Luxury cars or fancy family sedans? Five good cars. But you can do better for less.(Upscale Sedans - Road Test)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)

To create a luxury car that more people can afford, many automakers turn to high-volume family sedans in their line-ups, change the styling and suspension tuning, add features and a more prestigious nameplate, and raise the price by thousands of dollars. All five cars in this group, for example, are related to lower-priced family sedans. The Lexus ES300 is a more expensive version of the Toyota Camry; the Audi A4 is similar to the Volkswagen Passat; and the Acura 3.2TL, Infiniti 135, and Jaguar X-Type are based on the Honda Accord, the Nissan Maxima, and the European Ford Mondeo, respectively.

As we found in our testing, however, these luxury models aren't necessarily better. In fact, the V6 versions of the Passat, tested in the July 2000 issue, and the redesigned Camry, tested last month, handily outscored all five cars in this test. While all cars in this group performed well in our testing and scored high enough to earn very good Ratings, we found that, compared with these cars, the refined and well-rounded Passat and Camry provide similar levels of equipment and safety gear; were better overall; and with a price of around $30,000 typically equipped, were about $4,000 to $10,000 less expensive.

Base prices for these five sedans ranged from the high-$20,000 to the mid-$30,000 range, but with typical interior appointments and other optional equipment, the sticker prices can rise by thousands. Prices for our test cars ranged from $33,710 for the Acura to $40,845 for the Jaguar. We found the ES300 to be the best of this group. However, none of the vehicles here came close to the overall performance of the BMW 330i, our top-rated car in this class.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Lexus ES300, like the Camry on which it is based, was redesigned for 2002. It now has more headroom, a five-speed automatic transmission, and more safety gear. It uses the same 3.0-liter V6 as the Camry, but it is tuned to produce 210 hp on premium fuel instead of the Camry's 192 hp on regular. The ES300 is exceptionally quiet and has a beautifully finished interior, a refined engine, and excellent brakes. Handling, however, is secure but not outstanding, and acceleration is just adequate for the class. Reliability should be excellent.

The ES300 starts at $31,505, but options such as a DVD navigation system, audio-system upgrade, heated seats, and stability control brought the price of our car to $39,963, including destination charges. The CR Wholesale Price--which includes any buyer rebates and what the dealer paid after incentives--is $34,208. (All CR Wholesale Prices were effective as of January 2002.)

The Audi A4 was also redesigned for 2002 and now provides more power, luxury amenities, and safety equipment than before. The A4 feels more like a sports sedan than the other cars here. Handling is agile and secure, the interior shows excellent attention to detail, the front seats are very comfortable, and safety equipment is comprehensive. But the interior is a little cramped, particularly in the rear; the ride is unsettled at low speeds; and acceleration is not sparkling. Reliability is as yet unknown.