2004 Audi A8L vs 2004 BMW 745i vs 2004 Jaguar XJ8 Vanden Plas vs 2004 Lexus LS 430 vs 2004 Mercedes-Benz S430 vs 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton V8 Price Comparison

Now into its third generation, the Lexus LS is a known quantity in this class -- though for 2004 the company freshened the car's front and rear fascias and added some worthy mechanical improvements (including a six-speed automatic). Our LS 430 test car, boasting 290 horsepower, carried a bevy of options, pushing the price to $71,030.

Unveiled for the 2000 model year and mildly freshened for 2003, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the granddaddy in this heady class but remains a sales favorite. Our 275-horsepower S430 test car carried a group-high $80,590 window sticker. Rounding out our field was the new-for-2004, 335-horsepower, 4Motion-equipped Volkswagen Phaeton V8 (as-tested: $74,365). Sharing many of its mechanical pieces with the A8L from sister division Audi, the Phaeton pushes the VW logo into a price realm where most thought it would never go.

To let our sextet of sedans run free, we motored east from L.A. into the wide-open empty spaces of Arizona. There, we hammered along deserted highways, ran up and down tight switchbacks, pranced through tony Sedona, and in the evenings eventually headed off to the fabulous Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa in Carefree, a stunning spot full of manicured golf greens, gurgling pools, and fine eateries -- just the sort of place, in other words, where uebersedans like these often come to graze.

After three days and hundreds of miles of hard driving, furious note-taking, endless driver changes, massive gas bills, and animated discussions, six editors placed their votes on our judgment-day ballot. Here's how it all came out.