The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has a range of fuel-efficient engines and lower carbon-dioxide emissions than competitors helps make it a steadfast choice for high-mileage drivers who want to travel in something effortlessly upmarket. The plug-in hybrid option also makes Mercedes-Benz offering more appealing to money-conscious drivers.

Inside, every S-Class offers masses of space for four- or five passengers, depending on which seating configuration you prefer. Every S-Class also gets Magic Body Control, a clever suspension system that scans the road ahead for bumps and potholes, and adjusts the suspension accordingly. There’s plenty of other tech inside, including a large widescreen infotainment set-up as standard. 

Some might find that the approach of the S-Class misses the drama of a Maserati or the brashness of a Bentley, but the S-Class earns its accolades through being a relentlessly good all-rounder.

The latest Audi A8 is big, comfy and packed with technology. It had major plans to topple the class-leading Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and that’s precisely what it did. Well, almost.

The Audi A8 prevents potholes and exterior noises from ruining the calm for those inside the car: it’s one of the smoothest-riding and most refined luxury cars there is. That more than makes up for the fact that the Audi doesn’t handle so well as rivals.

The engines are smooth and powerful, the efficiency figures look good, especially on the clever plug-in hybrid version, while all the other ownership costs stack up well, too. It’s more sensible than the Range Rover Velar and is packed with technology.

With a genuine sense of luxury inside, a beautifully smooth ride and excellent engines, the Volvo S90 is one impressive premium saloon that offers a genuine alternative to the usual four-door suspects.

The stylish Scandinavian design is what makes this car feel like a different breed of car to rivals, yet all the necessary quality and features - like the huge touchscreen - are present and correct. And, as it’s a Volvo, there’s also a huge range of safety kit fitted, including a semi-autonomous driving system. This matches the speed of the car ahead, keeps you in lane and will even slow to a complete stop before accelerating back up to the selected speed, all without you doing anything.

The S90 commands a steep price, and it isn’t as adept at being thrown into corners as a BMW or Porsche might be. But, for many, the S90’s relaxing ride will be all the draw you need to put your money into one. You'll have to look to the uswed car market for one, though, as the car has now been discontinued by Volvo.

The premium BMW X5 SUV offers the space and practicality that families require, while also appealing to buyers who want luxury and an engaging driving experience to boot. It’s an impressive feat, and one that makes the X5 an excellent option.

Inside, there’s no shortage of luxury and connectivity, including various driver assistance systems and autonomous tech. The cabin layout can look cluttered, especially compared directly with the Audi Q7 or A8, which keep everything simple and easy to use. But, it comes out on top when it comes to usability, and you'll also love its sporty handling.

Most versions of the X5 come equipped with air suspension, with different driving modes to tailor the ride to suit what type of driving you're doing. It's brilliantly judged, too: soft and cosseting in Comfort mode, it'll glide over bumps and potholes, almost totally isolating you and any passengers on board from the road's surface. Yet in Sportier modes, it feels very agile for such a large car.

The Audi Q7 is a brilliant SUV, offering generous amounts of room around each of its seven seats. When it comes to driving, Audi’s big SUV is also comfortable and quiet, making it the ideal family car for those who want a life of luxury on the go.

The best Q7s ride on air suspension, so check it has this fitted if you’re buying used. Another thing worth noting is that the interior quality will depend massively on what year the Q7 you’re looking at was built. Early versions of this generation of car had conventional knobs and buttons, while an infotainment screen popped up electrically out of the top of the dashboard. Post-2019, you geot an additional infotainment screen that replaces those buttons and looks very cool, but the system is harder to use than the previous offering.

As for refinement, you hear very little in the way of road- and wind noise, even at high speeds. The engines are smooth and you get a lot of space with the Q7, too: it's more versatile than competing saloons. For an everyday luxury car, Audi’s biggest Q model is hard to beat.

