Comparison Tests
In 1976, country bard Tom T. Hall summarized the fundamental needs of men advancing into what is politely called middle age. The song was "Faster Horses," and Hall's refrain boiled life down to the four essentials of the slightly older guy:
"It's faster horses,
Younger women,
Older whiskey,
And more money."
Hard to argue with that list, ain't it, boys? But what's the comparo connection? Just this. The contestants in this comparison seem the equivalent of the faster horses in Hall's hedonistic lament. In this context, we're talking faster than the rest of the herd, or at least most of it. The guys who pop for rides such as these aren't necessarily interested in going faster down twisty lanes less traveled. The occasional joyous stab at the throttle, sure. The carefree draw on deep power reserves when some mouth breather just will not give up the left lane.
Beyond that, it's the mere possession of a device that's capable of pinning everyone against the seatbacks. High lateral g and brisk transient response are all very well, but what really matters is a herd of thoroughbred ponies — faster ponies — under the hood of an upscale sedan that looks like an upscale sedan. But not too upscale. None of that Benz S-class or BMW 7-series stuff, rides that make the stockholders nervous. We don't want ostentation here, y'all. Just a little hedonism — with enough juice under that right-foot faucet to make it interesting.
We found four horses that seem to answer this set of needs very well. They're not sports sedans in the sense of the real tigers in this size class: the BMW M5, the Mercedes E63 AMG. But when you get into the $50K region, you know they're far from ordinary. And three of them really are faster.
The BMW 550i, for example, got a new and more potent 4.8-liter V-8 for 2006. Shared with the 7-series sedan, it replaced the previously employed 4.4-liter in the 545i and bumps output from 325 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque to 360 in each power commodity (although the change hasn't altered the arcane logic of BMW's still-mystifying model designations).
The Mercedes E550 also enjoys a substantial power gain over its predecessor, the E500. Most of the '07 updates to this bread-and-butter Benz family are understated, but there's nothing subtle about the robust output of the E550's new 5.5-liter V-8, which whomps up 382 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque, compared with 302 and 339 for the previous engine. And there's a seven-speed automatic to make the most of the big power increase.
In contrast to its Germanic competitors, the Lexus GS450h is a faster horse of a different techno color, one that's unique in this class and wasn't even on the radar screen when Tom T. created his list of must-haves for life beyond 40-something. The little "h" stands for hybrid, an engineering realm where Lexus's parent, Toyota, has scored big points with the green-minded, far and wide. Powered by a 3.5-liter gasoline V-6 with assist from a pair of DC electric motors, the 450h plays to the environmental nags and, at the same time, opens up new horizons in performance. Lexus presents this car as a sport model, and the basic theme is road burning with a clear conscience.
Although all the faces here are familiar, the only one that's a real rerun is the Infiniti M45. As faster horses go, it's essentially the same steed we tested in a May 2005 comparison ["Spoilsport Sedans"] that involved variants of all the cars assembled here, as well as four others. You might wonder why the M45 made the cut for this smaller field when it's no faster or newer than our 2005 test car. Here's the answer: The M45 emerged at the top of the charts in that '05 showdown, and it returns to defend its title against even tougher competition.
Once our elite little herd was rounded up, we piled in and headed for the green hills of southeast Ohio. With daytime temperatures and humidity cooking near the 100 mark, we rode 'em hard. When we got back to Rancho Hogback and tallied up the score cards, there were some surprises, including a near photo finish. Also, pursuant to Mr. Hall's advice concerning faster horses, we discovered one big truth: None of these cars will stem the advance of middle age. But any one of them will make the going a lot more pleasurable, some more than others. Which is which? Read on. As for the younger women, etc., we leave those to you.
