2022-01-01 Car and Driver

INTELLIGENCE. INDEPENDENCE. IRREVERENCE.

No need to
write a letter.
We count 11

as well.

PLUS: THE 1020-HP TESLA MODEL S PLAID PROVES TO BE AS QUICK AS A BUGATTI . . . FORD BRINGS BACK THE AFFORDABLE SMALL
PICKUP . . . GMC REIMAGINES THE HUMMER AS AN ELECTRIC PICKUP WITH 1000 HORSEPOWER . . . AFTER 15 YEARS, TOYOTA FINALLY
ROLLS OUT A REDESIGNED TUNDRA . .. CURE 1990s FEVER WITH A NISSAN 300ZX BEFORE IT SHOOTS UP IN VALUE



Downshift to 2nd, flick steering wheel

Gravity goes sideways

Forget previously owned cars

Praise inventor of asphalt

Endorphins throw party

Decide to name firstborn “86”

Master the drive
in the all-new GR86.

| ||

VOL. 67, NO. 6 TABLE of CONTENTS JANUARY 2022

27 48 54 62

FEATURE ROAD TEST ROAD TEST PREVIEW

10Best for 2022 2022 Ford Maverick XLT FX4 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid 2022 GMC Hummer EV
In the 40th installment The Maverick reimagines the small Tesla’s monstrously Edition 1
of our annual awards, and simple entry-level Ford. quick 1020-hp Model S A battery-powered
we once again pick the By Mike Sutton nabs multiple records, machine aimed squarely
heroes of the car world. but is it truly great? at the pickup buyer.
By the Editors By Dave VanderWerp By K.C. Colwell

“FOR MANY FOLKS WITH MODEST FUNDS AND SMALL 3
JOBS TO DO, IT’S ALL THE TRUCK THEY’LL NEED.”

—Mike Sutton, “Just Enough Truck”

CAR AND DRIVER

TABLE OF CONTENTS The joyful noise of the commentariat,
JANUARY 2022 rebutted sporadically by Ed.

COLUMNISTS IN THE FOLD ROLLOUT rebadged Toyota bZ4X that
Your October 2021 cover Very clever, C/D, to use song looks like a Mach-E—Ed.
8. Sharon Silke Carty made me laugh. “Pay titles for all the new-cars
A checkered flag of Less,” “Cheap & Fast.” headlines in the October I nearly choked on my coffee
sorts. Sounds like the first 2021 issue. I especially when I read that the $511,250
20. Ezra Dyer online date I went on. appreciated your use of 2021 Ferrari SF90 Stradale
Save the in-car DVD. “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “Like qualifies for a $3501 tax
22. Elana Scherr —Kristopher Contreras a Surgeon” for the Hyundai credit. I used that info to
Driver assists. Miami, FL Santa Cruz—most people sway my wife away from the
ignore parodies for the new Nissan Leaf that she was
UPFRONT THE COUNT original, but I think that song convinced was right for us.
I read the entire October 2021 was much more appropriate
11. Spare a Chip? new-cars issue while waiting there than Madonna’s. —Steve Horstman
An industry was short in line at the county treasur- Cincinnati, OH
on supplies in 2021. er’s office to pick up personal- —John Bell
14. The Year the ized plates for my car. Thanks Sacramento, CA Please make an entire
Future Came into for your efforts, but I could’ve issue of “Meanwhile in
Focus used another 16 pages. Why was the Subaru France.” Be sure to turn
Batteries plus. Solterra missing? the sarcasm up to 11.
16. Pay Up, and Up —Bob Dickelman
Just how bad are new- Johnston, IA —Hal Shoenfield —John Blackburn
car prices? Cedar Grove, NJ Moreno Valley, CA
18. Testing Winners Well, you could’ve told It’s a ’23 model, and at the
and Losers us what you got on your time we knew zilch. We The Toyota summary did
Performers and those personalized plates, can now tell you that it’s a not include notification of
that came up short. but here we are—Ed.

THE RUNDOWN CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 800-289-9464, email [email protected], visit www.caranddriver.com/service, or write to
Customer Service Dept., Car and Driver, P.O. Box 37870, Boone, IA 50037 for inquiries/requests, changes of mailing or email addresses,
66. 2022 Toyota subscription orders, payments, etc.
Tundra
A V-8 is swapped for a CAR AND DRIVER® (ISSN 0008-6002), VOL. 67, NO. 6, January 2022, is published monthly, 10 times per year, with combined issues in February/March and July/August, by Hearst,
twin-turbo V-6. 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, U.S.A. Steven R. Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice
70. 2021 Ford Chairman; Debi Chirichella, President, Hearst Magazines Group. Hearst Autos, Inc.: Nick Matarazzo, President & Chief Revenue Officer; Debi Chirichella, Treasurer; Catherine A.
Mustang Mach-E4X Bostron, Secretary. © 2021 by Hearst Autos, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks: Car and Driver is a registered trademark of Hearst Autos, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at
GT Performance New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications mail product (Canadian distribution) sales agreement no. 40012499. Editorial and Advertising
Edition Offices: 1585 Eisenhower Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. SUBSCRIPTION PRICES United States and possessions: $13.00 for one year; Canada, add $10.00; all other countries, add
Not quite the GT we $24.00. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Car and Driver will, upon receipt of a complete subscription order, undertake fulfillment of that order so as to provide the first copy for
were expecting. delivery by the U.S. Postal Service or alternate carrier within 4–6 weeks. MAILING LISTS From time to time, we make our subscriber list available to companies who sell goods
71. 2022 Hyundai and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such offers by postal mail, please send your current mailing label or an exact
Kona N Line AWD copy to Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 37870, Boone, IA 50037. You can also visit preferences.hearstmags.com to manage your preferences and opt out of receiving marketing
More show than go. offers by email. Car and Driver assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. None will be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Permissions:
72. 2022 BMW M5 CS Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Back Issues: Back issues are available for purchase in digital format only from your app store
Lighter is better. of choice. POSTMASTER Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES Send address corrections to Car and Driver, P.O. Box 37870, Boone,
74. 2022 Volkswagen IA 50037. Printed in the U.S.A.
Taos
A small SUV slips into SIC YOUR DOGS ON US AT: [email protected] ~ JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER
the Golf’s shoes.
76. 2021 Lamborghini
Huracán STO
Shark attack.

ETC.

4. Backfires
We will print no letter
before its time.
80. What to Buy
1990–96 Nissan 300ZX.

4



Backfires

the demise of the Avalon Odom, chairman, personally aspirated 2.5-liter would who gave them the green SIC YOUR DOGS ON US AT: [email protected]
in 2022. I currently own selected the color. The run have dusted every other light—aren’t backing down.
my second, and it is a of 36 was purchased at a car in this lineup by a mile. Like a sucker at a Texas Hold
comfortable, reliable car. $500-per-car premium. ’em tournament, they’re all
White vinyl top, of course! —Aaron Schmitz in with a pair against a nut
—Stephen Gibbons The standard engine was New Port Richey, FL flush. By continuing to put
Ancaster, ON the V-8-6-4. What a gem! You’re confused, Schmitz. out some of the ugliest grilles
Useless crap, I know. The turbocharged ever seen on an automobile,
There’s a ’22 Avalon, but version of the 3 starts at is BMW bluffing, trying to
there won’t be a ’23. Get —Mike Bertirotti $31,045 and comes only convince us they’re not
one before they’re gone—Ed. San Antonio, TX with all-wheel drive—Ed. ugly? I suppose they think
Useless crap is why we’re that if they repeat the lie
Page 39 states that “the all here, Bertirotti—Ed. The Corolla “a looker”? often enough, people will
mid-engine C8 Corvette was Do your staff benefits start to believe it’s true.
getting stale.” I am not sure My wife accuses me of want- include a vision plan?
which of your brilliant minds ing every great car that C/D —Dean Hared
wrote that, but please tell highlights on a monthly basis. —Tom McCarthy Rockville, MD
them to say hello to E.T. on But if I had six figures to Wilmington, DE What would have ever given
their way back to whatever spend on a ride, I would them that idea?—Ed.
planet they are from. buy the Blackwing over any My inner adult appreciates
other car I’ve seen this year. the Civic’s more elegant STICKING IT TO US
—Steve Connelly Accord/Acura styling, but my Regarding the Bronco
Decatur, IL —Les Shumake inner child is disappointed manual review [“Back in
Olive Branch, MS that the most youthful and the Saddle Again,” Octo-
See what happens aggressively styled gen- ber 2021]: If damning with
when the sarcasm gets BIG AND SMALL eration has given way to faint praise was what you
turned up to 11?—Ed. Were you just as shocked this. But hey, young people were going for, I’d say you
as I was when you wrote, can’t afford cars anyway! hit the nail on the head.
MAVERICK EXPRESS “We set off on the first big
A Maverick pickup [“Some- C/D comparison test of —Brett Stahl —John Snyder
thin’ ’bout a Truck,” October sedans in years” [“Up on Charlotte, NC Newbury Park, CA
2021]? What’s next? Will the Roof,” October 2021]?
Ford bring back a two-door FRONT TO BACK HORSEBACK
F-150-based Bronco-like SUV —Ron Caspi I think I finally figured In the comparison of the Mer-
and call it a Thunderbird? Mountain View, CA out what inspired BMW’s cedes EQS450+ and EQS580
Actually, I’d buy one of those. new grille [“Electric Feel,” 4Matic horsepower figures,
I was not surprised to see October 2021]. When I saw it is stated that the EQS450+
—S. Getz the Mazda 3 come out the picture of the iX in the has 329 horsepower while
Seaford, DE near the top, but it was October issue, it hit me. The the 4Matic has 516 ponies
doomed from the start designer must have been [“Mr. Roboto,” October 2021].
A REAL CAD since you included the all- driving behind a school bus I’m just curious as to what
The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V wheel-drive version. First and gotten mooned. The the ratio of horses to ponies
Blackwing is just the latest off, all-wheel drive makes grilles on new BMWs look like is. Is it similar to the ratio of
example of General Motors it the heaviest car here. someone’s backside just out leprechauns to unicorns?
introducing their best effort I have no doubt the front- there mooning the world.
right before they scrap the wheel-drive version would —Kole Ketelboeter
program [“The Final Count- have come in first place. —Greg Fisher Mazomanie, WI
down,” October 2021]. Not to mention, according Phoenix, AZ
to Mazda’s website, the 2.5T Yep, which is also the same
—James Lautier FWD in the Preferred pack- The BMW iX exterior as the ratio of Stanley nick-
Windsor, CT age (one step down from designers—and the clowns els to Schrute bucks—Ed.
Premium) is only $26,365,
The color of the CT5-V you which is less than all the
tested reminds me of the other cars in this test except
1981 Cadillac Sedan DeVilles the Sentra SR ($26,010).
that were special-ordered by The 2.5T’s extra horse-
U.S. Home. One each went to power over the naturally
the top 36 sales consultants
for the 1981 calendar year, JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER
all expenses paid. Guy Roy

