From the September/October 2026 issue of Car and Driver.

Sport-utility vehicles have steamrolled the automotive world, supplanting once- ubiquitous sedans at the top of the sales charts. That trend has continued apace, with even Rolls-Royce and Ferrari joining the SUV train (though Maranello is still in denial about the Purosangue). And yet, sedans remain our preferred mode of five-seat transportation, offering more expressive designs and greater behind-the-wheel character than their high-riding counterparts, to name but a couple of their benefits. With that in mind, we thought it was time to revisit what’s left of the once-massive mid-size-luxury-car segment.

We’ve been here before, nearly a decade ago, when we last corralled upscale four-doors like you see here [May 2017]. For our previous roundup, eight vehicles fit the bill, five answered the call, and the Mercedes-AMG E43 took the win. Today, only four qualifiers remain, all exhaustively engineered, indulgent but not full-on decadent, and fit to tackle both highway slogs and serpentine back roads in unwavering comfort. Some are sportier than others, but we tried to eschew performance-oriented setups in favor of more comfortable configurations. Trim-level nuances for these all-wheel-drive, six-cylinder models bring base prices from about $65,000 to nearly $80,000, but all came in below six figures as tested. We considered inviting the Cadillac CT5-V and the new Lexus ES, but they play in a lower economic stratum.

The newest entry is the redesigned-for-2026 Audi A6, which looks a lot like the outgoing A6 yet is more polished throughout. Four-cylinder variants are gone; all trims get a 362-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that bolts up to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. At $65,395 to start, the Audi is the least expensive entrant. But our test car’s ask grew to $84,970 with options, due primarily to the $9400 Audi Exclusive Design package, with its sport seats and two-tone nappa leather hides, and the $8100 Prestige package, which brings height-adjustable air springs, soft-close doors, a head-up display, and more.

Conversely, South Korea’s Genesis G80 is the oldest entry, although it got a once-over for 2025 in the form of a new dashboard and fresh bumpers. Opting for its 375-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6, which pairs with an eight-speed automatic, limits you to two trim levels: Sport Prestige or Prestige Black. We chose the latter, which does without the former’s sport-tuned suspension and brakes, rear-axle steering, and limited-slip rear differential. Both V-6 models come loaded with standard goodies that cost extra on the other cars here. Oddly, black paint carries a $650 surcharge on the Prestige Black. So does the only other color, white. The final tally: $81,495.

Audi A6

The segment mainstays, the BMW 540i and the Mercedes-Benz E450, are a case study in convergent evolution. Independently, each brand answered the engine question the same way. Both employ a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with a 48-volt hybrid system producing 375 horsepower. The E450 has Benz’s nine-speed automatic, whereas the 540i gets ZF’s much-lauded eight-speed. Both also wore optional summer tires, while the Audi and Genesis rode on all-seasons.

The BMW is the raciest on paper, with two optional M Sport packages netting it a sport-tuned suspension and brakes. Additional upgrades pushed its $69,150 starting price to $81,300, the lowest of the group. On the other hand, this E450 is brimming with add-ons, including the top Pinnacle group, air springs, rear-axle steering, and the dash-consuming MBUX Superscreen package. Its $95,375 window sticker makes it the priciest participant by $10K.

BMW 540i

Interior and Exterior

Opinions on the cars’ styling ranged from forgettable (the Audi) to polarizing (the BMW) to sophisticated (the Genesis and the Mercedes). Once a design leader, Audi’s A6 lacks presence and innovative thought; we never warmed to the BMW’s blocky lines either. The G80 and the E450 cut more elegant, expensive-looking shapes, the Genesis being the sleeker of the two with its faster roofline. Prominent lighting signatures and mostly tasteful details decorate all four, although the numerous three-pointed stars dotting the glitzy Benz’s grille and lights may be part of the reason the automaker has a new chief design officer.

Those design characteristics carry over inside. Here, the Audi lacks an upscale aura. Like the BMW, its wood trim can be hard to spot, and the large piano-black panels in both cars looked low-rent for this price point. But the A6 features tight tolerances and perfect fits. It tied the Genesis for best ergonomics, even if the latter’s switchgear is slightly more user-friendly. The G80, for example, is the only car here with climate controls outside of its main touchscreen, complete with physical knobs (!) for temperature settings as well as stereo volume and tuning. We’ve yet to sit in the A6’s standard front seats, but we’ll posit that these optional sport chairs are worth the upcharge. Beautifully upholstered and supremely supportive, they contributed to the A6’s best-in-test driving position and overall driver comfort.

