So you've finally been awarded a seat on the board of directors. How do you celebrate? By giving to charity? Don't be silly. You opt for one of these Top 5 large executive saloons, of course.

Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6

Like the XF, Jaguar's sublimely styled XJ also sports an inherent ability to turn other executive saloon owners green with envy. This stylish cat sprints forward courtesy of its 2995 cc supercharged V6 that churns out 250 kW at 6500 RPM and 450 Nm of torque between 3500 and 5000 RPM. Drivers will bring up 100 km/h on the speedometer in under 6 seconds en route to an electronically limited top end of 250 km/h.

Despite its Cheetah-like performance, the Jaguar is not such a thirsty cat, with a combined-cycle (town and highway driving) fuel usage figure of 9.6 litres per 100 km. The privilege of sliding into the driver's seat costs around R1 018 100, which makes it one of the more affordable vehicles in this comparison.

Lexus LS460

The LS460 is powered by a 4.6 litre V8 that delivers 285 kW at 6400 RPM and 493 Nm of torque at 4100 RPM, enabling the driver to propel this five metre long vehicle to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, onto an electronically governed terminal velocity of 250 km/h. Fuel consumption figures are a claimed 10.7 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle. Parking the Lexus LS460 in your garage will set you back R1 236 700, with the sole consolation that this purchase adds every conceivable feature on the options list. This includes an upgraded Mark Levinson sound system featuring 19 speakers, a 15 channel amplifier, true 7.1 surround sound and connectivity for virtually every type of sound input the likes of Bluetooth audio streaming.

Audi A8 3.0 TFSI

Ingolstadt's biggest luxury sedan might sport the same massive frame as the rest of the large executive competition, but it cuts down on the weight thanks to its all-aluminium Audi Space Frame construction. The A8's supercharged V6 generates 213 kW and peak torque tally of 420 Nm, with at least 90% of this total being available within a wide rev range between 2500 RPM and 4850 RPM. This sees the A8 accelerating to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, while consuming a frugal (for this category) 9.1 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle. Acquiring an A8 3.0 TFSI will leave your bank balance R943 500 in the red, but includes a plethora of features as standard, including a premium Bose sound system, 4-zone climate control and front and rear park distance control with reverse camera.

BMW 740i

Like Jaguar and Mercedes, BMW asserts that drivers do not necessarily need a big, honking V8 to get the best performance out of their uber-sized luxury barge. The 740i is powered by a turbocharged 2979 cc V6 that delivers 235 kW at 5800 RPM and 450 Nm of torque between 1300 and 4500 RPM. This has the Beemer schnelling its way to 100 km/h in a quick 5.7 seconds onto a regulated and illegal top-end of 250 km/h. BMW claims a 7.9 litres per 100 km average fuel usage figure.

The recommended retail price of the standard 740i comes in at around R1 009 500, which seems like a bargain compared to the Lexus, but this considerable RRP still leaves the 740i with a rather lengthy options list. This includes paying another R8 800 for park assist and R27 400 for a night vision system.

Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueEfficiency

Mercedes-Benz's S-class has always been the benchmark within this motoring segment, debuting tech that even James Bond does not have access to. The Stuttgart stallion gallops forward thanks to a 3498 cc V6 that provides 225 kW at 6500 RPM and 370 Nm of torque at 3500 RPM, which is enough to reach 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and limited top end of 250 km/h.

The entry-level model in the current range is the S350 BlueEfficiency which goes for R1 047 000. This nets buyers features that you will also find on some of the other vehicles in this comparison the likes of bi-xenon lights with LED daytime driving lights and reversing camera with parking guidance. Also standard are less common features such as attention assist that detects drowsiness and encourages the driver to pull over for a rest, and pre-safe, which warns drivers of an impending crash threat and activates the safety equipment in case. The only real threat to the S-class' leader-of-the-pack status comes in the form of its newly unveiled successor, which only launches later this year internationally. [HD]