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VOL. 68, NO. 1

TABLE of CONTENTS

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum The company that sold millions of Model Ts a century ago wants to do the same thing with its new electric pickup. By Dave VanderWerp

Joy Rides 2022 BMW M240i xDrive vs. 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 vs. 2023 Nissan Z Performance vs. 2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium. By Dan Edmunds

ROAD TEST

C O M PA R I S O N T E S T

Eastbound and Down One very long day and night in Eastern Europe spent driving medicine and other supplies to Ukrainian refugees. By Jonathon Ramsey

2021 Toyota Sienna A hybrid Toyota minivan might sound like boredom, but during our 40,000 miles with the Sienna, we fell in love. By K.C. Colwell

F E AT U R E

ROAD TEST

2022 Hyundai Kona N We hit the Cherohala Skyway to shake down what we consider the first affordable performance SUV. By Ezra Dyer

J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 2

L O N G -T E R M T E S T

“THE KONA N IS A BIT LIKE BELOW-THE-KNEE JORTS—HARD TO CLASSIFY, BUT MAKING A STRONG STATEMENT NONETHELESS.” —Ezra Dyer, “Kona N, the Barbarian”

CA R AND D RI VE R

Electrifying adventure.

Solterra. Well equipped at $44,995.†

Subaru is a registered trademark. *MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Retailer sets actual price. Certain equipment may be required in specific states, which can modify your MSRP. See your retailer for details. 2023 Subaru Solterra Touring shown has an MSRP of $51,995.

TABLE OF CONTENTS JULY/AUGUST 2022

COLUMNISTS 12. Tony Quiroga Crossing over. 24. Ezra Dyer Keep on truckin’. 26. Elana Scherr Throwing shade.

UPFRONT 15. Revealed Do Hyundai’s conceptcar designs materialize in the Ioniq 6? 20. Old Mobiles How car companies are designing for our aging population. 21. Friends with Benefits Toyota and Subaru, sitting in a tree. 22. You Car What You Eat Taste-testing edible auto recipes.

T H E R U N D OW N 65. Acura Integra Great expectations. 69. Genesis GV60 See here. 70. Mercedes EQS580 More IQ than EQ. 71. Maserati Grecale A little Italy. 72. Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Seventh heaven. 73. Chevy Bolt EUV Day tripper. 74. Mercedes C-class C classic. 78. Mazda Miata vs. Toyota GR86 Rooted in fun.

E TC . 7. Backfires Broncos, EVs, and none of the usual cancellation requests. 80. BMW E34 M5 Convertible A 5-series that never saw the light of day.

The joyful noise of the commentariat, rebutted sporadically by Ed. BIRD BONES Horses and dinosaurs didn’t coexist, but horses, including wild mustang horses, and raptors certainly do [“Evolution,” April 2022]. In fact, their habitats can even overlap. —Tim Spofford Portland, OR You folks know that a raptor is not a dinosaur, right? It’s any member of the Falconiformes order of the Aves class, not some long-extinct theropod. This stuff matters. —Brian Walsh Whitmore Lake, MI Does it?—Ed. What will Ford Raptorize next (after the Ranger, of course)?

While the Maverick and Explorer would seem to be reasonable choices, I’d prefer a Mach-E Raptor with 37s, a six-inch lift, and fender ﬂares. The torque from the electric motors at both ends and the ability to electronically simulate front and rear locking differentials would make it an interesting and ecofriendly off-road machine. —Jerry Birchmore Springfield, VA I don’t off-road. I don’t want a truck. And you don’t publish nearly enough pages anymore to justify wasting so many of them on every Bronco mutation. Just stop. —Shelly Rackovsky Rochester, NY

PORSCHERATI Regarding the Maserativersus-Porsche comparison test [“Blues Brothers,” April 2022]: I don’t understand why my dog ran away. —Doug Spinney Clearwater, BC Labs belong in Labrador, not British Columbia—Ed. The Rapture is nigh. Chicken Little was right. Hockey in hell. The Porsche has five times less in options than the Maserati! —Paul Marrow Winterbourne, ON

BATTERIES PLUS Since it looks like EVs will be the way of the future, in every issue going for-

CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 800-289-9464, email cdbCustServ@CDSFulfillment.com, 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, subscription orders, payments, etc. CAR AND DRIVER® (ISSN 0008-6002), VOL. 68, NO. 1, July/August 2022, is published monthly, 10 times per year, with combined issues in February/March and July/August, by Hearst, 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 Chairman. Hearst Autos, Inc.: Nick Matarazzo, President & Chief Revenue Officer; Debi Chirichella, President, Hearst Magazines; Regina Buckley, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer & Treasurer; Catherine A. Bostron, Secretary. © 2022 by Hearst Autos, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks: Car and Driver is a registered trademark of Hearst Autos, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications mail product (Canadian distribution) sales agreement no. 40012499. Editorial and Advertising 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 $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 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 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 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 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: 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 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, IA 50037. Printed in the U.S.A.

CAR AND DRIVER ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ SIC YOUR DOGS ON US AT: EDITORS @CA RAN D DR I VE R.COM

Backfires

EXPLAINED

Did I miss something [“Money Shot,” April 2022]? How long does it take to fully charge a Lucid Air from about 10 to 90 percent on different chargers? How about a fill-up? —Jay Wright, Sacramento, CA

When driving an EV, what am I to call that which was formerly known as the gas pedal? The go pedal? Electron pedal? Please get back to me. —A. Jones Chatham, NY Try “accelerator”—Ed. EVs currently account for about 4.5 percent of the new-vehicle market. I suggest making this the practical upper limit for your EV editorial content. By my reckoning, your April issue contained 41 percent. So you can skip a few months now. —Paul Thompson Clinton, IA

For the Lucid Air, taking the battery from 10 to 90 percent on one of Electrify America’s highest-output (350 kW) Level 3 units took 46 minutes. Charging instead on the fastest 240-volt Level 2 hookup, the Lucid Air would need just over five hours to bring it to the same state of charge. On a standard 120-volt household outlet (Level 1), it would be about four days. Answering the fill-up question is more complex. As a battery’s state of charge nears 100 percent, the electronics throttle the charging rate to protect the battery from damage. The heavier the electron flow, the more throttling. The last 10 percent of a Lucid battery is about 11.8 kilowatt-hours, so a 7-kW Level 2 connection should top it off in under two hours. —Dave VanderWerp

easier to tear them out and throw them away. —Randy Flick Sellersburg, IN

SILENT LUCIDITY Can you show the electricmotor torque and power in Nm and kW, or at least both English and metric units? —Jim Adams Romeo, MI When you have multiple articles about EVs, would you group them together in one section of the magazine? That makes it much

Stufﬁn’ “$100 bills into 55-gallon oil barrels” [“Money Shot,” April 2022]? Pshaw! Don’t you know anything about oil? Them’s 42-gallon barrels, pardner— 55s are for garbage, not our precious West Texas crude. Reckon that’s why y’all need a battery to git about. —Nick Pingitore El Paso, TX

ATTRACT AND REPEL “Epitrochoidal machinations of the Wankel rotary” [“Motorama,” April 2022]? You know, Dan Edmunds, the smartest guy in the room is often the least liked. —Michael Klintschenko Lorain, OH Edmunds’s article “Motorama” is a perfect example of why I subscribe. It clearly explained the technical aspects of electric motors. I love internal combustion, but I also want to learn about anything having

to do with making a car go down the road. Thank you for continuing to be the engineer’s car magazine. —Riley Gruber Las Vegas, NV I understood only about 10 percent of the “Motorama” article describing how electric motors work. Seems like it was written for engineering types. I’m sure you tried to dumb it down for us, but in this case it just didn’t work. —Richard Bedgood Mableton, GA Batteries power motor, motor turns wheels—Ed.

POWER DOWN Just read the piece on the Ford F-150 Lightning powering a house [“Can Your EV Power Your House?”, April 2022]. Sounds good, but if it can’t power my HVAC (220 volts), I’ll pass. —Pete Ritchhart Collierville, TN The Lightning with Pro Power Onboard can supply JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

S IC YO U R D O GS O N U S AT: E DI TOR S @ CA RA N DD R I V E R.CO M LU C ID P H OTO G RA P H BY M A RC U R BA NO, M USTA N G M O D E L PH OTO G RAP H BY M IC H AE L S IM A R I

ward you should include an “Electric Storm” section [April 2022]. —Tommy Gee Frankfort, MO

Backfires

your home with 9.6 kilowatts of power, at 120 or 240 volts—Ed.

ACQUIRED TASTE

CO N TRI B UTO R

Jonathon Ramsey can’t say no. When faced with an opportunity, however strange, perilous, or likely it is to end at the ER, Ramsey always answers yes. So we weren’t surprised when Ramsey, beset with an insatiable wanderlust, suggested using a press junket to Europe to deliver supplies to Ukrainian refugees. That’s how he found himself in a Dacia full of medicine and other goods. He recounts his mission in “Eastbound and Down,” page 54.

need to experience a little mediocrity to appreciate greatness. Does anybody remember Ishtar? It made every movie that came after it seem like Citizen Kane. It performed a public service, as do the aforementioned items. I feel the same about the 2022 Kia Telluride residing in my garage. Yes, I drank your Kool-Aid. —Jeff Krug Glendale, AZ I’ve been doing this so long that this isn’t the first Ishtar reference I’ve encountered—Ed. My wife sometimes calls me a giant man-child when it comes to my car purchases, but I can’t help thinking the new Elantra N is an outrageous performance bargain. It has all the right parts, the horsepower is good, and the price is unbelievable. My only hang-up is getting past the fact that it’s a Hyundai. I still remember when they hit the U.S. market and were basically disposable. Can a sane man legitimately go from an Audi S5 to an Elantra and not be ashamed? I’m seriously considering it. I want to have fun every time I drive, and I want to save the manuals at the same time. —Joel Balsley Roanoak, VA I went to the Hyundai dealer, and there was a Veloster N that the salesperson said has an engine, a transmission,

the Elantra N’s. The sales manager returned with the key. “Wait till you hear this!” he said and started the engine. Holy crap! A sack full of scalded cats makes a better sound than the Veloster N’s rinny-tin-tin snap-crackle-pop sewingmachine exhaust note. My neighbor’s grandkid has a $200 2005 Dodge Neon with no back seat and a $700 exhaust that sounds just like it. I yelled to shut off the Veloster. When the noise faded, the other 30-something salespeople were all high-ﬁving. I’ve become old, I guess. At 72, maybe I’ve ﬁnally turned into my father. If you’re 17, I guess the N cars sound sweet! —Donald R. Herod Fishers, IN Maybe you’d prefer an Ioniq 5—Ed. Was the quarter-mile time for the Elantra N 13.5 or 13.8 seconds? —Kent M. Ewa Beach, HI 13.8. The chart was correct. This is why the tech department works primarily in pencil—Ed.

