2022 saw our reviewers pull off plenty of test-driving—and they loved these cars best
The new-car reviewers at Driving.ca this past year test-drove probably more new cars than they have since, well, 2019. And with a hearty complement of new EV, hot hatch, and pickup truck models making the transition from automakers’ product planner pages to dealerships’ showrooms, they had their hands full doing so.
When we asked said reviewers which cars came out on top as their favourites they drove in 2022, we got a list of these eight names.
I drove a lot of good cars this year, with such standouts as an Audi TT Roadster, Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost – which gave me a newfound interest in buying lottery tickets – and a brief spin in the BrightDrop Zevo 600, the all-electric delivery van that GM’s building in Ontario, which was cool because it’s always fun to drive something that’s all-new to the market.
But my heart belongs to the Ford Maverick, the company’s new compact pickup. Some say it isn’t a truck because it’s built on an SUV platform – it shares its underpinnings with the Bronco Sport and Escape – but of course it is, because my definition of a truck is “any vehicle with a bed that does exactly what its owner needs it to do.” It’s inner-city-sized in a market where even midsize trucks can be needlessly big; its funky interior is functional and easy to clean; it’s fun to drive, and even offers a hybrid powertrain; and it’s reasonably priced for what you get. I love the Maverick, and when it’s time to finally retire my old pickup truck, this is what I’m buying.
It’s well and truly time to stop feigning surprise every time a Hyundai turns out to be excellent. Thus, the goodness of the new N variants of the Elantra sedan and Kona compact crossover came as no surprise to anyone. The wacky Veloster N blazed the trail here already, and got everyone primed for a new era of performance from a company that just keeps knocking the hits out of the park.
The interesting part is how different the two new N-tuned machines are, despite sharing many of the same pieces. The Kona N is more wild and playful, capable of lifting an inside rear wheel in a turn. It feels eager and fun, and more than a little immature. But immature in a good way.
By contrast, the Elantra N is a serious-business sport sedan. While rear-wheel-drive purists will disagree, this chassis is basically as good as golden-age BMWs were. Which, it should be mentioned, is probably because Hyundai poached a few engineers from BMW’s M division years ago.
The Elantra N is sharper than either the Kona N or Veloster N, and makes the most of its 286 hp with either a snappy dual-clutch automatic; or a proper six-speed manual. You get more power in a Civic Type R or GR Corolla – and all-wheel-drive traction in the Toyota – but those two are thousands of dollars more expensive. A closer rival is the WRX, which offers more flexibility when the weather gets bad, but isn’t nearly as sharp to drive.
I loved the Mercedes-AMG SL63 4Matic+ and Audi R8 convertibles – heck, these two drop-tops could rightfully be described as “nirvana in motion” – but the one drive that sticks out this year is that of the Maserati Grecale Trofeo. It has a sophisticated style, and the wide track needed to accommodate the P255/40R21 front and P295/35R21 rear tires. This not only gives it a bold, purposeful stance, it delivers tenacious driving characteristics.
The Grecale Trofeo inherits a derivative of the Nettuno 3.0L twin-turbo V6 from the MC20; it makes 523 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. This is enough to warp the riders to 100 km/h from zero in just 3.8 seconds. The bonus is at just about any speed, breathing on the gas pedal produces an immediate response and a wonderful growl from the tailpipes. The Trofeo’s full-on air suspension and adaptive dampers then sees it hunker down and whistle through decreasing-radius corners with the tenacity expected of a world-class sports car. The steering is also nicely weighted, and understeer, even when close to the limit, is all but absent. The Trofeo seems to relish being pushed as much as the driver relishes pushing!
The other half the story is found in the sumptuous leather wrapping everything from the dash to the door caps; and the real wood accents and beautifully-crafted wing-back front seats. It’s also bristling with the latest technology, including two 12.3-inch screens and a third 8.8-incher. No, at $129,500, the Grecale Trofeo in not cheap, but my word what a drive!
I’m predicting many of my colleagues will say their favourite cars of the year were canyon-carvers or track beasts. The intention of my top pick is the exact opposite: on a winter drive through Banff earlier this year, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost glided effortlessly over ice-covered mountain roads as though it was floating on air. We can thank its sure-footed all-wheel-drive for that, which makes driving half a million dollars’ worth of car far less anxiety-inducing than it might be otherwise.
Throw in the more engaging drive experience that comes with the Black Badge treatment; the smooth-as-butter 6.75-litre V12 engine producing 591 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque; a headliner that shimmers like the starlit night sky; and an interior customizable down to the finest detail, and it’s easy to see why driving a Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost is an exceptionally special experience.
My favourite vehicle this year was the 2022 Kia Telluride. I love how it looks; I love how it drives; I love the comfortable driver’s seat. There’s an optional second-row bench seat, meaning you can fit up to eight people in this three-row SUV. It’s really the next best thing to a minivan.
By far the best car I drove this year is the Toyota GR Yaris, exclusive to Europe. It is three (turbocharged) cylinders of absolutely pure and undistilled fun—the most fun I’ve had on four wheels since Ford’s Fiesta ST, in fact. if I lived in Italy full-time, it is absolutely the car I’d buy.
There is some weird disconnect when the three most powerful vehicles I drove during 2022 were all big-buck sport-utes, specifically the Lamborghini Urus Performante (657 hp); Cadillac Escalade-V ESV (682 hp); and the Aston Martin DBX707 (697 hp). Entertaining and interesting, but hardly faves.
On the other hand, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS was a blast, essentially a track car that can be driven on the streets. Imbued with all manner of 911 GT3 goodies – notably the 493-hp 4.0L boxer-six powerplant, plus lightweight carpets, less insulation, and copious use of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic for components such as the hood and front fender – the cumulative diet it’s been on produces a very impressive power-to-weight ratio and absolutely scorching acceleration. Still, $175,200 (before options) is just a bit over the top.
Sliding back into more affordable territory, the upgraded 2023 Subaru Outback, especially the topline Premier XT trim ($46,395), was an unexpected pleasure, easily this year’s favourite family-focused ride. Plenty of zip courtesy of a 260-hp turbocharged 2.4L boxer-four, the sporty, wagon-bodied Outback displayed car-like ride and handling without any compromise to its off-road capability.
The responsibility of driving new vehicles for review purposes is a part of this job for which this writer is thankful every waking minute of the day. Deciding to stick near his East Coast home instead of packing up for Montreal or Toronto, however, means there won’t be any Lambos or even Hellcats on this list. Still, fortune smiled this year and provided seat-time in a Porsche Cayenne Coupe eHybrid, painted arrest-me-red and providing the type of performance not common in small-town Atlantic Canada.
Also a fave in 2022? Getting behind the wheel of an all-electric Ford Lightning at an event thousands of miles and three airplanes away from where this story is being written in my home office. Fully electrifying North America’s best-selling vehicle is a huge step toward the eventual tipping point in which EVs outnumber ICE vehicles on our roads. The fact that Ford chose to retain the F-150’s familiar feel in the Lightning is a vote in favour of our belief that electric vehicles needn’t always look (and operate) like science projects.
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