2013 Hyundai Equus vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

Toyota has spent more than 20 years building up its Lexus brand, with standalone dealerships and products that really take on the German stalwarts, yet in just a short time Hyundai is surprisingly close with the Equus.

The LS is, like the Equus, a little benign in most ways compared to brash, scene-stealing luxury sedans like the Jaguar XJ ad Audi A8 L, and it doesn't come close to threatening the cachet of the Mercedes-Benz S Class, yet Like the Equus, the LS is still a little benign compared with uberluxury sedans like the Jaguar XJ, a stunning piece of glitz with much less rear-seat head room than it once had.

The big German sellers are in the same size class, but it's hard to think of someone stepping down from the BMW 7-Series or the Mercedes-Benz S-Class into an Equus if they're at all brand-snobbish--and the same holds true for the Audi A8, which has fab features like Google Earth maps, but a completely forgettable look.