Special to the Star

Odd that the two highest-performing cars at this year's Test Fest – the Porsche Panamera and the Audi R8 5.2 FSI – were not entered in this, the so-called high-performance category.

Who knows what logic lurks in the minds of marketing people, whose decision it is to slot their entries into what they perceive to be the proper pigeonholes?

Ah well, we had three pretty terrific cars to play with, and "great to drive" was about the only thing they had in common.

Only journalists with racing licences and/or considerable competition experience are selected to evaluate this category, dontcha know, to ensure that the cars' envelopes are well and truly pushed.

Not that we thrash them or treat them like racing cars – I can only speak for myself, but I leave the various "nanny" systems such as traction control and Electronic Stability Control operational even during the track testing (if they have "sport" modes I do go that route).

This isn't about lap times; it's about evaluating how the cars would behave if driven, um, vigorously on public roads.

Unusually, both myself and my collective colleagues ranked these cars in the same order, to wit:

Audi S4

(681 points)

This is the athlete of the group, and simply a fabulous car in every way.

The 3.0 litre supercharged V6 makes it go like stink, the Dual Clutch Gearbox is the best transmission yet invented, the taut suspension and telepathic steering make it handle as if wired to your brain, it's beautifully finished, offers decent ride comfort, and there's room for four and their luggage.

Plus four-wheel-drive to help you keep on keeping on all winter long.

Cheapest in the group by a substantial margin as well.

I was a bit surprised not to find SatNav in the test car – I'm sure it is available – but otherwise, this is a serious performance car that demands very few compromises.

And, it's going to get better, probably by the time you get to your Audi showroom, because it will be offered with Drive Select, which allows you to configure things like damper firmness, steering feel and ratio, throttle response, transmission shift timing and speed, and the lock-up characteristics of the rear differential, from sporty to comfort to somewhere in between. Dial it up for those Sunday morning blasts down your favourite two-lane twisty; dial it back for the Monday morning commute.

Price as tested: $55,600

Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe

(631 points)

This would be your luxury Grand Touring cruiser.

Mercedes-Benz's mid-size sedan has traditionally been somewhat staid – solid, reliable, comfortable – but maybe not the sharpest-edged tool in the drawer.

The latest generation retains all those laudable traits, but adds a considerable degree of sportiness to the package.

This is the two-door coupe version which, as coupes always do, extracts considerable compromise in space and access in return for more dramatic styling. It's a gorgeous piece in my view, looking especially attractive in the white paint of my test car.

The interior isn't nearly as dramatic, looking a trifle drab in Teutonic black.

The seats are excellent.

On the road the steering felt the least responsive of the group. But the car came alive on the test track, the 5.4 litre V8 and seven-speed autobox providing plenty of motive force.

In previous iterations of this car, the directional stability control would kill all your joy; in this car it keeps a gentle protective hand on your shoulder but allows you enough leeway to have some fun too.

Price as tested: $72,698

Jaguar XFR

(624 points)

This would be your fast sports sedan, a category Jaguar pretty much invented.

Another gorgeous car, with the brightest, most entertaining interior of the lot, although I wish the instrument dials were easier to read.

You gotta love the way the illuminated shift control rises from the centre console and the start button lub-dubs in a warm red glow mimicking a heartbeat when you enter the car, as if you are waking it up and you're off on an adventure together.

Said transmission control is actually a big knob which you rotate to select your transmission ratio – given how different it is, I was surprised how easy it was to get used to. Steering wheel paddles trigger shifts if you're of a mind.

The supercharged V8 is by far the most powerful here, and hurls the car to the fastest acceleration times. The ZF seven-speed automatic is outstanding as automatics go, but cannot offer quite the immediacy of the Audi DSG.

Likewise its track behaviour, where there's more body lean and understeer than in the Audi, and not quite the ultimate grip level either.

The Jag's strengths are the sense of occasion you feel every time you get in, and the ambience and comfort you and up to three of your friends will enjoy on long trips.

Price as tested: $85,600

Toronto Star