Lexus LS (2007-2012) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Full hybrid
verdict: Comfortable but costly to run
If you want the ultimate executive transport, the LS is hard to beat. But as it did not go through Euro NCAP’s crash tests while it was available as new, we can’t recommend it.
- Extremely quiet and comfortable
- Great ride/handling balance
- Comprehensively equipped
- High running costs
- Expensive to buy
- A few fiddly gadgets
Lexus LS (2012-2017) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Full hybrid
verdict: Falls short of expectations
It’s without doubt a fine, luxury executive cruiser, but given the extremely high purchase price we’d expect near-perfection. Unfortunately, it falls some way short.
- Spacious and luxurious
- Comfortable suspension
- Excellent active safety features
- Very expensive to buy and run
- Small boot
- Limited practicality
Lexus GS (2012-2018) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Full hybrid
verdict: Worth close consideration
A car that offers something genuinely different to its rivals. Fuel economy isn’t as good as you might expect from a hybrid, but the GS is definitely shortlist material.
- Super-plush ride comfort
- Seamless hybrid system
- Expensive
- Not very adaptable boot
Polestar 2 (2020-) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Available new
- Electric
verdict: Electrifying contender from Volvo’s upmarket brand
The Polestar 2 is an impressive performer. It’s extremely safe and easy to drive, has a simple operating menu, and feels very upmarket inside. It’s not an entirely rosy picture, though, since energy consumption is high and the tested range doesn’t remotely match the claims. Despite these reservations, the Polestar 2 is a Which? Best Buy.
- Superb performance
- Well-equipped
- High-quality feel
- Safe
- High energy consumption
- Poorer range than claimed
- Performance Pack ruins ride comfort
BMW 5-series GT (2009-2017) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: A more practical 5 Series
It’s a Which? Best Buy. If the GT hatchback is about anything, it’s about practicality. Despite this, boot space is disappointing unless you fold the rear seats, which isn’t easy. The GT drives very much like other members of the 5 Series range – which means very well. The GT is pricier than the saloon, though.
- High quality
- Good safety
- Comfortable
- Practical
- Impressive performance and handling
- Expensive to buy
- High running costs
- Disappointing luggage space
BMW 5-series (2010-2017) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: Highly impressive luxury choice
The BMW 5 Series is very good to drive, whether you opt for a petrol or diesel engine. Despite the diesels’ frugality, they aren’t quite as inspiring as the petrol versions. The handling and steering are top-drawer. The only real gripes concern visibility and an interior that can be daunting to get used to.
- Efficient engines
- Great to drive
- Impressive build quality
- Reliable
- Expensive options
- Fiddly iDrive
- Tricky to find best seating position
BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo (2017-2020) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: Hits all the high notes
The 6 Series GT is an odd animal – part luxury limousine, part practical hatchback – and it offers tremendous comfort for five people and plenty of space for their luggage. It’s very expensive, but justifies it with a superb passenger and driver experience, and some of the best technology in BMW’s arsenal. It’s a deserved Which? Best Buy.
- Excellent to drive
- Very comfortable
- Highly practical
- Expensive to buy
- Lots of pricey options
BMW 7-series (2008-2015) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: Limousine with driver appeal
The 7 Series is the daddy of the BMW range, combining potent engines with a luxurious limousine cabin. The 7 Series has traditionally appealed to those who like to drive (rather than to be driven) and this model boasts all the technology to continue this tradition.
- Good build quality
- Excellent ride and handling
- Spacious
- Comfortable
- High depreciation
- Thirsty petrol engines
- Poor rearward visibility
- Impractical boot
Alpina D3 (2006-2012) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: Impressive – performance and style combined
The D3 offers an impressive mix of style and exhilarating performance. The upgrades deliver a superb driving experience, yet the refinements and quality of the underlying BMW 3 Series are never lost. It’s a Which? Best Buy.
- Fast and fun to drive
- Relatively economical
- Rare and exclusive
- Firm ride
- Only two-year warranty
- Potentially expensive to repair
Lexus IS (2013-) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Full hybrid
verdict: Emissions concerns spoil the party
Best Buy award removed. It’s a very good car, but we found the Lexus IS emits so much CO (carbon monoxide) in our tests, that it would fail to meet any EU emissions limits set this century. As such, we cannot possibly recommend it.
- Refined and comfortable
- Hybrid is very economical around town
- No diesel option
- Hybrid motorway economy poor
- Controls not intuitive
Mercedes-Benz S-class Hybrid (2014-2018) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Full hybrid
verdict: Performance, luxury and economy combined.
The Plug-In Hybrid version of the S-class performs with effortless ease and is one of the most refined cars on the planet. It’s also extremely comfortable and spacious for passengers. Real-world fuel economy is disappointing, and the compromised boot space is a letdown.
