The big names are continuing to lead the pack of large executive cars, but new models are starting to offer a good choice, writes Paddy Comyn.
MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS
Price:€55,090-€142,100
NCAP Crash Test:* * * * *
Seats:5
Doors:4/5
Engines:1.8, 3.0, 3.5, 5.5, 6.2, 2.1D, 3.0D
Trim Levels:Classic, Elegance, Avantgarde, Sport
CO2:188g/km - 345g/km
QUALITY AND RELIABILITY:* * * *
Sure enough, Mercedes-Benz had their reliability problems over the last five years, but it was mainly down to poor suppliers and they appear to have sorted out these issues. In terms of palpable quality, the E-Class feels first rate and incredibly solid, even if they still have not managed to capture the tank-like qualities of the cars of old.
PERFORMANCE:* * * *
At the bottom of the range of petrol engines, the E 200 Kompressor four-cylinder unit is the biggest seller and now has a modified engine management system, a new supercharger and new pistons, which have added 21bhp to the power output and has chopped half a second off the 0-100km/h time (9.1 secs for the saloon and 9.5 for the estate). While the 280 and 350 petrol units are unchanged, the E 500 engine is a newly developed 5.5-litre V8. The diesel engines comprise the 220, 280 and 320 CDI power plants, although the last two are essentially the same 3-litre V6 unit with different outputs. The 220 CDI has received a power boost of 20bhp to 170bhp.
AT THE WHEEL:* * * *
There is nothing particularly exciting about driving an E-Class as these are biased towards comfort and cruising rather than driving dynamics, unless you go up the range to the higher-powered petrol versions. Don't even dream of buying a manual E-Class because it doesn't suit the car and you will struggle to sell it on again. The cabin is a special place to be and the controls are well laid out and straightforward enough.
SPACE AND COMFORT:* * * *
Apart from some being a little unsettled around town, by and large the E-Class is a very comfortable car. It feels refined, composed and has tonnes of space for both front and rear seat passengers and a vast boot, too.
SAFETY:* * * * *
It is hard to fault in this regard as it gets the full raft of safety equipment including two-stage driver and front passenger airbags, sidebags integrated into the backrests of the front seats, windowbags, Neck-Pro active head restraints, ABS with ESP with Acceleration Skid Control. There are also Pre-Safe measures that anticipates accidents, using signals from the ESP or recognising that braking has reached a critical level, and acts accordingly by pre-tensioning seatbelts, closing windows and the sunroof, and moving the electric front passenger seat to the optimal position to maximise the effectiveness of the airbags.
RUNNING COSTS AND DEPRECIATION:* * * *
As most buyers opt for the E200 or E220 CDi, the running costs are low. Very much like the 5-Series, your future value depends on you having the right amount of specification on the car, but few dealers worth their salt will let an E-Class out with manual transmission and cloth upholstery. A well equipped E200 model will be easy to sell on but faces competition from used import models.
CONCLUSIONS:
FOR:Very refined, incredibly comfortable.
AGAINST:New one coming, not that involving to drive.
THE IRISH TIMES VERDICT:Many buyers will want to hang on for the new one and others are still concerned about reliability issues that arose in the pre-facelift version.
BEST BUY:E220 CDi Elegance A/T.
VOLVO S80
Price:€51,000-€83,375
NCAP Crash Test:N/A
Seats:5
Doors:4
Engines:2.5, 3.2, 4.4, 2.4D
Trim Levels:S, SE, SE Lux, Executive
CO2:167g/km - 284g/km
QUALITY AND RELIABILITY: * * * *
Much better than the older model which felt a little bit tatty in places. The new one feels much better put together and is a true premium product. The fit and finish of the interior in particular is first class.
PERFORMANCE:* * * *
Power ranges from the 163bhp 2.4D to the 315bhp 4.4-litre V8. In between there is a 200bhp 2.5-litre and a 238bhp 3.2-litre, the latter of which is a real cracker. The diesel one makes the most sense in a car of this size and with an automatic transmission is a really nice car to drive.
AT THE WHEEL:* * *
The cabin is great, with good ergonomics and a straightforward dash layout. The S80 was never the most involving to drive and this remains true.
Yes it is better than before with a tighter chassis and better steering feel but it is a bit off the class leaders. More geared towards cruising comfort than anything else and it really needs an automatic transmission to get the best out of it.
SPACE AND COMFORT:* * * *
A vast, spacious cabin, superb seats and adaptive dampers make the S80 a comfortable place to spend time. Even in the rear there is vast head and legroom. Good sound deadening makes the car supremely quiet too.