Genesis G80

In contrast, the BMW 540i’s seating position was deemed the worst—its seats were labeled “lumpy,” and its steering column didn’t tilt down far enough for some drivers. The logic of the controls was less than intuitive, especially the confusing buttons on the thick-rimmed steering wheel. Swaths of ambient-lit plastic trim on the high-set dash and doors, plus our test car’s lack of ventilated and massaging seats, made the 540i the penalty box of the group. The Genesis and the Mercedes, however, rewarded drivers with rich cabins complete with expensive-looking wood trim, long-haul-comfy chairs, and upscale materials. Though our G80 test car’s dark color scheme was at odds with the flashiness of the E450’s cabin, most drivers felt its cigar-lounge vibe best suited the luxury-sedan mission.

The relaxed recline of the G80’s back seat, which has generous legroom for outboard passengers but is stingy on headroom, only reinforced this feeling. It’s also burdened by a bulky fold-down center armrest that intrudes on passengers when stowed. The Audi’s rear seats were rated best overall alongside the BMW’s, offering the greatest comfort for two or three riders. The Genesis and the Mercedes weren’t far behind in our rankings, though the Benz was less accommodating for two riders in most subjective measures. The 5-series was the clear victor when it came to holding luggage, its 18-cubic-foot trunk trouncing the others’ 13- and 14-cube holds.

Mercedes-Benz E450

With feature-filled touchscreen arrays large enough to be measured in feet—including optional passenger displays in the A6 and the E450—the ease of use is critical. Mercedes’s setup fails miserably. “The exact opposite of a good user interface,” noted senior features editor Greg Fink. Online production assistant Sarah Taylor added that “the gauge cluster is overwhelming, and the capacitive controls on the steering wheel almost never do what you intended.” The E450 has few physical buttons and a convoluted menu structure in its main display; interacting with the screens is annoying at best.

BMW’s arrangement is better, with shortcut buttons on the center console and a rotary controller that Genesis has seemingly copied, but it continues to be hampered by complicated menus that distance you from your needs. Audi’s latest Android-based operating system, while visually bland and short on secondary controls, is easy to use by comparison. Though the A6’s screen does remind us of the one in the Chevy Traverse, and it is tall enough to occasionally interfere with the view from the driver’s seat, it and the straightforward G80’s had the easiest learning curve for performing basic functions.

Powertrain and Performance

The processing power in these cars is arguably best deployed in support of their mechanical systems. Given their similar engine outputs, it’s little wonder that the lightest car, the 4316-pound BMW 540i, was the quickest from a standing start, dashing to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and covering the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 110 mph. That pace beat the next-quickest to 60, the Audi, by 0.2 second. It’s also nearly a second ahead of the slowest and heaviest entry, the 4566-pound Genesis, which, along with the Mercedes, lacks the launch-control systems the BMW and the Audi exploit. The E450 is impressively fleet outside the test track, where its 5.0-second 5-to-60-mph street-start time is but a tenth off the Bimmer’s.

Audi A6 Quattro

HIGHS: Spirited handling meets a plush ride, user-friendly tech, awesome sport seats. LOWS: A snooze to behold, meaningful upgrades cost big money, touchscreen dominates interior. VERDICT: A no-fuss athlete in a bland suit.

Also expected were the grip benefits of the cars rolling on summer tires, at least when it came to braking. The lighter 540i, on its Continental Eco-Contact 6Q rubber, took the honors, stopping from 70 mph in 153 feet and from 100 mph in 314 feet. The E450, fitted with Pirelli P Zero PZ4s, was just a few feet behind, which could easily be a matter of its being heavier by 152 pounds. The all-season-equipped A6 and the G80 both needed about 20 additional feet to stop from 70 mph and even more from 100. Around the skidpad, however, the BMW, with its 0.89-g effort, barely exceeded the Audi (0.87 g) and Genesis (0.86 g), both of which could be coaxed into thrillingly neutral attitudes at their handling limit. The Mercedes stuck even better in corners with a best-in-test 0.92-g performance.

