top 3 Cars of 2023

Top best cars of 2023 1: BMW i7 If you need proof of how serious BMW is about staking its claim on luxury car glory, then consider the fact the i7 (and its ICE-powered 7 Series sibling) will only be available in leg-stretching long-wheelbase guise. While the previous six generations of the brand's flagship saloons have placed as much emphasis on driver delight and pampering passengers, this all-new model is all about five-star cosseting and cutting-edge tech. It's the all-electric i7 that arrives first, but regardless of motive power, you're unlikely to lose the big BMW in a crowd. Not only is it a vast machine, but the slab-sided styling and gargantuan front grille also mean that the 7 Series is a 'challenging' aesthetic proposition. Not so the interior, which melds all the latest technology with traditional craftsmanship and a rich array of natural materials, including the surprisingly indulgent cashmere wool trim you can choose for the seats. As you'd expect, there are acres of space to lounge around in, while additions such as the 31.3 BMW Theatre Screen for rear-seat passengers take in-car entertainment to the next level. There's also the usual widescreen display ahead of the driver, but the retention of an iDrive rotary controller means you're not subjugated to the total tyranny of a touchscreen interface. 2: Mercedes-Benz S-Class BMW may have knocked it out of the park with the latest 7 Series, but the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is still the default option for good reason. It was last redesigned in 2020, embracing digitization more than ever before. In that respect, it has undoubtedly succeeded. The cabin feels reassuringly traditional yet avant-garde, and the scope of the vast displays manages to avoid the jarring omnipresence seen with other manufacturers’ cars. Ambient lighting and connectivity are very well executed, and beneath it all, barring one or two ergonomic shortfalls resides one of the most materially comfortable and cosseting places to sit while the miles ease by, for driver and passenger. In an age of ever more ludicrously grandiose grilles, the S-Class’s relatively subtle exterior design should also stand it in good stead in Europe. In some ways, though, it feels as though progress has stalled somewhat. The plug-in hybrid powertrain of our S580e sets new class standards for efficiency and versatility, but cabin isolation and ride quality seem no better than before. Where an S-Class used to challenge Rolls-Royce in terms of road manners, the British marque is now a clear step ahead, and while we’ve not driven the ICE BMW 7 Series in the UK, the i7 suggests that might be ahead of the Merc too. The new S-Class is a fantastically opulent way to travel, but no longer is it breathtakingly so. 2: BMW iX Number three on this list is a double whammy of convention defiance. Not only is the BMW, not a saloon, but it also doesn't have a combustion engine. It came just over a year before the BMW i7, but it is effectively that car, a few inches higher up in the air. It’s perhaps marginally less opulent, but having a hatchback, it’s also a bit more practical.There is an entry-level BMW iX xDrive40 version, which gets 296bhp and 249 miles of WLTP-certified electric range. But really, you want the xDrive50, with its plusher air suspension and 373 miles of range, which truly makes this a viable long-distance luxury car. If you need to charge en route, it takes up to 200kW. The BMW iX xDriveM60 offers even more power and performance than the xDrive50’s 516bhp, but we remain unconvinced that anyone needs their internal organs rearranged any more violently than the mid-range model is already capable of.