05:55 | 16/02/2022 Print
Top 10 Executive Cars For Businessmen. Photo: KnowInsiders |
The best large executive cars offer space, comfort, speed and cutting-edge tech to their buyers, a number of whom may well be company-car drivers. None of the models on this list cost less than £30,000 and quite a few are much more, especially once a few choice options have been added.
Luxury cars – a class comprised insignificant proportion of large traditional limousine saloons with one or two oversized hatchbacks and demure SUVs included – are the cars in which high-end executives choose either to drive or to be driven in.
1. Bentley Flying Spur
2. BMW 5 Series
3. Mercedes E-Class
4. Rolls-Royce Ghost
5. Range Rover
6. Audi Q8
7. Porsche Panamera
8. Lexus LS
9. Maserati Quattroporte
10. Volvo S90
*****
Photo: Tạp chí Thanh niên |
Luxury and performance are qualities synonymous with Bentley motor cars, and the Flying Spur is the brand's ‘small’ four-door limousine. It uses an extended version of the Continental GT coupe’s platform, so it comes with four-wheel drive and Bentley’s 6.0-litre W12 engine. Predictably then, performance is stunning – this two-tonne-plus saloon delivers a sub-four second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 207mph.
The Flying Spur offers majestic levels of refinement and was rightly crowned Luxury Car of the Year at our 2021 New Car Awards. It's so good and you hear so little that the distant rumble of the twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 engine is the underlying soundtrack.
As with all Bentleys, the Flying Spur is beautifully finished inside with the finest wood and leather trim, so occupants can be carried in supreme comfort at high speeds. And, if the monstrous W12 just feels a bit too much, you can always 'downsize' to the V8 unit with 542bhp, or even the 2.9 litre V6 Hybrid model that offers around 24 miles of all-electric range.
Photo: Carmudi Vietnam |
Like its predecessors, BMW's Ultimate Driving Machine philosophy remains intact, with engaging rear-wheel-drive handling and excellent performance from the entry 520d to the ballistic M5. But the main thing that sets the latest 5 Series apart from its rivals is the sheer amount of technology on board.
There’s a new 5 Series due out in 2023, but the current one uses plenty of the cutting-edge features from the 7 Series limo. Technology like lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic in its construction, a long list of electronic driver aids, including adaptive cruise and lane keeping, and even remote-control parking from outside the vehicle can all be had on your 5 Series.
Photo: Mua xe Toyota Avanza |
The Mercedes E-Class is about as traditional as you can get in the executive saloon market - it feels a lot like a smaller S-Class, which is a good thing, as it sets high standards in the class for comfort and has an impressively sumptuous cabin.
While it's more expensive than its rivals, even the entry-level Sport versions are well equipped and, overall, it’s an efficient and stylish package that's well worth considering if you're in the market for a new executive saloon.
While it may not have quite as much sporty character, there’s no doubting the depth of quality the E-Class provides. The truth is it offers much of the feel of the range-topping S-Class, and its limo-like comfort is enhanced by a luxurious interior that’s arguably the best in the business.Merc’s three-pointed star has traditionally graced the bonnets of more conservative models than its often racier BMW rivals but in recent years the E-Class has evolved to a point where it’s almost as rewarding to drive as the 5 Series.
The current model arrived in 2017 and, just like the BMW 5 Series, was subtly facelifted in 2020. If you want a characterful yet understated executive saloon that offers peerless cruising ability, superlative technology and lavish comfort, the E-Class is a star performer.
Photo: DealerRater |
When it comes to luxury and refinement, the new Rolls Royce Ghost delivers in spades. The relentless attention to detail has delivered a car which, according to Rolls Royce, is the most technologically advanced it has ever produced. There are only two parts carried over from the previous model - the Spirit of Ecstasy that sits atop the bonnet, and the umbrellas hidden within the doors.
The Ghost is based on Rolls-Royce’s latest aluminium chassis that it calls its ‘architecture of luxury’. It’s new to the Ghost, but can also be found beneath the Cullinan SUV and flagship Phantom.
Although perhaps a little less conspicuous than its Phantom sibling, the Ghost is still five-metres long and 2.5-tonnes in weight, so it could hardly be called understated. Thankfully, its 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine produces 563bhp, which allows a 0-62mph time of 4.8s and a 155mph top speed.
Top 10 Most Famous Cars In Movies of All Time There are a few cars that almost everyone can recognize in movies, from bad black Dodge Chargers to insane Aston Martins, these iconic vehicles still ... |
Photo: Otosaigon |
The current, fourth-generation Range Rover is as revolutionary as any in the car’s history, with an aluminium monocoque chassis and an unashamedly luxurious agenda. Its imperious driving position, superlative luxuriousness and enduringly special cabin make it our top pick in this sub-£100,000 luxury car category.
That it is a luxury car first and 4x4 second is not to run down its capability offroad one jot, however. The spacious interior exudes quality and luxury, the seats are excellent and the driving position is first-rate, making it easy to drive for a car of its size. The heavy bodyshell provides excellent isolation from rough surfaces and, while it doesn’t offer the driving engagement of a Porsche Cayenne, it’s easy to make brisk progress enjoyable should the need arise; because just about any rate of progress feels special in a Range Rover.
Land Rover's engine range still includes six- and eight-cylinder petrol and diesel options, without a weak or under-endowed-feeling option among them. Solihull’s lately-added straight-six diesel engines ought to be a real draw for private motorists, but the one fleet operators will be interested in is the plug-in hybrid P400e (77g/km, 25 miles EV range) which qualifies for company car tax at just 19% BIK.
