspective to the class. Neither the Lincoln Continental nor the new Town Car is sufficiently driver­-oriented to make the cut. Cadillac, how­ever, clearly intends the Seville Touring Sedan for the active driver. Just look at its 16-inch blackwall Eagle GT+4 tires if you don't believe us. Finally, we come to Lexus and Infiniti. Both makers claim to have targeted Europe's best, so they asked for this no-holds-barred comparison.
And we gave it to them, the full range of modern motoring—a day of city stop-and-go, another of Interstate cruising, and a third spent tearing up the twisties (in a secret location); the complete test-­track ritual was included, of course. Now, our seven-man jury has rendered its deci­sion. The results follow in ascending or­der of preference. Please, no peeking at the conclusion.
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7th Place: Cadillac STS
This is not your normal Cadillac—not your normal Seville, either. Imagine a Cadillac Z28, and you'll be close, because this is a uniquely American approach to sporting luxury.
The Seville Touring Sedan is shorter in overall length than the other cars in this test, and it is clearly less roomy—the unfortunate result of having a platform conceived in the early Eighties for a fuel-short future that never happened. On one hand, we're inclined to forgive the Seville for its tight packaging—hey, back in those days, we thought the petro future was bleak, too. On the other hand, 1990 is the fifth year of the Seville's production run. If it were on the typical Japanese four-year cycle, it would be out of pro­duction now. If GM isn't going to get competitive, it'll have to take its lumps.
The STS definitely has a special-car sense about it. The big, bold 60-series Goodyears shoulder themselves out of the wheel openings. The exterior decor is restrained; there's no stand-up hood ornament, just one Caddy wreath-and­-crest badge. The interior is finished in buckskin-colored leather with first-rate wood-burl accents. A console that cuts through the rear seat enforces the car's four-seater limit. And the exhausts speak with a rumbling accent. No, this is defi­nitely not your country-club Cadillac.
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But it's not quite in the driver's idiom, either. The know-nothing instrument panel has its digital speedo and gas gauge positioned in front of the driver, and all other monitoring functions are combined into a computer display locat­ed at knee-height on the console. The driver's seat has lumbar and lateral-re­straint adjustments, yet the cushion is so flaccid that basic support is absent. At night, when you dim the instruments for rural driving, the small controls (for the wipers, climate control, etc.) black out completely before the cluster is properly deglared. And the throttle is touchy in a way you never find in cars of breeding.
Cadillac's 4.5-liter V-8 has gained 25 horsepower for 1990—up to 180 hp now—but it still has the lowest output of any engine in this group. Working in concert with an adroitly calibrated four-­speed automatic, this engine makes for a quick-reflex machine in the cut and thrust of city driving. Out in the country, though, it's breathless compared with the others.
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The Z28 suggestion comes from the way this car moves. There's substantial grip (0.79 g on the skidpad) from the tires, the high roll stiffness tosses your head sideways on lumpy roads, and the shocks really send up a jolt over large bumps. The STS seems a handling sort of car in normal driving. But when the country curves come at you, the body floats, the steering becomes insensitive, and managing the grip is quite challeng­ing. The faster you go, the less fun it becomes.
We think the STS is a fine idea. Just don't quit now, Cadillac.
1990 Cadillac STS
180-hp V-8, 4-speed automatic, 3540 lb
Base/as-tested price: $30,981/$36,870
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.2 sec
1/4 mile: 17.0 sec @ 81 mph
100 mph: 29.9 sec
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 204 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.79 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 14 mpg
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5th Place (tie): Mercedes-Benz 420SEL
This biggest of the Benzes is old—in­troduced in 1981—and its age shows. It feels ponderous, like driving a bank, and the jury ranked it lowest for fun.
A lot of things about this car suggest a bank. The price, for one: at $62,600, in­cluding gas-guzzler tax, the 420SEL is the most expensive car in the test by a clear margin. The vast rear legroom also brings to mind a bank, or perhaps a small cathedral, as does the solid, stolid architecture.