TESLA SHORT Time for the rant about the article on the deranged friends who lifted a Tesla and broke it by going through the stream twice [“Grind Hard and Put Away Wet,” April 2022]. Can’t you be satisﬁed with overcoming

you have to be that stupid? —Luca BenYishay-Sapalio Williamsburg, VA

NEW GUY Incredibly exciting to see that Tony Quiroga will be the new editor-in-chief [“Paradise Found,” April 2022]. I’ve been a subscriber for more than 30 years, and this gives me hope and excitement for the future of C/D. Hopefully he can also continue with Window Shop. —Tim Meyer Port Chester, NY Don’t forget to like and subscribe—Ed. I’m a 40-year subscriber, and I did a ﬁst pump when I read Quiroga had earned the top keyboard! He has long demonstrated superior writing prowess and clearly has 100 octane ﬂowing through his veins and brain to have produced such an interesting body of work so far. An excellent choice! We the subscribers are big winners here! Congratulations, Quiroga. —Bob Seader Mechanicsburg, PA Been a subscriber for 50 years. I have believed everything every editor said in their monthly columns—until now. At age six, I was pedaling around on a red metal farm tractor in the driveway. By 13, I had developed the same appreciation as Quiroga for the people of C/D, but no way at six. Please JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

S IC YO U R D O GS O N U S AT: E DI TOR S @ CA RA N DD R I V E R.CO M

How dare you knock creamed chipped beef [“The Affordable-Sports-Sedan Segment Isn’t for Everyone, But It’s Deﬁnitely for Us,” April 2022]! Consuming chipped beef increases time and frequency of sitting on the throne, which creates the opportunity to read your ﬁne publication. —Allon Berwyn, PA Chip cheese!—Ed.

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Backfires

Editor ’s Let ter

SIC YOUR DOGS ON US AT: EDITORS@CARANDDRIVER.COM

Congratulations, Quiroga! I hope that by now you have a thick skin for the criticism you’re bound to receive during your tenure. The Backﬁres section has recently featured a steady stream of letters from closed-minded simpletons, and I encourage you to ignore them. Please continue the C/D tradition of printing a wide variety of content on the full spectrum of the car-industry and enthusiast worlds. I pursued a career in mechanical engineering due in part to the inspiration I found in C/D. —James Parsekian Morristown, NJ I’m glad to see someone like Quiroga getting the nod, after the disastrous last couple of years. April was probably one of the most interesting issues I’ve seen in a long time. Now if we can just get Marc Urbano to stop processing his photos through Instagram ﬁlters. —Jamie H. Wheaton, IL Congratulations, Quiroga, on being chosen as the new editorin-chief. I’m excited for the future of the only car magazine I’ve ever subscribed to. Hoping that a letter with no snark and no complaints is acceptable at your establishment. —Lawrence Norford Frederick, MD It’s not—Ed. When C/D changes editors, I always feel like my best friend

CROSSING OVER

mmy went blind. She’s the 20-pound mélange of beagle, cocker spaniel, mini poodle, and Chihuahua pictured below. Sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome turned off the lights in a matter of weeks. Emmy moves through the darkness undaunted. It’s inspiring to see her rebound after running into a wall, a door, a chair, or a parked car. Moving her to Michigan presented a problem. Putting Emmy in a Boeing’s belly seemed a bit too Jonah and the whale. So I decided to do the 2200-mile trek by car. While Emmy can’t spot speed traps like she used to, she could at least smell the mountains and plains. For me, the crossing ends a self-imposed 10-and-a-half-year exile to California and brings a return to the C/D hive and the living rooms of loving friends. But what’s the right car for such a journey? Our long-term fleet has some tempting options (Chevy Corvette, Porsche Cayman GTS). But a lifechanging trip calls for something more personal, something like my 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera. Humming along in the 911 is like flying a Cessna—the cockpit is tight, crammed with instruments, and a little noisy. The 3.6-liter spins its magnesium fan like a propeller; pulses and vibrations ripple through the car and into you. Slim pillars and a nearly upright windshield draw the world close. I went too far with the suspension setup. Anything but glassy pavement brings turbulence. Thoughts from the road: Left-lane obliviousness seems worse in places where the signage reads “Slower traffic keep right.” Every driver thinks they’re Lewis Hamilton; consequently, no one ever thinks they’re driving slowly. “Keep right except to pass” signs are far more effective at moving dolts out of the way. New rule: Treat any car that appears in your rearview mirror like an ambulance and the interstate becomes a happier place. Lessons from a four-day trek in a 27-year-old car: A 911, even an old one, will still attract a school of like-minded speeders. Hallo, Freunde. The Arizona state police uses unmarked V-6 Dodge Chargers—a pricey finding. An empty Arby’s in a Love’s truck stop is probably not the best place to record a podcast or have a virtual staff meeting. If you ask nicely, the waiter at La Veracruzana in Green River, Utah, will wipe off the patio furniture so you can eat outside with your pooch. Emmy hates rumble strips as much as she loves waffle fries. I-70 through the Colorado Rockies looks like a 1:1-scale Lionel train set. The descent into Nebraska swapped out the scene on the other side of the glass from snow-capped peaks to rolling green prairie. Premium rose from 91 to 93 octane, an upgrade that pleased the 993. Fresh-cut-grass smells blew in through the vents. Lincoln, Des Moines, Chicago. The verdant Midwest miles melted into each other as we closed in on the goal. Finally, Ann Arbor. Home, especially now that Emmy and the 911 are here.

TO N Y Q U I R O GA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

P HOTO G RA P H BY M I C H A E L S IM A R I

issue a correction and tell us you were eight that day at the supermarket newsstand. Credibility. —John Sharland Bridgewater, MA You’re going to have to trust me if this relationship is going to work—Ed.

Editor-in-Chief Tony Quiroga

has gotten a divorce and remarried all in 30 days and I have no idea who the new spouse is and how that will change my relationship with my friend. When April arrived, I went straight to the Editor’s Letter. And there you were, Quiroga. Congratulations. I lived in Chad for 18 years and in Kenya for 20. I always had C/D to read, all of that time. When you joined the family 18 years ago, you belonged. You are indeed the rightful editor-in-mischief. —Rich Harrell Anaheim, CA Does a new editor-in-chief mean John Phillips will be ending his interregnum? —Bill Denney Bellingham, WA If you got the June issue, you know the answer to that question—Ed. I would think that an editorin-chief would know that one “pours” over a spy shot of a C4 Corvette in a magazine while having “pores” on his skin. Not sure where you got your English degree, but if I were you, I’d get my money back and look for a different job. —Eric Sanford Hood River, OR Poor Sanford. If only you were right—Ed. Congratulations, Quiroga, on earning the captain’s chair. Considering how low the bar has been set, as long as you don’t take a sh*t on the lobby carpet, you’ll do ﬁne. —Robert K. Cannon Orlando, FL Quiroga claims his dog left what’s in the lobby—Ed.

Digital Director Laura Sky Brown • BUYER’S GUIDE Deputy Editor Rich Ceppos Senior Editor Drew Dorian • FEATURES Senior Editors Greg Fink, Elana Scherr Staff Editor Austin Irwin • NEWS Senior Editor Joey Capparella Senior Associate Editor Eric Stafford Staff Editor Caleb Miller Social Media Editor Michael Aaron • REVIEWS Deputy Editor Joe Lorio Senior Editors Ezra Dyer, Mike Sutton • TESTING Testing Director Dave VanderWerp Deputy Director K.C. Colwell Technical Editors David Beard, Dan Edmunds Associate Technical Editor Connor Hoffman Road Test Editor Rebecca Hackett Road Warriors Harry Granito, Katherine Keeler, Jacob Kurowicki, Christi VanSyckle • CREATIVE Director Darin Johnson Consulting Designer Pete Sucheski Staff Photographers Michael Simari, Marc Urbano Photo Assistant Charley M. Ladd • VIDEO Deputy Editor Carlos Lago Producer/Editor Alex Malburg • PRODUCTION Director of Editorial Operations Heather Albano Copy Chief Adrienne Girard Associate Managing Editor Jennifer Misaros Production Manager Juli Burke Associate Production Manager Nancy M. Pollock Copy Editor Chris Langrill Online Production Designer Sarah Larson Online Production Assistant Andrew Berry Editorial Assistant Carlie Cooper • CONTRIBUTORS European Editor Mike Duff Contributing Editors Clifford Atiyeh, Brett Berk, Sebastian Blanco, Csaba Csere, Malcolm Gladwell, John Pearley Huffman, Andrew Lawrence, Bruce McCall, Jens Meiners, John Phillips, Jonathon Ramsey, James Tate, John Voelcker Editorial Office 1585 Eisenhower Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Editorial Contributions Unsolicited artwork and manuscripts are not accepted, and publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of unsolicited artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. Query letters may be addressed to the Editors.

Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer Felix DiFilippo Vice President, Sales Cameron Albergo • NEW YORK Group Sales Director Kyle Taylor Senior Sales Director Joe Pennacchio Sales Director Shannon Rigby Sales Manager Richard Panciocco Assistant Keierra Wiltshire • CHICAGO Sales Director Rick Bisbee DETROIT Group Sales Director Samantha Shanahan Sales Directors Tom Allen, Deb Michael Sales Manager Chris Caldwell Assistant Toni Starrs LOS ANGELES Group Sales Director Jason Hunt Senior Sales Directors Lisa LaCasse, Lori Mertz, Susie Miller, Anne Rethmeyer Sales Director Molly Jolls HEARST DIRECT MEDIA Vice President Christine Hall Sales Manager Celia Mollica PRODUCTION Manager Chris Hertwig CIRCULATION Vice President, Strategy and Business Management Rick Day Published by Hearst 300 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 President & Chief Executive Officer Steven R. Swartz Chairman William R. Hearst III Executive Vice Chairman Frank A. Bennack, Jr. Chief Operating Officer Mark E. Aldam

Using Shell V-Power® NiTRO®+ Premium Gasolines and diesel fuels appropriately in Car and Driver test vehicles ensures the consistency and integrity of our instrumented testing procedures and numbers, both in the magazine and online.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 800-289-9464, email cdbCustServ@ CDSFulfillment.com, 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, subscription orders, payments, etc. PERMISSIONS Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. To order digital back issues, go to your favorite app store. Car and Driver© is a registered trademark of Hearst Autos, Inc. Copyright 2022, Hearst Autos, Inc. All rights reserved.

HEARST AUTOS, INC. President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Matarazzo President, Hearst Magazines Debi Chirichella Chief Financial and Strategy Officer; Treasurer Regina Buckley Secretary Catherine A. Bostron Chief Brand Officer Eddie Alterman Executive Director of Finance Paul Neumaier PUBLISHING CONSULTANTS Gilbert C. Maurer, Mark F. Miller INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS China, Greece, Spain

KEEP IT MOVING I couldn’t agree more with Ezra Dyer [“Drive Your Cars Now,” April 2022]. In 1998, I purchased a Lotus Esprit V8 new. I used it daily and got rid of it in 2019, when the engine went at 103,000 miles. So yes, I’ve always driven my cars, always. —Robert Metcalf Chadds Ford, PA

Liar, liar, pants on ﬁre! Dealing with the word “quickest”: In the April issue, it says the Bugatti is the quickest car ever tested with a 2.2-second time to 60. Page 31 claims 2.1 seconds for the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Which is it? —Lee Beam Denton, NC The Bugatti is the quickest production car we’ve tested in the quarter-mile—Ed.

