10 Best Big Sedans for 2018

If you were to pay attention to the headlines, you might believe that the big sedan is dead. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While it is true that SUVs, crossovers, and other light trucks have risen to prominence over the past decade, big sedans still maintain an important niche in the marketplace. Ever the choice for an executive, a big sedan conveys power, status, and maturity upon its driver and passengers.

There’s hardly a more impressive way to arrive at an important meeting or event than to emerge from the rear door of a big sedan while a uniformed chauffeur holds an umbrella to shield you from the weather. Stepping down from an SUV is hardly the equivalent. And on the weekends when the driver is at liberty, a big sedan can deliver driving excitement and cruising pleasure. Here are 10 of the best big sedans of 2018, presented in alphabetical order by brand.

There’s a reason that "the Transporter" chose an Audi A8 for his cinematic missions: It is the stealth bomber of big sedans. The 2018 A8 L (starting at $82,500) is an executive conveyance built on a long 122.9-inch wheelbase. It has a limousine-like second row, with plenty of room to stretch your legs and get really comfortable.

With Audi’s myriad of technology and communications options, the A8 L can function as a mobile office and meeting space for the executive on the go. And with an available 4.0-liter turbocharged 450-horsepower V8 engine, the A8 L can get you where you’re going in a tremendous hurry — from 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. Just ask Jason Statham — this is one fast sedan. And there’s an even faster version available on a shorter (117.9-inch) wheelbase: The 650-hp S8 can get from a standstill to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.

You don’t have to British to love the Bentley Mulsanne, but it doesn’t hurt to be rich. The 2018 Mulsanne starts at $304,670 or thereabouts, what’s a few thousand dollars among friends?

It’s easy to sniff at a vehicle that costs as much as a house in a nice neighborhood, but Bentley puts its money into outstanding build quality, exquisite craftsmanship, and jewel-like precision. If the idea of a $10,000 monthly car payment makes you shudder with fear, this is not the car for you. But if you’ve already maxed out your retirement accounts, your kids have graduated college, and you’ve made that seven-figure donation to the charity of your choice, you shouldn’t be embarrassed to crawl into the cocoon of luxury that the Mulsanne provides.

The crown prince of the BMW 7 Series lineup, the 2018 BMW ALPINA B7 xDrive incorporates all of the luxury that BMW can muster, along with the performance and style enhancements that Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH & Company KG can bring to a flagship sedan.

Alpina hand-builds and perfects the B7 in strictly limited quantities, with prices starting at $139,350. With a 600-hp 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine driving the action, the B7 can go from 0-60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. That’s an amazing amount of speed and momentum for a big sedan, and the chassis, suspension, steering, and brakes are all tuned to keep the B7 under control and smooth in all conditions.

Hyundai recently established Genesis as its stand-alone premium brand, and the 2018 Genesis G90 is among the first wave of vehicles to populate its lineup. The big sedan starts at $68,350 and is a direct descendant of the Hyundai Equus.

Though the G90 has yet to develop its own unique identity, it does demonstrate that Genesis has nailed the big premium sedan formula: a rear-wheel-drive platform, a long wheelbase, executive-level accommodations in both the first and second rows, great material selection and fit and finish, and up-to-the-minute communications and connectivity. For an owner who cares more about function and comfort than branding, the G90 can be an excellent, relatively affordable choice.

When it comes to big sedans, we’re suckers for the great legroom of a long wheelbase when it also comes with a full corral of horsepower. The 2018 Jaguar XJL Supercharged (starting at $96,300) fits the bill with ample equipment, lots of space, and a 470-hp 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine.

Its 124.3-inch wheelbase allows for great front- and rear-seat legroom, while the engine helps propel the XJL from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The XJL is also blessed with heartbreaking beauty from all angles, whether in motion or while at a standstill, and an interior that caresses its occupants in every seating position.

Starting at $79,510, the 2018 Lexus LS 500h Hybrid sedan uses a 3.5-liter 354-hp V6 gasoline engine in combination with two electric motors to deliver powerful, fuel-efficient luxury transportation. Continuing Lexus' tradition of serene operation, the roomy cabin of the LSh is quiet even under heavy acceleration.

After all, LSh is rated to scoot from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds, in high contrast to the sedan’s sedate reputation as a luxury road yacht. Lexus' Enform infotainment has been updated and improved, and the car's 123-inch wheelbase allows for a very roomy second row. 

The Lincoln lineup may be a mixed-up name and alphabet soup of models, but its products are better than ever — especially the new 2018 Continental. Don’t hold Matthew McConaughey’s prattle against this big luxury sedan. The Continental is the big sedan that Lincoln should have built years ago, with striking exterior design, an elegant interior, impressively stable handling, and solid performance.

Starting at $45,160, the Continental is available with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 gasoline engine with 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, all-wheel drive, and torque vectoring to improve cornering performance. Gone is the floaty luxury boat, replaced by a thoroughly modern, great-handling big sedan.

Mercedes-Benz’s flagship S-Class has earned its place among the best big sedans through generations of evolution and development. The 2018 S560 4MATIC (starting at $102,900) deserves to be the standard by which the class is measured, both in terms of performance and design.

The S560's 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 gasoline engine is rated to produce 463 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, good enough to send the big sedan from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Its exterior design is a study in mature elegance, and its interior is a model of restrained executive style. Technology, safety, and infotainment options can turn an S-Class into a mobile workstation, with even the odor of cabin air customizable to exacting standards.

When you’ve got nothing left to prove, the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid (starting at $42,800) is the big sedan that can convey you from point to point in comfort and confidence. The Avalon makes no pretense about being the flashiest, fastest, or most fun big sedan on the market. It is a dependable, unfussy and entirely good car from end to end. The flagship of Toyota’s sedan lineup, it exemplifies the brand’s core attributes of value, reliability, safety, and efficiency.

The Avalon Hybrid Limited arrives with all of the boxes checked, including heated and ventilated leather front seats, premium JBL Audio with Toyota's Entune system and navigation, heated rear seats, and a power rear sunshade. On the surface, the Avalon seems like a car for grandparents, but it may be the ultimate big sedan for buyers who care more about what the car does for them than what other people say about their car.

Ever since the Volvo brand changed hands from the Ford to Geely Automobiles, the Swedish automaker has been working toward an all-new lineup of cars and SUVs from the ground up. The S90 is the first big sedan to benefit from clean sheet engineering and design, and it’s a doozy.

Starting at $48,100, the S90 is built on Volvo’s new SPA architecture, which also underlies the XC90 crossover and V90 wagon. Gorgeous exterior design swoops with elegant body panels, and Scandinavian design infuses the serene interior. Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system is one of the best, most intuitive systems on the market, and S90’s ride and comfort rank it as one of the best big sedans of 2018.