2010 Porsche Panamera

Perhaps the world’s most upcompromising sedan, the all-new Porsche Panamera combines breathtaking performance with indulgent accommodations for four adults. Some Porsche purists may detest the car’s unusual appearance, and few can afford it (a look at the pricing list for options would make Warren Buffet gasp), but the automotive press agrees that the car is simply an epic achievement.

The Porsche Panamera can coddle four adults in opulent surroundings at 170 mph, and holds its own with some six-figure sports cars on a winding mountain road. It can carry as much cargo as some full-size SUVs, but in turbocharged form, goes from zero-to-sixty faster than a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. It offers four sumptuous seats, a stereo system that’s among the best offered anywhere, and available four-zone climate control, and 500 horsepower.

The Porsche Panamera’s combination of blistering speed, hairpin cornering precision and astonishing brakes have set a new standard for what a sedan can do. It may be the most high-performance four-door car in the world. Auto writers attempt to compare it to sport sedans from performance-tuning divisions of other automakers; but so far, we’ve yet to find a comparison the Panamera loses. Despite its high-performance character, reviewers say it’s an easy car to live with as a daily driver. If you can afford the extravagance, the Panamera may be the best balance of performance car and sedan available today.

2010 Mercedes Benz S Class...

The flagship sedan of the world’s oldest automaker, the exemplary 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class shows off everything that Mercedes engineers can do. It offers a level of luxury even some similarly-priced cars can’t match, and safety systems no other automaker builds. Much of the same can be said, however, of its less-expensive E-Class sibling.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the most luxurious and exclusive sedan built by the legendary engineers at Mercedes-Benz. It is a well-balanced luxury cruiser, offering refined road manners, sumptuous luxury and high-end technology packaged within an old-world ambiance that many rivals can’t approach. Available with a powerful V8 or an astonishing twin-turbo V12, it is as fast as many sports cars. With exceptional Napa leather upholstery and a revised technology package including an updated navigation system that stores Zagat reviews of thousands of restaurants and hotels, it coddles its occupants like few cars ever have. Its unique, optional Drive Dynamic seats, which actually change shape to cradle passengers in response to the car’s movements, are something no rival can match.

For 2010, the S-Class also debuts some extraordinary new safety systems, such as Mercedes’ new, heavily-advertised Attention Assist driver drowsiness monitor, which attempts to detect and alert a tiring driver..

2010 BMW 7 Series

The BMW 7-Series is the athlete of the super luxury class. A car for those who love to drive, it offers the handling balance of a sport sedan in the body of a luxury cruiser.

The BMW 7-Series was redesigned just last year, but the new car appeared fairly late in the year, so even some BMW loyalists aren't very familiar with the new design. It carries into 2010 unchanged.

It's been a critical hit. With balanced lines, it's a graceful looking car -- something that not many said about the previous-generation 7-series. Its sleek exterior houses an interior filled with advanced electronics and comfortable expanses of leather.

But the best seat in any BMW is the driver's seat, and the 7 is no exception. Technological advances like driver-adjustable chassis tuning and four-wheel steering make this the most athletic 4,500-pound luxury car on the market. Choosing one super-luxury car over another is now primarily a matter of taste. The BMW exudes an air of performance that most of its rivals don't match, but they're all extraordinary cars.

But competition in the segment is heating up. A new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, built for the 2010 model year, adds safety features this car doesn't have. A new Jaguar XJ due out later in the year may even challenge it athletically - and from early reports, it appears to be the best-looking car of the group.

For 2010, the 7-Series is offered in two trim levels - the 750i and long-wheelbase 750Li. The two are mechanically identical rear-wheel-drive cars powered by a direct-injection, twin-turbocharged V8. All-wheel drive may be an option on future versions of the car, but is not yet offered. A hybrid version is reportedly in development, but may not reach showrooms until 2010. If that appeals to you, you may want to investigate the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid and the Lexus LS hybrid, both of which are already in showrooms.