BIG SPENDER Your review of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport got me all excited [“The Last Time,” April 2022]. I was considering one until I got to the fuel-economy ﬁgures. I have a long commute, and at 9 mpg, it just doesn’t make economic sense. —John Maher East Stroudsburg, PA

I’d take the $225,000 it costs to upgrade the interior of that Bugatti Chiron and spend it on a Porsche 911 Turbo S. —Bill Clinton Jr. Coopersville, MI

LAST WORDS I have been a loyal reader since the ’70s. However,

life got in the way in the early 2000s, and I stopped reading. I’ve returned now and I’m catching up on some back issues. The 50th Anniversary edition [July 2005] was particularly interesting and fun to read. —Tom Horner Pittsburgh, PA Enjoy your bubble—Ed. My wife and I recently utilized your magazine to keep my two-year-old engaged while toilet training. I’ll have you know that it was a success! Thank you for continuing to provide engaging and interesting automotive writing. No, really, I mean that! —Ben Sarcia Towson, MD Has your little one tried the chipped beef?—Ed.

REVEALED By Matthew Askari

A Visit to the Fortuneteller The Hyundai Prophecy concept hinted at EV design to come. Do its predictions come to pass in the new Ioniq 6?

A few years ago, Hyundai foretold its future:

sleek and electric, with design cues pulled from classic and modern inspiration. That was the Prophecy concept, first shown in March 2020. As with all augury, there’s room for interpretation. But our first look at the Ioniq 6, the production car based on the concept, reveals a smooth sedan that clearly references both retro and futuristic influences. The Ioniq 6 follows the Toyota Prius–like Ioniq and the Ioniq 5, an SUV with Atari charm. The Ioniq 6 has a lot to live up to, as both the 5 and the Prophecy concept garnered rave reviews. All Ioniq models ride on the Hyundai E-GMP dedicated electric platform, shared with the Kia EV6 and the Genesis GV60. To give the Ioniq 6 a distinctive look, Hyundai designers say they echoed the streamlined cars of the ’30s. Modern influences seem to be Porsche and Tesla; there’s a faint wisp of Taycan and Model 3 in CA R AND D RI VE R ~ JU LY/AUG U ST 2022

Digital side-view mirrors offer a glimpse of the future, though U.S. regulations mean we’re stuck with old-fashioned looking glass here.

the front end, and the rear spoiler kicks up like a nod to a ducktail Porsche 911. As promised, it’s a mix of classic and contemporary. Hyundai design chief SangYup Lee shared his thoughts on the pressures, and rewards, of melding brand personality with brand-new technology.

REVEALED

“I love how the old and new, two different sides, can coexist in harmony.” —SANGYUP LEE, HYUNDAI DESIGN CHIEF

5 The head- and taillights use LEDs. There is also a subtle strip of six bulbs in the front bumper that indicate charge level.

4 3

DESIGN AN IONIQ IN 10 EASY STEPS [1] PIXELATION: The pixel is the key Ioniq design element. It’s on the front end, steering wheel, rear light bar, and rear spoiler decklid. [2] CLAM UP: “After 100 years, we’re getting to rethink design. Not needing a grille functionally opens up the possibility of a greater lighting signature,” Lee says. [3] GET HIGH: The Ioniq 6 rides a little higher than the Prophecy concept, a reality of transferring the vision to a production and street-legal platform.

[4] TWO-TONE: The dark underbody draws the eye. Lee says this was a way to visually reduce volume since the car grew in height from the Prophecy concept. [5] HERO’S ARC: Lee wanted to maintain the single line and curvature of the roof. “Keeping the form simpler is a way to make the car ageless,” he says. [6] COMFORT PLUS: Back-seat passengers benefit from the Ioniq 6’s generous length. The cavernous space has ample legroom for taller adults. This “creates a love-seat atmosphere,” Lee says.

[7] SPOILER ALERT: Lee says this was essential for the Ioniq 6 to achieve its slippery 0.21 coefficient of drag. “The top is the critical one,” he adds. “The second helps with lift but also styling.” [8] MONITORING: Molded as one unit, these serve as bases for instruments and media. Some buttons and, thankfully, a volume knob remain. [9] NO LOGO: Hyundai’s chairman asked the designers to try something different with the steering wheel. Instead of placing a logo—almost a default practice—they added a light

indicator to the wheel to signal charge level. [10] MOVING TARGET: When envisioning the interior, Lee and the team were aware of both the interest in newer tech and the usability of it. “We’re pushing to touchscreens, but they can be dangerous when you’re moving,” he says. “So we want the right balance. In the future, voice activation will play a bigger role, but we’re transitioning right now. If it’s safer, there will be buttons.”

JULY/AU GUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

8 10

9 The Ioniq 6 interior is all about glow and flow. With touches like mood lighting and smooth door panels that seamlessly incorporate speakers, it’s a simplified, but not barren, space.

The Hyundai team experimented with wheel designs from flat aerodiscs to bladed multispokes.

Lee has penned everything from Chevrolet Camaros and Corvettes to the Bentley Continental GT. He began his design career 27 years after leaving Korea, following an education at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. Fifteen brands and eight countries later, in 2016, he returned to South Korea to head Hyundai and Genesis design. Along with Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative ofﬁcer of Genesis and Ioniq, Lee draws novel designs with upscale ﬂair to help Hyundai and Genesis stand out in both the mainstream and luxury markets. We asked Lee, who’s often overseeing dozens of projects at any given time, how he approaches a Hyundai car as opposed to an upmarket Genesis. Hyundai, he says, views its vehicles like chess pieces. “King, queen, bishop, and knight, they all look different and move differently, but they function as a team,” he says. While a lot of OEMs create a design, then offer it in different sizes, like Russian nesting dolls, Lee says Hyundai looks at its customers’ lives: “A big family has different needs than Gen Z.” Lee wants the styling to be distinct too. A Genesis, on the other hand, must

address a lifestyle that has no dearth of choices. “The world would be perfectly fine without us; there are a lot of good luxury options out there,” he says. “So we have to fight for consideration. We can’t be afraid to take risks, and we can’t be worried about getting it wrong. We have to try things. We don’t have the long heritage to draw from, which is also freeing.” Lee says the Genesis brand defines itself as being audacious, progressive, and distinctly Korean. The GV60, for example, offers a rotating crystal shifter and can recognize the driver before they even get inside. Its GV70 sibling goes more minimalist, channeling the Korean idea of beauty in the white space or emptiness. So far, the Ioniq line has achieved the retro-futurist objective it set. The Ioniq 6 feels thoroughly modern and fresh. The interior is uncluttered and elegant. No frilly edges, chrome, or faux chrome. No piano black. Just simple and straightforward. If Hyundai is the mainstream and Genesis the luxury, Ioniq, for now, represents the most daring of the company’s offerings.

2020 VISION — Good concept cars are exercises in design. They should predict trends in mainstream cars years before they’re evident in consumers’ driveways. The Hyundai Prophecy debuted in 2020, and we can see its smoothed river-rock profile and stippled LED lighting in the Ioniq 6. Sadly, the concept’s plaid interior does not appear to have made it to production, but fortunately, neither did the joystick steering controls. We’re perfectly happy with the Ioniq’s old-fashioned wheel. Not everything foretold comes to pass.

CL ASSI C D R IVE RS ~ By Michael A. Clinton

Old Mobiles

America has never been grayer, or more active. How are car companies designing for our aging population? Imagine the day when your car recognizes early signs of dementia or hypertension. Or when vehicle sensors can detect heart anomalies. It’s not such a far-fetched idea, according to John Lenneman, PhD, a scientist who works on an initiative called My Car the Doctor, a joint effort between Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center

and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. While these technologies will not create a diagnosis, they can gather data to send to your digital wearables, capturing information through sensors, cameras, and more, as well as monitor driving behavior for abnormalities in pedal use or speed control. Such innovations are likely to become more common and take on particular signiﬁcance as the world is aging at dramatic rates. It is projected that one in ﬁve Americans will be 65 or older by 2030, and the number of 100-year-olds should grow from 90,000 today to at least 3 million by 2100. The new longevity will affect many aspects of the driving experience. In the book The Super Age, author Bradley Schurman points out that in 2018, there were more than 45 million licensed drivers age 65 and older in the U.S., a 60 percent increase since 2000. That number will continue to grow, and more people will be driving longer. Automakers report that their product innovations are designed to help drivers of all ages, yet there are many advances already in use that have a particularly positive impact for the older driver. Examples include lane-departure warnings, new lighting systems to help with night vision, and camera technology that can alert drivers who may have become impaired. Here’s how several car companies are innovating to help an aging population. Automakers focus on technology that improves visibility, responds quickly in accidents, and offers easy interfaces. Such tech is useful for people of all ages but is especially helpful for aging drivers.

FORD

At Ford, vehicle architecture manager Jennifer Comfort works with CAD models to simulate how people get in and out of vehicles and determine the best height-to-ground distance or step-over width for future products. Consideration of the optimum location of primary controls and grab handles is relevant for everyone, but older drivers can beneﬁt even more. Ford has already replaced gearshifters in the Escape and the Bronco Sport with rotary dials that are located within easy reach, and in the Mustang, seat-mounted seatbelt straps can be more user-friendly for people with physical reach issues. Comfort’s colleague Jennifer Prescott, vehicle engineering experience development manager, works on ways to reduce the mental load of driving. That might include offering a better location for steeringwheel controls or cloud-based voice activation. In terms of screens, it could mean larger buttons, fewer options, more space between information, and larger displays for the Sync 4 platform that can vary controls and info depending on the situation. GENERAL MOTORS

In an industry-first move, General Motors has made Carrie Martin chief engineer for accessibility to eliminate what she calls transportation insecurity for all people. The effort includes keeping older drivers on the road with the help of features that fit their needs. Martin explained that GM is exploring the aging demographic, as everyone who grows old can experience decreased ability, whether it be related to strength, flexibility, reflexes, or other issues. GM wants to address these needs with new tech that might include facial recognition to start the engine. JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

AUDI

Many Audi features have added beneﬁts for older drivers. Audi has been ahead of the headlight game for years, bringing matrix LED headlights to market in 2013 with the Audi A8 and adding digital matrix LED headlights in 2019. Audi’s most advanced lighting can help shade out light in the car in front of you and even extend light into the next lane during a lane change. While both innovations are beneﬁcial for everyone on the road, they’re especially meaningful safety elements for older drivers with nightvision concerns. TOYOTA

Hideki Hada, executive engineer at Toyota’s Advanced Product Planning Ofﬁce, explained that to try to reduce accidents, the automaker has developed Toyota Safety Sense, an active safety package that is standard on many vehicles and includes pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-departure warning. In 2022 Lexus LS 500h models equipped with all-wheel drive and the Teammate suite of driverassistance systems, the car will guide itself to the highway shoulder if it detects that the driver is incapacitated. While these features have widespread beneﬁts, Hada said that they are particularly appealing to older buyers, who tend to be more safety conscious. As a result, Toyota has partnerships to help educate and train older drivers on advanced driverassistance systems.

Michael A. Clinton is the author of ROAR: Into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It’s Too Late).

R E L ATI O NS H I P S ~ By Caleb Miller

ROMANCE SPOT ILLO TK

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS Since Toyota first purchased a stake in Subaru, the two automakers have been getting awfully cozy. They may seem like odd partners, Toyota with its massive market share and Subaru a quirky small brand (Subie sold 860,000 vehicles in 2021, compared with Toyota’s 10.5 million). But as any romance reader knows, opposites attract. Here’s how the love story goes:

2005

2007

Toyota buys an 8.7 percent stake in Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries from General Motors.

Subaru starts building the Toyota Camry at its plant in Lafayette, Indiana. (The contract continued until 2016, when Toyota’s factory in Georgetown, Kentucky, absorbed the production.)