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Mercedes-Benz E450

The two hybridized cars maintained a fuel-economy advantage over the course of our roughly 600-mile outing, with the Mercedes averaging 27 mpg and the BMW 26 mpg. The big-engined Genesis returned a woeful 21 mpg, while the Audi landed in the middle at 24. Yet, on our more structured 75-mph highway test, the A6 averaged an incredible 38 mpg, beating its EPA highway estimate by 9 mpg and just edging out the 540i in the process. It wasn’t enough to beat the E450, though, which topped its federal rating by 6 mpg with a 39-mpg result.

Driving Experience

In isolation, each sedan here is highly accommodating and keeps the outside world where it belongs—outside. The cabins of the two summer-tire-shod cars were slightly noisier at a 70-mph cruise, but we needed our sound meter to confirm the G80 was the most hushed; its 66 decibels and 20 sones were one to two decibels and up to two sones quieter than the others. It was only in back-to-back drives that their differences became apparent.

BMW 540i xDrive

HIGHS: Potent powertrain, lowest as-tested price, rapid yet efficient. LOWS: Video- game-like road feel, high cowl and beltline, light on luxuries. VERDICT: A modernist performer with communication issues.

If there’s an outlier here, it’s the BMW. Despite its strong objective performance and an enthusiastic powertrain that one driver described as “a smooth criminal,” the 540i was the most aloof. “The Ultimate Driving Machine?” asked managing news editor Eric Stafford. “More like the Ultimate Driving Simulator.” Along with being the least comfortable and one of the clumsiest to operate, this BMW struggled to instill confidence and joy. Though it’s undoubtedly capable, its brake pedal feels overboosted, its steering is lifeless no matter how much effort you select, and conversations between its chassis and driver are disconnected. It does the luxury act with expected competence, but as Fink observed, “about the only linear dynamic control is the throttle.”

The Genesis G80 operates with a satisfying familiarity that made it one of our favorites to spend time in. It was quick enough to keep up with our convoy and predictable in its responses to inputs, but its Sport mode is more of a hopeful suggestion than a promise, best used to prevent its gearbox from upshifting midcorner. Pushed down sinewy two-lanes, it seemingly grew in size as the roads tightened; its body motions were exaggerated, and its suspension felt unsettled and underdamped over heaves and crests. “It simultaneously drives like the largest car here and feels like it has the most cramped interior,” observed one pilot. And yet, as a leather-lined isolation chamber, the G80 excels. Channeling memories of the Lincoln Town Car, Stafford called it “Speak softly lovable.”

Genesis G80 3.5T AWD

HIGHS: Unabashedly chill, richly appointed, pleasantly sensible ergonomics. LOWS: Drives big, slowest and thirstiest car here, lofty base price. VERDICT: Genesis does old-school luxury better than the old-school players.

The stealthy Audi A6 was the dark horse of our gathering: unassuming at first yet well-rounded with accurate steering, a firm brake pedal, aggressive brake-based torque vectoring that kept it slicing through corners, and an unobtrusive powertrain that wakes up nicely when pressed; it devoured twisty back roads with a willingness the other cars couldn’t match. It also consumed interstates with poise. Though its air springs drop 0.4 inch in Dynamic mode for sharper handling, its softer ride in Comfort prompted descriptors such as “cushy,” “supple,” and “sublime” to appear in the logbook. You could still induce understeer in corners by overdriving the grip of the all-season tires, and the gearbox was occasionally clunky and slow to respond around town, but as one logbook comment declared, the Audi is “just a dynamically cohesive driving experience.”

Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic

HIGHS: Comfortable yet dynamically strong, silken inline-six sips fuel, deeply refined and satisfying. LOWS: Woeful user interface, squishy brake pedal, pricey with extras. VERDICT: Blends comfort and performance better than the rest.

Fink summed up our drive in the Mercedes E450 well, calling the vehicle “more satisfying than engaging, yet still playful enough not to be a bore.” Referred to as both a “rolling spa” and a “nimble dance partner,” the Mercedes presents a compelling duality: a rejuvenating and peaceful luxury sedan, but also a strong performer with handling and over-the-road confidence that match the Audi’s. The feedback from the E450’s linear steering earned top marks, and the ride and handling balance is exemplary. The inline-six is velvety smooth, devastatingly powerful, and highly efficient. The structure of the E450, like so many great Benzes of the past, inspires us to wax about bank vaults and ingots. This car’s primary dynamic fault is a mushy brake pedal that feels like stepping on a rotten squash, but it is at least predictable and progressive in a way the BMW 540i’s is not.

And the Winner Is . . .