- Economical/zero tailpipe emissions around town
- Fast
- Supremely refined
- Very expensive
- Tiny boot
- Poor visibility
Toyota Mirai (2021-) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Available new
- Hydrogen (Fuel Cell)
verdict: Proof that hydrogen works
The Mirai has a significant advantage over pure battery electric rivals: it’s like a conventional car in terms of range and refuelling times, yet it still has the benefit of zero tailpipe emissions. There are downsides, though: finding a refuelling station is a challenge, and most hydrogen is currently sourced from fossil fuels. Despite this, Toyota has convincingly proved that hydrogen-fuelled cars can and do work.
- Zero tailpipe emissions
- Better range than battery EVs
- Refined
- Luxurious
- Small boot
- Limited rear seat space
- Dearth of hydrogen fueling stations
BMW 6-series (2012-2018) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: More practical than a regular coupé
Impressively quick, sharp yet safe handling and refined, too: the Gran Coupé gets it right on almost every level. It’s really only a four-seater, but it’s spacious for four adults and has very well designed seats. Unfortunately, a lack of Euro NCAP rating stops us recommending it.
- Outstanding performance
- Reasonable fuel efficiency (640d)
- Comfortable
- Great seats
- Expensive
- Poor visibility
- Can feel cumbersome around town
Toyota Camry Hybrid (2019-2021) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Full hybrid
verdict: Relaxing, high-quality hybrid
The Camry is back with a bang. Toyota’s latest large saloon is very easy to drive and live with, has efficiency and refinement boosting hybrid tech, and is backed by a five-year warranty and the brand’s bullet-proof reputation for reliability. Unless you’re looking for driver thrills – or need to tow something – we’ve no hesitation in recommending the Camry as a Best Buy model.
- Good fuel efficiency
- Roomy and comfortable cabin
- Well specified as standard
- No towing capacity
- Mediocre braking performance
- Currently no Apple Carplay/Android Auto
Toyota Mirai (2015-2021) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Hydrogen (Fuel Cell)
verdict: A commendable alternative to battery EVs
If you want to run a car that minimises your environmental impact, the Mirai makes a pretty good case for itself. Its only emission when it’s being used is water – yet it’s much more feasible to run every day than most electric cars because its range is good and it can be refuelled quickly rather than plugged in for hours. It may be a long time before fuel cell technology reaches the mainstream, but the Mirai is in the vanguard.
- Zero tailpipe emissions
- Refined
- Comfortable
- Well built
- Good range
- Very expensive
- Lack of hydrogen fuelling stations
- Compromised boot space
Lexus RC (2015-) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: Striking coupé with some practicality issues
Well built, good to drive and luxurious, the RC is a credible alternative to the German-made two-door coupés that dominate the market. It’s rather ostentatious in style but has more of a cruising role than an overtly sporty one.
- Very well made
- Safe handling
- Comfortable
- Well equipped
- Can be thirsty
- Tiny rear seats
Mercedes-Benz S-class (2013-2021) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: Supreme comfort, safety and technology
Even the least powerful engine in the range provides plenty enough power to shift the S-class with ease. It’s not overly dynamic in the corners, but it’s safe and extremely comfortable. And, as you would expect from the S-class, it’s rammed full of technological goodies and there’s loads of interior space.
- Ground-breaking safety technology
- Supreme ride comfort
- Fabulous engines
- Expensive running costs
- Limited boot practicality
- Poor visibility
Lexus ES (2019-) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Available new
- Full hybrid
verdict: Paragon of luxury and quality
The Lexus ES covers all the main executive car bases. It’s comfortable, fairly refined and packed with the latest technology and equipment. It’s also extremely well made, with high-quality materials throughout. It’s a deserved Which? Best Buy.
- Excellent build quality
- Comprehensively equipped
- Very safe
- Complex controls
- Zero towing capacity
BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe (2014-2021) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: Accomplished, niche five-door coupé with an emissions problem
The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé is a very competent car. While its five-door layout suggests practicality, in practice the low roofline and slender boot limit its usability somewhat. With a strong range of engines, excellent transmissions and safe handling, the 4 Series Gran Coupé lives up to BMW’s reputation for building drivers’ cars.
- Excellent performance and handling
- Fairly practical
- Impressive safety
- Cramped in the back
- Sparsely equipped as standard
BMW 6-series coupe (2011-2017) review
Test scoreShow Context
Key features
- Large
- Used only
- Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
verdict: Classic GT with sporting flavour
The 6 Series Coupé is great to drive, with big, smooth and powerful engines. Handling is safe rather than absolutely incisive, but it’s fabulously comfortable to ride in. The 6 Series is spacious in the front, but relatively cramped in the rear.
- Great to drive
- Fuel-efficient for a big coupé
- Strong engines
- Many safety systems cost extra
- Small boot and rear accommodation