Those staffers who are particularly large of frame and girth find this an ex­ceptionally comfortable car. The welter­weights report hard seats that require se­rious bracing to maintain position during brisk motoring.
Nothing about the outward personal­ity of this machine prepares you for the joy of its 201-horsepower V-8, which pulls heroically and issues an absolutely exhilarating sound as it climbs the rev scale. The 420's automatic, though, is as obtuse as the Cadillac's is slick. It starts from rest in second gear and, at any speed, will downshift only after taking plenty of time to mull over the decision. The V-8 deserves a better partner.
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Despite its ponderous nature, this car is capable when it's time to hurry. The suspension is well-disciplined, and the tires hang on to the road. If you're smooth on the controls, the chassis seems never to give up.
Capability, though, is not the same as being friendly. There's nothing welcom­ing about this car. Yes, it's terribly responsible: it's the only one in the group to provide airbags for both front occu­pants. And craftsmanship is right out there where you can see it: The wood tambour on the console compartment is a brilliant detail. But why so much roar from the dash vents? And why must so much effort be applied to the steering to keep from falling off the road crown?
The answer is easy: this car is ten years old. In this market, that's obsolete.
1990 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL
201-hp V-8, 4-speed automatic, 3900 lb
Base/as-tested price: $61,210/$62,600
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.3 sec
1/4 mile: 17.1 sec @ 85 mph
100 mph: 25.6 sec
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 193 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.72 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 15 mpg
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5th Place (tie): Jaguar Sovereign
The Jaguar could hardly be more dif­ferent from the M-B: It's light to the touch where the German is heavy, and its interior seems more close-fitting—like a cockpit rather than a large room. Both in­teriors proffer wood and leather, but the British have a warmer, more welcoming way with the materials.
Jaguar has made drastic improvements for 1990. The 24-valve inline six has been stroked 10 mm for a displace­ment increase to 4.0 liters. Power is up 13 percent, torque up 20 per­cent. The car is quick now, and the en­gine seems to hurry through the gears­—yet the Jaguar still recorded the highest overall fuel economy in the test. As in the BMW, the six-cylinder powerplant gives the Jag a different and altogether earthi­er flavor than what comes through in the V-8-powered competitors.
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The instrument cluster for 1990 is, fi­nally, back to the Jaguar way. Gone are the glowing green electronic gauges, re­placed by round dials with needles and numbers, all set into a field of walnut burl. These traditional instruments, ar­ranged in an intimately compartmental­ized cockpit, are basic—make that essen­tial—to the Jaguar way.
The Jaguar way is quite different from the ways of other carmakers, not surpris­ing when you remember that Jaguar is a vest-pocket car company: its total annual production of approximately 50,000 cars equals just two-thirds of what Lexus plans to sell in the U.S. in its first year. So we are tempted to make excuses when a Jaguar is equipped peculiarly—"How come this car has motorized passive belts instead of an airbag?"—and are then totally amazed by the things the car does well. The ride is an unusually fine combi­nation of road sense and smoothness; brake dive and power squat are superbly disciplined. Overall handling is nicely balanced, but—another Jaguar quirk—­the steering is so quick just off-center that you tend to steer too much and then correct. It takes a delicate touch to avoid the twitchies when you try to go fast.
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Generally, C/D staffers prefer sedans without compartmentalized interiors, and we place more emphasis on V-8 power than on wood and leather. Conse­quently, Jaguars—particularly the cur­rent-generation sedan—don't earn raves in our tests.
Nonetheless, the 1990 model is a spir­ited performer, and Jaguar, in a burst of scrappiness, is prepared to duke it out with the Japanese on price. The base XJ6 lacks the sunroof, load leveling, and Euro headlights of our Sovereign-edition test car, and it has wood of a straighter grain inside. Those few sacrifices bring the price down to $39,700, pretty darned competitive for what amounts to a bou­tique sedan.
