Coup D'etat? Mercedes, Lexus and Porsche!

Contrary to popular perception, the life of a jet-setting CEO isn't just about playing golf, sitting around and then playing more golf. In a nine-hour work day, he has to squeeze in dreary boardroom meetings, tackle hostile takeover bids, make tons of powerpoint presentations and, of course, play a round of golf. So the last thing he should have to worry about is his car.

So, we decided to step in with some advice. We lined up three of the best premium saloons in a price range of Dh350-460K: something with unfussy styling, an extremely comfortable ride and good fun when Sir wishes to drive (to the golf course).

 Dejan's Porsche

I've mostly been driving the new Porsche Panamera 4S during this shootout, and I'll admit straight away that its ride quality isn't even in the same galaxy as the Lexus and Merc. The big Toyota feels like a bean-bag with wheels and the Merc is a mobile La-Z-Boy. They're wondrous.

The Porsche, on the other hand, comes with enough suspension settings to confuse an Airbus A380 pilot. With Porsche Active Suspension Management, you can select the sport mode (tightens the spring rates), sport plus (tightens them some more), or you can drop and raise the ride height as well as set up the air suspension to your liking. Unless what you like is a Lexus-ish ride. You can't have that.

Fortunately, with Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, the car rolls a lot less than the others here, remarkably little in fact, despite weighing in at 1,840kg. It actually handles a lot like an Audi A6. That department is certainly not the problem — it's a Porsche, at the end of the day. With all the above mentioned gadgetry along with Porsche Stability Management and 245/50R18 fronts plus 275/45R18 rears, the Panamera 4S will grip, grip and grip, way longer than your nerve can handle.

Its artificial steering isn't a big plus though, even if it's very nicely weighted. The wheel fails to re-centre as quickly as I'd prefer, because the stickiness of the steering motion remains on the way back.

Then we get to the engine, which is undoubtedly a masterpiece. Porsche has gifted the Panamera with a 4.8-litre V8 good for 400bhp and more importantly, 500Nm of torque from 3,500rpm. Coupled to a PDK double-clutch 'box, it actually makes sense to drive this luxo-barge as if it were a sports car. Just not one as good as a 911. You'll love instantaneously jumping up and down the gears, the engine responding to the slightest twitch of the foot, even if that's not the way most people drive an executive saloon.

I won't bother commenting on the looks (it's hideous), but what I have to praise is the interior. Nobody, not even Caterpillar, makes something that feels as sturdy as a Panamera's cabin. Everything is microchip precise in its fitment. It is truly a wonderful place to be, with the only problem being that you'll always know what it looks like from the outside.

It's a fantastic sports saloon, but that's all it is in a segment that looks at the sporty side last. This car, then, doesn't do the one thing that its class requires of it more than anything else: comfort. Still, it would be an amazing car, in a world without S-Classes and LS 460s.

Amit's Merc

Ever since the first Mercedes S Class was launched in 1954 it has been the measure by which luxury saloons are judged. With its elegant, sharp suited looks and gadgets to baffle a 14-year-old, it has been the transport of choice for high flying executives. Unsurprisingly, the 2010 edition builds further on the S Class's powerpoint and golf heritage.

The exterior is smothered with LEDs and chrome, while the interior is a melangé of prized cows and rain forest — without being over the top. The Panamera's cabin is a, er, knob-fest (it even has buttons on the roof!), while the Lexus is too nouveau riche for my liking — what with its shiny wood and chrome inserts and rapper-spec créme leather.

The differences are even more stark if you bring ride quality into the equation. The Lexus floats on the road, like it's got suspension made of marshmallows. It is probably the best riding car this side of a Rolls-Royce. Not something that I can say about the Panamera. It is noticeably harsh. It's clearly the best car to drive here, but it is also the least comfortable. And that puts it out of the running.

The Merc meanwhile strikes the perfect balance between the two. The ride's informative, but never disorientingly rough — unlike the Lexus which will put you in the land of nod, whether you're riding in the back or driving.

Granted the S350's 272bhp 3.5-litre V6 is outclassed by the big V8s in the Lexus and the Porsche, but it's still lively enough to keep you entertained.

