What happens when you cross a sport sedan with an entry-level luxury car? This sounds like the setup for a joke, but there’s little humor in the answer. The “entry level” and “sport-sedan” combo usually means six-cylinder BMWs, Infinitis, Audis, Mercedes-Benz, and Jags that tease with $29,999 base prices.
But, in many cases, that come-hither sticker can easily swell to $35,000, $40,000, or even $45,000 after you add in the options and roll out the dealer’s door. By then the laugh could be on you.
Three prestige carmakers offer entrylevel sport sedans that come nicely equipped for $28,OOO-$33,OOO, sip premium unleaded with four-cylinder engines, and entertain with six-speed manual gearboxes. One player is naturally aspirated. One is supercharged. The third is turbocharged. Are these four-cylinder sedans worth the half-step between…