Bimmer32

So we all think we have a sport sedan, right? So what exactly defines a "sport sedan?" I'm looking for a quantitative answer.

1. Sedan - anything 4 doors, right?
2. Sport - now that's tricky. Is it 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds, 1/4 mile in less than 14 seconds? What is it?

and finally, the very subjective word of "luxury"

3. Luxury - I don't even know where to begin . . . .

So, is the 5 series a sport - luxury - sedan or or is it just a car we all like?

info@trinityautosport

ill take a shot. sedan, it has 4 doors. sport, just look at it, its lines and curves that flow along the lines of luxury as well with a shark fin at the top. to be sporty, why else would it be called "the ultimate driving machine"? for it to be a sport doesnt just mean speed and how fast it could go to 60mph. as many have said, straight line performance isnt everything. handling comes into play as well. take your bimmer to the twisties, or even take a couple of turns a little more aggressively when its safe to do so and find out for yourself. luxury, who isnt comfortable driving it and just sitting in it? i find the interior simple (just look at the idrive worked by one knob) but elegant with the trims surrounding, the trim even being on the door handles and their comfortable placement. i find the whole car simple, yet elegant. luxury, even if we dont smoke or permit smoking in our cars, we have those ash trays in the back. maybe no cup holders but if youre gonna drink, youll be holding it. how many people have asked us to drive just so they could be in our cars, the e60? aside from all of us being here together on the board, the 5 series is a car we all love, that is a sport/luxury sedan.

looking forward to hearing more opinions, but i tried

525imsport

To me, it will be a sedan/family car with sporty looks

EM_5

Wikipedia does a good job of sorting this out:

A sports sedan is a descriptive term applied to a sedan or saloon automobile that is designed to look and feel "sporty" - offering the driver more connection with the driving experience. Most vehicles in this category overlap with the compact executive car classification.

The term was originally introduced in the 1930s and applied to lighter, more streamlined closed body coachwork fitted by car makers. Rover, for example, had Sports Saloon versions of several of their models.

It was later applied by manufacturers to special versions of their vehicles that allowed them to enter production cars in motor races with extra modifications not normally permitted by the regulations. Such regulations required cars to be homologated typically by selling them in minimum numbers to the public. Some of the earlier examples were the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Lotus Cortina. The term is also used for flagship cars even when they are not required for homologation. They are also known in the United States as halo cars.

Traditionally sports sedans have a manual transmission and tachometer in order to provide that "sports look and feel" and are rear wheel drive, have good handling characteristics, and adequate power. Because of the move to automatic transmission and front wheel drive these types are now also to be found in the sport sedan category. Examples are the Alfa Romeo 159, Audi S4/RS4, Mercedes CLS AMG, BMW 3 Series, Cadillac CTS, Chrysler 300C SRT8, Acura TL, Infiniti G35, Mazdaspeed 6, Saab 9-3, and the Volkswagen Jetta.

pennetta

The general consensus is that the sporty part is a look. I like my e60 because its fast, handles very well and can carry four/five people when needed. It negates the need to have two vehicles.

pharding

Sports sedan equals sports car performance plus the functionality of a sedan.

Rudy

One important note is that a sedan is not limited to just 4-door cars -- sedans can have two doors as well. (For example, my E30 M3 is considered a sedan.)

I think the definition has something to do with how large the interior is...

BMWSTL

Simple definition for me. Sport sedan = BMW.

Lou

550isport

Nice post. Great responses.

I love this question, because it reveals a lot about people's personal preferences in cars.

To me a sports sedan is a 4 door vehicle that is designed and build with as high a priority on performance (a conglomerate of handling, acceleration, braking etc..) as on luxury, safety, reliability, styling etc...

For example: 50/50 weight distribution and rear wheel drive are BMW hallmarks, both of which make a car less safe in incliment weather (I love pushing my car in the wet, but the average person is better off with a front heavy car like a Merc. that understeers in bad weather or a car with front/four wheel drive - also understeering cars). It doesn't matter what technology you apply. The laws of physics dictate that anything that makes a car more comfortable, takes away its performance capabilites in some way. BMW offers the minimum amount of comfort with the maximum amount of performance in the segment (save for perhaps Maserati's QP). It burns my nads when BMW owners don't get this...

I understand I am in the minority being an intellectual car fanatic, but its amazing how little people really know or care about the different approaches of car manufacturers. IMHO BMW has for a while been the only manufacturer (selling to the U.S.) that really offers a sports sedan. Now Maserati does, and many will argue that AMG sedans are sports sedans, but they are really standard cars with aftermarkets bits (impressive ones at that) added after the fact. Same thing for Audi. With the possible - and delicious - exception of the CLK 63 Black edition, no AMG car seems to place a premium on on-road performance - handling, weight distribution, brake feel and modulation etc... at the expense of comfort, as far as I can say. I'd bet Porsche has designed a performance oriented 4 door from the ground up. They are not going to take an A8 and relabel it the Panamera.

A sports sedan should look the part, but lords knows the 1st and 2nd generation M5s were sleepers in that department, and since they were fantastic driver's cars, looks don't seem that essential to the definition of sports sedan (also there are so many cars whose bark is worse than their bite).

I beelieve that just like the last male in a bloodline, BMW holds the keys to the future of sport sedans in our market. I sincerely hope they continue to appreciate that the brand's reputation, and the envy that follows, is premised on their dedication to performance, not safety, luxury etc....regardless of what the American market polls tell them. As drivers, we Americans are like confused highschool girls. We can't describe or accurately tell you what we want (like in a survey or poll), we just know it when we see it (sitting in the neighbor's driveway). In this regard, kudos to BMW for its plan to release the hydrogen 7 to a select number of "celebrity" figures before it goes on sale to the public...

DRP

Ricracing

Not the Alfa 159, nor the Mazda 5 nor the Saab 9-3 and for sure not the VW Jetta.

Luxury goes with the sizes bigger than the 3-series, I suppose.

Real Luxury Sport Sedans are the M5, Audi S6 and M-B E AMG and maybe even the 300C SRT8
and some stronger engined lexus, acura, infinity models in the same size.

Since the LCI 535i and the 545i/550i are such fast cars, I think they have to be added to the list,
but then also the V8 engined Audi A6 and M-B E series have to be.

Of course also the V8 - V12 engined 7-series BMW, A8 Audi, S-series M-B and the Jag XJ fits well into this rating.
Plus the Japanese and American brand sedans with strong V8+ motors.

But are the Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Maybach 4-door sedans Luxury Sport Sedans?
They are over-the-head-super-luxury-fast-dream-cars