As a fitting contrast to the Audi A6 I drove last week, I just spent some time in a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E550. Here's a car that's basically the antithesis of that Audi. Seductive styling? Nope. Nimble handling? Not really. Engaging interior design? Umm...no.

Does this mean the Mercedes has no redeeming qualities? Not at all. In fact, if you like your cars powerful and tank-like (which many luxury sedan buyers do), this one tramples the Audi and BMW competition. I found myself repeatedly going really fast in this car. Not only because the 5.5-liter, 382 horsepower V8 feels purpose built for speeding, but because the entire car's confidence level builds as the speedo swings clockwise. Of all the high-end German sedans sold in this country, M-Bs seem the most German, and that includes their inclination for traveling at autobahn speeds.

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With three new entry luxury models in the house it seemed only fitting to carve out a few hours and carve up the local roadways in back-to-back drives. With the help of fellow editors Erin Riches and James Riswick we headed into the Santa Monica Mountains with a Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G35 and Mercedes-Benz C350, all 2008 models with automatic transmissions and sport packages. While much of the route was on twisty roads, there was enough high-speed cruising on PCH to test the "luxury" side of this equation. Here's what I learned:

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Just took the new 2008 Mercede-Benz GL550 home for a night. I have to say, I really like this model line. The GL450 arrived last year and my first impression was that Mercedes had hit on an excellent combination of space, off-road capability and on-road driving manners. Of course both of GM's alternatives (the GMT900 SUVs and the Lamba crossovers) are also very good, so you're really getting down to things like price, ergonomics and interior materials.

In terms of ergonomics I still wish the GL offered a tuning knob, and where's my second power point (I'm getting tired of sedans that have only one power point; if you're selling a large SUV you must offer at least two power points in the front seat area, and the GL doesn't). Not sure about the multiple locations for seat controls (both on the door and on the seat front near the console) but you can undeniably adjust the seat in a multitude of positions. Most other controls are fine in this vehicle.

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You can actually make the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG into a 186 mph bank vault, but that requires popping for the $7,000 AMG Performance Package (which bumps the top speed and adds 20-inch double-spoke wheels and a limited slip differential). Apparently the $127,000 starting price for the S63 AMG isn't enough to include the AMG Performance Package equipment but if you're buying this car money probably isn't an issue, which is good because the EPA rates the 2008 S63 at 11/17 mpg.

So, if money isn't a concern and go-power plus decadent luxury is, the S63 answers with a 518 horesepower V8 and a list of features that includes navigation with voice activation, a 20-gig harddrive, a 14-speaker/600-watt Harman/Kardon audio system and the full Tele Aid roadside assistance-emergency response system. Still not enough luxury? You can add options like radar cruise control, heated/ventilated rear seats with eight-way power adjustments and night vision.

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Here's the follow-up to our look at Europe's future product as predicted by Automotive News. Yesterday we hit Alfa Romeo through Maybach, so today we'll start with Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz: Lots of activity for 2008, most of which we've already seen (SLR Roadster, S65, all-new C-Class, etc.). Next year we get the C63 (457hp), a CLK convertible, an E-Class update, an SLK restyle and an SL freshen. In 2009 we get a CLS freshen, an AMG E-Class, an S-Class convertible and -- believe it or not -- a small crossover called the GLK.

Mini: The Clubman just debuted in Frankfurt, and we'll see how the small-car brands fares with a larger model. The new John Cooper Works model looks cool (and makes 207 horsepower while weighing 66 pounds less) and the convertible gets a full redesign, to catch up with the coupe, for 2009.

Porsche: Both the Boxster and the Cayman get freshened next year, while the titanic 911 GT2 debuts with 530 turbo-charged horsepower. A full redesign of the Cayenne happens in 2009, while Porsche's first sedan, the Panamera, hits town in 2010 (and yes, the company will still have a "soul" -- along with a stronger bottom line).

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Just drove the "all-new" Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and like the old C-Class, it's a fine automobile. Unfortunately, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, and if you're up-to-speed on today's automotive marketplace, you know a "fine" rating isn't exactly high praise. Sure, it's better than the rarely-used "bad" rating (did I just hear someone say "Caliber"?), but nothing to concern Munich.

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I really like this car. It's super quick (510 horsepower, 0-60 in 4.2 seconds), super refined (64 decibels at 70 mph) and super safe (PRE-SAFE crash technology and 60-0 braking in 114 feet). Hell, I'm even getting pretty good with COMAND (and I think COMAND is evolving for the better, too).

But $150,000?!! You can buy a lot of nice cars for that money. I don't mean other $150,000 cars, I mean a lot of cars, as in an Audi S8 ($92,000), and a top-line Odyssey ($35,000) and a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited ($23,000). Mercedes is obviously going after the Bentley Continental GT with this model, but to me it doesn't wash. The M-B is actually more technologically advanced than the Bentley (night vision, radar cruise control, super-mulit-adjustable seats, etc.). The car's windshield even looks like something out of a Star Wars movie. But the Bentley has a presence this car doesn't deliver. And at this price point isn't that ultimately the most important element? Still a fabulous car, but for this kind of coin I've got to go Continental.

If you are of the mind that modern cars are getting too high-tech then stay away from the Mercedes-Benz CL550. I could focus this entire blog post on the car's seat controls and still not cover the topic. You want adjustments? The CL gives you adjustments. Beyond the expected controls you can also tweak the seat-bottom bolstering, seat-back bolstering, shoulder support, lumbar support (height and angle), and seat-bottom-to-seat-back position. And after you're done you can set the seat to massage, with seven different massage modes. Don't forget that these seats also "actively bolster" you when you go around corners. You can turn this feature off, as I promptly did (I simply didn't know the CL well enough to allow such behavior).

Like I said, I could focus on the seat controls alone and still have a complete blog post. But there's more to the CL than its "fast and vigorous" front seats.

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When I wrote about the SL65 a few weeks ago, and the E63 a few months ago, I talked about how both cars were ridiculously fast while also being completely placid and functional conveyances. Both cars epitomize the concept of offering supercar performance with zero hit to driveability. Not surprisingly, the CLS63 continues that tradition. It's super quick and super refined, but this one adds super stylish to the list of accolades. At $100,000 you might also call it super expensive, and that's really the only element of the CLS63 I can nit-pick. It's got less to do with how much this car costs and more to do with how capable the CLS550 is. Put simply, the CLS550 is a damn fine automobile for about $30,000 less. If I drive the CLS550 I'm not going to get out of it and say, "Oh, this car is just too slow and too harsh. I'm going to have to ante up for the AMG version." My favorite part of both cars is the looks, followed closely by the luxurious and comfy interior. And I get both of those features in the "base" car.

   The topic of exotic car depreciation is one of those ugly truths no one wants to talk about -- at least no one who owns an exotic car. With the exception of late 90s Internet stock, exotic cars are one of the more effective money vacuums you will ever experience if you take the plunge and buy a new one. There are a few notable exceptions, such as mid-engine Ferraris, but that only holds true if you can get a new one at MSRP (which you can't unless you know the right person or put your name on a list and wait three years).