1990 Jaguar Sovereign
220-hp inline-6, 4-speed automatic, 3920 lb
Base/as-tested price: $43,000/$43,500
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.6 sec
1/4 mile: 17.0 sec @ 85 mph
100 mph: 24.1 sec
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 190 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.74 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 18 mpg
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4th Place: BMW 735i
This car earned its highest marks when driven seriously through the back-coun­try twisties, it impressed us at night with its turn-the-world-white high beams, and it provoked a surprising number of rude comments from us in routine traffic, where there wasn't much to do besides notice a few annoying details.
BMW handling is marked by clear sig­nals to the driver, predictable response, and a suspension that's quite taut. The 735i doesn't wallow or bottom out. That's basic, and that's good. You can be reasonably sure the car will go where you point it. You can also be reasonably sure it will drift its tail a bit when you lift off the power during hard cornering. That's fun if you're ready for it, although proba­bly not in the textbook description of good handling.
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What's not so much fun is the steering, which has a zone of insecurity on-center that requires a lot of minor corrections in polite traffic and even when you're cook­ing along.
The BMW's interior architecture in­cludes vast expanses of severe black pad­ding, uncluttered white-on-black gauges, plenty of glass, and a high driving posi­tion that provides excellent outward visi­bility but not much headroom for tall drivers. Generally, the control efforts are moderate and smooth.
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At the same time, this car has quirks that are hard to forgive at its $55,140 (in­cluding gas-guzzler tax) price. The air condi­tioner wheezes loudly and lacks an auto­matic setting for the fan speed. The brake-light switch clacks with every pedal application. Our test car had rattles. The engine ties for the loudest of the group at idle, and it sounds coarse under power.
At 10.3 seconds to 60 mph, accelera­tion is the weakest of the group, too.
Still, there's something undefinable about the 735i that engenders warmth in the heart and votes in the ballot box. That, finally, is the all-important insight that only a direct comparison with the competition can reveal.
1990 BMW 735i
208-hp inline-6, 4-speed automatic, 3800 lb
Base/as-tested price: $54,000/$55,140
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 10.3 sec
1/4 mile: 17.4 sec @ 83 mph
100 mph: 25.1 sec
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 183 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.76 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 16 mpg
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3rd Place: Audi V8 Quattro
The Audi did not win a single category of the balloting but scored high in all of them, indicating well-rounded abilities. Its highest marks came in handling and in driving fun, in both cases just one point behind the Infiniti.
The Audi V8 Quattro's handling is di­rect and secure, with inexorably increas­ing understeer as power is increased. The suspension did seem to bottom a few times in the rough stuff, but even then, the car retained its composure.
"Fun to drive" is a loose, catchall category, and yet it is perhaps the most im­portant one of all. And here, the Audi does many things right. It feels nimble in the city. The accurate steering drew raves. Most staffers found the car a nice fit on their bodies. The seat offers excel­lent support. The instruments are nicely placed and legible. And, just as impor­tant, everything inside seems in exquisite taste. The test car's interior was finished in shades of gray; you could wear this car forever and not tire of the look.
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All of the four-wheel-drive equipment beneath the skin adds up to make this, at 4040 pounds, the heaviest car in the test. The 3562-cc V-8 is rated at 240 horse­power, third highest. But the engine is weak at low revs, which, in turn, makes the car sluggish from rest. The first 25 feet away from an intersection are ago­nizing. When you're on the roll, the transmission downshifts eagerly, en­abling the engine to work in the rev range it likes best. No complaints then.
This Audi is a luxury car in the most athletic sense. Of course, the Quattro sys­tem gives superb traction when you need it, but it's more than that. You always feel sinewy muscles in the chassis. The sus­pension is just plain hard over small bumps, and there's a growling, high­-drag feel to the chassis that's not present in the others. Lift off the power in this car and it slows quicker than the others, al­most as if the brakes were dragging a little. It's tempting to blame all of those bearings and U-joints in the drivetrain, but we have no proof.
