Irish Times best buys: Executive saloons

This feels a bit like regicide, for the BMW 5 Series has been king of this category for years.

You could describe the new E-Class as the best in this segment thanks to given victory - after all , its two principal rivals, the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series are both due for replacement shortly, while the Merc is brand new and fresh.

But that would be to underestimate both the rivals (which are still excellent cars) and the E-Class itself, which is a fantastic monument to just how good a car Mercedes can make when it applies its full strength to the task. Comfortable, quiet (thanks in no small part to a much more refined new 2.0-litre diesel engine), good looking, roomy (albeit a little less so than before) and enormously good at smoothing off the unkempt ridges of Irish tarmac, the E-Class has a full complement of skills on its side. It also has, by a long chalk, the best interior in its segment. The only problem is that desirable extras such as self-driving on the motorway or a full-width digital dash are hugely expensive.

Best buy: E220d AMG-Line from €58,950. Prices start at €54,150.

PCP packages start from €624 a month.

Read the review: The new Mercedes E-Class blends old-school comfort with a dash of youth

While the F-Pace probably pips the XF to the post in the race for the ‘Best New Jaguar In Years’ title, the XF saloon is still one of the finest works ever wrought by the famed British sports car and saloon maker. The previous XF was always handsome and good to drive, but lost out in terms of practicality and environmental performance to its German counterparts. No longer - the XF now has the sort of cabin and boot space with which to compete with the best of its European and Japanese rivals, and its handling and ride combination are little short of sublime. Not even the mighty BMW 5 Series can match it for steering feel and response. The new 2.0-litre 180hp diesel engine hits all its marks in terms of low emissions and strong fuel consumption, but loses out to Audi and Mercedes in terms of aural refinement, which is a shame. The interior layout also holds it back - no quibbles over quality and comfort, but it’s lacking in both distinctiveness and visual appeal.

Best buy: XF R-Sportm 2.0d 180hp Auto from €52,650. Prices start at €45,995.

PCP packages start from €498 a month.

Read the review: Lighter, leaner Jaguar XF still has plenty of style

Considering how fast things move in the motor industry and considering that the current 5 Series is (a) six years old now and (b) up for replacement this year, it might be somewhat surprising that it’s still under consideration against younger, fitter opposition. But the thing is just so bloody good that you can’t ignore it. The styling has softened almost to the point of invisibility these days, but you can help rectify that by going for a muscular M-Sport bodykit and the gorgeous deep, bright Imola Blue paint job. The cabin still looks and feels the business (especially since a recent upgrade to fancy part-digital instruments) and it’s very roomy and very comfy. As is so often the case, it’s best experienced as a Touring estate and if you want real firepower, then the mighty (but flighty) 560hp M5 can provide all you need. Its replacement will not be needing a shoe-horn. These are big brogues to fill.

Best buy: 520d M-Sport Touring from €55,340. Prices start at €45,200.

PCP packages start from €499 a month.

Read the review: BMW 518d: A new toy for the Beemer Boys

It is incredibly hard to get current Irish car buyers, especially at this price level to see that anything other than diesel makes sense. Oil-burning means cheaper fuel bills (mostly) and cheaper tax (mostly) and so we flock, often foolishly, to the black pump. The recently upgraded Lexus GS300h makes a rather eloquent case for the defence. Can it match a 520d in fuel consumption? No, but it gets closer than you may think and is far more refined into the bargain. It’s not as good to drive as the Beemer either, but its cabin its better made and more luxurious and its long-term reliability should utterly floor the BMW. It’s also quite a bargain, with even the basic €49k model being quite well equipped and its long-haul comfort eclipses every other car here. Not all will love the styling, but it’s certainly distinctive.

Best buy: GS300h Luxury from €53,450. Prices start at €49,950.

PCP packages start from €454 a month.

Read the review: New Lexus grabs a piece of the premium action

It would be nice if we were allowed to have personalised numberplates in this country. True, they are often the preserve of arrogant blow-hards and the sort of person you just really, really don’t want to get stuck next to at dinner, but they would at least allow you to easily hide the fact that your gorgeous, sexy Audi isn’t new. We often castigate Audi for its more-of-the-same styling but the upshot of that is that you could buy a 2011 A6, carefully specced and with nice alloys, and no-one would know that it’s not brand new. Even after the all-new model comes out later this year, I bet that would still be the case. The best A6s are the more recent ones, especially the fuel-sipping 2.0 TDI Ultra, but any one of them is well made, hugely reliable, spacious and comfortable. Watch for damaged suspension and tired-looking alloys and don’t buy one without a full and complete service history.

Best buy: 2012 A6 2.0 TDI 180hp S-Line for circa €22,000