There are cars everyone raves about and others only diehard fans covet. These are the cars our writers think should be celebrated more than they are…
Mercedes-Benz S560 Coupe - Richard Lane
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé flies so far beneath the radar of public perception that you’d swear Mercedes had undertaken some form of adverse marketing. The saloon is everywhere, yet people simply aren’t bothered about the coupé, focusing instead on rivals such as the Aston Martin DB11 and Bentley Continental GT. When the coupé does get some love, it’s almost always the S63 and S65 AMG derivatives, but the model you really want is the S560 – the world-class loper so laid back that it’s practically horizontal.
Details? The glasshouse is almost total and the curvaceous interior similarly vast, so while other marques can only promise a ‘lounge ambience’, this car delivers it. With the most sophisticated suspension options fitted, there’s no finer-riding car – not even the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Lexus LS 400 - Rachel Burgess
Lexus’s first car shook up the premium car industry in a way that no-one expected. Toyota engineers had six years and a near-unlimited budget to develop a luxury car superior to rivals in most ways. The LS was designed for purpose, sharing no part with any Toyota. It was whisper-quiet, was incredibly smooth and had exceptional build quality. An innovative sandwich steel construction minimised vibration, while design touches such as airflow-enhancing components and flush door handles and windows helped with the unbeatable refinement. Then there was the Nakamichi stereo, around a £7000 option in today’s money, which is still considered a benchmark for in-car sound. All that and it was still cheaper than a six-pot Mercedes E-Class…
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I nominate the Lexus GS300h
But - outstanding refinement and build quality, whisper quiet and smooth hybrid power train, luxurious and comfortable interior and 50mpg with just £20 per annum tax.
All the hallmarks of a superb, class leading executive car but for the fact that modern reviewers want Nurburgring handling, eleventy-million gears and race car performance.
Citroen C1
I owned a Citroen C1 from 2008 until late 2011 and it was certainly cheap to run, with only the front wiper cap needing replacement at a cost of £1.67. The new model seems to have got pricey for the higher spec models, but I also feel it loses out to the Aygo because of Toyota's 5 year warranty. Since car manufacturers seem determined to kill off small cars, I really should buy one before they disappear completely or become too expensive.
Mazda 323 saloon
The Mazda 323 was also available as a saloon in some markets as well as having the V6. That really was a 4 door coupe a decade before Mercedes-Benz tried the CLS. I used to own one in Cyprus that was an ex-Japanese market version with a sports auto and a rorty exhaust. Not fact but fun. As for the Insignia being engineered for Saab and thus being "worthy of respect", as Proper Top Gear pointed out in their tribute to Saab the Swedish engineers changed everything on the Insignia, from the sat nav to the fascia, the seats to glasshouse, the wheelbase, the toe-in, the suspension etc. Practically the only things that remained were the bulkheads! So, engineered for Saab? Yes, that is what GMC intended but it was not good enough for Saab so it is still as dull as ditch water. And my G30 530i will do 55mpg "on a run" in silence without resorting to a filthy noisy smelly diesel.