1. BMW M5 (E39) – 32.42% of the vote
Anyone who’s seen John’s PH Heroes video on the E39 M5 will know just how special a car it is. Let’s face it, modern-day super saloons are highly effective at getting you to important business meetings in a flash, but many of them struggle to grip you when Waze takes you off the motorway for a scenic shortcut. The E39 M5 was among the last of the properly analogue sports saloons, devoid of configurable performance modes beyond a Sport button and still blessed with a third pedal. That’s probably why it’s just as much of a joy to drive today as it was back in 1998, free from the compromised SMG tech that instantly dated it successor (more on that later). You want in? Well, £33,985 buys you this 2002 facelifted model and, with it, access to a very deserving winner of the best saloon of the last 25 years.
2. Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio – 29.62%
Conveniently, the Giulia Quadrifoglio bookends our poll rather nicely, representing the modern-day super saloon while the E39 provides the benchmark for when PH was just a sprog. Alfa drew a line in the sand with the Giulia Quad, finally delivering a car that didn’t require rose-tinted spectacles to be appreciated. That’s in part thanks to its sublime 2.9-litre turbo V6 blissfully paired with a lightweight rear-wheel drive chassis, resulting in a car that laps up a British B-road while also ably playing the strait-laced commuter companion. And just look at it. It grabs your attention in a way only supercars can. Or a G80 M3 can, but for all the wrong reasons. Doubtlessly a modern classic in the making, so you’d better nab this 9,000-mile example for £39,995 before the investors get their mitts on them.
3. BMW M3 (E46) – 19.82%
Technically this isn’t a saloon. However, it is a) based on a platform that has a saloon variant and b) we didn’t have anywhere else to put it. Not that anyone will complain here, because the E46 BMW M3 is one of the all-time great M cars. You hardly need us to tell you the E46 perfected the M3 formula, blending the motorsport influence of the original E30 with the E36’s more mature approach. But the standout feature was its S54 straight-six, delivering a punchy 343hp at a heady 7,900rpm – making it the most powerful BMW engine per litre at the time save for the McLaren F1. A tidy example could be had for peanuts only a few years back and while that’s still sort of the case for SMG cars (especially those without a roof), the manual is the one you want, of course, so prepare to pay a premium for one. This 2005 example looks the real deal at £24,995. Don’t skip on these waiting for values to fall – they ain’t going nowhere.
4. Audi RS4 (B7) – 13.85%
It’s remarkable what people – or in this case, car companies – can achieve when they’re out to prove a point. Tired of journalists criticising the inherent numbness and understeery behaviour of its performance models, Audi wanted the B7 RS4 to be a driver’s car that could live with the BMW M3. Boy, did it deliver. The company dialled back the nose-heavy nature of the old RS4 by using lighter aluminium body panels at the front of the car, while the all-wheel drive system was more rear-biased to up the responsiveness. Then there’s the superb 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 up front, the basis of which would go on to power the R8 (the one that finished in the top 10 of our sports car vote). Saloons can be had for under £20k, but this 2007 Avant at £23,000 could be all the car you’ll ever need.
5. Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (W204) – 12.26%
Other cars on this list may be faster around a racetrack or more rewarding to drive, but none pull off the ‘big engine, little(ish) car’ vibe like the W204 Mercedes C63 AMG. The biggest engine on this list, AMG’s mighty 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 is crammed under the double-hump bonnet. Sadly, the days of the V8-powered C-Class (and semi-accurate badging) are now over, and in its place is a C63 with a four-cylinder hybrid. We don’t know how much the new C63 E-Performance will be at the time of writing, although it’ll probably be somewhere around the six-figure mark. Good thing the W204 offers twice the cylinder count for a fraction of the price, as this 2010 model proves at £21,490. Might be worth factoring in the cost of a new set of tyres, what with all the traffic light burnouts you’ll be doing.
6. Subaru Impreza Turbo (GC8) – 10.47%
It’s hard to imagine a time when a sporty Subaru didn’t come with pink STI stickers and a park bench for a rear wing. But back in the 1990s, during the peak of Colin McRae’s rally spoils with Subaru, STI’s handiwork was reserved for its home market. The WRX Turbo 2000 ensured we weren’t short-changed, though, and gave us a taste of what was to come from affordable Japanese performance saloons. Turns out a punchy 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer engine funnelling 208hp to all four wheels was a rather enticing recipe, and one that was lapped up by British car enthusiasts at a time when the hot hatch market had gone cold. Granted, they’re not as dirt cheap as they once were, but they haven’t seen the sort of inflation STI models have lately. This 1994 car is on the pricier side at £12,500, but it’s about the tidiest – and most original – Turbo 2000 we’ve seen in a long time.
