10 Best Cars

Take the sports-sedan concept and move it upmarket, adding more room, more creature comforts, and a plusher feel, and you get the BMW 5-series sedans. With their gathered-leather upholstery, their silky-smooth six- and eight-cylinder engines, their rock-solid construction, and their amazingly cushy rides, these sedans easily go head-to-head with the platoon of pricey competitors in the class we call "sedans for the working rich."

But what makes the 5-series stand out in this class is the sheer verve that comes with all this luxury. These mid-size BMWs take to the cut and thrust of winding roads with a willingness that belies their size and weight. Their suspensions remain composed even when the tires are howling at maximum grip, and their engines revel near their redlines. What makes them unique in this class is that the six- and eight-cylinder models are both offered with manual transmissions for the most involved drivers and deliver performance ranging from brisk to blistering.

For enthusiasts who demand equal doses of posh and performance, these BMWs are the sedans of choice.

Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

Base price: $39,678-$55,578