2012

2008

Production begins on the 2013 Subaru BRZ and its Toyota counterpart, sold stateside as the Scion FR-S. Subaru handled manufacturing and much of the engineering, including the flatfour engine, while the design was Toyota’s.

Toyota ups its stake in Subaru to 16.5 percent.

2017

2018

2019

Subaru joins a Toyotaled project to develop EV technology, including platforms and batteries.

Subaru introduces the 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, which uses Toyota’s plug-in-hybrid system.

Toyota’s stake in Subaru increases to around 20 percent.

2022

2021

The Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra EVs debut, with Subaru contributing its all-wheel-drive system and developing the chassis, and Toyota doing the battery and powertrain engineering.

The brands introduce the second-gen Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, which begin production as 2022 models.

I LLUSTRATI O NS BY T. M. DETWI LER

CA R CU TE R I E By Elana Scherr

You Car What You Eat

Since you can’t park in your kitchen, we taste-tested some edible autos. Bunper-Cars Hot Dogs It’s a race through your digestive tract! Preparation: Considerably easier than qualifying for the Indy 500. Verdict: 9/10 The cucumber wheels make them healthy. Cargo-Room Wafﬂes If we could get away with a full-size truck bed of syrup for breakfast, we would. Preparation: As in real cars, lubrication of metal parts is key to nonstick performance. Verdict: 8/10 An early-morning car meet worth getting up for. Bagged-Veggie Lowrider Celery Custom snacks that can scrape frame and lift a wheel. Preparation: Much faster than pinstriping and lace painting. Verdict: 8/10 Bounce bounce, crunch crunch. Crumble-Zone Shortbread Our respect for paint and body experts increased with every cookie iced. Preparation: For this plate we compared four recipes, and unlike in our usual testing, we were able to eat all the losers. Verdict: 6/10 The Porsche 914 was probably the most authentic, as most of the real ones have crumbled too. Pasta Car-bonara Transportation-shaped noodles are the perfect vehicle for hauling cheese and butter to our bellies. Preparation: Can you boil water? Verdict: 7/10 A mass-transit meal. Whip-a-Brodie Pie Being bad on baked goods. Preparation: Just a Reddi-Wip can away. Verdict: 10/10 A foolproof method for doing burnouts on Thanksgiving without ruining your in-laws’ driveway. Pastel de Car-ne Meatloaf Three different animals, four kinds of meat. Some sort of PT Cruiser– Volkswagen mash-up? It will clog your arteries like rush-hour traffic. Preparation: Just because it can be done doesn’t mean it should. Verdict: 5/10 A delicious horror show.

WANNA REV UP YOUR DINNER? For recipes, go to caranddriver.com/ carwhatyoueat.

PH OTO GRA PH Y BY S EA N RI C E ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIV ER

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EZR A DY ER

Keep On Truckin’ We’re approaching the point where all cars are trucks. The designers responsible for the Volvo V90 wagon have some theories as to why.

t crept up on us slowly, almost escaping notice, but

all cars are trucks now. Sure, there are a few holdouts for the real die-hards, your Camrys and Camaros, but even those will probably end up with a two-inch lift and plastic fender flares before the decade is out. No vehicle is immune from the everything-an-SUV aesthetic. Toyota makes a lifted minivan, the Sienna Woodland Special Edition. Porsche is supposedly working on a high-riding 911. The Subaru WRX has a normal ride height, but its plastic fender cladding tells me the Sport Utility Sedan version is only a matter of time. Everybody wants a truck, and so everything is getting the truck treatment. The 2022 Volvo V90 is a case in point, since the standard Volvo V90 as we knew it no longer exists. For a few years, Volvo ran a noble experiment wherein it produced its stately wagon in both unadorned car form and as a jacked-up, fender-flared Cross Country version with an extra 2.3 inches of ground clearance. Everyone bought the truckified model, to the extent that Volvo gave up on the standard-

height V90. To find out what Volvo’s designers thought about this, I bothered Robin Page, head of design, and T. Jon Mayer, head of exterior design, who were in Sweden and probably doing important design things before I interrupted to ask them why all cars are trucks now. First, they pointed out that in the case of the V90 CC, its lifted suspension and fender flares are more than an affectation. “We don’t do styling for styling’s sake,” Mayer says. “It’s a more capable chassis, with more wheel travel. Form follows function.” Which in turn follows a particular use case for a high-riding wagon, and it’s an appealing tableau. The V90 CC “is a very popular car in certain regions,” Page says. “Here in Sweden, people might be going to summer houses where there’s a stony track, and having some extra height is nice. We look at it as a need for a slightly taller car with that capability, not about making it look a certain way.” What an image! I’d love to drive a V90 CC to my Swedish summer cabin via a moderately unkempt road, scampering lightly over lichen-covered granite as mottled sunlight beams down betwixt the interstices of tight-knit pines. But how many people are really doing that? If a couple of extra inches of ground clearance affects your lifestyle, you have some very specific habits. I suggest to Page and Mayer that you don’t need to own a remote forest getaway so much as hope you might. And thus trucks and SUVs, and ever-soslightly taller-than-normal cars and crossovers, are an expression of optimism: I will have an adventure. I will not let pavement constrain me. I’m going to drive up an unplowed mountainside in Vermont in the middle of a blizzard and then make s’mores in my cozy, rugged cabin while feeling sorry for the less rugged types stranded down below in their conventional sedans. “A lot of it is aspirational,” Mayer says. “You may never take it out of the suburbs, but you could if you wanted to.” After some further noodling on the notion of capability, we get around to what feels like an essential truth: People buy tall cars because people buy tall cars. It’s a feedback loop that goes only one way; you might trade your Honda Civic for a CR-V, but probably not the other way around. “The high seating position, the commanding view—that would be hard to give up,” Mayer says. “Once you go in that direction, it’s hard to go backward.” But if I’m buying a wagon to get to my forested vacation home, I’m going for a standard 2021 V90, an R-Design model with the lower, stiffer suspension. Because the driveway to my imaginary cabin is long and paved and has FIA-approved corner curbing. Sure, I’ll probably never slay those corners. But it’s nice to know I could. I LLUST RAT ION BY D E REK BACON ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIV ER

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ELANA SCHERR

Throwing Shade

Smart cars can connect to your phone, your home, and your local restaurant, but why can’t they do anything about the sun in your eyes?

alk up to your car nowadays, and

it recognizes your key fob and unlocks the door. It might also set the seat in your preferred position; wirelessly connect to your phone; change the interior accent lights to the yellow, green, and purple you chose last Mardi Gras and never updated; and ask if you want to play Centipede or maybe order a pizza. These are crucial upgrades to the motoring experience, and if this were 1982 or, heck, even 2012 (the pre–Apple CarPlay days), this hypothetical car would be a mind-blowing feat of futuristic technology. In 2022, it’s just a Subaru. Or a Dodge. Or pretty much any moderately optioned new model from the past couple of years. Automakers are racing to showcase new and interesting technology, and that means we also see a lot of useless features—or, at best, moderately amusing novelties. Everyone is pitching “connected” and “smart” cars, so why are so

many of the perks of these brilliant, sensor-laden, and computer-heavy smart cars, well, kinda dumb? I’m not anti-dumb. Puddle lights that spell out the name of the car when you open the door? Glamorous. Even if they’re less than useful for finding the house key you just dropped. Infotainment systems that offer nature sounds and radios that can change volume with a wizardly swoop of the hand are fine. But while product managers are busy copying one another’s ideas for little LED light shows, there are still automotive inconveniences we have barely addressed since the Curved Dash Olds. Because I love to help, here are a few places where I think smart-car technology could go a long way toward improving the driving experience. You want a light show, let’s talk sun visors. The sun has been the enemy of travelers since the first person had to head westward in the afternoon. And yet, the biggest improvement I’ve ever seen in sun blocking is when there’s a little extra flap that can extend to the back half of the side window. Sometimes there’s a mirror, and the mirror has a light. That’s nice, but the sun is still in my eyes. Several car companies use electrochromic tech in their glass roofs to adjust from clear to frosted. Couldn’t we do the same on the windows? There are rules about tinting, but what if the windshield could track the hot spot and just darken that? What if the whole window went dark while the car is parked to keep the interior cool? Sunglasses can auto-darken. Is the automotive industry comfortable with being outteched by a $200 pair of Ray-Bans? I’m not done with visibility complaints. Mirrors should adjust themselves based on the driver’s eyeline. Cadillac already tracks your face to make sure you’re paying enough attention to use Super Cruise, and Subaru uses facial recognition to adjust seats and mirrors to preset positions. Why not go one step further and use the tech to see your position and automatically compute the best settings for your side and rearview mirrors? Speaking of facial recognition, the new Genesis GV60 unlocks with a face-level camera and starts via a fingerprint sensor [see “See Here,” page 69]. Biometrics are already in use, mostly to sell us things, but if our cars are tracking us, can they at least be more best friend than tattletale? Maybe alert us when we’re too sleepy to be driving, or flag low blood sugar and route us to the nearest Wendy’s, or notice when we’re crying and play something sad. I recommend Joni Mitchell’s Blue to match the lighting. Engineers, if you’re reading this, I have many more suggestions: airbag nap pillows, phone coolers, self-cleaning steering wheels. Have your car contact mine; we’ll connect.

I LLU ST RAT I ON BY DILE K BAYK A RA ~ J ULY/AUGU ST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

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t was a perfect late autumn day in the northern Rockies. Not a cloud in the sky, and just enough cool in the air to stir up nostalgic memories of my trip into the backwoods. This year, though, was different. I was going it solo. My two buddies, pleading work responsibilities, backed out at the last minute. So, armed with my trusty knife, I set out for adventure. Well, what I found was a whole lot of trouble. As in 8 feet and 800-pounds of trouble in the form of a grizzly bear. Seems this grumpy fella was out looking for some adventure too. Mr. Grizzly saw me, stood up to his entire 8 feet of ferocity and let out a roar that made my blood turn to ice and my hair stand up. Unsnapping my leather sheath, I felt for my hefty, trusty knife and felt emboldened. I then showed the massive grizzly over 6 inches of 420 surgical grade stainless steel, raised my hands and yelled, “Whoa bear! Whoa bear!” I must have made my point, as he gave me an almost admiring grunt before turning tail and heading back into the woods.

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AFFORD THE EXTRAORDINARY

IS A BRUTISH PICKUP WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO DRAG THE U.S. INTO AN ELECTRIC ERA? SILENT AND VIOLENT 28

JULY/AU GUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

B Y D AV E VA N D E R W E R P PHOTOGR APHY BY JOHN ROE

IT’S ALMOST TOO SIMPLE. Automakers are sprinting full speed ahead toward electric vehicles, and they need offerings that people want to buy. So why not take the bestselling vehicle—the Ford F-150—and make it an EV? Bingo. Some 200,000 people have queued up to buy Ford’s electric pickup, before they could even see one up close or drive it. That’s 10 times the initial annual volume Ford was planning for the Lightning. After multiple expansions to its plant in Dearborn, Michigan, Ford will eventually be able to build 150,000 a year. Are F-150 buyers ready to make the switch to electric? Not exactly, as more than half of reservation holders have never owned a Ford vehicle. These folks won’t appreciate how F-150-familiar the Lightning feels. All Lightnings have the F-150’s generous four-door crew cab and all-wheel drive with a motor at each axle. As is typical with EVs, peak power is limited by battery output, so the standard 98.0-kWh battery maxes out at 452 horsepower, while the 131.0-kWh upgrade pack increases that to 580 horses. Both Without that light versions make a healthy 775 pound-feet of torque. bar, you’re hardpressed to identify The starting price is a very reasonable $41,769, a Lightning at first but only ﬂeet customers can spec the larger batglance. The interior tery pack on the base trim level, so the you-and-me is nearly identical price for a big-battery truck leaps to $74,269. And to a gasser’s.

JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

Counterpoints

TOW IN G P HOTO G RA P H BY M I CH A E L S I M A R I

Plus: Mustang GT acceleration, full-size-truck capability, nearly silent. Minus: Body-on-frame jiggles, interior isn’t $90K nice, range is still an issue. Equals: A very quick and quiet F-150. you really want the big battery. The EPA estimates range of 230 miles for the lesser pack and 320 miles for the larger one, although the top Platinum trim drops to 300 miles because of its 22-inch wheels. In our 75-mph highway range test, the Lightning Platinum went 230 miles. Applying the same ratio to the base battery yields just 176 miles of highway range—and that’s for an empty truck—but it would likely stretch a bit farther because the small-battery model is lighter. This is despite the Lightning being the most aerodynamic F-150 ever, with its closed-off front grille, underbody panels, and reshaped running boards netting it a 4 percent better coefficient of drag than the regular F-150. Pushing the Lightning along at 75 mph requires 10 percent less power, a substantial decrease. Maybe part of the appeal is blending in. The Lightning looks like any other F-150. It drives nearly identically to other F-150s, too, even though it gets an independent rear suspension, the first F-150 so equipped. This benefits ride quality in certain circumstances, such as an impact to both rear wheels simultaneously. But mostly the truck feels like any other F-150, with slight imprecision, body-on-frame structural jiggles, and a little floatiness to the ride.

Make that a really, really quick F-150, as the Lightning clears 60 mph in 4.0 seconds on its way to a 12.7-second quarter-mile. The last F-150 Lightning, the one with a supercharged V-8, is more than a second slower in both metrics. A Shelby GT350 would have to be exceptionally well driven to eke out a narrow quarter-mile victory. A Mach-E GT is no quicker in the quarter-mile. The power delivery is violent. The Lightning will chirp its front tires when the call comes for maximum acceleration at speeds up to 30 mph. It’s hilarious. Hammer it from rest, and the Lightning often squawks its front tires two or three separate times as the traction control backs off the power, then feeds in too much again. Mixing acceleration and cornering in the Lightning induces torque steer. Fleet buyers can opt to limit maximum acceleration so their derelict employees won’t quickly burn through front tires. Tire chirps are the primary noise heard during hard acceleration, as the Lightning makes its power and speed almost silently. We measured a peak of 68 decibels during maximum acceleration and just 65 decibels when cruising at 70 mph. That’s signiﬁcantly quieter than gas-powered F-150s and just one decibel higher while cruising than the last Mercedes S-class we tested.

The F-150 Lightning could’ve been called the Fordtress, as in the Flying Fordtress or the Fordtress of Solitude, given how quiet it is. And it’s quick, despite being saddled with the aerodynamics of a cinder block and a 3.4-ton curb weight. Laugh-inducing launches require nothing more than a right-foot tap that instantly zaps 775 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels, making the Lightning feel like a dragster with a cargo bed. If Fordtress wasn’t the runner-up in the name game, I hope the marketing department at least considered F-1-FiftEV. Thank you, thank you—I’ll be here all week. —Eric Stafford Ford’s design team missed the dystopian sci-ﬁ movie casting call, and the F-150 Lightning is better for it. Let the electric Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Hummer, Rivian R1T, and Tesla Cybertruck ﬁght for the leading role with their oversize wheels, gimmicky features, and cutesy designs. It’s a smart choice by Ford when you consider that the most popular vehicles don’t cry for attention; they dutifully tackle their responsibilities while looking nonchalant in driveways and on commutes. The F-150 Lightning will blend into a Home Depot parking lot like a master spy. Its performance in the Everyman role is Oscarworthy. —Carlos Lago

Not bolting in a V-8 or a twin-turbo V-6 leaves a lot of space up front—space that could be used to haul 400 pounds of luggage, groceries, or dreams.

Learning Curve We’re still in the early days of the ramp-up to EVs taking over, and the technology is in flux. With time, automakers gain confidence to push battery packs harder, upping their power output, using more of their available energy, and charging them faster. Comparing the F-150 Lightning with the Mustang Mach-E that launched just a year earlier shows noteworthy improvements. Above an 80 percent state of charge, the Lightning charges about three times faster than the Mach-E 4X, whose charging rate slows to a trickle. And the Mach-E GT can’t make full power for the entirety of a quarter-mile pass, allowing the nearly one-tonheavier Lightning to run an identical time. We expect subsequent EVs to show continued gains. 200

CHARGING POWER (kW)

The competing Rivian R1T steers better, rides better, and is more structurally solid. Though the R1T is considerably more powerful and quicker, its power ramps up more gingerly to avoid wheelspin and torque steer. That allows the Lightning to hang with it in our passing tests, where their 30-to-50-mph and 50-to-70-mph times are within 0.1 second of each other. The Lightning’s brakes are tuned exceptionally well, with none of the all-too-typical wonkiness when blending motor regen and friction brakes. The Lightning stopped from 70 mph in a reasonable 180 feet, but by the third stop, a warning light came on alerting us to overheating brakes, combined with signiﬁcant fade and smoke. Despite its extra weight, the Lightning’s front rotors grow by just 0.2 inch in diameter, and the rears are no larger than a regular F-150’s. That would give us pause about exploring the upper reaches of the truck’s 10,000-pound towing capability (Platinums are rated for 8500 pounds). We lugged a 5100-pound trailer, and while the Lightning towed it with alacrity, even this modest load dropped the range to just 130 miles at 70 mph. Realistically, you’d be lucky to go 100 miles between charging stops. We never thought we’d be impressed by the mass efﬁciency of something weighing 6855 pounds. But in light of the smaller Rivian R1T that’s 300 pounds heavier and the 9000-pound Hummer EV, here we are. This Lightning, with its 1500-pound battery pack, is roughly 1300 pounds heavier than a gas-powered F-150 but only 74 pounds heavier than a Ram 1500 TRX. The Rivian R1T has thoughtful features throughout, such as a power-locking tonneau cover, a device to lock gear in the bed, and a roll-out kitchen accessory. Ford, on the other hand, touts just two key features on the Lightning: a large front trunk, which can hold three carry-on bags or two sets of golf clubs, and a total of 11 power outlets in the frunk, cabin, and bed. Ford calls this generator functionality Pro Power Onboard. It comes with 2.4 kilowatts of output—or 9.6 kilowatts as part of the larger battery upgrade—and is included on the top two trims. The Lightning can also charge other electric vehicles at a decent 7.2 kilowatts. With Ford’s home-charging equipment, the Lightning can power an entire house in the event of an outage. However, getting a home properly set up is a roughly $10,000 proposition, which makes us question how many people will undertake it. These are neat party tricks, but building in so many ways to drain the relatively limited energy stored onboard seems odd. For $4500, you could buy a stationary generator for your house plus a portable one, both of equivalent output to the truck’s. Subtract that cost from the price of the

least expensive larger-battery F-150 Lightning, and you’d have about $70,000 left to spend on a pickup. The F-150’s interior didn’t get any nicer for the Lightning; the hard plastics on the dash and unconvincing leather on the steering wheel aren’t commensurate with the $90,000-plus price of the Platinum. Both the Ram 1500 and the Rivian R1T have much-higher-quality cabin materials. The Lightning also inherits the power-folding shifter that enables a large, ﬂat workspace on top of the center console. But the power mechanism makes for loose, imprecise, and generally unsatisfying shift action. Is this the best and ﬁnal answer to the question of what an electric pickup should be? Almost certainly not. But adapting the existing F-150 architecture was a smart way to get an EV pickup to market quickly, and the Lightning has clearly struck a nerve with the buying public. We fully expect Ford’s next electric truck, which will supposedly be ready in 2025, to be more distinctive.

2022 F-150 LIGHTNING

150

100 2021 MUSTANG MACH-E 4X 50

0 10

30 50 70 BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE (%)

2022 FORD F-150 LIGHTNING PLATINUM Price $93,609 As Tested ......................... Base .................................................................. $92,669 Vehicle Type: front- and mid-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup Options: spray-in bedliner, $595; max recline front seats, $345 Infotainment: 15.5-inch touchscreen; wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; satellite radio (3 months included); 4 USB (3 for power only), 4 USB-C (3 for power only), and Bluetooth inputs; Wi-Fi hotspot (3 months included); Bang & Olufsen, 18 speakers

Turns Lock-to-Lock ............................................ 3.3 Turning Circle Curb-to-Curb ................. 48.0 ft

Suspension F: ind; unequal-length control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar R: ind; semi-trailing arm, coil springs

Motors

Brakes

2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC Power .................................................................... 580 hp Torque ............................................................... 775 lb-ft liquid-cooled lithium-ion Construction ........................................... pouch-type Capacity .......................................................... 131.0 kWh Cell Manufacturer: SK Innovation Onboard Charger: 19.2 kW

1 2

12.7

107

1/4-MILE

100

Wheels: cast aluminum, 8.5 x 22 in Tires: General Grabber HTS 60, 275/50R-22 111T M+S

8.3

Dimensions Wheelbase ........................................................ 145.5 in Length ................................................................. 232.7 in Width ...................................................................... 80.0 in Height .................................................................... 78.3 in Front Track ......................................................... 68.1 in Rear Track .......................................................... 68.3 in Ground Clearance ............................................ 8.4 in Passenger Volume, F/R ........................... 61/63 ft3 Cargo Volume ...................................................... 14 ft3 Approach Angle ................................................. 24.4 0 Break-Over Angle ............................................... 17.6 0 Departure Angle ............................................... 23.6 0 Water Fording ................................................... 23.6 in

MAX SPEED IN GEAR (rpm)

Front ...... 9.72 ........ 9.8 ............. 110 mph (11,200) Rear ....... 9.61 ......... 9.9 ............. 110 mph (11,100)

Chassis full-length frame Body Material: aluminum stampings

Steering rack-and-pinion with electric power assist Ratio ....................................................................... 18.0:1

10.6

6.5 MPH

Transmissions, F/R: direct-drives All-Wheel-Drive System: full time, electronically controlled locking rear differential MPH PER 1000 RPM

Acceleration

Wheels and Tires

Drivetrain

RATIO

TEST RESULTS

F: 14.0 x 1.3-in vented disc, 2-piston sliding caliper R: 13.8 x 0.9-in vented disc, 1-piston sliding caliper Stability Control: partially defeatable, traction off

Battery Pack

GEAR

Ford alters the standard F-150’s frame to accept the battery and motor-drive units, but all the cab and bed attachment points are unchanged. The biggest modification is for the independent rear suspension.

4.0

5.1

3.1

1.6

2.3

Results in graph omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ................. 4.2 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph ...................... 1.6 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph ..................... 2.2 sec Top Speed (gov ltd) ...................... 110 mph

Handling COMPETITORS

75 0

LE 1/4 RA -M TIO ILE SE N, C

E, NG MI

70–0 mph ............................................. 180 ft Fade: moderate

Weight

AC CE

30 0

45 0

MAX TOWING, LB

12,000 14,000 15

4 0.7

175

8 0.7 82 0.

