Mid-luxury/executive cars

The mid-luxury segment are commonly referred to as executive cars in Britain, Obere Mittelklasse in German, and Grandes Routières in French. Examples include the Volvo S80, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Jaguar XF ^[31]

Although having similar dimensions to mid-size cars and large family cars, executive cars are engineered and positioned as premium vehicles with better performance and technology amenities. There is also higher development and production costs, as many well-known mid-luxury cars use the longitudinal (usually front engine rear wheel drive layout) engine mounting which affords space for powerful engines such as a V8, instead of the more economical transverse engine layout of mass market cars which are restricted to inline-4 or V6. Executive cars usually have lower sales and production volumes compared to mid-size cars and large family cars, as base trims with less equipment and smaller engines are not sold in U.S. and Canadian markets.^[32] Also due to the problem of steep depreciation, especially concerning cars from less prestigious brands, most executive cars are produced by marques that specialize in larger/more expensive vehicles.

Vehicles in this segment include the mid-range models of several luxury car manufacturers.^[33] There are also some flagship sedans in this segment, such as the Acura RL and Infiniti M37/56. Executive cars such as the BMW 5 Series are crucial to a luxury automaker's bottom line, and although not the highest-selling model, they generate a significant amount of profits due to the lucrative technology options.^[30]