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This car carries the idea of luxury fur­ther in the European direction than any other car in the group: the engine needs revs to perform, the chassis cares noth­ing about creamy ride, and the machine's overall sense of agility is unmatched. It's a flavorful car.
1990 Audi V8 Quattro
240-hp V-8, 4-speed automatic, 4040 lb
Base/as-tested price: $47,450/$49,435
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 10.2 sec
1/4 mile: 17.4 sec @ 84 mph
100 mph: 25.5 sec
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 180 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.77 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 15 mpg
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2nd Place: Infiniti Q45
This car topped the fun-to-drive sweepstakes, largely because the engine and the transmission create rapture, and there's nothing very wrong elsewhere to break the spell.
The engine is simply extravagant, 4494 cc of sensuous muscle. It idles so quietly that more than one of us, at a driv­er change, tried to restart it when it was already running.
Response to the throttle is always crisp. And the machinery speaks with sweet verve at full power, truly the voice of luxury.
The Infiniti hauls butt, too. Despite its weight (4020 pounds, the second heavi­est of the group), the Q45 was easily the fastest car in our test. It's the only one to 60 mph in under eight seconds, the only one to 100 mph in under 20 seconds, the only one through the quarter-mile at over 90 mph (this is fast-car territory), and the only one to top 150 mph flat out (the Lexus did 150 exactly). You'll have to pay a truckload for a faster four-door.
And yet ... and yet, the Q45 doesn't go around acting like a fireball car. It's just as mild as a reference librarian if you don't provoke it. And even when you do, it's the quietest of the group at wide-­open throttle.
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This is a big car, but not huge like the Mercedes. Rear-seat legroom is tight, consid­ering the exterior bulk. The driver's seat cushion doesn't tip up quite far enough in front for comfort. And the look of the interior is vaguely off-putting. All of the materials are so close to the same hue (but not quite) and all the surfaces are so close to the same texture (but not quite) that question kept arising: Are they sup­posed to match or not?
The mood changes as soon as the sun goes down. Everything you touch feels rich in the dark. And the architecture of the dash, a cove with widely spread instruments, creates the mood of an air­liner flight deck. Even the murky little or­ange electro numbers (for odometers and such) at the bottom of the analog cluster become clearly visible. We can't recall another car so completely trans­formed by lighting.
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We particularly like the steering and pedal efforts of this car. They seem ex­actly right. And the transmission always seems to choose the right gear. Strange­ly, our test car was equipped with sport­ing Michelin XGT V tires, which are sup­posed to be included only with the Super HICAS rear-wheel-steering option (which our car did not have). They have inspired behavior in the twisties, which probably gave this car an unfair advan­tage there, and they probably added harshness to the ride. How much harsh­ness? Not enough to raise a single com­plaint, which suggests that the Q45 will be an easy rider with the standard tires. Out on the tearing-around roads, we did notice that the Infiniti was more apt to be unsettled by large bumps than the oth­ers. Nothing alarming, though.
One staffer noted in the logbook, "I'm tired of writing superlatives about this car." Ever heard a better exit line?
1990 Infiniti Q45
278-hp V-8, 4-speed automatic, 4020 lb
Base/as-tested price: $38,000/$38,350
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.9 sec
1/4 mile: 15.8 sec @ 91 mph
100 mph: 19.4 sec
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 193 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.75 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 16 mpg
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1st Place: Lexus LS400
Who would have guessed? Toyota, in its first time at bat in the major leagues, slams one out of the park. The LS400 is a formidable stroke. This car scored highest in six catego­ries and topped the "overall" ballot by a clear margin. Every staffer loved it.
