Mercedes-Maybach S550
When you want to draw attention, get a very long car. The 2017 Mercedes-Maybach S550 is just such a luxury car, and the interior feels cavernous because of it. It’s an executive-class kind of luxury where you expect the hotshot owner to get out of the backseat, not drive the car.
There’s a brilliance about the Mercedes-Maybach S550, a complexity that adds to its appeal. The softened Mercedes appearance has awesome flashes, from massive chrome dish wheels to its cushy leather interior with dream-like flow. The diamond-stitched inset dash upholstery is visually stunning with matching rear-seat throw pillows. Of course, the latest technologies are found inside, including a widescreen in-dash monitor and dual rear-seat monitors. Privacy screens and the like are equipped in the Mercedes-Maybach line too.
Here’s where a tough decision comes into play. The Mercedes-Maybach S550 has 449 horsepower from a biturbo 4.7-liter V8 and races from 0 to 60 in 5.0 seconds flat thanks to an assist from 4MATIC AWD. With performance numbers like that, do you hire a driver to enjoy being chauffeured around, or do you take the car to town yourself?
Cadillac CTS-V
You can’t have a list of the best luxury cars without a Cadillac. The 2017 Cadillac CTS-V sedan is more powerful than ever, but it does so without neglecting the refinements Cadillac is best known for. Inside the CTS-V you’ll find piano-black accents, a beautifully sculpted center console, divine Recaro leather-wrapped seats, and even a Performance Data Recorder.
On the topic of performance, the 2017 Cadillac CTS-V is no slouch. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 makes a filthy 640 horsepower and 630 lb-ft of torque, launching the CTS-V to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. No wonder it needs a Performance Data Recorder.
Tesla Model S
You’ve seen the 17-inch touchscreen, and you know about the electric car’s silence. The 2017 Tesla Model S is much more luxurious than you may have initially thought, however. It features a clean, athletic sedan shape with LED Adaptive Lighting, bolstered front seats wrapped in supple leather, and a full-length glass panoramic roof that opens widely.
But what’s most intriguing about the Model S is the performance. Very, very few cars go zero to 60 mph in under 3 seconds, and the Model S is one of them. Properly equipped it can be as low as 2.5 seconds, which is hypercar territory. That’s due to its available dual electric motors in the Model S Performance package. And while it has yet to be seen how the Model 3 will impact the Model S’s future, it’s a car that has redefined the industry.
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