Best saloon car ever made?
 

I have been giving some thought to this recently. What do you think is the best saloon car of all time? And why?

I have a shortlist and am surprised it does not contain any 'workaday' cars, only cars of huge quality or innovation.

My top five in no order are

Citroen ds..this would have been like a spaceship in '55 compared to the staid offerings of most manufacturers. Has a car so advanced for its time ever been offered to the mass market?

Lexus ls400. This car blew it's contemporaries out of the water for build quality and refinement and is a thing of beauty in its own understated right.

Jaguar xj6/12 series three. Otherworldly refinement and to my eyes the best looking saloon ever made.

Tatra t87, same reasons as the ds but 15 years or so earlier. Sci-fi made real.

E39 BMW 5 series. I doubt a more complete car had been offered to the public at affordable money. The high point of 5 series design.

Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth, comfort with rocket ship acceleration, beautiful looking motor of its time.

TT

That one is so subjective.

The P series Rovers spring to mind along with Riley RM and MGf. Jaguar XK 140 and the Morgan 2+2. Beautiful looking cars.
As ever beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

Paul.

Xk140 and Morgan 2 plus 2 more coupes surely?

Basic transport one can mount strong adverts for 2cv, fiat 500, beetle and mini although I prefer Renault 4 to any if those!!

Model T-for bringing motoring to the masses
DS-futuristic styling and suspension,let down by archaic engines sadly
XJ6 S1-for showing how good an executive saloon could be
Vauxhall/Opel Senator-just an all round accomplished car
Vauxhall Lotus Carlton/Opel Lotus Omega A-All that power,all that speed and a comfortable 5 seater saloon,what's not to like?

Anything made by Volvo (proper Volvos that is not the FWD stuff :tounge_smile: )

I'll agree with one for sure

Lexus LS400
The engineering excellence underpinning this car can't be overstated - I think there had never been up to that point a car more thoroughly and comprehensively engineered, including the likes of Rolls Royce. Some will no doubt say it was soulless and lacked "character" compared to its competition, but compare a mk1 LS400 now with its contemporaries (eg E32, W126, C-Body DeVille, XJ40) and the LS is clearly the template of the modern class. The others are shockingly dated by comparison.

Tesla Model S
Regardless of your personal feelings towards Elon Musk, Tesla or EVs in general, it is undeniable that the Model S has been, is and will continue to be an absolute game-changer. Now in its 7th year it is outselling newer, better-built, more luxurious Ss and 7s (and LSs) that in 20 years time will look like complete dinosaurs by comparison. This is the car that marks the change from ICE to EV and will hold a significant place in motoring history.

Citroen Traction Avant
Arguably more significant than the DS - the Traction Avant was a unibody, fully independent suspension, front wheel drive saloon car.... released in 1934. The impacts of this car are still felt in the cars we drive today.

I was torn about traction avant, it's certainly 6th place in my ever changing list.

James may made a great point recently, since it's inception, a Volkswagen golf is really all the car you ever need...its ubiquity is both it's curse and attraction I guess, and from mk1 on I can see what he is driving at, no pun intended

Audi A8 4.2 V8 petrol Quattro.

Big fan. Drove several hundred miles in a late nineties s8, frighteningly competent, unshakeable crushing performance!!