Best executive cars to buy in 2023

Image isn’t (quite) everything

If you’re looking to buy an executive car, then the chances are that you’re after one that will deliver a good impression in the company car park.

The best executive models turn heads but also deliver decent running costs and cheap tax rates to help you balance your books. These are our top choices for sale in 2023.

Audi A6

From £39,605

Constant evolution means that the Audi A6 is as luxurious as the previous-generation A8 limousine in the class above, and almost as high tech as the new A8, too. Plug-in hybrid drive helps to keep the tax costs low.

2018 Audi A6 review (video)

BMW 5 Series

From £42,580

Much like the A6, the BMW 5 Series delivers tech and luxury with low running costs, but it also adds performance and handling prowess to the mix. There are few better executive cars for drivers interested in rewarding handling and performance. There’s plug-in hybrid option here, too, with the top-spec 545e delivering impressive pace and low tax.

The Clarkson Review: 2017 BMW 5‑series (530d xDrive) Touring

BMW i4

From £49,995

We’ve tried to include just one model from each manufacturer here, but the i4 is too good to overlook. It manages to deliver the kind of handling we’ve come to expect from BMW in a 3 Series-sized package with an electric range of up to 365 miles, which means smooth, powerful (and tax-busting) zero-emissions performance.

BMW i4 eDrive40 review 2023: Mid-range premium electric car beats Tesla at its own game

Genesis G80

From £42,650

Something of a left-field choice, the relatively new Genesis brand offers excellent quality and high technology, with Hyundai Motor Corp’s engineering expertise underneath the svelte skin. The G80 is an excellent thing to sit in and drive, with petrol and diesel options, and even a pure-electric model with a 323-mile range.

Genesis’ concierge service means you have a personal assistant on hand to help with the buying and servicing; they’ll even arrange for the car to be picked up and dropped back on your driveway when it needs an oil change. And the best bit? Genesis is a bold alternative to the obvious German fare.

Genesis Motor confirms first cars set for UK in European launch

Lexus ES

From £39,980

Not everyone is able to connect a plug-in hybrid for a recharge at home, to make the most of its electric range. The ES is a full hybrid and while it’s not the most exciting to drive, it’s hugely comfortable and is likely to be massively reliable. Jeremy Clarkson isn’t a fan, but if you want to waft from A to B in comfort — and value reliability — this is an excellent choice.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

From £48,190

This list wouldn’t be complete without the E-Class. Updated in 2020, its interior is a high-tech haven, and the comfort and refinement offered is second to none in this class. It comes in two plug-in hybrid guises, one petrol and one diesel, with the latter offering a great mix of zero-emissions city driving and long-distance economy.

Polestar 2

From £44,950

Polestar is the electric sister brand to Volvo, and the 2 is a rival to the Tesla Model 3. It can’t go as far as the 3 on a charge but its design-focused cabin, quality of materials, sporty handling and strong safety kit help to make up for that.

2020 Polestar 2 review

Polestar 2 updated with more range, performance and quicker charging

Tesla Model 3

From £42,990

With a range of up to 374 miles between charges and access to Tesla’s excellent Supercharger network, the Model 3 is one of the most convenient electric company car for sale right now. If you spend a lot of time cruising up and down motorways, this works very well (usually … reliability isn’t Tesla’s forte). The tech-packed cabin will keep gadget fans amused, too.

2019 Tesla Model 3 review

Tesla Model 3 was second in list of UK’s best-selling cars 2021

Volkswagen Arteon

From £38,820

VW’s sporty take on the repmobile uses Passat engineering within a swoopy four-door coupé body. Plug-in hybrid tech is available to keep down running costs, and there’s also a practical (and gorgeous) Shooting Brake estate available.

VW reveals updated Arteon and new Arteon Shooting Brake

The Clarkson Review: 2018 Volkswagen Arteon