Best Luxury Car

The term ‘luxury car’ covers so many different sub-niches now, that awarding it to the Mercedes S-Class is no longer as straightforward as it once was. From high-end sportscars, to bespoke limousines, the premium sector is forever expanding. Then a car like the all-new Range Rover comes along and raises the the bar for luxury once again, and you have a clear choice for CarBuyer's Best Luxury Car 2013.

The beautiful, high-quality interior and striking exterior design sets it apart from the old model and overall refinement is second to none. Its superb ride quality rivals the softest saloons, while the powerful diesel engines have enough oomph to compete with many modern-day sportscars.The TDV6 Vogue SE – which we recommend – can do 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds yet emits only 196g/km of CO2. The higher-powered SDV8 benefits marginally on the 0-60mph time, but raises emissions to 229g/km.

Not only is the Range Rover impressive on road, it is immensely accomplished off it. Capable of wading through deeper water than a Land Rover Defender, the standard adjustable air suspension means it can go places a BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne couldn’t dream of. Land Rover has also put a huge amount of time into reducing its weight - it's still a heavy car, but the new model sheds an average of 400kg, meaning it significantly benefits in terms of fuel economy. The TDV6 will do 37.7mpg, which would be admirable for a petrol-powered hot hatchback, let alone a great big SUV.

Practicality easily rivals the likes of the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series, too. Rear seat space is huge, and thanks to a high roofline, there's plenty of space in the boot. An electric split tailgate helps further, giving easy access to the expansive load area. The Range Rover mixes practicality with ultimate upmarket appeal, comfort, bags of power and plenty of clever technology. If you can afford the high list prices, there simply isn’t a more complete luxury car on sale right now.