SAFETY:* * * * *
A full complement of curtain, front, side and knee airbags, as well as stability and traction control as well as a Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) which uses a camera to spot when a car enters your blind spot. There's adaptive cruise control, too, which maintains a selected distance to cars in front and brakes or accelerates in traffic without input from the driver.
RUNNING COSTS AND DEPRECIATION:* * *
It is not likely to be up there with the best in class at holding its value, so bear this in mind if you are spending your own hard-earned cash. Makes a great second-hand buy for this reason. Avoid the larger engined models because they will lose money at an alarming rate, so don't even dream of spending €84,000 on a 4.4-litre V8 unless you like burning money.
CONCLUSIONS:
FOR:Well built, safe, comfortable.
AGAINST:Not very exciting, residuals are poor, almost zero image.
THE IRISH TIMES VERDICT:An executive car for those that want to be anonymous. It's a good machine but has little charisma.
BEST BUY:D5 SE Lux.
AUDI A6
Price:€48,840-€95,390
NCAP Crash Test:* * * * *
Seats:5
Doors:4/5
Engines:2.0, 2.4, 2.8, 3.1, 4.2, 2.0D, 2.7D, 3.0D
Trim Levels:Standard, SE, Sport
CO2:160g/km- 259g/km
QUALITY AND RELIABILITY:* * * * *
Audi really upped the ante with their latest A6, turning what felt like a pricey VW Passat into something that now feels like one of the best put together cars on the road. The tight shut lines and the quality of the plastics inside are first rate. Unlike the previous one, the newer one seems to have fared better in terms of reliability.
PERFORMANCE:* * * *
Unlike some of its direct rivals, the smallest of the engines in the A6 are actually very good and whether you go for the 170bhp 2-litre petrol or 140bhp 2-litre diesel both actually feel urgent enough to carry the car's vast bulk. The larger petrol engines are largely ignored by Irish buyers, but the larger diesels do find homes and are superb units. The 233bhp 3.0-litre diesel twinned with Quattro all-wheel drive in particular is brilliant.
AT THE WHEEL:* * * *
You have the choice between front-wheel-drive and all-wheel in the A6 and the latter is superior, but only just. Even the front-wheel-drive model feels very composed even if the steering could do with a little more feedback. It is nowhere near as exciting to drive as the BMW 5-Series, but does provide a nice blend between comfort and cornering ability. The cabin is typically Audi, with good seats and clearly laid-out instruments.
SPACE AND COMFORT:* * * * *
With an increase in size over the old model, especially in the wheelbase, there is now space approaching A8 levels in the A6's cabin. Leg, knee and shoulder room have all been improved upon, and head room is very generous, too. Four adult men can sit comfortably in the A6 without the front seat occupants needing to give up legroom. And there is better luggage space than in the flagship A8.
SAFETY:* * * *
It scored the full five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests for occupant safety, plus four for child protection (with Audi's approved child seats) though just one star for pedestrian protection. In terms of passenger safety, there are dual-stage airbags that inflate according to the severity of the crash, two side airbags for the front seat occupants and "sideguard head airbags" for the front occupants. Side airbags for the rear seat occupants are a €597 option. Traction control and stability control are standard on all models and the Quattro models have superb road holding ability.
RUNNING COSTS AND DEPRECIATION:* * *
Audi has a strong reputation when it comes to residuals, but less so the larger the cars get. The smaller engine A6s are good at holding their value, but it isn't always the case with higher powered versions. The diesel 2.0-litre is economical in terms of tax, insurance and fuel bills.
CONCLUSIONS:
FOR:Well-built, good value.
AGAINST:Could be more thrilling to drive and to look at.
THE IRISH TIMES VERDICT:An underestimated car in this class, the A6 deserves way more attention than it gets.
BEST BUY:
2.0 TDI SE.
SAAB 9-5
Price:€40,543-€61,870
NCAP Crash Test:* * * * *
Seats:5
Doors:4/5
Engines:2.0, 2.3, 1.9D
Trim Levels:Linear, Linear Sport, Vector Sport, Aero
CO2:174g/km - 244g/km
QUALITY AND RELIABILITY:* *
The 9-5, despite its recent face-lift is an old car - and there is no way of getting around this - feels off the pace compared to its newer competitors. In fairness to the 9-5 though, it is built of strong and sturdy stuff and anecdotal evidence on its reliability has been quite good.
It just feels like you are getting into a rather dated car when you step in, despite its drastic facelift.
PERFORMANCE:* * *
A decent engine line-up, the highlight of which has been the introduction of the BioPower version which has catapulted the sales of the 9-5 from pretty much nowhere to a top five position in its class.