6



Backfires Editor’s Letter

DRUMROLL A checkered flag SIC YOUR DOGS ON US AT: [email protected]
I was considering replacing my PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNY RISHER
Mk 7 GTI with the Volkswagen of sorts
ID.4 AWD [“Your Smiling Face,”
October 2021]. But there is no Spoiler alert: I did it. I got faster.
way I’m going to purchase a In late 2020, I decided I’d try to keep up with our Light-
vehicle that weighs so much ning Lap drivers at the next version of our running of the
more than the GTI and has rear bulls. I was pretty certain that with some training I would
drum brakes. I will look elsewhere get at least a little bit faster, but readers, I got a lot faster.
for a different EV that has the And I was going to hold off and tell you all about it in our
performance and emergency February/March issue, but then life did what it does and
stopping power of a GTI. moved forward on its own terms. I’m deeply sad to say that
the last day of our putting this issue to bed was my last as
—Philip Atkin editor-in-chief. I’m moving on to direct content strategy for
West Linn, OR all of Hearst’s automotive brands, focusing on videos, pod-
casts, and other digital stuff.
SUB MODELS For some of you, this will be a sigh of relief. I get it. Under
Regarding “On-Demand my direction, we tried a bunch of new things—some landed
Options” [October 2021]: The well, and others landed flat. For others, including a lot of you who have sent
future is dumb, and I hate it. handwritten letters, little tchotchkes, pictures of yourselves with your favorite
cars, or postcards from a special place in your town, you might be a little sad. I
—Tristan Gehman am. More than a little, honestly. I’ve opened and read every letter that’s come
Atmore, AL my way, and I have loved that connection.
What I’ll miss most, however, is daily interaction with Car and Driver’s
Are you sure this letter wasn’t staff, wickedly talented people who regularly impress me and humble me.
about the EV issue?—Ed. They’ve tackled some huge goals set in their path and consistently exceeded
expectations. They’ve taken chances, worked hard through a pandemic that
Since BMW long ago made the upended our world, and managed to have some fun. Working together, we’ll
transition from “the Ultimate keep Car and Driver growing even when other media brands are shrinking.
Driving Machine” to the ultimate As for the speed test, last year
money machine, it shouldn’t be at Lightning Lap 14, driving a
long before a credit-card slot 2020 Cadillac CT4-V, I set a lap of
becomes standard for functions 4:02.9 on the Grand Course at Vir-
such as sunroof and windshield ginia International Raceway. David
wipers (in Torrance, we don’t Beard set a 3:06.2. We went back
need wipers much anyway). This in October for the 15th installment,
way BMW owners can once again and I hit 3:15.1 after swapping to a
experience “spirited” driving. more aggressive tire. You can find
the full story of how I got faster
—Pat Parish online. Like a lot of things in life,
Torrance, CA it begins with being willing to take
a chance.
STICK WITH IT
Congratulations to Ezra Dyer on SHARON SILKE CARTY
his heartwarming piece “Manual
Labor” [October 2021]. I’ve had EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
the privilege to teach at least
one of my kids how to drive a JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER
manually operated vehicle, and
it was for sure as much fun for
me as it was for him. I often do
the same thing as Dyer, offering
to teach anybody who wants
to learn this disappearing rite
of passage, but so far have
had only two acceptances.

—Will House
Media, PA

8

Your column on teaching Editor-in-Chief Sharon Silke Carty Using Shell V-Power®
someone to drive a manual NiTRO®+ Premium Gasolines
brought back a memory of Cars Director Tony Quiroga Executive Editor Ryan White Digital Director Laura Sky Brown and diesel fuels appropriately
teaching my then-16-year-old BUYER’S GUIDE Deputy Editor Rich Ceppos Staff Editors Drew Dorian, Eric Stafford in Car and Driver test vehicles
daughter 29 years ago. An FEATURES Senior Editors Greg Fink, Elana Scherr Staff Editor Austin Irwin ensures the consistency and
uphill country road was the NEWS Senior Editor Joey Capparella Staff Editors Connor Hoffman, Caleb Miller Social integrity of our instrumented
location. More than a few Media Editor Michael Aaron • REVIEWS Deputy Editor Joe Lorio Senior Editors Ezra Dyer, testing procedures and
stalls and the exclamation Mike Sutton • TESTING Director Dave VanderWerp Deputy Director K.C. Colwell Technical numbers, both in the magazine
“I just can’t do it!” were Editor David Beard Road Test Editor Rebecca Hackett Road Warriors Keoni Koch, Jacob and online.
followed by that moment Kurowicki, Zackary Lading, Christi VanSyckle • CREATIVE Director Darin Johnson
when she got it—slipped Staff Photographers Michael Simari, Marc Urbano Photo Assistant Charley M. Ladd CUSTOMER SERVICE
the clutch just right, and VIDEO Deputy Editor Carlos Lago • PRODUCTION Director of Editorial Operations Heather Call 800-289-9464,
that glorious expression on Albano Copy Chief Adrienne Girard Associate Managing Editor Jennifer Misaros email cdbCustServ@
her face is still clear in my Editorial Operations Manager Juli Burke Copy Editors Chris Langrill, Kara Snow Online CDSFulfillment.com, visit
mind. One of many won- Production Designer Sarah Larson Online Production Assistant Ron Askew Editorial www.CarandDriver.com/
derful memories as a dad. Assistant Carlie Cooper • CONTRIBUTORS European Editor Mike Duff Contributing Editors service, or write to
Clifford Atiyeh, Brett Berk, Sebastian Blanco, Csaba Csere, Malcolm Gladwell, Andrew Lawrence, Customer Service Dept., Car
—Al Nelson Bruce McCall, Jens Meiners, P.J. O’Rourke, Jonathon Ramsey, Steve Siler, Pete Sucheski, James and Driver, P.O. Box 37870,
Pentwater, MI Tate, John Voelcker Boone, IA 50037 for
Editorial Office 1585 Eisenhower Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 inquiries/requests, changes
I never received any official PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. of mailing or email
training on “manual labor.” Editorial Contributions Unsolicited artwork and manuscripts are not accepted, and addresses, subscription
My first taste was picking publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of unsolicited artwork, orders, payments, etc.
up my new Ford Probe from photographs, or manuscripts. Query letters may be addressed to the cars director.
the dealership back in ’94. PERMISSIONS Material in
Stalled it once pulling out Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer Felix DiFilippo this publication may not
of the parking lot, started it be reproduced in any form
back up, and never looked Vice President, Sales Cameron Albergo • NEW YORK East Coast Sales Director Kyle Taylor without permission.
back. Sure, there have been Group Advertising Director Joe Pennacchio Integrated Sales Director Shannon Rigby
times when I’ve “slacked Integrated Sales Account Executive Richard Panciocco Assistant Keierra Wiltshire To order digital back issues,
off” and had a car that did CHICAGO Integrated Sales Director Rick Bisbee • DETROIT Group Advertising Director go to your favorite app store.
the work for me, as is the Samantha Shanahan Executive Sales Director Deb Michael Assistants Toni Starrs, Rene Car and Driver© is a
case now in the name of Tuohy • LOS ANGELES Group Advertising Director Anne Rethmeyer Digital Sales registered trademark of
matrimonial peace and Director Lisa LaCasse Senior Director of Sales Lori Mertz Integrated Sales Director Hearst Autos, Inc. Copyright
happiness, but I’ll take a DIY Susie Miller Digital Account Executive Molly Jolls 2021, Hearst Autos, Inc.
version of any car out there. HEARST DIRECT MEDIA Vice President Christine Hall Sales Manager Celia Mollica All rights reserved.
Captain Clutch, I could use ADMINISTRATION Advertising Services Director Regina Wall
a refresher on heel-and- PRODUCTION Manager Chris Hertwig
toeing if you’re available! CIRCULATION Vice President, Strategy and Business Management Rick Day

—Michael Hanftwurcel Published by Hearst 300 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
Northville, MI President & Chief Executive Officer Steven R. Swartz Chairman William R. Hearst III
Executive Vice Chairman Frank A. Bennack, Jr.
Dyer’s niece mastered the President, Hearst Magazines Group Debi Chirichella
manual trans but stum-
bled with twisting the key. HEARST AUTOS, INC. President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Matarazzo Treasurer Debi
LOL. One of his best! Chirichella Secretary Catherine A. Bostron Chief Brand Officer Eddie Alterman
Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Panzer Executive Director of Finance Paul Neumaier
—Nick Sargent Executive Assistant Erika Nuñez
Lebanon, OH PUBLISHING CONSULTANTS Gilbert C. Maurer, Mark F. Miller
INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS Brazil, China, Greece, Spain
Dyer says he will give manual
lessons “to anyone who PACZKI DAY we had seatbelts, it never you left out the last three
expresses the slightest Elana Scherr’s column men- occurred to me to use them. words. You should have
interest.” Please sign me up. tioning the Polski Fiat 126p added “which is nice.”
brought back some child- —Aleks Zawisza
—Izzy Dear hood memories [“A Seller’s Ottawa, ON —Bruce Kent
Monsey, NY Market,” October 2021]. In Dandridge, TN
those days in Poland, there KARMIC REVIEW Nah—Ed.
were essentially three cars to Kudos to Ed. for the Caddy-
choose from: the small Fiat shack reference in response HAPPY ENDINGS
126p, the big Fiat 125p, and to Ken Waller’s letter in the Why have you never
the sporty-looking Polonez, October 2021 Backfires. I used the word kum-
which the ballers got. The wonder if the Dalai Lama quat in a car review?
126p was my dad’s first new is still golfing these days.
car, and he was on a list for a —Sean Sweaney
few years before he was able —Tom Riley Nashville, TN
to get one. It broke down as Glastonbury, CT
he drove it out of the state- We have—Ed.
run “dealership.” Road-trip In a weak, feeble attempt to
memories included watching get a letter in C/D, I’ll take I have a theory: BMW hit
an adult pack the frunk to the whining, crybaby, nitpick- the M3 with an ugly stick
the brink with small items ing route of many readers. to entice buyers to pur-
(can’t afford to waste space You referenced Caddyshack, chase the more expensive
by putting them in bags) one of the all-time great M5. That is my theory
and sitting on a pile of items movies. Sadly, when quot- and what it is too.
stuffed in the back seat. If ing former groundskeeper,
Cinderella boy, and Masters —Steven Pinkerton
champion Carl Spackler, Auburn, WA

Here is my response
and what it is too—Ed.