7. BMW M5 CS (F90) – 10.35%
At a glance, it doesn’t look as though BMW changed all that much when it launched the F90-gen M5 CS. Power from the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 was upped by a mere 10hp over the M5 Competition, and while a weight saving of 70kg sounds significant – courtesy of some carbon fibre panels and ditching the middle seat – 1,825kg is hardly lightweight territory. The CS, however, is all about marginal gains. The aforementioned upgrades, as well as tweaks to the suspension and steering, had a transformative effect on the F90. It was always a given that it’d be the most focused M5 to date; we just never expected it to be a more complete package than the Comp. Whether it’s worth the £40k-odd premium over the Competition is up for debate, but we’ll leave this 2021 car here while you mull it over.
8. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI – 9.90%
Back in 1997, a change in the WRC regulations gave teams greater freedom to modify their challengers, distancing them still further from their road-going counterparts. Mitsubishi, meanwhile, stuck to the old production-based Group A regulations with its Lancer Evolution IV, taking on the mighty Prodrive Subarus and Toyota Corollas to win the championship. And the one after that. And the one after that. Its last title-winning car would be based on the Evo VI, again largely in Group A spec and still closely tied to the car you could go out and buy. Especially so in Tommi Makinen Edition guise, though at this rate they’ll be going the way of the 22B and Delta Integrale Evos II. This TME comes with the full Ralliart look for £99,000, but a non-TME like this GSR will be far kinder on your wallet. Either way, it well deserves its mighty reputation.
9. Subaru Impreza WRX STI (Blobeye) – 8.56%
From one rally hero to another. Now, you may be wondering why the so-called ‘Blobeye’, the second of three iterations of the GD series Impreza, was chosen over the later ‘Hawkeye’ variant. Firstly, the Blobeye’s 2.0-litre boxer engine isn’t as temperamental as the 2.5-litre unit that featured in the UK-spec Hawkeye, and secondly – and this is subjective – it just looks better. The Peter Stevens-led redesign fixed the Bugeye’s gawkiness and, for many, is associated with the Subaru’s last World Rally Championship victory in 2003. Of course, once you’ve got your heart set on one, it’s easy to get lost in the endless variants and special editions. Cars built for the JDM get twin scroll turbocharges and sharper handling, but their equal-length headers mean they don’t make the signature burble characterised by Type-UK cars. You can pick a tidy one up for about £15k, or spend a bit more and grab yourself this Prodrive-fettled WR1 – chintzy chrome grille and all.
10. BMW M5 (E60) – 8.24%
The third M5 of the list - and the third completely different take on the recipe. The E60 marked the dawn of M’s hi-tech era, with adaptive dampers, adjustable power settings and different transmission modes. Of course, the chief reason why it’s so fondly remembered is the S85 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V10 up front. Whether it’s one of the greatest engines to come out of BMW M has been hotly debated on PH for years. We’ll always fawn over an F1-inpsired, rev-happy V10 engine – especially when it comes in Touring form, too. The counterargument, though, is that it’s about as tough as a paper teapot and is held back by an automated manual gearbox that was rubbish new and is even more rubbish by today’s standards. So even though an E60 M5 like this one here is relatively affordable to buy, it’ll likely require patience, money and bravery to keep it running. Worth it.
11. BMW M3 (E90) – 7.78%
The fact that M products account for over 40% of the top 12 is further proof that when it comes to fast saloons, few can rival BMW’s consistency. It therefore came as a shock to the system when the company announced that its M3, powered by straight-six power for well over a decade, would be gaining an extra pair of cylinders for the E90 generation. Fears BMW was watering down the driving experience in the pursuit of power were quickly dispelled when it became apparent the E90 retained all the core characteristics of its predecessors. Fun fact, the S65 V8 was actually 15kg lighter than the S54 straight-six in the E46 M3. And while a six-speed manual was available, a new seven-speed DSG meant the auto option was no longer the dud gearbox. E92 coupes a far easier to come by, but for the sake of this list we’ll go with this manual E90 saloon for £24,000. Four doors are cooler, anyway.
12. Maserati Quattroporte (M139) – 7.61%
Quite possibly the most beautiful car on this list. Designed by Pinifarina’s Ken Okuyama, the man behind the Honda NSX and Ferrari 456M to name but two, the M139 Quattroporte was a complete departure from Maserati’s boxy saloons (though still cool in their own right) of the 1990s. Coupled with the achingly pretty looks was a 400hp, 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 that produced an almighty bark, providing the perfect juxtaposition with its elegant design. It was a decent luxury car, too, with a sumptuous interior filled with the sort of wood, leather and seat piping you’d find on Bentleys and Aston Martins of the era. Now, you’ve probably noticed that Quattroportes are now quite cheap. Sub-£10k cheap, in fact. Condition and a strong history file will reduce the risk unpleasant surprises down the road, although Italian V8 saloons aren’t known for their robustness, so why not go all in on this facelifted Quattroporte S for £20,990 and let your future self worry about the bills.
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