Then there's the array of gizmos. Apart from the usual sat nav, infra red camera and massaging seats, the Merc packs cool stuff such as a drowsiness detection system and split-view screen. The former measures 70 parameters to ascertain whether you're tired from your board meeting and might need a coffee break. Meanwhile, the latter will let you and your passenger have different displays on one screen. This is stuff that every self-respecting CEO must have in his life.

Finally, there is the all important matter of price. The S350 costs Dh425,000; Dh34K less than the Panamera. Plus, it's arguably got the biggest badge appeal.

For over five decades the S Class has ruled the luxury saloon roost and — guess what? — it's not giving up the crown easily.

Sony's Lexus

The LS 400 was probably the biggest thing to happen to the premium saloon market before the Panamera came along 20 years later. The Japanese contender to the throne long held by Germans took the US by storm, but lost its way with later versions, and had to concede the top spot for a while.

Eventually things came back a full circle with the introduction of the LS 460 in 2007, which put Lexus right back in contention with its 4.6-litre V8 engine and several new benchmarks in the luxury saloon segment.

But unfortunately a chance to drive this car had always eluded me for one reason or the other. So, naturally, when we were planning this three car test, I was more excited about the prospect of driving the LS than the Panamera, which we'd all driven before anyway.Having had a go in both the 4S and the S350, the first thing I noticed about the LS is how bland it looked inside and out in comparison to the two Germans. The design details outside were too subtle to be noticed, even at a second glance.

Even though the interior is loaded with wood and hide of the highest quality, the dashboard is not special enough to match the Panamera or the S Class. In fact, it isn't much better than that of an ES 350.

With this not so great first impression, I pressed the engine start button. Nothing happened. Or so I thought for a moment until I looked at the rev counter. The sound dampening in the LS 460 is so fantastic that you will not hear so much as a whisper from the engine until you hit around 90-100kph. And the suspension is so precisely sprung that it could make you wonder if you're driving around or lounging on your living room couch watching the world glide past.

Some would argue that absolute silence and a serene ride come at the cost of driver involvement and handling.

I believe the former qualities are more important in a premium luxury car than the latter two. Especially when you consider that most of the target buyers in this segment would choose to sit in the back and relax in the luxurious rear seats — which is especially true of the longer wheelbase L version we drove — which are as spacious and comfortable as first class airline seats.

It might not be as sporty as the Panamera 4S, and it may lack the build quality of the S-Class, but the Lexus LS 460 L beats both the other cars hands down in ride quality.

Verdict

This has been an executive saloon shootout, which means the Porsche, due to its massive sporting credentials, doesn't quite make the cut when it comes to comfort. As for luxury, well, it has plenty of that and then some. You'll be especially pleased with it if you like touching buttons — the Panamera has a button for every separate function. It's the most expensive and the fastest, and we can't deny that it edges the Merc in the badge war. But it's not the most cossetting, which is what buyers in this segment want.

Lexus, as usual, kills everything in sight when it comes to ride quality. It's supremely quiet with almost zero tyre and wind roar to bother its occupants. This is a very good thing, but the S-Class runs it close, too close for the Lexus' comfort. Which is why the Merc wins. It's almost the best value-for-money car here, and its small engine doesn't ruin the performance enough for it to be a bother. Germanic build quality prevails all over, though not as much as in the Porsche, but the balance of sporty handling, a dream-like ride and enough gadgets to keep you flipping the pages of its user's manual for months mean the S-Class, CEOs of the world, is still your car.

Specs & Rating

Model Panamera 4S
Engine 4.8-litre V8 Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Max power 400bhp @ 6,500rpm
Max torque 500Nm @ 3,500rpm
Top speed 282kph
0-100kph 5.0sec
Price Dh458,900
Plus Build quality, sporty, suspension options
Minus Not a cruiser

Model S350
Engine 3.5-litre V6 Transmission Seven-speed auto
Max power 272bhp @ 6,000rpm
Max torque 350Nm @ 2,400rpm
Top speed 250kph (limited)
0-100kph 7.3sec
Price Dh425,000
Plus Overall balance, cabin layout
Minus Loses out to the Lexus in ride quality

Model LS 460 L
Engine 4.6-litre V8 Transmission Eight-speed auto
Max power 375bhp @ 6,400rpm
Max torque 498Nm @ 4,100rpm
0-100kph NA
Price Dh349,000 (base)
Plus Supreme comfort, value
Minus Characterless, doesn't enjoy cornering