9

ENHANCE YOUR ON-ROAD EXPERIENCE

DISCOVER THE CAR AND DRIVER INTELLIDASH+

Intellidash+™ plug-and-play 7” IPS Touchscreen display, puts all the AVAILABLE NOW AT

cutting-edge features of your smartphone conveniently on your vehicle’s
dashboard. Handle navigation, messages, phone calls, music and more
with zero installation or complicated setup. You can even link your

device’s Siri® or Google Assistant™ to control Intellidash+™ using only

the sound of your voice.

ACCESS YOUR SMARTPHONE’S:

GPS CALL MESSAGES MUSIC & CARANDDRIVER.COM/CARACCESSORIES
NAVIGATION CONTROLS READ OUT LOUD PODCASTS

SO THAT HAPPENED
By Ryan White

Spare a In March, an unsuspecting tourist in Hawaii might
Chip? have wandered into one of 2021’s more illus-
trative stories. As reported by Hawaii News Now,
A lot happened in 2021, a pandemic-related rental-car shortage meant that
and some of it was even visitors to Maui interested in a Toyota Camry would
okay. But the long and the be on the hook for more than $700 a day. In Honolulu,
short of it was an industry vans were going for $500 a day and convertibles for up
to $1000. U-Haul, however, held to its standard prices
short on supplies. for vans and pickups, and so moving trucks began
showing up at the beach, surprising no one more than
U-Haul itself.

CAR AND DRIVER ~ JANUARY 2022 ~ ILLUSTRATIONS BY DOMINIC BUGATTO 11

REARVIEW MIRROR

Kaleo Alau, U-Haul Company of Hawaii the industry’s issues would work themselves out
president, told the TV station KHON2 that by the end of the year. But the chip-shortage situa-
during the usual pre-rental interview, cus- tion never got much better. As of early November,
tomers would admit they weren’t moving Lehne says, automakers had announced 9.2 million
anything, saying instead, “Oh, we’re just units lost due to the problem. He notes that various
going to use it to drive around.” accounting practices make that a bit of a squishy
number, but nonetheless, it’s a lot of damn vehicles
In 2021, Stellantis officially became a that can’t move from dealerships to driveways.
company. In an April Fools’ joke, Volks-
wagen tried to convince people it was So, while Tesla’s valuation hit $1 trillion in late
changing its name to Voltswagen, a step October, and Ford’s share price crested to a 20-year
that was at least mildly believable because high at $19.72 in early November (after starting
“Stellantis” is, in fact, real. Showing us all the year under $9 per share), much of the good
how naming should be done, Minnesotans news was based on hope. For Ford, that feeling is
christened a snowplow F. Salt Fitzgerald. pegged to the Bronco, the F-150 Lightning, and
the Maverick [see page 48], all of which shared the
The U.S. Postal Service introduced a new spotlight in 2021. Not that Ford was alone under
mail truck that our own Ezra Dyer described the lights. Chevrolet unveiled a new Corvette Z06,
as looking like a “robot Beluga whale built and GMC rolled out a Hummer EV that weighs
by the East German government.” The more than 9000 pounds and should sprint to 60
roads those trucks will travel get a cautious mph in three seconds [see page 62]. Jeep brought
thumbs-up, as the American Society of Civil back the Grand Wagoneer, designing something
Engineers gave American infrastructure a like a McMansion on wheels. Great place to take a
C– grade, the nation’s best showing in 20 meeting, that Grand Wagoneer.
years. Speaking of improvement (or not, depending on your
preferences), a whole lot of promises were made about future There’s a lot to look forward to in 2022, but
emissions and electrification [see page 14]. there’s also a lot that won’t change. Lehne says the
supply chain remains stretched to capacity. Demand
The year’s biggest story, the thread running through so much continues for phones and video-game systems, and
of what happened, can be summed up by anyone who’s ever contactless payments are more popular than ever,
taken Econ 101. Demand outstripped supply. What happened in and all of those things require semiconductors, and
Hawaii was one example. Here’s another: In May, a cyberattack all it takes is a fire at a factory in Japan or a massive
crippled the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies 45 percent of the storm in Texas to throw the supply into chaos. “Real
East Coast’s gasoline. Pumps ran dry, and people did insane relief will only come with more capacity,” he says.
things like line their trunks with plastic bags full of fuel. The
shortage didn’t last long, and CNN reported that Colonial met When’s that coming? See you in 2023.
the hackers’ ransom demands, giving them nearly $5 million.
JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER
The auto industry would have gladly paid more than that
to solve the year’s stickiest supply-chain slog. There just aren’t
enough silicon semiconductors to go around—particularly
since pandemic-related corporate panic led carmakers to cancel
orders—and the modern vehicle needs more of them than ever.
What began as a sprinkle of bad news in early January—right
around the time Mercedes-Benz showed off a new 56-inch semi-
conductor-rich infotainment display dubbed Hyperscreen—
became a flood by late March. By then, Audi, Ford, General
Motors, Honda, Mercedes, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, Toyota,
Volkswagen, and Volvo all had seen North American production
delays. By April, Ford estimated as much as a 50 percent cut in
production in the second quarter.

Used-car prices jumped 10 percent from March to April, the
highest single-month increase since at least 1953. In May, a Cox
Automotive survey found that 40 percent of new-car shoppers
were willing to pay 12 percent over sticker price. At the time,
the average new car cost almost $42,000, a number that has
continued to climb.

All the way until June, analysts like Henner Lehne, vice
president of global vehicle forecasting for IHS Markit, thought

12

Build Muscle with Plants!

Available wherever books are sold or go to

menshealth.com/plantbasedcookbook

C H A R G I N G A H E A D ~ By John Voelcker NHTSA gets tougher with
Tesla: The safety of Tesla’s
poorly named Autopilot suite
of advanced driver-assistance
systems has been debated
for years. On August 31, the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration requested
information on every car using
Autopilot and every crash the
company is aware of involving
a car equipped with Autopilot.

SEPTEMBER
Luxury goes electric: The
Rolls-Royce Spectre, due in
2023, will be the marque’s first
EV—and Rolls said it plans
to have a fully electric lineup
by 2030.

Came into Focus OCTOBER
New power plants: Within days
of one another, GM, Ford, Stel-
lantis, and Toyota announced
plans to spend billions on bat-
tery plants in North America
that will put them closer to the
development and production of
the cells they’ll need for all the
electric vehicles to come.

The days of Tesla having the EV market largely to itself are over. Car dealers see the writing
on the wall: For years, auto
While EV sales are still a low-single-digit percentage of the market, the tran- dealerships have been a hurdle
sition to electric vehicles gained momentum in 2021. Most manufacturers in getting shoppers to consider
made bold claims about electrified futures, and some made big investments to back electric vehicles. To change
up the big talk. Here’s a timeline of what stood out through the year. that, the National Auto Dealers
Association partnered with
JANUARY house ability) indicate Ford is turn heads at every corner, is the app maker Chargeway to
GM hopes to sell only EVs serious about converting its going with the tide. Next year educate salespeople on how to
by 2035 (with asterisks): The bestseller to a successful EV. we’ll see the concept for an explain EV charging.
largest U.S. automaker said it By fall, Ford would take more all-electric Dodge muscle car
“aspires” to sell only electrics than 160,000 reservations. that’ll hit production in 2024. Tesla reaches $1 trillion
by 2035 for its light-duty valuation: The value of Tesla
lineup. Crucial caveats: Aspira- JULY AUGUST just keeps soaring. Around the
tions aren’t commitments, and Plug-in hybrids return: Battery recall expands to all time it reached $1 trillion, it
300-mile electric trucks may Demand for the RAV4 Prime Chevrolet Bolts: Late in became worth more than the
not qualify as light-duty (GM’s has wildly exceeded Toyota’s 2020, Chevy told Bolt EV own- entire rest of the world’s auto
goal to fully electrify heavy- expectations. Stellantis said ers that some batteries might industry—added together.
duty pickups is 2040). it’ll offer a plug-in hybrid for have a flaw that could cause
every model in the Jeep range a fire. In August, the recall NOVEMBER
MAY by 2025. The Chevrolet Volt is expanded to all 141,000 Bolts Rivian goes public: Rivian
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning dead; long live the Volt? made over six model years, Automotive scored the biggest
debuts: A day after President turning into a slow-motion initial public offering of the year
Biden took a joyride, Ford lit What does an electric catastrophe for GM. A plan for on November 10, finishing the
up its headquarters in electric Challenger sound like? Even battery replacements includes day with a market cap above
blue. The all-electric truck’s Dodge, the home of obscenely software that monitors new $100 billion. That makes it the
specs (up to 300 miles of range powerful V-8 muscle cars that and old batteries. second-most-valuable American
and 563 horses, power-your- automaker, behind only Tesla.

14 ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIS MARCOU ~ JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER



AVERAGE COST OF CARS AND LIGHT TRUCKS In March 2020, in
the early days of
SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS the pandemic, the
average consumer
expenditure on
light trucks was
$39,844. For cars
it was $25,945.
Then the numbers
took off.

$50,000 The Great Recession.
$45,000 New-vehicle sales fell by
$40,000 nearly 40 percent.
Chrysler and General
Motors ended up in
bankruptcy. A lot going
on in that dip.

$35,000

$30,000

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020

Pay Up, You likely know this, because it’s daily news of late, but there’s a chip
and Up shortage, and it’s affecting new-car availability. Limited supply coupled
with strong demand has led automakers and their even more opportunistic
New-vehicle prices dealers to jack up new-car prices, sometimes to shocking highs—for example,
are soaring, but $10,000 added to the sticker for the popular Ford Bronco Sport. Is it just a few
outliers skewing the curve, or is it really as extreme as it seems? For context,
how bad is it really? we looked at government data on the cost of new cars and trucks over the past
History says pretty few decades, and, well, this is pretty dramatic. Think of the rolling slope of the
Great Plains before they hit the Rockies, then bam—the Rockies. How steep
bad indeed. are these slopes? Between the start of 2010 and the middle of 2020, there
were only two months (October 2010 and September 2013) when the average
16 price of a new truck jumped more than $1000 from the month before. Since
October 2020, there have been three. Looking further back, even at the height
of the inflation-fueled price increases of the mid-’70s—the era that introduced
the phrase “sticker shock”—prices for new cars didn’t climb this quickly.