All four of these cars exhibit specific strengths that will appeal to individual tastes. The new Audi A6 surprised us the most, and this one isn’t even the hottest setup. With the death of the higher-performance S6 model, top A6 Prestige trims now offer a $5850 Sport Plus package that adds, among other bits, a lowered coil-spring sport suspension, 21-inch summer tires, rear-axle steering, a torque-vectoring rear differential, and those excellent sport seats. It can’t be paired with our test car’s air springs or handsome two-tone interior, but it does open the door to more performance in an already capable car.

Yet, even then, we doubt the A6 could unseat the E450 from the top of the luxury-sedan podium. It will explore the outer reaches of the friction circle and deliver a richness and sophistication commensurate with its price—traits that have helped put the E450 on our 10Best list two years in a row. Its potential tech-related frustrations will undoubtedly be a deal-breaker for some, including a few of us. The mid-size luxury sedan segment may be shrinking, but those that remain are richly rewarding.

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Specifications

Specifications

2026 Audi A6 Quattro
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $65,395/$84,970

ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in3, 2995 cm3
Power: 362 hp @ 6300 rpm
Torque: 406 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm

TRANSMISSION
7-speed dual-clutch automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.2-in vented disc/13.8-in vented disc
Tires: Bridgestone Turanza LS100 RFT
255/40R-20 101H M+S RE0

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 115.1 in
Length: 196.8 in
Width: 73.8 in
Height: 56.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 55/45 ft3
Trunk Volume: 14 ft3
Curb Weight: 4434 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.3 sec
100 mph: 10.9 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.9 sec @ 108 mph
130 mph: 20.0 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.3 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.7 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 132 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 171 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 348 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 38 dBA/3 sone
Full Throttle: 71 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/20 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 24 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 38 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 730 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 23/20/29 mpg

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2026 BMW 540i xDrive
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $69,150/$81,300

ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in3, 2998 cm3
Power: 375 hp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 398 lb-ft @ 1850 rpm

TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.7-in vented disc/13.6-in vented disc
Tires: Continental EcoContact 6Q
F: 245/35R-21 96Y★ MO
R: 275/30R-21 98Y★ MO

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 117.9 in
Length: 199.2 in
Width: 74.8 in
Height: 59.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 55/46 ft3
Trunk Volume: 18 ft3
Curb Weight: 4316 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.1 sec
100 mph: 10.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.7 sec @ 110 mph
130 mph: 18.9 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.9 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.7 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 152 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 153 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 314 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.89 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 35 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 75 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 68 dBA/22 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 26 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 37 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 580 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 28/26/32 mpg

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2026 Genesis G80 3.5T AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $79,845/$81,495

ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 212 in3, 3470 cm3
Power: 375 hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque: 391 lb-ft @ 1300 rpm

TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.2-in vented disc/13.6-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero All Season
F: 245/40R-20 99W M+S GOE
R: 275/35R-20 102W M+S GOE

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.5 in
Length: 197.0 in
Width: 75.8 in
Height: 57.7 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 56/48 ft3
Trunk Volume: 13 ft3
Curb Weight: 4566 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.0 sec
100 mph: 12.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.5 sec @ 105 mph
130 mph: 21.7 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.9 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.2 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.7 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 149 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 174 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 363 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.86 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 34 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 71 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 66 dBA/20 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 21 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 31 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 590 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 18/15/24 mpg

--

2026 Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $73,650/$95,375

ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in3, 2999 cm3
Power: 375 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 369 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm

TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.6-in vented, cross-drilled disc/14.2-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4
F: 245/40R-20 99Y★ MO
R: 275/35R-20 102Y★ MO

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.6 in
Length: 194.9 in
Width: 74.0 in
Height: 57.9 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 58/47 ft3
Trunk Volume: 13 ft3
Curb Weight: 4468 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.5 sec
100 mph: 10.9 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.9 sec @ 109 mph
130 mph: 20.4 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.0 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.5 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 130 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 157 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 317 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.92 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 37 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 74 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 68 dBA/22 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 27 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 39 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 670 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 26/23/33 mpg

Mike Sutton is an editor, writer, test driver, and general car nerd who has contributed to Car and Driver's reverent and irreverent passion for the automobile since 2008. A native Michigander from suburban Detroit, he enjoys the outdoors and complaining about the weather, has an affection for off-road vehicles, and believes in federal protection for naturally aspirated engines.