This is an extraordinarily mild auto­mobile, even more so than the Q45, with a friendly temperament, confident moves, and a polished demeanor. It nev­er screws up. It is by design, though, a very filtered, silken automobile, the hardest job of all to pull off. We stand in admiration of the engineers who executed this assignment. At the same time, we recognize that the Lexus may seem a bit placid to the strong-coffee crowd, those who don't think they're getting real flavor unless their car has the forceful, machine-like demeanor of the Audi or the BMW. The only forceful assertion in the LS400 is correctness.
What do we like best about the Lexus? That's tough. The engine is not quite as strong as the Infiniti's, but it's a bit more thrilling in its tone. Performance is sec­ond only to the Q45. And the automatic seems to read the driver's mind in choos­ing its gears.
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Still, maybe it's the interior that charms the most. The arrangement of the controls is logical and fine. The tex­tures and colors are chic. The seats seem to have just the right shape. And the steering wheel's leather feels as if it came from a heifer that enjoyed Elizabeth Arden treatment all its life.
Or possibly it's the ride that wins us over. This car moves creamily over the streets without a flutter, yet the suspension is disciplined. A few staffers felt mildly in­hibited on the tearing-around roads, not quite sure they had enough feedback—­particularly from the steering—to pro­ceed with the usual abandon. But they came around after a bit. The Goodyear Eagle GA tires were developed with ride quality as a high priority, but they manage, in concert with the suspension, to produce a highly predictable steering feel on the curves.
Our test Lexus was equipped with nearly every option in the book. Leather is $1400 extra; we highly recommend it. The air suspension, at $1500, may be more a matter of gilding the lily. For sure, the load-leveling feature is a good idea if you carry heavy loads. The Sport damping position on the console switch seems to be more of a personal decision. Some of our drivers never switched out of it on the twisty road, others never bothered to engage it. Even in the Sport setting, ride quality is quite reasonable.
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Easily the most controversial part of the Lexus is the grille. It doesn't look original. For a car that seems to break new ground in all of its executions, such an ambivalent face is troubling.
Not too troubling, though.
A luxury sedan is more than speed, more than comfort, more than nifty gad­gets—more, even, than the envy of your peers. It's satisfaction on wheels. We spent a lot of time on this test pondering the idea of a car as a prized possession. What is it about an automobile that gives lasting satisfaction, a sense of joy even in the wee hours when it's locked in the garage and all is dark?
How about "perfection"?
When the machine comes as close as you can imagine to flawless execution, there's no holding back the satisfaction. Mies van der Rohe opined that God is in the details. With that in mind, we started looking beneath the surface of these cars at details that normally escape notice. The editorial gaze finally settled on trunk hinges. Every car has two of them, plus wiring that must jump from the body to the lid for various electrical devices.
On the Cadillac and the Jaguar, the hinges are straightforward metal stampings, painted body color, with the wiring routed alongside the arm. Just the basics, in other words.
On the Audi and the Mercedes, the hinge arms are made of tubing, and the wire is routed within one of them. Still basic, but very tidy.
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On the BMW and the Infiniti, the hinge arms are clad with black molded plastic that hides the wire. Extra effort expended there.
On the Lexus, the arms are beautifully formed stampings arranged so that the sheared edges of the metal are hidden, leaving only smooth radii for the eye to behold. Into the left-side arm is formed a deep groove running its full length. The wiring is routed inside the groove, and it is concealed by a black rubber welt. All you see are two elegant hinges, one showing an orderly, black seam. A sub­lime execution.
There are countless details in a luxury sedan. Lexus, particularly, seems to have lavished attention on every one of them.
With the newcomers already on top of the game—as verified by our ranking­s—this luxury class will be a fascinating are­na to watch as competition goads all the players to do their best. The nineties will be a glorious decade for cars.
1990 Lexus LS400
250-hp V-8, 4-speed automatic, 3940 lb
Base/as-tested price: $35,000/$42,650
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.6 sec
1/4 mile: 16.3 sec @ 88 mph
100 mph: 20.8 sec
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 195 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.73 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 16 mpg