INFOGRAPHIC BY NICOLAS RAPP ~ JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

The MaxJax portable two-post lift is
one of the most versatile DIY tools ever
invented. Its patented design allows you
to get full-sized lift advantages in spaces
with limited ceiling heights. Best of all,
MaxJax is completely portable and can be
setup virtually anywhere. For more info
call 1-844-629-5291 or visit MaxJax.com.

1-844-629-5291 • www.MaxJax.com

©2021 MaxJax, LLC, a subsidiary of BendPak Inc. The MaxJax is protected by one or more patents or claims
of patents in the U.S. and elsewhere. PATENT NO. US 8.256.577 B2 - PATENT NO. US 9.150.395 B2.

autostacker.com 1-888-977-8225

© 2021 BendPak Inc. Autostacker is a division of BendPak. Patent pending.

C R U N C H T I M E ~ By K.C. Colwell

Testing WINNER: FORD MUSTANG MACH-E
Winners
What’s in a Name?
and
Losers The giant test of EVs detailed in our July/August 2021
issue was a few years in the making, and we named
A 20/20 look at 2021’s highs the Ford Mustang the EV of the Year. Sorry, we mean
and lows, as seen through the carefully the Mustang Mach-E. Despite appropriating an icon’s
name, the Mach-E delivers most of the EV goods with
calibrated lens of our testing decent range for a not-crazy sum of money.
department.
WINNER: PORSCHE TAYCAN
LOSER: CADILLAC
Long Game
Off to the Great Unknown
Cadillac had better benchmark the Porsche
Cadillac won everything with its new Blackwing sedans, Taycan when making its EVs [see left],
including two 10Best spots [see page 27]. We even peti- because it’s the only electric on the market
tioned the Hockey Hall of Fame to engrave their names on that doesn’t need a “for an EV” caveat. It’s
the Stanley Cup (we haven’t heard back). But Cadillac is still just plain good. And it has a secret weapon:
a loser this year because it’s throwing in the towel. Just a multispeed gearbox. The first Tesla Road-
when its mainstream cousin Chevrolet spent Cadillac money ster we tested (in 2008) had a two-speed
on a new double-overhead-cam V-8 for the Corvette Z06, transmission, but you couldn’t shift on the
Caddy says “No more internal-combustion V cars.” Quitting fly, and it never made it to production. The
when you’re on top of your game is admirable for an athlete. Taycan’s automatic unlocks EV range like
This is a squandered opportunity. But anyone who has no other model (well, the Audi e-tron GT has
worked at General Motors will tell you that “squandered it, but it’s mostly a rebodied Taycan). In our
opportunity” is the unofficial slogan of the executive suites. real-world highway fuel-economy testing,
most EVs don’t come close to reaching their
18 EPA range estimates—unlike the govern-
ment, we do runs at a realistic 75 mph. But
the two-speed box lowers the motor speed
enough to allow the Taycan to outperform
the EPA’s lab results. In the base Taycan with
the bigger battery, we got a 280-mile range,
55 miles more than the EPA number.

LOSER: HYUNDAI TUCSON WINNERS: WINNERS:
FERRARI SF90 STRADALE AND SUBARU BRZ AND TOYOTA GR86
Keep Waiting BUGATTI CHIRON SPORT
5.4
No one ever said a family-oriented SUV Others Should
needs to light up the drag strip, but on Just Quit seconds
the other hand we hadn’t expected the
redesigned Tucson with the base The big Bug crushed the Porsche The new Subaru BRZ and
2.5-liter engine to achieve one of the 918 Spyder’s quarter-mile Toyota GR86, which share
year’s slowest 60-mph times. (We record of 9.7 seconds at 145 mph almost everything, including
thought for sure it would beat the 8780- by turning a 9.4-second pass a 228-hp 2.4-liter flat-four,
pound AEV Prospector XL, a modified at—gulp—158 mph. Desperate gained a lot of acceleration
Ram 2500 with the Cummins diesel and to qualify for a sub-10-second from a lawn mower’s worth of
40-inch tires.) But with an 8.8-second NHRA license? Rent one of these added power—just 23 horses.
run, the Tucson rolled slower than we French missiles and head to a Times to 60 mph went from
could have imagined. That is part of a sanctioned event. Ferrari let us the low-six-second range in
larger trend we’ve observed with new test its SF90 Stradale at India- the previous generation to 5.4
Hyundai and Kia products that don’t napolis Motor Speedway. We’d seconds. Plus, they’re just
allow brake torquing at launch, effec- prefer to borrow one and test it wonderful little coupes.
tively eliminating the low-end acceler- at our home track, the Chelsea During a comparison test, we
ation benefit of a torque converter’s Proving Grounds, but the Brick- pondered the potential great-
torque multiplication. yard is an okay alternative, we ness of a small sedan built on
suppose. Anyway, before lapping this platform. It would be a
LOSER: TESLA the 986-hp hybrid on the road modern-day Datsun 510 and
course, we ran it through our the only manual-transmission
Hello? Anyone There? normal testing gauntlet, and it rear-driver in a class flooded
trumped the 2.1-second 60-mph with CVTs and front-drivers.
Tesla needs to stop trying to sprint that the Porsche 918 and Your move, Toyobaru.
become the Ferrari of EV makers, 911 Turbo S laid down in 2014
and that isn’t a comment on and 2020, respectively, with a
performance or build quality. Hey, 2.0-second time. Stupendo.
Tesla: When you loan a car to the
media (any media, not just us), let WINNER: TESLA MODEL S PLAID
them test it as they see fit and
don’t try to control every tiny Mel Brooks Should Get Royalties
aspect. Everyone is anxious to
learn about how quick you can The road test is on page 54, but here’s a preview: The Model S Plaid is quick. How
make a 10-year-old car, but if you quick? With a 9.4-second time slip, as quick as the Chiron [see above], but the EV
only allow independent outlets to traps slower at 151 mph. It’s worth noting that we test cars—EV or gasser—with a
test on a prepped surface, you full tank, so there’s a chance the Chiron could burn through enough fuel to unify
look like you don’t have confi- the quarter-mile title. While internal-combustion cars can get quicker as they
dence in your cars. Also, we don’t burn off fuel, no EV will as its state of charge drops. And we don’t bend testing
mind if you don’t loan us cars the protocols to suit a car. Now we just need to get our hands on a Rimac.
way you do other journalists.
We’ll rent or borrow what we 19
need and get the story done. And
we’ll get it done to our standards.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY T.M. DETWILER

EZRA DYER

E ver since the advent of the iPad, I’ve ques- reported that it had DVD players. We had a three-
tioned the value of factory in-car video hour drive ahead of us, so I went to Walmart and
entertainment systems. You’re going to stocked up. Perhaps you’re not a connoisseur of the
pay extra for a pair of screens in your car? chain’s huge DVD bins, but they’re filled with ran-
An iPad is now $329, and it isn’t glued to dom movies at varying prices. The $7.50 bin included
your headrest. But I’ve experienced a a four-disc Batman set (two Michael Keatons, a Val
change of heart, a glorious enlighten- Kilmer, and a George Clooney) that went in the cart.
ment revealing that the path to seatback I also grabbed the Hobbit trilogy and both original
entertainment nirvana is not through a Bill & Ted flicks, Excellent Adventure and Bogus
Journey. Now we were road-trip ready.
tablet. We need to save the DVD players.
But when we piled into the QX80, I realized the
My 2020 Chrysler Pacifica has all manner of rear-seat most bogus journey was the one we were about to
take, for there were no DVD players. The screen on
video options, including HDMI ports. But the DVD player is the headrests flipped forward, away from the seat,
leading my kid to infer that there was a DVD slot at
our road-trip default. If you want to watch a movie in a car, the top. But no—flipping the screen revealed only an
SD-card slot. An SD slot! Is that progress? Because it
the digital versatile disc is the ideal option. It doesn’t require seems like downloading a movie and copying it onto
an SD card treads mighty close to burning-your-
batteries or broadband. You don’t have to pair it with any- own-DVD levels of inconvenience and illegality.

thing. DVDs are cheap and won’t burn through your cellular Like many modern vehicles, the Infiniti has
plenty of non-DVD media options, but all of them
data plan. Pop one in, wait through the FBI warning, and depend on either a robust internet connection or
someone having the foresight to download their
you’ve got a mobile cinema experience. Hope you brought chosen media in advance. I tried the streaming
gambit, wherein you grab a Roku from your house
some popcorn. and plug it into the car’s HDMI port, but the QX80’s
Wi-Fi required an AT&T subscription, and I couldn’t
Therefore, I was righteously psyched when my 11-year- get the Roku to recognize my phone as a hotspot.
Nor had I downloaded any movies that I could mir-
old climbed into the back of a loaner 2022 Infiniti QX80 and ror to the screens. That requires planning. You know
what doesn’t require much planning? Stashing a Bill
20 & Ted DVD in your car in case you need it one day.

With DVD players increasingly getting the ax, I
apprehensively asked Stellantis whether it kept the
Pacifica’s for the 2021 refresh. The answer was yes
for most trims. But the Pacifica is the holdout. Stel-
lantis killed off most of its DVD players in 2018. To
address the issue of offline entertainment, the Jeep
Grand Wagoneer is available with Amazon Fire TV
for Auto, which can download movies straight to
the car, but the fine print reads: “Vehicle must be in
active and usable cellular range. Requires a Wi-Fi
data plan and linked Amazon account. Streaming
service subscriptions are not included.” I stared at
my Batman DVD, and it didn’t say any of that.

The in-car DVD player is a victim of unjustified
techno-snobbery—it’s perfectly suited to its mis-
sion, but physical media just seems so archaic. To
which I say, let’s own the throwback image. Play it
up. Give me a QX80 Denon home-theater system,
and let’s cue up the lobby scene in The Matrix. Just
because a technology has been around for a while
doesn’t make it automatically obsolete. You know,
like magazines.

ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK BACON ~ JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

MUDFLAPS
BUMPSTEP®

WHEN WINTER STRIKES,

YOU’RE READY

Auto. Home. Pet. Find Your Fit.

