7 best executive cars for smart businessmen

Intro

When we picture the busy business executive, we often picture them riding (or driving) around with an executive sedan. Well sure, some of them prefer SUVs, but these midsize executive four-door cars can often strike a good balance between ease of maneuverability and comfort.  

Or maybe, some executives just want something that can handle the twisty roads once in a while

Specifically, business people who are often on the go will need something that’s sized just right in the city. Plus, it should be a car that looks appropriate for their station, is still compact enough for their daily travels in (even out) of the city, while luxurious enough for guests or potential clients.  

So without further ado, here are the top seven sedans for a busy business person. All fit the bill when it comes to the characteristics mentioned above, and all are available in the Philippine market. 

Toyota Camry

Kicking off this list is the Toyota Camry. Sure, it is not the first name that will come to mind when talking about “executive sedans,” it can very well function as such. It is also known to be practical, robust, and roomy. 

For those wanting the most of what this model has to offer, then the top-spec Camry V 2.5 AT should be your choice. It features a lot of niceties like electronically adjustable front seats, ambient lighting, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, leather seats, a 3-zone automatic climate control system, among others. 

In comparison to its predecessors, the current version of the Camry is huge

Entertainment is then handled by a display audio system that’s capable of playing CDs, DVDs, MP3 and it can connect to smartphones via its T-Link software. It is then connected to the six-piece speaker system. 

Plus, it has a comprehensive safety kit consisting of seven airbags, traction control, tire pressure monitoring, hill-start assist, etc. 

And lastly, the Camry also has a sufficiently powerful 2.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine that can make up to 181 horsepower and 231 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. It isn’t the most powerful car on this list, but many will attest to its reliability.  

Pricing for the Toyota Camry ranges from Php 1,871,000 to Php 2,072,000. So if compared to the other cars listed below, this Toyota-made midsize sedan is on the more affordable side of things.  

Honda Accord

Rivaling the Toyota Camry is the Honda Accord. And like the Toyota model, the Accord is a relatively affordable five-door, five-seater midsize sedan that can very much function as a businessman’s chariot.  

Inside, the Accord has plenty of room for its occupants, and it comes with a well-appointed interior that features leather seats, automatic air-conditioning, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, electronically adjustable front seats, ambient lighting, among others.  

Like it's Toyota rival, the current Honda Accord is far larger than the models that came before it

It also has an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as an eight-piece speaker system. 

Furthermore, this Honda-made sedan also has loads of safety features. Namely, it comes standard with adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, seven airbags, traction control, stability control, hill-start assist, etc. 

Moving on to engines, do note that the Accord’s 1.5-liter engine is far from the most powerful on this list. At most, it can produce up to 187 horsepower and 260 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission.  

The sole Honda Accord variant in the Philippine market is the Accord EL 1.5 Turbo. Currently, it has a price tag of Php 2,308,000. 

Mazda6

Like Toyota and Honda, Mazda also offers a good candidate for an executive sedan. We’re of course talking about the Mazda6, which is also classed as a midsize sedan. Furthermore, this Mazda-made model also has a very striking exterior that’s certain to turn heads. 

Inside, the Mazda6 can seat up to five comfortably, and all are kept comfortable with its automatic air-conditioning system, leather seats, and sunroof. It also provides electronically adjustable front seats, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, etc. 

The Kodo design language in all its glory

For safety, the Mazda6 comes standard with a 360-degree camera which is useful for trips around the city. It also has hill-start assist, six airbags, blind-spot detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot detection and rear-cross traffic alert, stability, and traction control, etc. 

For engines, the Mazda6 can either come with a 2.5-liter turbo or a 2.2-liter turbodiesel. The larger mill can make up to 228 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque. The four-banger diesel meanwhile, can produce up to 187 horsepower and 450 Nm of torque. Both cars are front-wheel-drive, and both use a six-speed automatic gearbox with a paddle-shifter manual mode. 

Both versions of the Mazda6 are priced at Php 2,250,000.

Lexus ES

Next up on this list is the Lexus ES. Lexus of course is Toyota’s luxury car arm, and it is well-reputed for many cars that will do great for business executives. One of these cars is the ES which recently received an update for the model year 2022.  