The Porsche Macan: It’s pretty. It’s sporty. It’s a Porsche, after all. And a pretty big one at that. If you have the money to afford one, it’s also very close to being flawless. On the move, the Macan is nothing short of sublime, with tonnes of grip and wonderful balance from a rear-drive-biased 4WD system.

What’s more, the ride is comfortable enough for family car duties, and refinement is good enough to make long stints at the wheel an absolute pleasure. All the engines punch hard, with more and more oomph as you progress up the range, so performance levels are easily worthy of the Porsche badge.

The Macan might be one of Porsche’s most affordable models, but it doesn’t feel like a poor relation, with a wonderfully high-quality interior. However, priced against considerably roomier rivals, you’ll be spending much more for a less practical and less well-equipped model. For example, automatic emergency braking isn’t provided as standard, which defies belief at this money.

We dubbed the new Range Rover “the ultimate luxury SUV” in our review, which makes it pretty clear that its inclusion in this list is a must. There’s the fabulous interior, an expanse of space for people and luggage, and it’s wonderful to drive.

And while the Range Rover oozes luxury, it’s also extremely capable off-road with a plethora of clever tech and systems to help you tackle almost any terrain, and it does so better than any of its rivals. That’s quite the combination.

There’s a range of mild hybrid engines, too, plus plug-in hybrid versions and there’s even a fully electric Range Rover on the horizon. That gives you plenty of choice, and hopefully better efficiency than previous generations of the car. Big, luxury SUVs don't get better than the Range Rover.

BMW has taken the 7 Series into the electric era, and it’s done so in style with the BMW i7: this is an effortlessly luxurious, high-tech machine.

Rear-seat passengers are afforded vasts amount of spaces, and you can opt for a rear seat that reclines almost fully flat, plus the i7 is offered with BMW’s gigantic 31.3-inch 8K ‘Theatre Screen’, which folds down from the ceiling allowing those in the back to take in a movie.

There’s plenty of party tricks and clever tech throughout the i7, but BMW hasn’t taken its foot off the gas when it comes to driving dynamics. It’s quiet and comfortable, but handles impressively for a large barge, and even the entry-level model offers 455PS and can do 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds. Opt for the top-spec M car, and it’ll pump out 659PS, which gets you to 62mph in just 3.7 seconds.

Range is good, too, with an official figure of 387 miles for the Excellence trim, which will likely translate to a solid 320 miles on a single charge in the real world: that's London to Newcastle without needing a top-up.

The Maserati Levante - which is the brand’s first big, posh SUV - has always been extremely desirable thanks largely to its rarity and its flamboyant design. Much more so than the more commonly seen Audi or BMW, anyway. The best update since the car's 2016 launch was the 3.0-litre V6 base petrol engine with 350PS in 2019. If you’re planning to get one, get that one. Seriously.

Being a Maserati, the Levante handles very well and - despite some gripes - it has a charm that few other luxury SUVs even come close to.  The Levante is a car you buy because you like the idea of a big, spacious Maserati: as close as you can come to a Ferrari SUV, if you like.

Porsche SUVs drive better, Land Rover’s products are more comfortable and, we’re almost sad to say, an Audi Q7 or Audi Q8 simply does everything better than this. But this is something you choose with your heart, rather than your head.

Large hybrid-powered luxury SUVs might be ten-a-penny these days in the car industry, but the Lexus RX was rocking that particular look way before it was fashionable, with the first hybrid RX arriving in 2005. The means that the good folk at the Japanese luxury car firm have had a great deal of time to refine the formula, and now, they've got it down to a fine art. The latest RX is better than ever.

It can be had as a self-charging hybrid of a plug-in hybrid, each of which has its own merits, but both of which offer a high level of performance, refinement and economy. The rest of the driving experience is a very sophisticated affair, too, with high levels of comfort and a very assured handling. 

The interior, meanwhile, is probably the highlight, with high-quality materials and excellent fit and finish. There's lots of space for people and luggage, and there's more on-board trech than you can shake a stick at. A really compelling alternative to German luxury SUV rivals.