ELANA SCHERR

Driver facturers of accessible-vehicle conversions. “Braun
Assists is considered the father of adapted-vehicle mobil-
A disability doesn’t have to mean a lack of mobility. ity technology,” says Danny Langfield, CEO of the
Some people use custom equipment and strategies National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association
that get them behind the wheel safely. (NMEDA). “Ralph started it all.”

“I t’s wicked important,” says Mark Whitehouse, Modifications have come a long way since Braun’s
a retired driving-rehab instructor. “Wicked Jeep. Dodge vans have given way to minivans, which
important.” He’s gotten rather fired up while offer expansive floor space and a large door opening.
we’re talking, his mellow Florida-tinged accent Companies like BraunAbility and Vantage Mobility
turning steadily more Massachusetts over the International (VMI) stay in contact with OEMs so
course of the conversation. “Picture you can’t they can quickly bring accessible versions to mar-
drive,” he says, “can’t drive to work, to the store, ket. VMI’s most recent triumph is a conversion of
to socialize. You’re stuck. When you drive your an all-wheel-drive Toyota Sienna hybrid. Customers
car, it feels great, doesn’t it? Feels free.” want all-wheel drive, but SUVs are harder to lower
and offer less flexible space, so minivans remain the
Whitehouse believes everyone should have adapted vehicle of choice.

a chance at that feeling, even if vehicles need to be modi- I think minivans are better than SUVs anyhow,
but younger drivers aren’t always stoked on van
fied or people taught different ways to drive. That’s what life. “If you’re 20, coming out of college, you might
not want to be in a minivan,” says Joan Cramer, an
driving rehab is: a combination of occupational therapy, occupational therapist and driver-rehabilitation
specialist at the Next Street, a driving school in
doctors’ input, modified vehicles, and specialized training Connecticut. For folks who just need a little assis-
tance with steering or pedal extension, almost any
so people who have physical or cognitive disabilities can car can be modified, but for those who need more
room, you’re looking at a minivan. Usually even the
get behind the wheel. college kids admit it can be fun when they drive one.
“I had one client come in all excited about his van,”
It’s not a new concept. In the early ’60s, an engineer Cramer says. “He told me, ‘My boys are making it a
pad in the back. Gonna have a couch, a TV, and a
named Ralph Braun developed a lift system on a Jeep for stereo.’” Ooh, custom customized van, a little his-
torical hat tip to the Dodge vans that started this.
himself, and other wheelchair users expressed interest. By
I wondered whether modern driver assists are
the ’70s, BraunAbility was modifying Dodge vans for dis- making adapted driving easier. Everyone I talked
with said autonomous driving, if it ever matures, will
abled drivers. Today it is one of the world’s largest manu- change the game, but in the meantime, technolo-
gies they’re excited about include automatic high-
beams and electronic hand brakes. “The newer cars
are a double-edged sword,” Langfield says. “On one
hand, automatic features like rain-sensing wipers
and standard backup cameras are a real boon, but
on the other, there’s added complexity and cost.”

The financial aspect can be daunting. While a
simple modification like a tri-pin steering device—
which allows someone with diminished grip ability
to use a steering wheel—might cost around $200,
a full vehicle conversion could reach six figures.
Insurance rarely covers such expenses, but manu-
facturer rebates and government programs can help.
Connecting clients with financial solutions is a goal
of the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Special-
ists, a national organization founded in 1977 whose
purpose, shared with NMEDA, is to spread the word
that assistance is available, and that a disability
doesn’t have to mean the end of driving.

22 ILLUSTRATION BY GIANNA MEOLA ~ JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER



Made in USA

FLOORLINER™
CARGO/TRUNK LINER

Auto. Home. Pet. Find Your Fit.

SCORE YOUR
INVITE TO NEXT
YEAR’S 10BEST

TESTING

On September 22, 2021, a group of Track Club Founders joined
Car and Driver editors for the annual 10Best testing. Founders

were granted unprecedented access to 100 cars, trucks,
and SUVs as editors selected the 2022 10Best winners.

JOIN THEM FOR 10BEST 2023 AND SO MUCH MORE.
BECOME A TRACK CLUB MEMBER TODAY.

NOW POWERED BY

ROADANDTRACK.COM/JOINNOW

IN THE 40TH INSTALLMENT OF OUR 10BEST AWARDS, WE FIND OUR CHAMPS FIT, VIGOROUS, AND FULL OF GOODNESS.
Over a two-week period, we pitted last year’s heroes against new or significantly redone cars and trucks that

fall under our base-price cutoff of $90,000. That ensures that 10Best winners aren’t just the best of what’s new,
but the best of the car world. After scrutinizing, testing, and voting, we present to you the 10Best of 2022.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEXANDER WELLS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN ROE 27

Porsche’s
Boxster arRived in
1997 and has captured 23
10Best TROPHIES. The cayman
joined the list in 2007
and has remained on it

ever since.

Legends of

TEWHAITCEHHPBDOBYARLRYESI-NCCTDHH0E-ACD7NEA1P8YIPNOFUCSASRMAAENBDILDIIYLBMILATEINYKDDEARDNTIUHDVFEIMNFVGAWNENGXEPTRIESR.IENCE

28

The very first
volkswagen
GTI made our

inaugural 10Best
list in 1983. Since
then, the GTI has
apPeared 18 more

times. it’s now
enjoying a 16-
year streak that
started in 2007
with the fifth

generation.

29

the numbers

300-hp turbo 2.0-liter flat-4, 350-hp turbo
2.5-liter flat-4, 394-hp 4.0-liter flat-6; 6-speed
manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Base: $61,850–$88,750
C/D Test Results
• 60 mph ................................................. 3.4–4.4 sec
• 1/4-Mile .............................................. 11.6–13.0 sec
• Top Speed (mfr’s claim) .............. 170–182 mph
• Braking, 70–0 mph ............................. 142–149 ft
• Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ....... 1.01–1.04 g
EPA Comb/City/Hwy .... 19–24/17–21/23–27 mpg

THE SPORTS-CAR IDEAL speed and acrobatics. Rather, their
performance is multidimensional, a
T scenery the six-cylinder Cayman GTS 4.0. result of a shimmering combination
Unfortunately, the Cayman GT4, of poise, grace, and grit.
and the fixed-top Cayman, both of 718 Spyder, Boxster GTS 4.0, and PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC URBANO
which we honor here once again. 25 Years commemorative edition all We’ve said it before: In this dig-
Their performance heroics have been sticker above our 10Best price cap. ital age, the 718s feel like analog
handed down through four genera- throwbacks—and we mean that as
tions. In the 25 years since the Box- If you’ve followed these cars’ story the highest of compliments. Nobody
ster went on sale in the U.S., it and arc through the years, you know that does electrically assisted power
the Cayman—which arrived from the kind of speed they’re famous for steering better than Porsche; your
planet Porsche too late in the 2006 goes far beyond drag-strip perfor- hands feel exactly what the front
model year to win that year—have mance. Of course they’re quick— tire patches are doing, just like in
earned our 10Best award 23 times. the least swift version we’ve tested the days of hydraulic assist. Every
in recent times, a 2020 Cayman T 718 we’ve tested corners at 1.01 g’s or
For 2022, the 718 Boxster mod- with the standard 300-hp turbo- better, but the ride is supple enough
els that get the key to our city are charged 2.0-liter flat-four and six- to invite thousand-mile jaunts. Their
the base four-cylinder roadster, the speed manual gearbox, scampered manual shifters scythe through the
T, and the S. They’re joined by the to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The gates without resistance, and their
Cayman coupe, T, and S as well as six-cylinder model dips dual-clutch automatics are lightning
into the mid-three- quick yet also flawlessly behaved
30 second range. Yet around town. Even the base flat-four,
the 718s are more thumpy and grumbly at low speeds,
than grown-up sounds sonorous at its 7400-rpm red-
Hot Wheels cars line; the GTS’s six envelops you in a
capable only of high-rpm yowl that you’ll never tire
short bursts of of. The brakes resist fade more stub-
bornly than a kid faced with eating a
plateful of broccoli.

Yes, 718s are expensive, but we’ve
yet to meet anyone who’s driven one
and doesn’t think they’re worth
every penny. And, yes, Porsche’s
usurious options list is scarily seduc-
tive. But every 718 on this list—and,
truth be told, those too pricey to earn
a spot—makes going fast easy, com-
fortable, and confidence inspiring.
It doesn’t matter what speed you’re

going, though. More than most
anything else on four
wheels, the 718s will
make you feel bet-
ter about how well
you are driving.
Any car that can
do that is defi-
nitely a hero.

VOLKSWAGENBOX OF JOY GTI clutch gearbox. We’d FINER
pick the stick, obviously, POINTS
but the auto remains
one of the best. Pulled directly from
staff notebooks, what
Beneath its familiar follows is our commen-
exterior, the eighth-gen tary on the vehicles that
GTI has been substan- didn’t make 10Best.
tially reworked, with a
revised rear suspension ACURA TLX TYPE S
featuring firmer tuning.
The ultra-adjustable Throaty V-6 engine,
adaptive dampers allow chassis puts down the
for a setup precisely power well, lots of grip.
tailored to almost I like the simple gauge
anything, even the cluster. Decently priced
crucible of rough- too. —Joey Capparella
edged and awkwardly
cambered roads we use BMW M3 COMPETITION
for 10Best evaluation.
Driven back to back with
Don’t worry, though— the CT4-V Blackwing, the
the GTI has been spared Bimmer doesn’t feel as