As with the others, the ES is a five-seater that offers plenty of room for legs, heads, and shoulders. Most surfaces of its interior are wrapped in leather, and the top-spec ES 350 Premier 3.5 AT variant also has rain-sensing wipers, a 3-zone automatic climate control system, 10-way power-adjustable front seats, power rear seats, LED ambient lights, and many other nifty gadgets. 

The latest version gets several tech and mechanical updates

For entertainment, the ES 350 Premier is kitted out with a 12.3-inch head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Audiophiles will also like the fact that this head unit is linked to a 17-piece Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound System. 

The ES is also no slouch in terms of safety. The ES 350 in particular gets a whole host of high-tech features which includes a panoramic view camera, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing, etc. 

For powertrains, the Lexus ES has two options. The ES 300h uses a 2.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine that’s paired with an electric motor. It can make up to 218 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to the front wheels via an electronic continuously variable transmission (E-CVT).  

The ES 350 meanwhile uses a beefier 3.5-liter V6. At maximum, it can churn out up to 300 horsepower and 356 Nm of torque. It is also front-wheel-drive, though it uses an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Both variants also come standard with paddle shifters. 

The Lexus ES’ price ranges from Php 3,758,000 to Php 4,728,000. 

Jaguar XF

Moving away from Japanese sedans, we’ll head on to the European ones starting with the Jaguar XF. Now, this sedan from the famous British marque is a very roomy five-seater with a sleek silhouette coupled with an aggressive front end.  

Its interior is also very modern as it features loads of high-tech gadgets that will see a lot of use from a busy business person. These include an 11.4 touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Moreover, almost all the controls on the center-stack are digital. The driver is even provided with a 12.3-inch interactive gauge cluster that can show loads of information like navigation, parking spots, the status of traffic, etc. 

It's one of the more powerful models on this list

The XF is also rich in safety features. This includes a 360-degree view camera, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, a rear-collision monitor, autonomous emergency braking, and rear parking aid. It then has six airbags. 

As a Jaguar, the XF also has a considerably beefy engine. At most, it’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine can generate up to 247 horsepower and 365 Nm of torque. Its engine is then paired with an eight-speed automatic sending power to the rear wheels.  

The XF 2.0T S, which is the sole variant of the Jaguar XF in the Philippines, has a price tag of Php 4,590,000. 

BMW 5 Series

Next up is another European car, this time from Bavaria. It is of course the BMW 5 Series, which is a sedan that’s been long associated with serious businessmen who want a sufficiently sporty, but also a comfortable ride. 

The current seventh-generation BMW 520i Sport for the Philippine market uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-banger that can dish out 184 horsepower and 290 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to the car’s rear wheels via an eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox. 

For many people, the BMW 5-Series is what comes to mind when they hear "executive sedan"

Inside, the BMW 520i Sport offers what one would expect from a premium sedan. It has a wealth of soft-touch surfaces, premium trim finishes, and leather seats. For cooling its occupants, it uses a dual-zone automatic climate control system. The driver and front passenger are also provided with electronically adjustable seats. Other premium features of the BMW 520i Sport includes the BMW Live Cockpit Plus, an electronic window shade for the rear windows, among others. 

For safety, this German couch on wheels is then kitted out with passive pedestrian protection, run flat tires, six airbags, traction and stability control, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, etc.  

For the Philippine market, the BMW 5 Series’ 520i Sport variant has a price tag of Php 4,290,000. 

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The last car on this list is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. And like the BMW 5-series, this car that’s also made in Germany has also been the face of executive sedans since the early 1990s.  

The current version that’s available in the Philippines right now carries the same elegance as its predecessors. It does however have high-tech features like electronically adjustable front seats, an automatic climate control system, autonomous emergency braking, active park assists, auto-dimming rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, and its standard 10.12-inch head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

It's classy. But for some, a bit intimidating.

As for engines, the E-Class for the Philippine market can either come with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine or a 1.6-liter inline-4 gasoline mill. For the diesel variant, it can produce up to 192 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque. The smaller 1.6-liter gasoline four-banger in turn can produce up to 182 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque.  

Both engines are then paired with a nine-speed 9G-tronic automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. Power is then sent to the car’s rear wheels. 

As of the moment, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class' price ranges from Php 3,890,000 to Php 4,890,000. 

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