Edmunds Road Test Review: 2010 E550 vs. BMW 550i vs. Jaguar XF

The Mercedes-Benz E550 takes first place!

"They're the right size, and when equipped with V8s, they've got the right amount of effortless performance. In relative terms, they provide a value commensurate with the asking price. Driving any one of these three announces that you know the price of quality and can justify paying for it. And clearly you're smart enough to resist overpaying for more than you require."

"We're glad the 2009 BMW 550i, 2010 Jaguar XF Premium and 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Sport exist. This ideal trio goes 90 percent of the way to the M5, E63 AMG and XFR super sedans, yet they're 100 percent easier to live with and rewarding in ways the thoroughbreds are not."

"The Mercedes-Benz E550 is the quickest to 60 mph with a run of 5.3 seconds and its quarter-mile run of 13.6 seconds at 103.5 mph is also the best of the group... the E550 returns the best observed fuel economy in this comparison with 19.3 mpg, compared to the BMW's 16.9 mpg and the Jaguar's 16 mpg."

"... we're not sold on the BMW's steering effort, which we found to be too heavy, especially compared to the lightly weighted Jaguar and buttery Mercedes-Benz system. So syrupy and out of character does the 550i's steering seem that more than a couple drivers thought there might be something wrong with the car."

"The E550 Sport is by far the most adaptable, rewarding and confident car on the widest variety of surfaces despite not being the outright best-handling car."

"It is the only car here that is universally regarded as comfortable and intuitive to operate from the moment you get behind the wheel. It manages to be warm and rich, well-equipped and well-planned, and high-tech and high-quality all at the same time."

"The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Sport amounts to more than the sum of its parts. It's hard to describe, but there's an overall sense of satisfaction, competence and experience that's somehow baked into the fiber of this car. It drives like it knows where it's going. It looks like it knows where it's been. And it's priced as if it knows where we're all headed."

To read the full review visit Edmunds.com