When reviewing the best luxury cars, we looked beyond performance and practicality. For this class, the priority shifts to refinement, material richness and the ability to isolate the driver from the outside world.
Here’s what we assessed:
1. Refinement and noise isolation
A true luxury car must be silent. We use decibel meters to measure cabin noise at a steady 70mph cruise and evaluate NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) over broken surfaces. We look out for wind whistle and tyre roar and how it might disturb a passenger’s conversation.
2. Ride quality and body control
We test air suspension systems in various modes to ensure they’re controlled without feeling floaty. We specifically assess how the car manages its secondary ride (the high-frequency jitters from expansion joints) and primary ride (the big undulations that can cause more vertical body movement if not dampened correctly).
3. Material quality
We interrogate the cabin, looking out for high-quality materials – real open-pore wood, cold-to-the-touch knurled aluminium, and high-grade leathers. We check for panel gaps and tactility of the switchgear, ensuring that even the most hidden materials feel premium.
4. Rear passengers space
For many luxury cars, the most important seat is in the back. Therefore we measure leg room and test the ease of entry and exit, the intuitiveness of rear entertainment tablets and the effectiveness of massaging and reclining functions.
5. Performance
We evaluate how smoothly a car gathers pace, whether it’s the near-silent surge of a twin-turbo V8 or the seamless calibration of a modern plug-in hybrid system. A luxury car should never feel like it’s trying too hard.