55 75

PH FT -M G, –0 IN 70 RAK B

TESTED BY DAV E VA ND E R WE RP IN C HE L SEA , MI

Curb ...................................................... 6855 lb Per Horsepower ................................. 11.8 lb Distribution, F/R ...................... 50.2/49.8% Towing Capacity .............................. 8500 lb

C/D Fuel Economy Observed ......................................... 54 MPGe 75-mph Hwy Range ......................... 230 mi

EPA Fuel Economy

EPA COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY, MPG/MPGE

R 3 OA PA 00- DH D, FT OL G SK DIN ID G, -

19 5

20 5

60-MPH ACCELERATION, SEC

*Includes performanceenhancing options.

Braking

A EP

A meeting of the latest full-sizepickup powertrains.

Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum 580 hp, 2 AC motors, direct-drives Ford F-150 hybrid 430-hp 3.5-L V-6 + AC motor, 10-sp auto Ram 1500 5.7 eTorque 395-hp 5.7-L V-8, 8-sp auto Rivian R1T 835 hp, 4 AC motors, direct-drives

Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ...... 0.77 g Understeer: excessive

BASE, $ x 1000*

Comb/City/Hwy ................ 66/73/60 MPGe Range .................................................... 300 mi

Interior Sound Level Idle ......................................................... 29 dBA Full Throttle ....................................... 68 dBA 70-mph Cruising .............................. 65 dBA

OCTOBER 19-22, 2022 NY AND CT

Join us for our third annual autumnal tour through Upstate New York, celebrating Road & Track’s Performance Car of the Year finalists. + Navigate the Northeast with Road & Track editors, in a sequence of curated routes through Hudson Valley, Saratoga Springs, and the Catskill Mountains. + Compete for the third annual Hudson Honors Awards by autocrossing at historic Lime Rock Park + Experience hot laps in 2023 Performance Car of the Year finalists with special guest drivers. + Meet our editors and bond with dozens of fellow car enthusiasts over the course of four fun-filled days. + Enjoy extraordinary excursions including pit stops at Troutbeck, The Adelphi Hotel, Callicoon Hills, and more!

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E d m u n d s JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

p e r f o r m a n c e p r o v e f u n f r o m

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R i d e s P h o t o g r a p h y

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JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

If you have $60,000 to spend on a performance car, you’re clearly looking to smile more. This comparison test is designed to ﬁnd what sparks joy. Fortunately, the performance cars at this price point are all grin machines. The Nissan Z is the newest entertainer in the segment, and its launch is one of the most anticipated of the year. In addition to its 400-hp twin-turbo V-6, manual gearbox, and tidy size, the Z is priced right. A 2023 Nissan Z Performance starts at $51,015 without options, which are limited to paint and a few skippable triﬂes. Our Passion Red test car sits at $53,610. Toyota’s GR Supra is the Z’s most obvious competitor. The Supra 3.0 comes with a 382-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, which makes an excellent foil for the Z’s same-size V-6. Right now the Supra comes only with an automatic—a manual is on the way—which gives the Z an advantage because a manual will always be more fun. The Supra 3.0 Premium we wrangled for this test starts at $56,065, with our test car’s price rising to $57,260 owing to its lone option, the Driver Assistance package. BMW’s M240i xDrive isn’t a two-seat sports car, but it’s here because it has the Supra’s 382-hp heart planted in a coupe with a back seat and trunk. A slightly more practi-

cal alternative to the Z and Supra, the M240i also comes standard with all-wheel drive, ensuring idiot-proof acceleration. A $49,545 base price undercuts the Z Performance, but our M240i ran all the way up to $59,270 with options. Only about $2400 of that extra outlay is relevant to performance, though. And because we opened the comparison test to cars with rear seats, we thought it right to include a Ford Mustang, speciﬁcally the track-focused Mach 1. The price and performance line up with the rest of the group, although a 2022 model was unavailable to us, which left us with a ’21 test car. Our 2021 Mach 1 carries a base price of $54,595, which rose to $60,740 with options (including rear-seat delete), the most expensive and consequential of which is the $3750 Handling package. A 2022 Mach 1 will run you $57,665, or $64,570 when equipped like our test car. Other changes include a slight drop in horsepower, from 480 to 470. With the four contenders selected, we headed for the hills, connecting our favorite Southern California back roads in a massive loop spread across ﬁve counties. After solidifying our subjective impressions, we descended to the test track to see how they performed there.

4th Place: Nissan Z We know. We hated to write that as much as you’re disappointed to read it. One of the most oft-repeated mutterings during this test went something like “I wanted to like it more than I did.” Our initial brief encounter with the Z at the launch event showed promise, but in this longer fight against direct and tangential rivals on roads of our own choosing, the long-awaited Z fell to the back of the pack. At first glance it captures the value and performance of the original Z quite well, but nothing brings flaws to light like several days of driving the competition. On the road, the Z’s twin-turbo V-6 drew consistently positive comments. It pulled hard and left us smiling. Only the dull and Pathfinder-esque engine sound and somewhat

indistinct shifter feel generated any notebook gripes. In testing, the Z found itself in a limp-home mode despite extra cool-down passes and a couple of restarts. Running the 91 octane that’s the best available in California, the Z proved slower than its 400 horses would suggest. A 4.5-second run to 60 mph and a 13.0-second quartermile are almost a second behind the Supra and the M240i. The problems were likely due to our Z tester’s preproduction status. Our hurry to compare the Z meant that we couldn’t get a full-ﬂedged production car. Nissan does admit that the V-6’s peak power corresponds to 93 octane fuel. We borrowed another pre-production Z for a follow-up test in Michigan on the local 93 brew, and times fell to 4.1 seconds to 60 mph and 12.6 seconds in the quarter-mile. Those times still trail the Supra’s 91-octane numbers by 0.4 second. It wasn’t just the engine that seemed out of step—the warmedover 370Z chassis struggles to keep up with the rest of the group. It behaves eagerly when the car is driven modestly, and the suspension has long-travel action that handles rumpled pavement effectively. But understeer rears its head when you push the Bridgestone S007 B-Silent tires, and that chassis gets a The Z’s interior cleverly blends modern screens with throwback elements like dashtop gauge pods and a manual shifter. JULY/AU GUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

2022 BMW M240i 2021 Ford xDrive Mustang Mach 1 Base/As Tested $49,545/$59,270 Dimensions Wheelbase Length/Width/Height Track, F/R Passenger Volume, F/R Cargo Volume

Nissan Z Performance Plus Lowest as-tested price, Z heritage styling largely works inside and out, six-speed manual transmission. Minus Needs more aggressive tires, underdamped suspension feels like it’s up on tiptoes, carries over a lot from the old 370Z. Equals If Nissan doesn’t release a NISMO version, the Z’s fate may fall to the aftermarket.

107.9 in 179.4/72.4/55.3 in 62.2/62.8 in 52/33 ft3 14 ft3

2023 Nissan Z Performance

2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium

$54,595/$60,740

$51,015/$53,610

$56,065/$57,260

107.1 in 188.5/75.4/54.3 in 62.4/65.1 in 55/— ft 3 14 ft3

100.4 in 172.4/72.6/51.8 in 61.2/61.6 in 52/— ft 3 7 ft 3

97.2 in 172.5/73.0/50.9 in 62.8/62.6 in 51/— ft 3 10 ft 3

DOHC 32-valve V-8 307 in3 (5038 cm3)

turbocharged DOHC 24-valve inline-6 183 in3 (2998 cm3) 382 @ 6500 368 @ 1800 6500/7000 rpm 8.9

Powertrain Engine turbocharged DOHC 24-valve inline-6 183 in3 (2998 cm3) Power, hp @ rpm 382 @ 6500 Torque, lb-ft @ rpm 369 @ 1800 Redline/Fuel Cutoff 7000/7000 rpm lb per hp 10.1

480 @ 7250 410 @ 4800 7500/7500 rpm 7.9

twin-turbocharged DOHC 24-valve V-6 183 in3 (2997 cm3) 400 @ 6400 350 @ 1600 7000/7000 rpm 8.8

Driveline Transmission 8-speed automatic Driven Wheels all Final-Drive Ratio:1 2.81

6-speed manual rear 3.73

6-speed manual rear 3.54

8-speed automatic rear 3.15

F: struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar R: multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar F: 15.0-in vented disc R: 13.0-in vented disc fully defeatable, traction off, competition mode, launch control Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 F: 305/30ZR-19 (98Y) R: 315/30ZR-19 (100Y)

F: control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar R: multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar F: 14.0-in vented disc R: 13.8-in vented disc fully defeatable, launch control

F: struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar R: multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar F: 13.7-in vented disc R: 13.6-in vented disc fully defeatable, traction off, launch control

Bridgestone Potenza S007 B-Silent F: 255/40R-19 96W R: 275/35R-19 96W

Michelin Pilot Super Sport F: 255/35ZR-19 (96Y) R: 275/35ZR-19 (100Y)

1.2 sec 3.6 sec 9.0 sec 12.1 sec @ 114 16.4 sec

1.7 sec 4.5 sec 11.2 sec 13.1 sec @ 108 21.3 sec

1.8 sec 4.5 sec 10.6 sec 13.0 sec @ 111 19.0 sec

1.4 sec 3.7 sec 9.1 sec 12.2 sec @ 114 16.6 sec

Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.

Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.

4.8 sec 2.4 sec 3.0 sec 150 mph (gov ltd)

5.3 sec 11.0 sec 11.1 sec 168 mph (mfr’s claim)

5.3 sec 8.0 sec 6.0 sec 160 mph (C/D est)

4.7 sec 2.5 sec 2.9 sec 160 mph (gov ltd)

138 ft 284 ft

166 ft 331 ft

147 ft 297 ft

1.06 g

0.93 g

1.00 g

Weight Curb 3864 lb Distribution, F/R 53.2/46.8%

3793 lb 54.6/45.4%

3507 lb 56.4/43.6%

3382 lb 51.7/48.3%

Fuel Capacity/Octane 13.7 gal/91 EPA Comb/City/Hwy 26/23/32 mpg C/D 650-mi Trip 18 mpg

16.0 gal/93 17/14/22 mpg 14 mpg

16.4 gal/93 20/18/24 mpg 17 mpg

13.7 gal/91 25/22/30 mpg 18 mpg

52/90 dBA 70 dBA

43/83 dBA 70 dBA

42/81 dBA 68 dBA

Chassis Suspension F: struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar R: multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar Brakes F: 14.7-in vented disc R: 13.6-in vented disc Stability Control fully defeatable, traction off, launch control

Tires Michelin Pilot Sport 4S F: 245/35ZR-19 (93Y) R: 255/35ZR-19 (96Y) TEST RESULTS Acceleration 30 mph 60 mph 100 mph 1/4-Mile @ mph 130 mph

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph Top Gear, 30–50 mph Top Gear, 50–70 mph Top Speed

Chassis Braking, 70–0 mph 153 ft Braking, 100–0 mph 304 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad 0.98 g

Sound Level Idle/Full Throttle 39/86 dBA 70-mph Cruise 65 dBA

TESTED BY DAVI D B EA RD A ND DA N E DMU NDS I N CA LI FOR NI A CI T Y, CA

Remember when BMW gauges were easy to read? Despite the M240i’s portly 3864pound curb weight, its all-wheel-drive system helped it hit 60 in 3.6 seconds.

