Deciding which car to choose is never easy, and can be time-consuming. So our roving WBS Journal motoring reporter, Damian Murphy, test drove three German mid-range luxury business sedans – the BMW 730 diesel, the Audi A8 and the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTEC – to help.

BMW Seven Series

I tried out the Seven Series 730 diesel to find out why it is the leading sedan in the market. In the old days, when you thought of a diesel, a farm vehicle came to mind – but this is no farm vehicle. It is a very smooth ride. It shifts through its six gears without so much as a jerk, and has just enough grunt to keep the driver entertained. The suspension can be considered comfortable or sporty, depending on your mood, and with the conditions of some of the Johannesburg roads, having a world-class suspension can make driving on tar feel like driving in the clouds. The driver’s environment made me feel in command of my world as I had the climate control, satellite navigation and entertainment a button’s push away. With 180 kW of power and 540 Nm of torque at the mercy of my right foot, we were able to move the bulky sedan around like a rocket. It does 0 to 100 in fewer than eight seconds and you can reach a top speed in the region of 245 km/h. I felt no guilt speeding through the streets, because with a carbon emissions weight of less than 180 g/km, for a car this big, that is a small price to pay.

The 730d has a measly fuel consumption of less than 6.8 litres per 100 km driven.

Although the 730d is the bottom of the Seven Series range, when you look inside this behemoth of a car, you see where the money you spend pays off. You can send and receive emails, log onto the internet and stay in touch with the office, no matter where you are or how bad traffic is. And it has a 3D satellite navigation.

Audi A8

Audi’s aggressive marketing strategy is paying off – more and more people entering this segment are choosing Audi. And for good reason – the Audi A8 3.0 litre turbo had more than I needed it to offer.

It is an intimidating car to drive. Its mammoth size makes it tough to park and squeeze in and out of traffic, but Audi has given drivers all sorts of assistance to make sure that none of that adds to the stress of city living. Despite the gadgetry, Audi is all about the drive, and the A8 is a magnificent car. It is an incredibly smooth ride. It shifts effortlessly through its eight gears and the three-litre turbo-charged petrol engine delivered the power and pull you expect from a car that size. Audi’s drive seemed a little rawer than the other two sedans I drove. This is not a bad thing, because you often feel that cars in this segment don’t need to be driven, as they almost drive themselves. Thankfully, with 213 kW of power and 420 Nm of torque at your disposal, the A8 is both fun to drive and comfortable, and it corners so well you can transform your drive from ordinary commute to exhilarating ride.

Audi has used the bulk on the outside of the A8 to create space for a comfortable environment inside. The onboard system that controls navigation, entertainment and your phone looks simple, and is easy to use while the car is stationary, but operating it while driving is tedious. But it didn’t disappoint. The Bluetooth connection to the main system meant I was always in touch with the office or the family.

I had to force myself to look for major faults in the A8. It is a car designed for the discerning businessperson, and delivers what you’d expect. I only wish Audi had more features standard and fewer as optional extras.

Mercedes-Benz S Class

The S Class is an icon in the luxury vehicle segment. Business people define their success by what they get from the work they do, and the S Class would be one of the best ways to show that off. It is luxury in every sense of the word.

Sitting under the bonnet of the S350 BlueTEC is a three-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine that delivered a generous 190 kW of power with a staggering 620 Nm of torque. This means that if I choose to push the S350, it could get from standstill to 100 km/h in a shade over seven seconds, and do it with the grace of a ballet dancer. Of the three models tested, the Mercedes was the easiest to drive. It requires the least driver interaction and was almost boring around town – but on the open road, this glamorous business sedan became a heart racer.

I put this car through its paces on a long journey. The S350 handled the open road beautifully, but it was when we hit tight, winding mountain roads that the perfection of the car’s engineering shone through. It glided around the narrow corners and I felt in control every second we were on the road.

However, when we encountered a multitude of potholes, we burst a tyre and discovered that Mercedes-Benz gives the owners of this R1 million car a biscuit spare wheel, which only allows you to travel at 80 km/h. With that price tag, surely a proper spare would be in order?

You have the president of sound systems in this car. Some of the standard features – such as keyless go, climate control, cellphone interface and 3D satellite navigation – I only truly appreciated when I gave the car back. And it made me wonder with all of that a mere push of a button away, why would you ever need to leave the car?

For the most part, the S350 is a statement of class and a tool of the trade, when it comes to business. The S350’s carbon emissions are a paltry 177 g/km, making it one of the best in class. And a fuel consumption of well under seven litres per 100 km makes this Blue Mercedes very green.

The three picks of the business sedans come from the same country, offer similar features and the same superb drive. So, when it comes to choosing one for yourself, I reckon the only real way to select one would be to try them all and go with your gut.