Top 10 Sleeper Sedans

By its very definition, a sleeper is a car that has a nondescript appearance, does not raise red flags with auto insurance companies, and packs a sports car sized punch when it comes to performance or handling. Some sleepers however, like the Cadillac CTS-V and the BMW M5 throw up flags and draw attention everywhere they go. You better believe that car insurance providers notice these beasts. In today’s marketplace, there are few of these left, as automakers seek to draw the most exciting aspects of each car they sell into the overall design. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t any left, though. The following models represent 2012 model year sedans that produce more than 300 horsepower and will give any red-light ruffian a run for his four-cylinder money.

10. Hyundai Genesis 5.0-Liter V8

With 429 horsepower on tap, the Hyundai Genesis sedan vaults to sixty miles per hour in just 5.3 seconds, the same as a 1993 Porsche 911. That’s saying quite a lot for a luxury sedan that costs less than $50,000. One can be assured that were the Genesis not equipped with heated leather seats, a navigation system and exceptional levels of cabin noise control, it would be more than a match on the road for any four-door sedan built today.

9. Ford Taurus SHO 3.5-Liter Turbocharged V6

The Ford Taurus SHO features 365 horsepower available from an engine that returns as much as 17 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway. The car has a six-speed automatic transmission, remote start and standard leather seats. It can also be outfitted with a navigation system and premium stereo, if you wish.

8. Acura RL 3.7-liter V6

The Acura RL has remained unchanged for the last few years, and has an understated styling that will keep your car insurance low. With 300 horsepower available from its V6 engine combined with standard leather interior, the RL is perhaps the sleepiest car on the list. Numerous auto critics have lambasted the car for its designers’ reluctance to make it more of a standout in a field of cars that are increasingly less and less understated.

7. Saab 9-5 Turbo6 2.8-liter turbocharged V6

The Saab 9-5 uses the smallest-displacement engine in the list, but produces 300 horsepower just the same. With a six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, the 9-5 has plenty of performance and grip to make curvy mountain roads a blast, but combines this with tasteful, luxurious styling. While the Saab 9-5 isn’t for everyone, it is one of the more affordable sedans on the list, and makes a competent entry-level luxury car that really is fun to drive. It may not break any land-speed records, but with a 0-60 time of just 6.4 seconds, it’s no slouch, either.

6. Volvo S60 T6 R-Design 3.0-liter turbocharged inline6

Sporting a fresh redesign from the 2011 model year, the new Volvo S60′s R-Design variant boasts a 325-horsepower engine and the ability to go from a standing stop to sixty miles per hour in just 5.5 seconds. A six-speed transmission and all-wheel drive ensure both fuel economy and handling prowess through most any road conditions. The S60 interior is comfortable and inviting, with abundant features that belie its performance credentials.

5. Dodge Charger SRT8 6.4-Liter V8

With 470 horsepower and a menacing front end appearance, the Charger SRT8 may be the least subtle vehicle on the list, but it still retains touches of refinement that one doesn’t ordinarily find on cars capable of 0-60 times of just 4.7 seconds. It uses a five-speed automatic transmission and drives the way you would expect a much smaller car to. While it still won’t match the Viper for sheer thrills, no other vehicle in the Dodge lineup has so much balance between sports car and family sedan.

4. Chrysler 300 SRT8 6.4-liter V8

The Chrysler 300 SRT8 features many of the same amenities as its Dodge Charger sibling, but does so with more focus on luxury and less focus on sport. That doesn’t mean that the Chrysler version of the SRT8 sedan can’t hustle, though. With 470 horsepower on tap, the 300 matches the Charger in 0-60 times but features a much more understated and classy exterior. Where the Charger uses bright, solid colors, the 300 uses pearls and, of course, basic black. Leather and navigation are standard equipment on the SRT8 Chrysler 300

3. Cadillac CTS-V 6.2-liter supercharged V8

Most people are familiar with Cadillac’s hero car today, the CTS-V, but that doesn’t mean that the car is any less surprising. Under the hood hides the 556 horsepower V8 engine plucked from Chevrolet’s ZR-1 Corvette. In all-wheel drive layout, the CTS-V will dash to sixty miles per hour in just 4.3 seconds. Magnetic selective ride control, also from the Corvette, allows the driver to select between sporty handling and a more refined comfort setting.

2. BMW M5-Series 4.4-liter twin turbocharged V8

The BMW M5 only barely scrapes into the sleeper list since it has had such a long and storied performance history. However, there are relatively few outward cues that label an M5. Without the deck lid badge and slightly revised bodywork, it might well be any businessman’s 528i. With 560 horsepower, however, drawing comparisons between the M5 and its 528i sibling would be akin to comparing a rocket ship to a bicycle. Standard equipment includes leather upholstery, navigation and multiple vehicle control systems to help keep the M5 on the road where it belongs.

1. Audi S4 3.0-liter supercharged V6

While the Audi S4 is by no means the most powerful car in the list, what it lacks in horsepower it makes up in refinement and agility. No other vehicle here listed has the ability to sprint to 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds using just 333 horsepower. The S4 features standard leather seating surfaces, navigation and of course, Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system. This makes the S4 just as capable of navigation in the winter as in the summer.

Final Thoughts

Today’s sedans are far removed from the boring, poorly handling four-door beasts that roamed the highways just twenty years ago. With dynamic suspension systems, powerful engines and sporty styling, they are more fun to drive than ever before. Some can even be purchased with traditional manual transmissions. If you’ve got family, but can’t afford a sports car and a minivan, these sleeper sedans provide the perfect solution to the problem.

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