BMW M240i xDrive Plus Impressively quick, ﬂexible interior, lowest base price. Minus Small seats are hard, overdamped suspension, no manual. Equals The best everyday car here is too stiff for its own good.

bit sloppy because the damping can’t quite keep the car settled when you’re steaming through corners or braking hard on uneven pavement. A more aggressive tire would likely up the 0.93 g of lateral grip and shorten the 166-foot 70-mph stops. The driving position earned praise, but the 370Z-derived seats themselves pleased no one, especially since the fore-and-aft controls again are on the transmissiontunnel side. Tall drivers following short ones had to duck in to grind the seat rearward before they could climb aboard. After driving the car over several days, we realized that the newest Z isn’t quite the apex of the segment. But with stickier tires and the engine-management issues of our pre-production car sorted, we think the Z could have a better shot. 3rd Place: BMW M240i xDrive We’re big fans of the M240i xDrive, and this third-place ﬁnish hasn’t changed that. It is by far the most practical sporting machine here, with its trunk and back seat

(the latter of which folds to expand the former), as well as the inherent acceleration advantage of all-wheel drive. It also sports the lowest starting price of the group, though a slew of options ballooned the number to second highest. It’s quick, thanks to a healthy 382-hp turbocharged inline-six and an eight-speed automatic that work brilliantly together. The superior launch traction of xDrive is the ace in the hole shot, and it gave the BMW an initial start-line lead it never relinquished on the way to a 3.6-second 60-mph run and a 12.1-second quarter-mile. But anyone who’s ever driven all-wheel drive in snow will tell you it means little when it comes to turning and braking. And so it was at the track, where the M240i’s highest-in-test mass (3864 pounds) and relatively narrow rubber led to a 0.98-g skidpad performance and a 70-mph stop of 153 feet. Respectable numbers, but only good for third in this group. On the wild back roads of California, no one called out the BMW for lacking grip or braking prowess. We pushed it hard on any number of challenging roads, and it proved tenacious. Its front end will break free slightly earlier than the Supra’s, but the bigger issue is the stiffness of the suspension, particularly the damping. The M240i feels harsh and overdamped outside a smooth racetrack and a little unsettled by rough pavement in the canyons. It never relaxes and takes a breath. You get the feeling it might twitch sideways at the wrong moment, even though it never does.

JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

The seats don’t help. The upper reaches of the backrest are flat, and the taller folks among us were hanging on to the steering wheel for lateral support. While the bolsters are adjustable, there’s nothing in the shoulder area to work with. They’re also ropey and firm, which gets tiring after a long day in the saddle and does little to filter out any of the road imperfections coming up through the suspension. A better seat and more suspension compliance would help the quickest car here be more in tune with its incredible acceleration. 2nd Place: Toyota GR Supra 3.0 As you drive the Supra, great memories return. It starts with the cockpit itself, which is refreshingly simple considering its BMW roots. The driving position is spot-on, and the tachometer sits front and center with physical numbers rimming a virtual needle. The biggest drawback is the sloping roofline, which makes the cockpit feel confining, like you have the sun visors placed over the side glass. You need to duck down to say hi at the Taco Bell drive-through (unless you want to hide your face). The Supra shares its powertrain with the M240i, except its 3.15:1 final-drive ratio is shorter than the 2.81 gears in the BMW. At 3382 The Supra’s cabin answers this burning question: What if the interiors of the Toyota GR86 and BMW Z4 had a baby?

pounds, it’s also some 482 pounds lighter than the M240i. It likewise beneﬁts from a 97.2-inch wheelbase that’s 10.7 inches shorter and wider tires front and rear. Despite driving only the rear wheels, the Supra hit 60 mph, 100 mph, and the quartermile a mere tenth of a second behind the M240i. Speedy at the track and on the back roads, it is, in ornithological terms, a hoot. Push hard and you’ll ﬁnd a true sports car. The front end digs in on corner entry, and the short wheelbase helps the rear pivot with no hesitation. Lifting the throttle while cornering tightens the arc, but there’s little chance of the rear end taking over. Somehow the steering feels more communicative here than in the BMW, making the limit easier to anticipate before you cross it. The track results follow along, with a tidy 1.00 g on the

Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium Plus Quick in a straight line, balanced handling and braking, steering has more life than the true BMW. Minus Claustrophobic cabin, highest base price, no manual (yet). Equals A wellrounded sports car.

Ford Mustang Mach 1 Plus Intoxicating engine note, massive buckets of grip, comfy Recaros hold on tight. Minus Not a drag-strip hero, abysmal fuel economy, rental-Mustang interior. Equals Endless joy on a winding road—or in a tunnel.

skidpad and a 147-foot stop from 70 mph. On the open road, the Supra’s suspension is everything the M240i’s isn’t—reasonably compliant, properly damped, easy to live with all day. Sure, coarse roads will coax road noise from the tires (which are the same size as the Z’s), but the strikes go into a structure that never shimmies or crashes. This is a sports car for the daily grind. Now please hurry up with that manual, Toyota. 1st Place: Ford Mustang Mach 1 The Mach 1 won enough hearts to take the W. It earned all the fun-to-drive points, but not every ballot gave it the top spot. A close look at the tally shows that the Mach 1 had

a lopsided score card, with higher highs offsetting some lower lows. That kind of lovehate sentiment makes cars memorable. Or at least debatable. A lot of the Mach 1’s flavor comes from the Handling package, which adds 305/30R19 front and 315/30R-19 rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires (the wildest and widest in the group), a revised suspension calibration, and spoilers on top of spoilers for extra downforce. Those wide tires tend to get distracted by parallel seams when running straight, but the steering was resolutely spot-on and talkative on every bit of the circuitous back roads we traversed. Go hard and the Mustang enjoys monstrous grip and uncanny stability. The classic sound of the Mustang’s 480-hp 5.0-liter V-8 reverberates off canyons, tunnels, brick walls, and the inside of your skull. Go ahead, enjoy an unnecessary downshift and a superfluous throttle blip; we won’t judge. We all loved the cue-ball shifter and the unbeatable six-speed manual gearbox, even if the taller drivers among us felt like we were throwing an elbow into the passenger’s seat on the fivesix upshift. Sure, you can commit The Mach 1’s cue-ball shift knob bolts to the slick Tremec TR-3160 manual instead of the Mustang GT’s Getrag six-speed. JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

GRAND TOTAL

10 55

240

3 3 2 3

6 10 10 9

9 8 6 6

9 7 7 7

20 18 17 14

9 8 6 6

9 8 6 5

10 9 8 6

8 7 5 6

56 50 42 37

25 20 16 14

185 184 181 154

42 48 45 41

FUN TO DRIVE

HANDLING

15 20 20 16

Experience

BRAKE FEEL

62 66 78 62

SUBTOTAL

STEERING FEEL

100

17 19 18 20

RIDE

PERFORMANCE*

1 2 1 0

Chassis

9 5 7 8

SUBTOTAL

6 8 7 8

TRANSMISSION

7 9 9 6

ENGINE NVH

1 4 10 3

FUEL ECONOMY*

5 4 5 3

FLEXIBILITY*

0 0 5 0

Powertrain

0 0 2 0

FIT AND FINISH

7 7 8 7

CARGO SPACE*

9 8 6 7

ERGONOMICS

1. Ford Mustang Mach 1 2. Toyota GR Supra 3.0 3. BMW M240i xDrive 4. Nissan Z

DRIVER COMFORT

Maximum points available

FINAL RESULTS

Vehicle

SUBTOTAL

1/4-MILE ACCELERATION*

We’re not ashamed to admit we left the rev-match feature engaged much of the time, not least because it’s a pain to toggle on and off. Other controls in the interior are much easier to decode and use, even if the presentation inside looks dated because of this design’s age and rental-car materials budget. Pay a little extra for the optional Recaro buckets—once in, you’re bolted in place and comfortable. The Mach 1’s over-the-top attitude and handling are undeniable. Even the voters who gave the Supra the win had to admit the Mach 1 offers more smiles per mile. It might suck gas, have an interior by Avis, and lack the acceleration of some competitors, but this is the most fun you can have for about $60,000.

AS-TESTED PRICE*

REBATES/EXTRAS*

EXTERIOR STYLING

INTERIOR STYLING

FEATURES/AMENITIES*

REAR-SEAT SPACE*

REAR-SEAT COMFORT

the sacrilege of ﬁtting a 10-speed automatic if you must, but, frankly, you must not. Not here. Admittedly, the manual takes a bite out of the stonking V-8’s acceleration performance. The Mustang returned the slowest times of the bunch, in fact, tying the Z at 4.5 seconds to 60 mph, while lagging a tenth behind at 13.1 seconds in the quarter-mile. Previous testing in Michigan (4.3 seconds to 60, 12.6 quarter-mile) could indicate an allergy to 91 octane, as Ford also claims peak power on 93. The wide and sticky rubber practically carved grooves in the skidpad to the tune of 1.06 g’s, and the Ford ruled the braking tests with a 138-foot stop from 70 mph. Clearly, this iteration of the Mustang is set up for corners and circuits, not drag strips.

*These objective scores are calculated from the vehicles’ dimensions, capacities, rebates and extras, and/or test results.

KONA N, THE BARBARIAN ON THE CHEROHALA SKYWAY, sometimes the corners go on for

so long, it feels like you’re driving up the side of a spiral ham. There are no gas stations, no convenience stores, and no apparent reasons for this 43-mile ribbon of pavement to exist. It connects Tellico Plains, Tennessee, with Robbinsville, North Carolina, two places that their own residents might admit never needed connecting. They weren’t until 1996, when the skyway was completed after 34 years of construction that cost about $100 million. The whole thing actually started with a joke in the late ’50s, when a Kiwanis Club organized a wagon train across the mountains. But you know how jokes get out of hand—someone makes an offhand comment, and next thing you know, you’re kicking off a three-decade construction project. Or perhaps someone at Hyundai says, “We should make a 286-hp Kona that terrorizes Volkswagen GTIs,” and before they can say, “Just kidding,” the factory is tooling up for the Kona N, which hits 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, pulls 0.95 g on the skidpad, and has an

BY EZRA DYER

exhaust that sounds like a stand-up Jet Ski powered by illegal fireworks. It’s just the thing for a road that looks like the best sections of Virginia International Raceway on shuffle. For 43 miles. The Cherohala’s remoteness means most of us will face a healthy drive to get there. But it offers a drive that’s worth the drive, and the Kona N can rein in its wildness and play the part of reasonable transportation when you just need to get somewhere. Cork up the active exhaust, set the adjustable dampers to their softest setting, tell the transmission and differential to relax, and click off the miles. Then, when you get to where you’re going, undo all of that and let the N show its true self. This car is a trickster, a certified rascal, a mouthy punk dressed in business casual. It doesn’t look crazy— if anything, its body-colored fenders make it look more mature than some of the lesser Konas with their black plastic cladding. But under that cute crossover skin, the N gets a thorough overhaul. This was one of the last

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC URBANO

JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

TO SHAKE D O W N W H AT W E CONSIDER THE FIRST AFFORDABLE PE RFORMANC E SUV, WE MAKE A TRIP TO THE CHEROHALA S K Y WAY.