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES LIPMAN Can consistency be a enough to absorb the than its predeces- playful, alive, or, well,
superpower? It seems winter-scarred roads sor’s in places, and good. —Eric Stafford
improbable, like a super- of the Rust Belt, easy Volkswagen’s War on
hero forgoing a cape to park in big cities, Buttons has resulted FORD F-150 LIMITED
or opting not to wear and more than happy to in shiny, fingerprint-
their underpants on the serve as uncomplaining hungry surfaces and So, this is what it’s like
outside. But the Volks- transport on long inter- capacitive controls that to have a TV in your car?
wagen Golf GTI’s enduring state journeys. Thanks
strength has been that to the eighth gen’s to these, but deciding to Seriously, the F-150’s
it brings fun to the performance-focused bury many of the dynamic touchscreen is almost
everyday. That longstand- technology (standard functions that enthusi- as big as my first flat-
ing ability to foster joy electronically controlled astic drivers will likely screen. —Eric Stafford
is what makes it special. limited-slip differential want to tweak inside a
and brake-based torque labyrinth of submenus FORD MUSTANG MACH 1
Well before the new vectoring, available seems like a sadistic
eighth-generation car adaptive dampers) and example of Germanic If you missed the Shelby
arrived, the GTI was one peppy turbocharged logic. Superheroes need GT350, too bad. But if
of our most awarded 2.0-liter inline-four, some flaws, right? you missed the Bullitt,
10Besters, often in con- it will also demolish a here you go. —Ezra Dyer
junction with a Jetta or canyon road like few The GTI remains a
Golf sibling. This marks other front-drivers, daily-drive hero, one FORD MUSTANG MACH-E
its 19th appearance since proving that 241 horse- that heart and head
1983. It has never been power remains enough can equally justify. It’s Thank you, Ford, for an
difficult to see the allure: for genuine excitement. the car that marks the electric car with an on/
a bona fide German It’s not about how much point where ordinary off button. —Elana Scherr
performance car with you’ve got but about becomes extraordinary.
an affordable price—the how much you can use. ILLUSTRATIONS BY
$30,540 base figure the numbers JIM HATCH
qualifies by the over- We love that the bare-
wrought standards of the bones GTI still offers a 241-hp turbo 2.0-liter inline-4;
current market—plus the six-speed manual with 6-speed manual, 7-speed
practicality of five seats, the more popular option dual-clutch automatic
good fuel economy, and of a seven-speed dual- Base: $30,540
a larger cabin than some C/D Test Results (Autobahn
compact crossovers. 7-sp auto)
• 60 mph ............................. 5.7 sec
The hot-hatch genre • 1/4-Mile ..... 14.2 sec @ 102 mph
was born in Europe, and • Top Speed ...................... 128 mph
many of them have died • Braking, 70–0 mph ......... 150 ft
there as well, being too • Roadholding,
harsh and expensive for 300-ft Skidpad .................. 0.98 g
American tastes. The EPA Comb/City/
GTI is not. It’s compliant Hwy .................... 28/24–25/34 mpg

Everydayactsof

C1T0HOBELELMSECTOTSHTIITSASTWO3AR6RYTDHIESTDBRCAOACPRKHYITN.O

THE POWER OF FAMILY The Accord can’t claim that it got hp turbocharged 2.0-liter, its 5.4-sec-
to the top because of incredible accel- ond 60-mph time is quick enough to
T eration or sports-car performance. dust a snoozing BMW 3-series. The
That’s not to say there’s anything reason the Accord keeps racking up
a dull drive or a boring car can lead wrong with the numbers: Even in its 10Best trophies—36 of them—is
to ominous despair. The Honda most stripped-down LX trim, that it’s the perfect tool for the job.
Accord’s traditional shape might not with a turbocharged 1.5- It balances power, fuel economy, and
thrill when you look at it in a parking liter four and a contin- handling in a way that punches out of
lot, but driving it is a revelation. uously variable auto- the family-sedan segment.
matic transmission,
32 the Accord runs to Reliable and trustworthy, the
60 mph in a fleet Accord has your back. Can a vehicle
6.6 seconds; with be empathetic? No, but its builders
the optional 252-
can, and Honda designed
a package that rec-
ognizes the needs
of the average
driver, meets
them, and then
goes after the
desires of the
enthusiast.

The defender of family-
sedan goOdnesS

continues to bravely
face the unstopPable

SUV menace.

INSET PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL SIMARI Our notes on the Accord are its only trick. Even the numbers
mostly variations on a theme about the thirstiest 2.0T
its composed ride quality and unflus- sips fuel at 34 mpg in 192-hp turbo 1.5-liter inline-4, 181-hp AC motor
tered cornering. We can’t really call our 75-mph highway + 143-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 (212 hp combined),
this unexpected, since we’ve been fuel-economy test, so 252-hp turbo 2.0-liter inline-4; 10-speed
delighting in refined and practical sailing past gas stations can automatic, continuously variable automatic,
Accords for decades. It remains the be added to the Accord’s long direct-drive
undercover sports sedan—there’s list of strengths. Base: $26,485–$33,625
soul beneath that four-door exterior. C/D Test Results
Such is the Accord’s basic good- • 60 mph ................................................... 5.4–7.1 sec
As the Accord has grown larger ness that it will awaken latent driving • 1/4-Mile .............................................. 14.0–15.7 sec
over the years, so has its cabin. Space enthusiasm. But if the performance • Top Speed ........................................... 115–126 mph
in both the front and rear seats is doesn’t get you or there’s too much • Braking, 70–0 mph ............................. 165–189 ft
impressive, and the Accord rivals traffic, the easy-to-use infotainment • Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad .... 0.83–0.89 g
the most popular SUVs for passen- system comes standard with Blue- EPA Comb/City/
ger comfort. The trunk is massive tooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Hwy ................................... 26–47/22–48/32–47 mpg
(including in the hybrid version) with Auto. The Accord might look mild
best-in-class cargo capacity. mannered, but in the occasional 33
blissful moments tucked between
Prices start just above $26,000, family hauling and freeway crawling,
and a fully loaded Accord Touring it dons a costume as soon as you want
2.0T comes in below $40,000. Pro- it to transform.
tecting your wallet at the dealer isn’t

THE Flash
TAPHNEUEDRCNCFOVDHOAREERLVNVUMEIRAETAOBTNALELRCEE’SEET.
BVAYNDDAEVREWERP

ThreE years AGO,
the CorvetTe
switched to a

mid-engine layout. it
hasn’t misSed our
10Best list since.

34

GREATEST AMERICAN HERO behind the driver comes with some FINER
negatives, such as atrocious rear POINTS
Chevrolet visibility. But the mid-engine hasn’t
Corvette harmed the Corvette’s practicality; GENESIS G70
stingray it retains a sizable rear trunk that
will swallow a twosome’s golf clubs. There’s a lot going for
e love performance. it: a stunning interior
Plop into the driver’s seat and that’s a class above, a
W But we also love the Corvette’s powers are yours. A potent V-6, dialed-in
saving money. That’s narrow driver’s area and the tall wall steering, strong brakes,
why the Chevrolet of buttons bisecting the cabin are and an enjoyable driving
Corvette’s appeal, its focused on the driver. The 490- or experience. —David Beard
495-hp 6.2-liter V-8 combines with the
superpower, what sets dual-clutch automatic’s launch-con- HONDA CIVIC
trol abilities and the newfound
it apart from all the traction from the mid-engine layout Feels more alive than
to enable blasts to 60 mph in 2.8 the Jetta—more eager
other cars, trucks, and seconds. Sharp steering slices and
dices corners right up to its heady handling and better
SUVs on the market today 1.03-g cornering capability. When control feel. —Drew Dorian
you want to erase speed, the brakes
that didn’t get the votes, is one do so without the slightest fluster. HONDA CIVIC TYPE R
Whether you’ve selected the targa or LIMITED EDITION
we hold dear: It’s the best performance the convertible, the roof comes off
should your mood go from lap times The rear wing catches
bargain. But should you be thinking to cruise time. It’s not just the top your peripheral vision
that adapts. Whether you’re using this like a tailgater. It’s like
that the Corvette is more about the car for a dull commute or a weekend when a cat gets sur-
away, the ride isolation and interior prised by its twitching
deal than the business of going fast, noise levels are almost mid-size-sedan tail: “Oh, that’s my own
pleasant, with or without the truly butt!” —Elana Scherr
we’ll emphasize that it is flat-out excellent optional adaptive dampers.
HYUNDAI SONATA N LINE
quicker around a challenging track This year marks the Corvette’s
23rd time on the 10Best list, and this A lot of power and a lot of
than anything else on this list, even latest iteration—more than anything fun. But if you want poise
else on this list and more than any and refinement, too, the
the Porsche Boxster and Cayman. The Corvette before it—makes good on Accord 2.0T is the sedan
the design’s superhero looks.
Corvette delivers a supercar experience for you. —Tony Quiroga
the numbers
at a sports-car base price of $62,195.
490- or 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8; 8-speed dual-clutch
And that next-level vibe extends beyond automatic
Base: $62,195–$76,040
its go-fast abilities and test numbers. C/D Test Results (Z51 targa)
• 60 mph ................................................................. 2.8 sec
The eighth-generation Corvette • 1/4-Mile .......................................... 11.2 sec @ 122 mph
• Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ............................. 184 mph
has a no-excuses interior in its upper • Braking, 70–0 mph ............................................. 149 ft
• Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ....................... 1.03 g
trim levels, with an Italian-level flair EPA Comb/City/Hwy .............................. 19/16/24 mpg

to its multitiered and multicolored

leather options. Chevrolet also now

offers more customization options.

You can even choose your own VIN or

take delivery at the National Corvette

Museum, adjacent to the assembly

plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The sea change in moving the engine

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARC URBANO HYUNDAI TUCSON

Did someone pull a plug
wire out of the 2.5-liter
four? This thing is seri-
ously slow. —Tony Quiroga

explosive

The RAM 1500
nabs a THIRD 10Best
trophy in a row for a line-
up of trucks that includes
workhorses, one with 702
horses, and everything

in betweEn.

36

FORDTAHBSERTOBRHYNAECJYMAOONAE1DA5RYKR0EC.E0CAP.PAOACPSNPOAUDGRLWLEOTLAEOHLLRDAEL.

New to the List, the BRONCO haS roOts
that can be traced to the Ranger

pickup. it transcends the basic na-
ture of its origins with smart pack-
aging and a uniquely fun personality.