The Range Rover is big and heavy but its weight and size are small prices to pay for a car of its incredible breadth of ability. Few make you feel as special to ride in, none has better visibility or a more commanding or assured driving position, and very few put a better complexion on your day.
Photo: Xe Hay |
A great many modern car enthusiasts have taken against the modern luxury car buyers preference for the SUV, but when you drive a car like the Audi Q8 it’s easy to appreciate why they are so liked. This designer take on a Q7 has more visual presence and kerbside appeal than its dowdier, boxier relation, but the same brilliantly rich- and solid-feeling, inviting interior.
It offers generous space for four adults conveyed at a height that makes you feel like you’re lifted above the melee of traffic below; and enough versatility and capability to deal with whatever else your daily routine is likely to throw at you, with plenty left in reserve.
Comfort and refinement are first class. The driving experience is light-feeling and filtered, with stable and secure handling being delivered like it might be on a less advanced four-wheel drive estate car. And the car’s engine range is wide. You can have six-cylinder petrol or diesel power; there’s a choice of two emissions-saving plug-in hybrid petrol engines, one with as much as 457bhp; and then there are the SQ8 and RS Q8 performance models, which allow you to mix as much urgency into the Q8’s driving experience as anyone could want.
SUV or not, the Q8 is undeniably one of the best luxury vehicles that Audi makes at the moment.
Photo: xe Toyota |
Like the Porsche 911, the Panamera is a masterclass in evolution ahead of revolution when it comes to its development. While it hasn't been around anywhere near as long, it's clear that the Mk2, launched in 2016, is a logical progression from its predecessor.
Thankfully, that means it looks more appealing than the original. The lines have been smoothed out, yet the 911 styling cues remain, while the driving experience has been enhanced to boost its range of ability.
It's just as driver-focused as before, so it's a pleasure to drive quickly, and it has performance by the bucketload, but the air-suspension can be switched to comfort mode at the press of a button to keep back-seat occupants comfortable and unruffled.
As before, there are standard and S models, rear and four-wheel drive is available, plus E-Hybrid, Diesel, Turbo and Turbo S models to choose from.
Photo: Vietnamnet |
The LS has always been a niche choice in the UK, but its success elsewhere has guaranteed this latest version a seat at the top saloon table.
The car's had a major styling overhaul, and the interior feels both modern and luxurious in a likably unconventional way. There are four trim levels, the top one coming with plenty of equipment and, spec-depending, also a rare kind of material richness that few cars in the world can match.
Dynamically, the LS is less convincing as a luxury item. The 3.5-litre hybrid V6 has to work hard to cope with the car’s 2420kg weight, and while the car's handling is quite impressive, its noisy and slightly brusque runflat-shod ride is quite the opposite.
Against the latest S-Class, 7 Series and A8, the LS is an interesting alternative but still not the most credible of rivals.
Photo: CarAdvice |
Our final ranking luxury class contender is a car with plenty of soul and brand-based exotic desirability, but perhaps not the substance needed to back it up by climbing any higher on this list. The Maserati Quattroporte is one of the oldest cars here, and is certainly beginning to feel like it; but it still offers an alternative, charismatic route to a luxury-car experience, and one thing it’s not lacking in is cabin space.
The Quattroporte grew a lot for the 2014 version. Having been more mid-sized in its previous generation, it’s now fully limousine-sized - no doubt because the company’s management thought that a bit more interior space and presence might sell a few cars in export markets like China, North America and the Middle East. This is now a car to stretch out in the back of; but the influence its size has on the way the car drives makes it a different prospect to how its predecessors used to be.
Maserati offers V6 and V8 petrol engines for the car, the latter being available with up to 572bhp if you want it. But even with it, the Quattroporte doesn’t have much sporting soul anymore. It’s become a car for loafing gently around in, and probably being driven in rather than driving yourself, with skewed right-hand-drive control ergonomics spoiling the impression of quality that the car conveys somewhat.
Maserati has never traded on the built-in quality or digital technological allure of the German luxury car power, and it’s no surprise to find a bit of a gulf between the apparent sophistication of the Quattroporte’s interior and that of some of its opponents. Modena counters with smooth-feeling leathers and some unusual and appealing material treatments, though.
Photo: giaxeoto |
Big Volvos have long been top executive choices, and Volvo is on top form with the S90, which is a fantastic car that’s a genuine alternative to large executive saloons.
Launched more than five years ago, the S90 is still an imposing car thanks to Volvo’s distinctive 'Thor's Hammer' headlights and a bold and upright grille. The interior has been largely taken from that car too, which is great – it's effortlessly stylish, great quality, and a wonderful place in which to sit. The comfy seats help, too.
The powerful T8 plug-in hybrid combines a 2.0-litre petrol unit with an electric motor, delivering 385bhp. It delivers plenty of straight-line performance, but doesn’t challenge a BMW 530e for driving engagement. A 148.7mpg claim will be attractive to those looking to minimise trips to the fuel station, but this will rely on the battery being charged up regularly.
Top 10 Best and Strongest Sports Cars on Earth In 2022 Here is the definitive top 10 list of the best sports cars currently with a compelling reason to take this top: Mazda, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston ... |
Top 10 Best Company Cars for Business Drivers Dear Business Drivers, there are a lot of factors that you need to take into consideration when buying a company car. |
Top 10 Best New Cars for College Students 2022 If you're a college student wondering which car is suitable for you in 2022. It's time to let your friends be impressed with your choice. |
Mixi
Article URL: https://knowinsiders.com/top-10-executive-cars-for-businessmen-to-become-more-powerful-33997.html
All rights reserved by KnowInsider