Quick spin: 5 cars to drive in 2015

Well, it’s auto show season, which means all the new 2015 and 2016 models are going to start to be pored over, tested and examined by everyone from buyers to dealers and industry professionals. We were given the opportunity to drive some of the year’s top models in succession; here are some of the highlights.

Mercedes-Benz C300 

It’s hard to believe that the bread-and butter of Mercedes’ line-up shines so brightly, especially when its manufacturer is also responsible for wild stuff like the S-Class Coupe and AMG GT.

Here’s the thing, though; perhaps it’s the fact that the C-Class has those bread-and-butter roots that makes the new styling, tech and performance stand out that much more.

A baby S-Class sedan in almost every way, the ’15 C is a more grown-up, more luxurious presence than the outgoing model.

Inside, applications of new Mercedes tech—a touchpad to navigate your infotainment system, for example—add a modern air, with classic Mercedes quality materials used for the seats, steering wheel and dash. There’s more room inside than last year’s model, too.

All of that takes a bit of a back seat, however, when you start to drive it. We had the chance to take to a short autocross track as well as open roads, and it excelled in both. It remains properly livable on the open road, but the way it carves the cones is magnificent. A (near) entry-level car shouldn’t feel like this, but it looks like BMW’s 3 Series—always the better handler of these two—has something to really think about here.

Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG 

A bit of an odd-ball entry into a bit of an odd-ball segment (urban utility vehicle), the GLA remains a fantastic drive that really has to be experienced to be believed.

Essentially an on-stilts version of the A-Class hatchback making waves overseas, the GLA gets the industry’s most powerful four-cylinder engine available at retail, a proper torque-splitting four-wheel drive system and looks that go beyond the spectrum of what you thought Mercedes was capable of at the showroom level.

Seen here is the Edition 1 model, following in the footsteps of its CLA45 cousin when it debuted last year. That means some fancy graphics, a big roof-mounted spoiler and a some of the nicest wheels we saw at the event, which featured some 50 cars.

Acura RLX Sport Hybrid 

You lose the non-Hybrid RLX’s rear-wheel steering system once you jump to the Sport Hybrid’s AWD set-up, but nevertheless, it handles like a much smaller car. After all, it uses the same Super-Handling AWD system employed in the MDX SUV, a vehicle whose owners will rarely reach 5/10ths of its handling ability.

OF course, the Sport Hybrid being a hybrid, fuel economy is strong, with many testers reporting as low as 7L/100km during their routes. We saw 9.6, likely because we took to the track, which is still mucho impressivo considering how robust the RLX is.

There’s an interior to match, too. From the dual-screen centre stack, to fine wood inserts, to top-quality leather, there’s a lot of luxury here.

It may not look like much from the outside, but that shouldn’t deter buyers as much as it does. This is a car that needs to be experienced.

Hyundai Genesis 

The trouble for the RLX—and much of the luxury establishment, for that matter—is that the Hyundai Genesis also exists, and it is magnificent.

Get past the way the Audi-esque grille is bisected by the license plate holder and radar-based cruise control sensor, and the Genesis has a presence no Hyundai before it can lay claim to; no North American market Hyundai, anyway.

Glittering LED daytime running lights, stylish wheels and smart chrome detailing are thoroughly modern touches, while the distinctive cab rearward profile liken this Hyundai to both the European grand tourers of old, and modern German metal like the Audi A7 or Mercedes CLS-Class.

Inside, fine leather and open-pore wood combine with twin TFT displays (one on the centre console, one between the gauges) for a luxurious experience.

While the 3.8L V6 may not be the most powerful engine in the segment (there’s an optional V8 if you like), the power delivery is smooth and this is a car all about smooth cruising, not carving through corners. It can do that, too, though, thanks to a smart AWD system. A real darkhorse in the full-sized luxury segment.

Jaguar F-Type R Coupe 

We’ve been hearing a lot, lately, about how the F-Type’s supercharged V6 variant emits a sound like no other. That’s true, but the V8 models’ report is so feral, so angry and spectacular that the V6 kind of seems like a pretender by comparison.

Yes, the exhaust has been tuned by Jag to seem even louder, but the FTRC has the walk to match that talk.

Power comes almost instantaneously, so much so that you’ll want to be very careful in the wet (or dry, really) once you’ve activated dynamic mode. That increases throttle and shift times, to the point where you’re not driving a car so much as piloting a set of wheels with an engine attached.

Of all the cars here, none of them puts a smile on my face like the FTRC did. It’s banal, it’s wild, it looks fantastic and it shows that once again, Jag is back in the sports car fight.

Rowr.