pretty much every other fast four-wheeler available, but the C63 is what we can most see ourselves owning. A pitch-perfect symphony of performance, luxury, and utility make it a realistic option for everything from a trip to the grocery store to melting tires in block-long burnouts. Its only major flaw is a serious case of petroleum abuse.

WIRED Mild- mannered looks let you cruise by cops without attracting a motorcade. Nasty exhaust note. Tight, balanced handling. Best traditional automatic transmission on the market.

TIRED Terrible V-8 gas mileage (we got around 10 mpg). Interior is tight for larger folk.

$66,500, mbusa.com

2. Cadillac CTS-V

With about 100 more horsepower than any other car in the test, the CTS-V could be the best dollar-to-pony value on the planet. So we were ready for it to be a tire-spinning monster. We weren't, however, expecting the well-appointed interior and taut chassis. Around town, the CTS-V is perfectly civil. In a straight line, it's nearly unbeatable. And around corners, it blasted away our preconceptions with incredible handling.

WIRED Giddyap—556 hp! Grippy racing seats keep your butt in place.

TIRED Some rattles. Automatic transmission sucks: slow to react and shifts at all the wrong times (six-speed manual is an option).

$68,445, cadillac.com

3. Porsche Panamera 4S

"Four-door Porsche" may be car-guy-speak for "brand dilution," but the boys of Stuttgart did a nice job bringing Porsche panache to the carpool lane. It's a lovely machine whose only real sin is not being as much of a driver's car as its lineage might suggest. Though it's a bit of work in parking lots and traffic, the Panamera is a pleasure on the highway.

WIRED Fantastic interior: Every seat is like a cockpit. Dual-clutch seven-speed transmission is the world's best.

TIRED Porsche ruined the world's best transmission with overthought steering-wheel-mounted shifters. Tiny sunroof. Everything behind the side mirrors is a blind spot.

$107,040, porsche.com

4. Aston Martin Rapide

If we judged on looks alone, the Rapide would score 42 out of 10. Too bad aesthetics are only part of the equation. Despite its lofty price, the Aston was the slowest in the group, the interior was uncomfortable, and the handling was uninspired.

WIRED OMGorgeous. Righteous exhaust snarl. Awesome Bang & Olufsen speakers. Interior swaddled in enough leather to outfit Judas Priest. Trick "swan" doors open upward.

TIRED The worst stereo and navigation interfaces we have ever tried to use. Center console looks like it was plucked from a Scion. Long and front-heavy, the car fights you around corners. You call that a trunk?

$210,095, astonmartin.com

• Manufacturer: Roundup:
• Price: $66,500 to $210,095

Authors: Joe Brown

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