Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison

Kim Reynolds, who's been brought along not just for his quick wit, dry humor, and uncanny ability to assess a car's nuances, but also because he authored the previous sport-sedan shindig ("Sideways," November 2005), in which the BMW 545i, Cadillac STS, Infiniti M45, and Mercedes E500 let their juices flow in nearby Paso Robles. The gold-medal ribbon? Wine steward Reynolds awarded that to the 545i. For this taste test, save for a losing vehicle from the prior group receiving a complete redesign or a new V-8, invitations were not extended; thus, nay to the STS and M45 but yea to the invigorated E550 Benz. Naturally, the BMW, now in 550i guise, was summoned to defend its title, with two robust newcomers-the Lexus GS 460 and Jaguar XF Supercharged-thrown in to challenge for editors' pick. Who'll garner the gold this go-around? To the presses!