With 180bhp from the 2.0t BioPower version and a €6,000+ reduction in VRT for the car, you can see why it has become a popular choice. Other choices include a now pretty much redundant 2.0t with 150bhp and 2.3T with 260bhp and there is the option of a 150bhp 1.9-litre TiD diesel.
Most buyers now will go with the BioPower version.
AT THE WHEEL:* * *
The cabin really does feel like it was from another decade, which is almost true and this is a drawback but in terms of driving dynamics things have got a little better. The electronic aids have helped with ESP keeping the sometimes wayward handling under much better control.
SPACE AND COMFORT:* * * * *
Saab again get full marks in this area thanks to those simply superb seats and the ride is equally comfortable, even though they have tightened things up quite a bit of late.
The car feels very refined, even though it is based on some pretty old underpinnings.
SAFETY:* * * * *
It scored five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests and the 9-5 was the first car with active head restraints, which move forward in a rear-end impact to reduce whiplash injury.
Electronic stability control and traction control are standard in all models, along with three-point seatbelts for all five seats, front seatbelt pre-tensioners, anti-submarining protection on all seats, Isofix child seat mounting points and front and side airbags.
RUNNING COSTS AND DEPRECIATION:* *
Depreciation is not going to be one of the 9-5's strong points. Traditionally is has not retained its value all that well and this is unlikely to be any different now.
Having said that, thanks to the VRT rebate this is one of the best value cars in its class and this will go some way to offsetting this. The BioPower versions which run on E85 are a good VAT saving measure for those running a fleet.
CONCLUSIONS:
FOR:Good value, comfortable
AGAINST:Changes can't mask age, depreciation.
THE IRISH TIMES VERDICT:BioPower has saved the 9-5 and for this reason it is a good value buy for many. Of the rest, it just feels off the pace compared to rivals.
BEST BUY:2.0t BioPower Linear.
BMW 5-SERIES
Price:€54,250-€140,850
NCAP Crash Test:* * * *
Seats:5
Doors:4/5
Engines:2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 4.8, 5.0, 2.0D,3.0D
Trim Levels:SE, M Sport
CO2:136g/km - 361g/km
QUALITY AND RELIABILITY:* * * *
Evidence so far suggest that the 5-Series has been a winner in terms of quality and reliability and has certainly outshone its nearest rival, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class in this regard. It feels very solidly built and there is no such thing as a poorly specified one so they all look and feel very upmarket. You only have to look at the sales figures to see that buyers are coming back for more.
PERFORMANCE:* * *
The slowest 5-Series, the 520d, is also the most economical and cleanest and will be the biggest seller. The eight-cylinder petrol engines seem like a bit of an indulgence, and the 523i and 520d feel a little overwhelmed by the car's weight. But the 268bhp 530i, and the six-cylinder diesels manage to blend performance with decent economy. Given a choice, our pick of the range is the 286bhp 535d - 6.4 seconds to 100km/h and oceans of torque. However the 177bhp 520d probably makes the best buy.
AT THE WHEEL:* * * * *
A brilliant cabin and a brilliant chassis combine to ensure that this is the best car to drive in its class without breaking sweat. The new electric power steering system only works when you need it now and means that the previous problem of the steering feeling a little light seems to be a thing of the past. The M Sport models do ride a little firmer, especially on the larger alloy wheels but even these are not bone shaking.
SPACE AND COMFORT:* * * *
Acres of space in both front and rear and as we mentioned, stick to the SE models if you want superior ride comfort. Every car is whisper quiet, thanks to brilliant sound dampening.
SAFETY:* * * *
It fell short of scoring the full five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests, but we wouldn't let this worry you too much as this car would be one of the better ones at preventing you from having an accident in the first place thanks to its superior road holding and great driver's aids such as DSC+ stability control system. There are front, side and curtain airbags too.
RUNNING COSTS AND DEPRECIATION:* * *
Depreciation depends on which model you pick. Stick to something like a 520d and you can be reasonably sure of average losses over a couple of years, but when you choose the larger engines the losses can be greater. Try and avoid manual gearboxes where possible as these are hard to shift on and leather upholstery is important too. The 520d is reasonably frugal and from here they just get thirstier.
CONCLUSIONS:
FOR:Looks good, drives brilliantly.
AGAINST:Pricier higher power versions, depreciation of same.
THE IRISH TIMES VERDICT:Not hard to see why it is the best-seller in the class. Still the best car in its class by a country mile.
BEST BUY:520d SE.