How do you want to get to 60 mph?
Do you crave lavish leather?
Are you the manual type, slamming your V-8 to the red line with every mash
of the pedal?
Do you need navigation, a moon roof, maybe even a six-disc CD changer all
crammed into a turbo-charged sedan?
If so, keep reading.
1. Volvo’s midsize sedan, the S60, with a starting price of $30,975, is now
available with front or all-wheel drive. Volvo mates the turbo-charged
five-cylinder with an automatic transmission that gets 17 mpg in the city and 26
mpg on the highway. It comes with either a 208 or 257 horsepower engine.
2. The slightly more expensive Saab 9-5, at $37,685, comes in a sedan
version (Linear, Arc or Aero) or as a sport-wagon (SportCombi). All models are
powered by the same 260-horsepower, four-cylinder, turbo-charged engine.
Inside the 9-5, XM Satellite radio comes standard with MP3 capability, as
well as a six-disc in-dash CD player.
Eight-way power adjustable leather-upholstered seats with memory settings
come standard as well.
3. Japanese automaker Acura also competes in the midsize luxury sedan market
with the $38,225 TL.
The base TL comes with a 258-horsepower V-6. Acura’s optional navigation
system boasts voice recognition on an 8-inch display screen that connects to a
backup camera. Airbags encase the TL’s occupants, while brush-aluminum trim
accents the button-clustered dash.
4. Your pocket’s deeper, eh? Take the $56,775 Audi S4 for a spin. German
engineering has given it exuberant performance, stemming from its Quattro
all-wheel-drive system. With 340 horsepower, the S4′s V-8 handles and rides
well.
A Bose premium sound system surrounds the interior, available with satellite
radio.
Xenon high-intensity headlights flank the Audi’s grille while a sport-tuned
spoiler rests on the rear. Audi claims a 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds.
5. Nissan’s luxury division, Infiniti, offers the M35/M45, distinguished by
the 3.5- or 4.5-liter engine that powers each.
The M series, starting at $43,900, comes available with a 275-horsepower V-6
or 325-horsepower V-8. The M sedans offer lane- departure prevention, which
keeps the car in its lane if it begins to wander astray. Unique to the M45 are
rear-reclining heated seats. The rear-wheel or all-wheel drive M comes with
push-button start, leather-appointed seats, Bluetooth wireless connectivity and
an in-dash six-disc CD changer.
You left out BMW, the brand by which all of these cars are judged!