Yes, there are times when the car guy doesn't want to get behind the wheel.

Immediately after the Bruins clinched the Stanley Cup, with a thousand chest-beating fans crowding the streets, I killed the urge to take our Porsche cabriolet downtown. Or last week, during that freakish first snowfall, I was positively hating my drive through Vermont’s desolate pitch-black roads, even in the heated confines of the new Range Rover Evoque.

But the worst has to be when I’m driving a full-size, 17-foot-long luxury sedan and never get to enjoy the back seat. It’s not that I’d rather watch a James Bond flick — any large family car can cough up a video screen — but I long to sink into the blissful, almost shameful, pampering of these big four-doors. Personal thermostats, power window shades, massagers, and a good half-acre of legroom make calling “shotgun” a fool’s wager in a Mercedes S-Class.

Still, getting behind the wheel of the Jaguar XJL, Audi A8, Mercedes S400 Hybrid, and Hyundai Equus Ultimate hasn’t been half bad. Our goal was to determine which car is the best executive express for the lucky rider in the back, and which earns highest honors for the actual driving experience? Tough assignment. Here they are from good to best.

[Ed. note: We haven't driven the BMW 7 Series or the Lexus LS in two years, so they're not included in this review]