These are the five best, midsize luxury sedans to buy

Each competitor of the mid-size luxury sedan market is offering lavish features, futuristic tech, loads of comfort, and tons of performance packages. The options on offer are as varied as the price tags which makes it hard to narrow down to the best midsize luxury sedan to purchase. Fortunately, experts from Rotanastar.ae have done all the homework and narrowed the list down to the top 10 midsize sedans to buy in 2021. We are talking about:

• Mercedes-Benz E-Class
• Audi A6
• Genesis G80
• BMW 5 series
• Lexus ES and more. 

2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes never compromises in the luxury department; it’s always about luxury and comfort. The 2021 E-Class is no exception. The E-Class starts at a base price of $54,250 that allows us to get our hands on the E 350 rear-wheel-drive variant. Fully loaded variants of the E-Class would require us to spend more than $100k where the sky is the limit to all the features and specs.

No matter which luxury sedan we choose, safety should be the top priority. E-Class Standard safety features include traction control, DRLs, ABS, crosswind assist, automatic emergency braking, number of airbags, rear child safety locks, tire pressure monitor, and much more.

When we have taken care of the safety, we desire comfort and every E-Class variant is determined to provide top-notch comfort features like keyless start/entry, 18-inch wheels, heated power front seats, two 12.3-inch screens, sunroof, ambient lighting, synthetic leather upholstery, smartphone compatibility, and more. 

After safety and comfort, we have to confirm whether it’s practical or not and Mercedes has made no compromises in the practicality of its E-Class models. The rear-seat legroom and the cargo space are up to the mark.

With all the features and practicality in place, let’s talk about performance, E-Class is not to be taken lightly in the performance division. The base model E 350 comes equipped with an Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded Inline-4 engine that produces 255 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque paired with an 8-speed automatic w/OD transmission. To ensure sublime ride quality, the multilink suspension system is used.

What’s the final opinion? This is the sedan that keeps us comfortable in all conditions. It is the undisputed winner in the midsize luxury sedan category. If we are looking for pure luxury, then we must go for the Mercedes E-Class.

2021 Audi A6

If we have a budget of $51,608 to spend, we can get Premium 45 TFSI Quattro, an all-rounder that gives luxury, comfort, practicality, sportiness, and a very well-designed executive interior.

Safety comes first! We have seen in Audi A6 that the standard safety features are about the same as Mercedes. In terms of comfort, It has all the standard Mercedes-like options with an exception of wheels. A6 gets 19-inch wheels instead of 18 inches. One extra standard feature not in Mercedes is the panoramic sunroof. On the negative side,  the screen sizes are smaller in Audi. 

But how is A6 better than Mercedes in terms of practicality? Well A6 is the most practical one on the list and has a massive cargo space which increases even further with the folding rear seats. Moreover, it also has plenty of legroom which is over and above the rivals. 

In the case of performance, the standard, Premium 45 TFSI Quattro, has a 2.0L inter-cooled turbo inline-4 engine that vrooms under the hood and makes 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. It has a 7-speed shiftable automatic transmission. All-wheel drive with multi-link suspension comes standard in the Audi A6. It has the best air suspension as well, which comes as an option.

What’s the verdict? We should get the Audi A6 for a fun and practical all-wheel-drive luxury experience. 

2021 BMW 5 series

The starting price for BMW 5 Series is $55,195. It is the most fun to drive, midsize sports sedan tilting towards the luxury spectrum. With this price, 530i is what we get. But with the higher trim levels, the excitement level goes higher as well.

Standard safety features are comparable to Mercedes. BMW includes all the standard Mercedes-like comfort specs except for the ambient lighting and dual touch screen. We have also noticed a slight difference in climate control. 

In terms of practicality? It is comfortable in the back but not so much room is available for stretching your legs compared to the rivals. It does have folding rear seats. 

BMW is known for its performance, and for a good reason; Lamborghini did tweaks for BMW’s performance boost. In the BMW 5 series base model, a 2.0L Tubo inline-4 engine roars under the hood and makes 248 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque linked to an 8-speed sport automatic transmission. It’s able to do 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds. 

The power is transferred to the ground by a rear-wheel drive. Double wishbone suspension in the front and multi-link suspension at the rear come standard. 

BMW’s interiors are always high quality while other competitors cut corners and put cheap plastic bits here and there. Yes, even Mercedes puts hard plastic here and there. It will be a bad decision to leave other brands for a BMW that doesn’t have the M badge. M badge is a must. With the M badge/divers package, it becomes a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It can do 0-60 in less than 3.2 seconds. 

2021 Genesis G80

Genesis G80 falls under the midsize luxury sedan category that offers the most features with a low price tag. The base price is $47,700 for the G80 2.5T and tops at $65,100 for the G80 3.5T Prestige trim. 

Is it safer than Mercedes? Yes, it gets more standard safety features in contrast to Mercedes. Along with the Mercedes-like safety features, we further have rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, driver drowsiness monitoring, pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic high beams and more. Some other extremely sophisticated features are also available. 

In the realm of comfort, It comes loaded with Mercedes-like standard specs as well. Differentiating features include a larger 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen with graphics too good to be true. In terms of practicality, legroom in the back is acceptable and the cargo space is adequate.

The performance numbers of Genesis G80 are promising. It is powered by a turbocharged inline-4 that produces 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, more than its rivals. Rear-wheel drive is standard coupled with 8-speed automatic transmission.

If you want a luxury sedan that competes with the elites of the industry with a reasonable price tag and gives plenty of options, then we must consider this car. It comes with an excellent powertrain warranty of 10 years/100,000-miles. 

2021 Lexus ES

Lexus is the luxury branch of Toyota company, known for its reliability. 2021 Lexus ES is a blend of luxury and reliability. Starting from $39,900 is the base model ES 350.

Safety features are somewhat Mercedes-like. And Standard comfort specs are also about the same compared to Mercedes. One problem does occur in the infotainment system though. It has an odd touchpad input that is quite different from the competitors and is a mere 8-inch display. The wheel size is also a smaller 17-inch. 

Is ES 350 more practical than Mercedes E-Class? The knee room in the back is okay but not feasible for a taller person. The headroom is limited as well because of the shape of the car. There is no option of folding the rear seats so the cargo space can’t be increased.

In terms of performance, the standard rear-wheel-drive Lexus ES 350 has a 3.5L V6 having an 8 speed Direct Shift Automatic Transmission paired with a front-wheel-drive setup. It produces 302 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque. The front suspension has the strut setup while the rear has a multi-link.

Final decision? The price and reliability are the two things that are promising on this luxury sedan. 

Overall comparison

• Lexus ES is the cheapest and the most reliable.
• Audi A6 is the jack of all trades and the most practical.
• Mercedes E-Class is the most luxurious.
• BMW has the M badge.
• Genesis G80 comes with a great number of bells and whistles.