V8 Sedans: Top Picks

There’s something so simple and appealing about a V8 sedan.

Before the proliferation of crossovers, a V8 sedan was the ultimate all-rounder: fast, spacious, comfortable—it did it all.

They’re rarer now, but V8 sedans still exist. From compact to full-size, they all employ an octet of cylinders, offering up that characteristic sound mixed with ample power. The least-powerful model on this list rocks up with 363 horsepower; the most powerful, over double that. We recognize tastes vary, so we’ve covered the gamut, from comfy cruisers to bodacious bruisers. Here are our top picks for the endangered species known as vee-eighticus sedanicus.

It’s the car that simply refuses to die. While the Chrysler 300 and its Dodge Charger sibling have been around forever, they’ve outlived the rest of the full-size American segment. Most 300s now come with the Pentastar V6, but buyers wanting the full V8 experience can still opt for the 300S. On one hand, $46,945 sounds like a lot of cash. On the other, that’s barely more than the average new car transaction in 2022. For that amount, you’re getting a car that will easily swallow five adults and a small condo’s worth of stuff in the trunk. That 363-horsepower Hemi has an unmistakable burble, and few cars at this price point are as comfortable as the 300. With an average fuel consumption of just 19 mpg, however, you’ll be stopping often.

It’s hard to believe that Dodge launched the Hellcat seven years ago. It dropped that stupendous engine into the Charger sedan shortly after, securing the title of most powerful production sedan—one it hasn’t relinquished since. In fact, now you can buy a Charger SRT Jailbreak, with an even 100 more horses than the 707-horsepower original. Because that one was so lacking in power, obviously.

Maybe you want your performance sedan to be a little less shouty. A little inconspicuous, but also capable of pampering you and four friends. Few four-doors do it better than the BMW M550i. This unassuming mid-sizer uses the same 4.4-liter V8 as the brutal M5 (and the Alpina B8 above), but with “only” 523 horsepower. That’s more power than the (in)famous V10-powered M5 of the mid-’00s, not to mention a mountain more turbocharged torque. With standard rear-biased xDrive AWD, it’s secure in a wide range of driving situations. The interior features BMW’s traditionally sound ergonomic layout, the excellent iDrive infotainment system, and very comfortable seats. That it costs $30,000 less than an M5 makes this a very appealing package.

The unlikely torch-carrier for the compact, naturally-aspirated V8 sport sedan is this, the Lexus IS500 F Sport Performance. It’s the only one of its kind. The original IS F of the 2000s was a rip-snorting performance sedan, while this one is meant to be a slightly softer, more rounded experience. Still, so long as you have a pulse, you’ll want to take every opportunity to let that 472-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 sing. The 2021 revisions to the IS sedan lineup as a whole have given the brand’s smallest offering a renewed dynamic verve too, so the handling matches up to that star-power engine. Pricing starts under $60,000, making this something of a deal, too.

Want a Camaro, but with added practicality and a badge that will earn kudos at the valet lot? What you need is a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, friend. Cadillac has called this its last internal-combustion V-Series model—though it reversed course with the bonkers Escalade V. It takes the fantastic, supercharged V8 from the old CTS-V, massages it to produce 668 hp and 659 lb-ft, and pairs it up with a 10-speed automatic. Or, if you’re so inclined, the Blackwing is also available with an honest-to-goodness six-speed manual. That makes it unique on this list, and should mark it out as a future classic. No matter which transmission you pick, you’ll be rewarded with one of the most agile, fun-to-drive sedans ever built.

With all due respect to the BMW M division, its larger products just can’t match the unique feeling of an Alpina. And at the top of the brand’s exclusive list is the B8. Based on the 8 Series Gran Coupe, the B8 utilizes the familiar 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but with a unique tune focusing on usable everyday power and a battleship’s worth of torque. An eight-speed auto and expertly judged suspension setup provide creamy progress, all while ensconced by some of the best leather in the business. This Buchloe-sourced bruiser is the very definition of “effortless,” capable of crossing entire continents without breaking a sweat. A starting price well into the six figures explains why it’s so rare—but BMW recently purchasing Alpina is a sign that the brand is doing something right.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the full-size luxury benchmark. The current generation does nothing to change that, a gloriously serene land yacht positively overflowing with smart, useful tech. Rear-wheel steering, giving it the smallest turning circle of the entire Merc fleet? Check. Augmented reality navigation beamed onto the windshield? Check. Excellent massage seats that help the miles melt away. Double-check. Mercedes will end up offering the S-Class with a variety of powerplants, but the ultra-smooth turbo-V8 S580 is our pick of the range. It offers vast reserves of power, a smart mild-hybrid system to maximize efficiency, and is barely audible from inside the cabin. The S-Class is everything we knew we wanted in a luxury flagship, and even some stuff we didn’t know we wanted yet.

If you fancy a Ferrari engine, but want a four-door body with it, then the Maserati Ghibli Trofeo is proprio quello che ci vuole. The 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 under that long, low hood pumps out a substantial 580 horsepower, and unlike other Ghiblis, this one sticks to the pure rear-drive layout. Put simply, this is one of the fastest sedans out there, with a top speed over 200 mph. It’s so quick, and that Ferrari-sourced engine is so tuneful, that you might not even notice the Chrysler switchgear inside.

The—deep breath— Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is a car of two distinct halves. On one hand, this sedan (or wagon) is ludicrously fast, with 690 total horsepower and a very conservative 0–60 mph quote of three seconds even. On the other, it’ll happily cruise around on nothing but electrons, at speeds up to a highway-friendly 87 mph. Electric-only range is just 16 miles, but that’s still enough to do short-burst errands. This is a Porsche, but the Panamera’s interior is one of top-end luxury. All this capability comes at a cost: $191,150 to start, to be exact.

If you’d like a V8 at a substantial discount, the quite excellent Panamera GTS (pictured above) is still plenty quick with 473 hp, and comes in at $132,050. You save enough to buy an entire 718 Boxster!

With Jaguar out of the V8 sedan game, there’s just one British brand that will still sell you eight cylinders. Yes, Bentley’s Flying Spur comes in V12 and hybrid forms, but the V8 is arguably the Goldilocks option. Still plenty powerful (542 hp, 568 lb-ft), the V8 cuts out 220 lb from the big sedan, exactly where you’d want it gone: in the nose. Inside, you’ll find all the glorious leather and wood that’s typical of the brand, and the trick rotating infotainment display that hides when you don’t want such a gauche display of tech. Prices start right around $200,000 in the US. Hey, if you want the best…