Luxury lines

In the $30,000-to-$45,000, entry-luxury category, the $42,150 Infiniti M35 wins Best in Class, propelled by a stunning design, high resale value, safety features and loads of technology. The Lexus ES 350 ($33,885), the benchmark "comfort" entry-luxury car, takes Best New Car.

Choosing winners in this intensely competitive category was tough. Here's where you find the BMW 525i as well as the smaller 3 series (the coupe is new for 2007). Also new is the sleek, fast rival of the BMW 3 series, the Infiniti G35 sedan, and the Volvo S80, which boasts high-tech safety features, including a lane-departure warning system.

In the luxury class -- vehicles $45,000 and up -- you'll find power and pampering. We give the Best in Class nod to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class ($86,175 for the S550), which debuted last spring. Besides superb ride and handling (and so much technology that you'll need to study the owner's manual), it sports options such as eight-way power rear seats and a massage feature on the front seats. The 382-hp, 5.5-liter V8-equipped S550 gets 16 mpg city and 24 highway. The penalty for this excess is a $1,000 gas-guzzler tax.

Best New Car is the Lexus LS 460. With the new LS, Lexus is gunning for the Mercedes S crowd. Starting at $61,715 -- $4,500 more than last year's model -- it's still a bargain in this class. The eight-speed automatic transmission and 4.6-liter V8 propel the car from zero to 60 in 5.4 seconds, the same time as the S550 manages with its larger, thirstier engine. An option lets this technology leader park itself (see the box on page 88), and it will keep a safe following distance with its optional dynamic cruise control.

Among minivans, the redesigned Toyota Sienna (about $25,000) stands out. It one-ups the Honda Odyssey with more horsepower and slightly better fuel economy. The sporty-yet-utilitarian Volkswagen Passat 2.0T wagon ($26,865) gets the Best in Class designation. Among sports cars, the $44,995 Chevrolet Corvette keeps its Best in Class spot. And the new Jaguar XK ($75,500 for the coupe) earns the Best New Car award. Coupe or convertible, this car will add a touch of British class to any driveway.

Go to our Gallery of Kiplinger's 2007 Auto Picks >>

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