A1 CARZZ rankings are arrived at from the results of our extensive instrumented testing of several hundred vehicles each year and from our expert editors’ subjective impressions gained in real-world driving. We’ve ranked the best ultimate luxury cars based on roughly 200 data points encompassing acceleration, handling, comfort, cargo space, fuel efficiency, value, and how enjoyable they are to drive. We take rankings seriously because we want you to know everything about the vehicles that you’re interested in. This list includes sedans, coupes, and convertibles, all at price points that will make your bank account quiver. We rank ultimate luxury SUVs separately.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Goodwood’s Marmite addition to the super-luxury segment arrived in 2018, in response to a significant amount of Rolls-Royce customer feedback that a more daily-usable, all-surface-capable, family-practical model would be a very welcome way to augment the firm’s showroom range.
The Cullinan has been met by enough criticism of its design to have set in aspic a sense that its maker has taken a significant risk in introducing a car that some have described as awkward and unlovely and others have slammed in even less sympathetic terms. But if Rolls-Royce’s market research holds true (and a year’s worth of confirmed orders is a good sign that it will), the collective revulsion of those who wouldn’t have bought a Cullinan anyway will do little to prevent it from becoming a commercial success.
There is certainly as much to like about life on board this car as there might be to dislike about either the idea or the appearance of it. This is a true Rolls-Royce, and among its dynamic strengths are outstanding mechanical refinement, unimpeachable ride comfort and excellent drivability.
Height-adjustable air suspension and BMW-derived four-wheel drive give the Cullinan all the off-road capability that many owners are likely to require, and while towing capacity is currently capped at 2.6 tonnes, that’s due to increase to a more fulsome 3.5 tonnes before long. Which is probably enough for a speedboat considerably more expensive than the car.