37

SQUARED UP We didn’t choose the Bronco Having the right ingredients—
for this award simply because it’s a body-on-frame construction and a
F better Wrangler—it’s much more. top you can take off—likely would
Brimming with personality, it rep- have been enough for the Bronco to
argue that much of the Jeep’s appeal resents a triumph of smart ideas, succeed. Ford went a step further,
lies in its antiquated charm, Ford’s clever engineering, and good timing. elevating the truck’s character with
new Bronco proves there is a much The Bronco name had been gone good execution. The steering isn’t just
better way. from Ford dealerships for about better than a Wrangler’s; it’s accu-
two decades, and now its return rate and precise. The turbocharged
Whereas the Wrangler is stub- has inspired a level of fanaticism 2.3-liter inline-four and twin-turbo
bornly archaic, the Bronco is char- seen only in rare moments when a 2.7-liter V-6 engines have plenty
ismatically nostalgic. It effectively much-anticipated new release actu- of torque to deal with the Bronco’s
evokes the spirit of an ancestor—the ally lives up to the hype. prodigious heft (its extra poundage
beachy first-gen Bronco from the is one of the few specs where it falls
1960s—while tweaking the formula It helps that the Bronco fits in short of the Jeep). And the interior is
just enough to be a modern SUV perfectly with the current off-road a nice place to spend time, with crisp
that’s pleasant for daily driving. The craze and that Ford has done a good displays, comfortable seats, plenty of
Wrangler sticks with recirculating- job catering (read: pandering) to room, and easy-to-use controls.
ball steering and live axles front and dirt enthusiasts. Demand for the
rear; by contrast, the Bronco’s more Bronco is through the roof—no pun It’s not often that vehicles this
modern rack-and-pinion steering intended—and due to supply-chain special reside within an accessible
and independent front suspension issues, many who have placed an price bracket, but the Bronco starts
make it far more comfortable and order continue to wait. Would-be just above $30,000, and even well-
refined without sacrificing much owners post excitedly as they follow equipped models sit below $50,000.
rock-crawling capability. their vehicle’s production status like Above all, the entire Bronco experi-
they’re tracking a Domino’s pizza ence—driving it, looking at it, and
delivery. This is the fervor that can being seen in it—is just plain fun.
result when an automaker listens to
what the people want rather than the numbers
relying on gimmicks and marketing.
300-hp turbo 2.3-liter inline-4, 330-hp
twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6; 7-speed manual,
10-speed automatic
Base: $30,795–$42,630
C/D Test Results
• 60 mph .................................................. 6.3–7.0 sec
• 1/4-Mile ............................................. 15.0–15.5 sec
• Top Speed .................................................. 106 mph
• Braking, 70–0 mph .............................. 197–217 ft
• Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ................ 0.71 g
EPA Comb/City/Hwy .... 17–21/16–20/18–22 mpg

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC URBANO

38

FINER
POINTS

raM 1500HAVE IT YOUR WAY No matter how you HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ
luride’s EPA numbers. If option your 1500, you
get the same supple ride, Is the world dying
you’re willing to put fuel smooth and accurate for a cute ute with a
steering, and noise levels bed out back? Good
economy aside, go for that rival luxury cars question. —Rich Ceppos
(as low as 65 decibels at
When it comes to hero the 395-hp 5.7-liter V-8 70 mph). Unfortunately, JEEP WAGONEER
the 5.0-inch touchscreen
worship, we tend to with or without 48-volt that’s standard in the Pretty underwhelming
base truck looks like a interior at the $82,500
revere sports cars and hybrid assist. That said, Game Boy, and you have as-tested price. What is
to upgrade to the 8.4-inch this, the same rubber-
sports sedans. But cir- the base 305-hp 3.6-liter screen to get Apple ized dash material from
CarPlay and Android Auto. the Compass? [Checks
cumstances often call for is more than enough A tablet-like 12.0-inch Compass.] Yes, yes it
display is also available. is. —Dave VanderWerp
the space and capability engine for work and
There is no decree JEEP WRANGLER
of a pickup. For too long, play; when paired with that we have to put a RUBICON 392
pickup on our 10Best list.
living the truck life meant the shorter axle ratio, The Ram earns its spot Ridiculous, not entirely
because it excels at all safe, stupidly entertain-
tolerating a jarring ride, it carries a tow rating the pickup things, is so ing. Love it. —Mike Sutton
refined that you forget I put a heart next to it in
an interior with the of up to 7690 pounds. you’re hauling manure, my notes. —Elana Scherr
offers exceptional value,
charm of a hard hat, and In its most tow-capable and, finally, can even KIA CARNIVAL
be fun to drive. Case in
frequent $100 fill-ups. configuration, a V-8 Ram point: the 702-hp super- Kia builds a Tellu-
charged TRX, which will ride minivan, and it’s
And then the current Ram is rated for 12,750. Spec- hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. great. —Tony Quiroga
From the base version to
1500 arrived. In 2009, it sheet hawks know those the one with a big blower, KIA SORENTO
the Ram clearly deserves
started this century’s numbers aren’t class our glorification. A capable and refined
SUV that unfortunately
coil-spring revolution— leading, but chasing a the numbers lives in the shadow of the
Telluride. —Tony Quiroga
the one that involves tow rating would com- 260-hp turbo 3.0-liter diesel V-6,
305-hp 3.6-liter V-6, 395-hp
pickups—a change that promise the composure 5.7-liter V-8, 702-hp supercharged
6.2-liter V-8; 8-speed automatic
meant an uncomfort- of the Ram 1500. If Base: $36,195–$75,275
C/D Test Results
able ride is no longer a you’re pulling more, get • 60 mph ......................... 3.7–8.1 sec
• 1/4-Mile .................... 12.2–16.0 sec
pickup-truck given. Ram a three-quarter-ton. • Top Speed ................. 107–118 mph
• Braking, 70–0 mph ... 177–208 ft
outfitted the cabin with While four-door, • Roadholding,
300-ft Skidpad .......... 0.67–0.78 g
materials good enough six-passenger sedans EPA Comb/City/
Hwy ............ 12–26/10–23/14–33 mpg
for a luxury sedan— have gone extinct, the

refreshing for folks who configuration is alive

daily drive pickups. and well in pickups. The

Equipped with four- Ram’s wide front bench

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDI HEDRICK wheel drive and the makes sitting three across

optional turbo-diesel easier than it’s been since

3.0-liter V-6, the latest the ’70s. And if you go

Ram gets better EPA fuel with the bigger Crew Cab

economy than the Kia over the still-spacious

Telluride. Even a 3.6-liter Quad Cab—both have four

V-6 version with four- doors—the back seat is

wheel drive can match more like a studio apart-

the all-wheel-drive Tel- ment than a 1973 Imperial.

Perhaps you’ve
noticed that the CADIlLAC
CT4-V BLACKWING made the
list and the BMW M3 didn’t. WelL,
that’s because the CadilLac is
more fun, handles betTer,

and is the superior
sports sedan.

The league OF

EXTRaordinARY

SEDANS

TWO OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD FOUR-DOORS FROM CADILLAC.

BY JOE LORIO AND TONY QUIROGA

40 JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

While the apPeal
of the CADIlLAC CT5-V
BLACKWING’s 668-hp engine
can’t be overstated, the
brand’s supersedan won us
over with its combination of
refinement and best-in-

clasS handling.

41

THE LAST SWING

FINER

Cadillac CT5-VPOINTS

LEXUS NX350 A come out of nowhere. The car is built
on General Motors’ Alpha archi-
upscale. —Drew Dorian certainly staggering: a 668-hp 6.2-liter tecture, which has given us keen
V-8 with 659 pound-feet of torque, just driving machines such as the track
MITSUBISHI over two tons of curb weight, a stan- monster Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
OUTLANDER 2.5 dard six-speed manual, the purity of and the 10Best-winning Cadillac CTS
rear-wheel drive. V-Sport. More broadly, the CT5-V
SEL S-AWC Blackwing is the culmination of
The odds would have probably Cadillac’s two-decade effort to create
Lord, is it slow. It improved more after the CT5-V a world-beating sports sedan.
doesn’t go faster with Blackwing vanquished the BMW
more throttle, just gets M5 Competition and the Audi RS7 Well, it’s here. The car has an
louder. —Elana Scherr in a comparison test, racking up per- insane powertrain and a chassis to
fect scores in the categories of per- match. GM’s magnetorheological
NISSAN FRONTIER formance, steering feel, brake feel, dampers do their usual brilliant
handling, and ride. work. Tactile, perfectly weighted
A small truck that drives steering makes an M3’s feel syn-
big. —Dave VanderWerp Still, making C/D’s 10Best list thetic. The fabulously firm brake
is never a given. A car has to prove pedal doesn’t need multiple modes,
PORSCHE MACAN GTS its mettle at our two-week testing but it has them.
event (which saw 67 contenders
Head and shoulders above this year) and must also effectively Of course, we love that the Black-
anything else in this knock out one of the previous year’s wing comes standard with three ped-
champs. The big-daddy Caddy, als, which signals its intense driver
class in terms of steering though, was the most talked-about focus. But if the muscle-building
feel, power delivery, car there, and the superlatives clutch is too much for your com-
poured in: “Unbelievably quick and mute, there’s always the 10-speed
brake feel—all the things composed.” “Takes your breath automatic. With the latter, the Black-
that make a car good to away.” “Simply epic.” wing hits 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and
drive. —Joey Capparella punches through the quarter-mile
Perhaps another leading indicator in 11.4 at 128 mph (the manual is 0.1
PORSCHE TAYCAN was that the CT5-V Blackwing didn’t second and 3 mph behind).

The most fun you can the numbers As monumental as the perform-
have in a car powered by ance is, there’s more to the Black-
668-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8; 6-speed wing. The goodness of the controls
batteries. —Joe Lorio manual, 10-speed automatic sizzles your synapses even when
Base: $87,090 you’re trundling along in traffic.
C/D Test Results Granted, it’s expensive, with an
• 60 mph ..................................................... 3.5–3.6 sec $87,090 base price, which limbos
• 1/4-Mile .................................................. 11.4–11.6 sec under our $90,000 cap (unlike its
• Top Speed (C/D est) ................................ 209 mph comparison-test challengers).
• Braking, 70–0 mph ................................ 152–154 ft
• Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ........... 1.01–1.02 g The electric supersedans that are
EPA Comb/City/Hwy .............. 15–16/13/21–22 mpg arriving now, and the many more
still to come, might surpass this car
in test numbers, but it’ll likely be
more than a few years until they are
as rewarding to drive as this Cadillac.
The CT5-V Blackwing is one for the
ages. So, yeah, it’s a 10Best winner.
Always bet on Superman.

JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

the numbers

472-hp twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6; 6-speed
manual, 10-speed automatic
Base: $59,990
C/D Test Results (6-sp man)
• 60 mph ......................................................... 4.0 sec
• 1/4-Mile .................................. 12.4 sec @ 116 mph
• Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ...................... 189 mph
• Braking, 70–0 mph ..................................... 153 ft
• Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ................. 1.01 g
EPA Comb/City/Hwy ..... 18–19/15–16/23–24 mpg

CAdillac CT4-V BlackwingIN DEFENSE OF THE LITTLE GUY until you’re exploiting nearly all
better crowd also underscored the 1.01 g’s of grip. Stomping the firm
Perhaps you’re thinking that the CT4’s tidier dimensions and 3851- brake pedal bites off huge chunks
pound curb weight—279 pounds less of speed without a hint of fade.
than the CT5-V Blackwing’s. Less is
The twin-turbo 3.6-liter doesn’t
472-hp CT4-V Blackwing is a mere more, they said, before quoting the roar or dial up speeds the way the
sidekick to the 668-hp CT5-V Black- psalms according to Colin Chapman CT5’s 6.2-liter V-8 can, but the V-6
wing. This notion, while seemingly in the book of Lotus, chapter 7. also doesn’t constantly light up
logical, is quite wrong. Even staffers the rear tires or have the traction-
who prefer the larger Blackwing Out on the twisting and often control system crying for mercy.
bumpy 10Best loop, the CT4-V Driving a CT5-V Blackwing in the
rain is hilarious, but in the same
admit that the smaller one is a spec- Blackwing makes an even more way that watching people slip on
tacular car in its own right. Now, compelling case for itself. Magnetic ice is kind of funny (you sadist).
staff opinion is not unanimous on Ride Control heals broken pavement There’s a six-speed manual, proof
the subject, but by the end of 10Best while keeping the tires in constant that Cadillac cares deeply about
those of us who love cars, and a
testing, the true believers stood up and reliable contact with the road. prescient 10-speed automatic for
to proffer that the CT4-V Blackwing Through the corners, the CT4 flows those who suffer in traffic. With
is the better sports sedan of the two. more gracefully, turns in more the manual, 60 mph is gone in 4.0
eagerly, and moves with a deftness seconds, the quarter passes in 12.4
To make that case, they first its big brother can’t quite match. at 116 mph, and the V-6 gets titanium
pointed to the CT4’s $59,990 base connecting rods. General Motors
promises a 189-mph top speed.
price, a major $27,100 less than the Confidence born of clear feedback
bigger Blackwing. The smaller-is- from the steering and chassis builds Numbers are important, but what
lofts this Cadillac onto the list is
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN ROE A NEW HOME FOR 10BEST the joy it brings with every move.
You could drive it every day and
For decades we’d staged our 10Best testing at a Boy Scout camp revel in its solidity, refinement, and
near Chelsea and Pinckney, Michigan. This year we had to find comfort, but that would be wasting
a new home, but we wanted to remain near the roads that make its potential when every primary
up the 10Best loop. That led us to North Star Reach, a ther- control is alive and begging you to
apeutic camp for families with children who have chronic or push harder, to go faster, to soak
life-threatening illnesses or have just undergone an organ trans- in the dopamine rush of a perfectly
plant. It’s part of the SeriousFun Children’s Network founded clipped apex or a seamless heel-toe
by Paul Newman. To find out more about the camp and the good downshift. No, it doesn’t have a
work it does, visit NorthStarReach.org. —Becca Hackett great interior; it looks more like
a Chevrolet rental than a luxury
car should, but at least things
work as expected. Function über
form, as the Germans like to say.

Buying this car says you
understand and know the differ-
ence between what has a good
reputation and what’s actually
good. It’s a vote for hardware
over marketing. Cadillac put the
driver’s needs and wants over
everything else, and the result is
a sports sedan that will delight
and impress for years to come, at
least in part because nothing like
it is likely to come along again.

43

two against
the world
SFULABWABYRSUEOZAFRNATDHDEYTIEORRYAOFTFAOTREDAAMBLUEPSTPOOFRITXSTCHAER.

THE WONDER TWINS

SUBARU BRZ & TOYOTA GR86

E horsepower and 184 pound-feet of
torque. The new engine transforms
the car’s personality while keeping
it true to its roots. It’s rev happy—
peak horsepower arrives at a fizzy
7000 rpm—but now there’s plenty
of midrange gumption, too, vastly
improving the everyday driving
experience. That newfound muscle
is deployed though optional Miche-
lin Pilot Sport 4 summer rubber that

JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

AfFordable
and pure, the
SUBARU BRZ

and TOYOTA
GR86 deliver
on the prom-

ise of the
rear-drive
sports car.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES LIPMAN increases cornering limits. This is still the next gear and point the won- at any price, which makes it all the
a power-sliding machine, but you no derfully balanced rear-drive chassis more amazing that you can buy into
longer feel like you’re always driving into a corner, the standard Torsen this experience for about $30,000,
on a wet skidpad. limited-slip differential making the give or take a few grand depending
most of it. The relatively narrow on trim and whether you (gasp!)
They also fixed a few things we A-pillars allow for wonderful forward spring for the automatic transmis-
didn’t know needed fixing. Tor- sightlines, letting you place the inside sion. Somehow, Subaru and Toyota
sional rigidity is up 50 percent, front tire exactly where you want grew the BRZ and GR86 into a for-
lending a feeling of absolute solidity it. That even applies at night; the midable sports car without abandon-
that’s uncommon in a car this small optional headlights follow the path ing the essential qualities that made
and affordable. That improvement of the steering, illuminating apexes it so endearing in the first place.
is even more impressive given that as the sun goes down. The hero’s journey is supposed to be
mass remains uncommonly low, at more complicated, but this dynamic
around 2800 pounds. On the road, So, what’s the flaw now? Well, the duo skipped the second act and
these changes harmonize into a sin- cupholders are inconvenient. See, went straight from exposition to a
gular sports-car experience—the they’re behind you and under a pad- 10Best-worthy resolution.
flat-four singing its 7300-rpm song ded cover that serves as the armrest,
as you slot the six-speed manual into so you can have an armrest or a place the numbers
to put your coffee but not both at the
same time. This design makes room 228-hp 2.4-liter flat-4; 6-speed manual,
for a mechanical handbrake that sits 6-speed automatic
next to the shifter and prompts rally- Base: $28,725–$28,955
car fantasies every time you look at it. C/D Test Results (BRZ 6-sp man)
Therefore, these particular inconve- • 60 mph ......................................................... 5.4 sec
nient cupholders are extremely awe- • 1/4-Mile .................................. 13.9 sec @ 101 mph
some, and we appreciate them. • Top Speed (C/D est) .............................. 140 mph
• Braking, 70–0 mph ...................................... 152 ft
Subaru and Toyota’s precocious • Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ............... 0.99 g
offspring is unlike any other car EPA Comb/City/Hwy ... 22–25/20–21/27–30 mpg

45

Gthuairrddiraonwtohfe

TETLHFLEOOUKFRRBIA-IEIDAT’NSENSCYRIHCSTELMHAANAIDSONRYSWGK-.

BY EZRA DYER

ThreE years ago,
KIA came out with
the spectacular
TElLURIDE, and it
was so far ahead,
it’s stilL on top.

FINER
POINTS

KIA TELLURIDETHREE-ROW HAT TRICK pounds), the tow package TOYOTA SIENNA
headliner, and a head-up includes self-leveling
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDI HEDRICK A superhero needs a display. The execution rear dampers, eliminat- A dull powertrain that
behind-the-scenes fixer, is what elevates the Tel- ing the sag common to works well and gets you
someone as low-key as luride above its peers. light-duty crossovers. If driving responsibly, which
they are invaluable. Think The solidity, the design, you want to do a little isn’t easy to get the C/D
Pepper Potts, Alfred, and the way the steering light off-roading—yes, staff to do. —Tony Quiroga
whoever keeps Aqua- wheel feels in your the Telluride can—there’s
man’s trident sharpened. hands—all belong to a an optional alloy front An efficient family
That’s the Kia Telluride. higher price echelon. skid plate, another hauler that helps out
It can’t tow a 787 or win anomaly in the class.
the Baja 1000 or pull Kia has long offered the family budget
a wheelie, and yet it’s loads of equipment at In a world of raked makes all kinds of
probably the vehicle we a strong value, but the roofs and clichéd floating sense. —Rich Ceppos
most frequently recom- Telluride marks the D-pillars, the Telluride
mend, simply because moment when it mastered is upright and boxy, a TOYOTA VENZA
its thorough excellence the intangibles—the way crisp shape adorned
enlivens the proletarian small details cohere to with subtle flourishes. Put into malaise-era
chores of daily driving. distinguish great cars. The trim around the context, if the RAV4 is a
Just one example: If you windows rises into the Chevy Malibu, the Venza is
On paper, the Telluride live in a frigid clime, B-pillar and then stops, a Monte Carlo. —Joe Lorio
is an average three-row the Telluride offers an LEDs ring the headlights,
crossover: 291-hp V-6, auxiliary cabin heater and the new badge on VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R
eight-speed automatic, that uses electricity to the grille looks like a
pricing that starts around get the HVAC blasting passing skateboarder No longer feels like a
$34,000 and stops around hot air before the engine slapped it there as an junior Audi, just a nice
$50,000. Front-wheel is up to temperature. act of minor vandalism.
drive is standard. You Clever device, Alfred. VW. —Mike Sutton
wouldn’t think this thing This 10Best list is
has the juice, in a world The drive is rewarding filled with extroverted VOLKSWAGEN ID.4
of 400-hp Explorers and too. The naturally aspi- machines capable of
V-8 Grand Cherokees. But rated large-displacement amazing feats. We Anyone who writes it off
then you climb inside, and V-6 delivers easy torque don’t have to include a for being slow isn’t paying
it’s like somehow your and a satisfying husky crossover. But for the
Kia fob unlocked a Range burr as revs climb. The third year in a row, this enough attention to its
Rover. That doesn’t only steering offers a little one broke through, the ride quality, solidity, and
apply to the features list, more feedback and impeccably tailored
which can include heated precision than you’d accomplice that enables interior solitude.
and ventilated second- expect from a machine great adventures. —Dave VanderWerp
row seats, an Alcantara that has no outward
sporting pretenses. If you the numbers VOLKSWAGEN TAOS
want to tow (up to 5000
291-hp 3.8-liter V-6, 8-speed A refined offering, but
automatic please bring back the
Base: $34,015–$36,015 base Golf. —David Beard
C/D Test Results (AWD)
• 60 mph ............................. 6.9 sec
• 1/4-Mile ...... 15.3 sec @ 93 mph
• Top Speed ...................... 132 mph
• Braking, 70–0 mph ......... 177 ft
• Roadholding,
300-ft Skidpad ................. 0.82 g
EPA Comb/City/
Hwy ........ 21–23/19–20/24–26 mpg

Just
Enough
Truck

The Maverick’s
reimagination
of the simple and
small entry-level
Ford inspired
us to visit the
birthplace of
the original
affordable Ford.

By Mike Sutton
Photography by Marc Urbano

48 JANUARY 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER