2005 All-Wheel-Drive Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison Test

Twelve months ago you could have counted the number of all-wheel-drive luxury sport sedans with two fingers. Now you need both hands. New entries to the segment include the 2005 Acura RL, the 2006 Infiniti M35X, the 2006 Lexus GS 300 AWD and the 2006 BMW 530xi, the first ever all-wheel-drive 5 Series. Even the 2005 Audi A6 3.2 quattro, the spiritual and mechanical godfather of the segment, was redesigned just last year.

All five use six-cylinder engines, automatic transmissions and cost about $50K, but which one offers the best combination of performance, luxury and value?

To find out, we drove each over a thousand miles in two days on a road trip that included long stretches of highway, twisty mountain passes and a stop at Buttonwillow Raceway Park road course in Bakersfield, California, for some hot laps. Along the way we filled every cupholder, looked for rib joints on the navigation systems and became addicted to ventilated seats and satellite radio.

Why All-Wheel Drive?
SUVs have convinced buyers that all-wheel drive is a necessity whether they live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula or Florida's panhandle. By adding all-wheel drive to a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan, like the BMW, Infiniti and Lexus, it becomes a more attractive alternative to a luxury sport-utility. Now you have a real all-weather friend that delivers better handling, quicker stops and better mileage than any Escalade or Land Rover ever could.

But all-wheel drive isn't just about blizzards and black ice. Adding all-wheel drive to front-wheel-drive platforms, like those under the Acura RL and Audi A6, also gives the car more balanced handling.

The Contestants
The RL's midpack mid-pack price, high content and 300 hp made it a favorite going into this contest, and the Acura proved accommodating the minute we left town. Its excellent navigation system kept us out of traffic, and it found us a good place for lunch once we reached our destination. It also ran the fastest speed through our slalom test, proved competent on the twists and turns of Buttonwillow and was a pleasure on the long slabs of Interstate 5.

Of the five, only the A6 offers all-wheel drive with V8 power, but sticking with the V6 made it the cheapest sedan in the test at just over $45K. The low sticker price didn't seem to matter as the Audi became a favorite by the first stop. Even without a navigation system or a sport package it felt luxurious, handled competently and it looked good inside and out.

A sticker approaching $60K made the BMW the most expensive car in the test and by the end of the first day it was obvious where all that money was spent. With the best steering, suspension and brakes, the BMW was clearly the driver's car of the group. It lost points, however, for a stark interior and flimsy cupholders.

Laps at the Buttonwillow road course made the Infiniti feel like the winning ride. It had the biggest, stickiest tires, loads of power and an automatic that matches revs with every downshift. Like the BMW, the Infiniti was a driver's car that suffered lost points for the design of its interior.

Too soft and slow to attack the Buttonwillow road course, the Lexus was the ride of choice for the ride home. Its soft seats, plush ride and finely detailed interior make any drive seem relaxed. If luxury is your priority, it's worth the $50K.

One Winner
By the end of the road trip two things were obvious: Bakersfield is not the home of the babyback and the Acura RL is the all-wheel-drive sedan of choice. What it lacks in distinctive styling it more than makes up for in solid overall performance, a well-designed and comfortable interior and a standard features list that'll impress the neighbors. The Audi A6 snagged a distant second, while the Infiniti M35x barely edged out the BMW 530xi for third. The competent but slightly less athletic Lexus GS 300 AWD pulled up the rear.