2022 HYUNDAI Tellico Plains KONA N VS . CHEROHAL A SKY WAY — Tail of the Dragon famously includes 318 curves. We lost count of the Cherohala Skyway’s tally somewhere between Grassy Gap and Turkey Creek. The poles you sometimes see on the sides of the road aren’t for speed cameras—they’re so flying squirrels can cross.

TENNESSEE

Robbinsville

cars developed by Hyundai R&D head Albert Biermann before his retirement last December, and it’s quite a farewell statement. Under the Kona’s stubby hood is a turbo 2.0-liter inlinefour that belches out 286 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque. It’s hooked to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic equipped with an electronically controlled limitedslip differential. Compared with an N-less Kona, the brake rotors are upsized (14.2 inches up front, 12.4 inches at the rear), the power-steering motor is rack mounted rather than column mounted, and the steering ratio is quicker. The suspension gets those adjustable dampers as well as the multilink rear end from the all-wheel-drive models. The N is fitted with the biggest wheels you’ll find on a Kona, 19-inchers wrapped in 235/40R-19 Pirelli P Zero PZ4s. Opening up the active exhaust adds two decibels of attitude at idle and three at wide-open throttle, along with feisty off-throttle snarls and pops. Despite the lack of all-wheel-drive hardware, the various performance upfits make the Kona N the heaviest nonelectric Kona at 3343 pounds, just over 50 pounds heavier than a 2022 Kona N Line AWD. But it’s still a flyweight as four-doors go.

NORTH CAROLINA

It’s definitely trim for a small SUV, which is how both Hyundai and the EPA describe this muscled-up curiosity. The Kona N is a bit like below-the-knee jorts—hard to classify, but making a strong statement nonetheless. For our part, we’ll point out that SUVs aren’t front-wheel drive with silhouettes that evoke a GTI wearing a novelty foam cowboy hat. At 61.6 inches tall, the Kona towers 2.5 inches above that famous off-road colossus, the old Scion iQ, and its 6.8 inches of ground clearance is less than that of a C8 Corvette with the front-end lift engaged (6.9 inches). Thus, according to the transitive property, Corvettes are also SUVs, but only when they’re negotiating speed bumps. We didn’t find any speed bumps up on the Cherohala, or Corvettes for that matter, though en route we did see a Lamborghini Huracán Evo and a McLaren 570S heading toward the Tail of the Dragon. On the Robbinsville side, traffic is sparse and becomes thinner as you climb higher—from 2660 feet of elevation at the beginning of the skyway all the way to 5390 feet at Santeetlah Overlook. Which maybe isn’t the Rockies or the Sierra Nevadas, but still makes you glad to have a turbocharger downstream of the exhaust manifold. JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVE R

Counterpoints We realize that crossovers pay the bills. The Kona N is an exciting and clever four-door alternative to the funky Veloster N, all effervescent energy and snorting exhaust bound up in a more salable package. But Hyundai botched its chance to ﬁx one of its N models’ biggest deﬁciencies: an annoyingly stiff and harsh ride on anything but freshly laid asphalt. To win over the new group of buyers the N brand is seeking, the Kona N should have a smidge less starch in its suspension. Then no macchiatos would get bucked out of the cupholders on a commute. —Mike Sutton

Plus A blast to

drive, bargain price, settings alter its personality. Minus Front-drive only, could look more special, big red button on the steering wheel doesn’t make it go any faster. Equals Our favorite new hot hatch wants you to think it’s an SUV.

The Kona N is a performance bargain, but it’d be nice to be able to forget the bargain part from behind the wheel. Instead, the cheap-looking interior serves as a reminder that you maybe should have spent a bit more for a BMW X2 M35i or a Mercedes-AMG GLA35. While the black plastic cabin is forgivable in a $22,000 Kona, it doesn’t work as well when the price rises to $35K. The Kona N is quick, agile, and fun to drive, but so are the Elantra N and the Volkswagen Golf GTI. The Kona N’s subcompact-SUV body makes it unique. However, the interior keeps it from rising to specialness. —Drew Dorian

Left: You often have the Cherohala all to yourself. Right, from top: The Kona N loves corners; this sign fails to warn of the feral hogs hanging out just off the Huckleberry Trailhead.

Like some Biermann cars you may have heard of (the ones that wore BMW M badges), the Kona N offers plenty of customization for its various drive settings. There’s a simple knob that selects some preset modes—Sport, Eco, Normal—as well as two big N buttons on the steering wheel that cue up custom modes. Want loud exhaust with soft suspension and aggressive lockup from the diff? Set that up, and it’s one button away. For the purposes of Chero-haulin’, we simply created a mode that makes everything as crazy as possible—loud exhaust, heavy steering, ﬁrm suspension, hard shifts, edgy throttle response. But we left stability control on the regular setting. The Kona N’s limits are high, and this is a public road where more than one corner is adorned with a makeshift memorial cross. Out here, the Hyundai is completely in its element, like it was designed for this speciﬁc route. Unlike the Tail of the Dragon, the skyway features some long sweepers and straightaways mixed in with tighter blind corners and those bends that almost make you dizzy before straightening out again. The Hyundai’s grip is stupendous, and the wheel transmits steady chatter

from the road, such that you feel in your hands when the pavement abruptly transitions from smooth and fresh on the North Carolina side to patched and parched in Tennessee. Detecting that we’re up to some hijinks, the Kona’s N Track Sense Shift transmission software starts aggressively downshifting for corners and holding gears to redline all on its own. You can still use the shift paddles to manually change gears, but it’s not often you’ll second-guess a ratio. In addition to the drive-mode knob and preset N buttons, there’s one more button at your disposal: a big red one on the steering wheel that looks like it should initiate a self-destruct sequence. It’s marked NGS, for N Grin Shift, and pushing it triggers a frenetic downshift, a 20-second countdown timer, and temporary overboost that Hyundai says adds 10 horsepower. If extra ponies were unleashed, they weren’t detectable by our test equipment, but the regularly scheduled 276 horsepower is enough to dispatch the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds at 105 mph. Even better, there’s not too much daylight between a brutal 3000-rpm launch-control rip to 60 mph (4.8 seconds) and an off-boost rolling start (5.4 seconds from 5 to 60 mph), underscoring the 2.0-liter’s glorious responsiveness. The Cherohala doesn’t have many passing zones, but when you need to dispatch a straggler, the Kona N strains the leash at the push of that NGS button. And when the next corner arrives, those big brakes scrub speed time and again without fade. Next decal: We recorded a 168-foot stop “Jersey Turnpike.” from 70 mph. The Kona N’s Given all the time, effort, interior looks like lesser and money expended on this Konas’, but with road, we feel lucky that we can a big red panic just show up and drive it for button on the steering wheel. free. The Kona N is also the cul-

mination of a lot of effort, and if its $35,495 base price isn’t free, it’s still a certiﬁed bargain for a practical piece of transportation that’s infused with so much joy. Like the Cherohala Skyway, nobody really needed a 286-hp Kona. But they built one anyway, and we’re all better off for it.

2022 HYUNDAI KONA N

$35,895

The Kona N shares its engine with the Veloster N and Elantra N. An overboost feature can temporarily bump horsepower from 276 to 286.

As Tested ..................................... Base ............................................................................. $35,495 Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback Options: Lunar White paint, $400 Infotainment: 10.3-inch touchscreen; Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; satellite radio (3 months included); 3 USB (2 for power only) and Bluetooth inputs; Harman/Kardon stereo, 8 speakers

Steering rack-and-pinion with variable electric power assist Ratio ............................................................. 12.5:1 Turns Lock-to-Lock ................................. 2.2 Turning Circle Curb-to-Curb ....... 38.3 ft

Engine turbocharged and intercooled inline-4, aluminum block and head Bore x Stroke ................. 3.39 x 3.39 in, 86.0 x 86.0 mm Displacement ........................................... 122 in3, 1998 cm3 Compression Ratio ........................................................ 9.5:1 Fuel Delivery: direct injection Turbocharger: Keyyang Precision 51126-01030 Maximum Boost Pressure .................................. 18.3 psi Valve Gear: double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing Redline/Fuel Cutoff .............................. 6700/6700 rpm Power .................................................... 286 hp @ 6000 rpm Torque ................................................ 289 lb-ft @ 2100 rpm

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............

MPH PER 1000 RPM

Brakes F: 14.2 x 1.2-in vented disc, 1-piston sliding caliper R: 12.4 x 0.8-in vented disc, 1-piston sliding caliper Stability Control: fully defeatable, competition mode, launch control

MAX SPEED IN GEAR (rpm)

3.71 ................. 5.2 ................... 2.26 ............... 8.6 ................... 2.17 ................. 12.5 .................. 1.621 ............... 16.8 ................. 0.93 ............... 20.9 ................. 0.77 ................ 25.3 ................. 0.89 ............... 30.9 ................. 0.70 ............... 38.9 .................

140 24.3

F: ind, strut located by a control arm, coil springs, 3-position electronically controlled dampers, anti-roll bar R: ind; 1 trailing arm, 2 lateral links, and a toe-control link per side; coil springs; 3-position electronically controlled dampers; anti-roll bar

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic Final-Drive Ratio .............. 3.93/2.81:1*, electronically controlled limited-slip differential RATIO

Acceleration

Suspension

Drivetrain

GEAR

TEST RESULTS

35 mph (6700) 58 mph (6700) 84 mph (6700) 113 mph (6700) 140 mph (6700) 149 mph (5900) 149 mph (4825) 149 mph (3825)

18.7

11.9

105 100

unit construction Body Material: steel stampings

1/4-MILE

6.1

4.8

3.7 2.8

Wheels: cast aluminum, 8.0 x 19 in Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4 235/40R-19 96Y HN

Chassis

13.4

7.6

Wheels and Tires

*The first ratio is for gears 1, 2, 5, and 6. The second is for 3, 4, 7, and 8.

14.7

9.6 MPH

Price

30 0

2.0

SEC

Dimensions

Results in graph omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.

Wheelbase ............................................. 102.4 in Length ...................................................... 165.9 in Width ........................................................... 70.9 in Height .......................................................... 61.6 in Front Track ............................................. 62.2 in Rear Track ............................................... 62.0 in Ground Clearance ................................. 6.8 in Passenger Volume, F/R ............... 53/42 ft3 Cargo Volume behind F/R ........... 46/19 ft3

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ................. 5.4 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph ..................... 3.0 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph ..................... 3.7 sec Top Speed (mfr’s claim) .............. 149 mph

Handling Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ...... 0.95 g Understeer: minimal

Braking COMPETITORS

Curb ...................................................... 3343 lb Per Horsepower .................................. 11.7 lb Distribution, F/R ....................... 63.9/36.1%

40 35

.0 14 25

.5 14

6.0

CARRY-ON BOXES BEHIND SECOND ROW

AC CE

Weight

.5 13

LE 1/4 RA -M TIO ILE SE N, C

.0 13

5.0

7.0

0 1.0

TESTED BY DAV I D B E A RD IN C HE L SEA, M I

R 3 OA PA 00- DH D, FT OL G SK DIN ID G, -

5 0.9

15 0

85 0.

170

18 0

PH FT -M G, –0 IN 70 RAK B

*Includes performanceenhancing options.

4.0 60-MPH ACCELERATION, SEC

Hyundai Kona N 286-hp 2.0-L I-4, 8-sp auto Mercedes-AMG GLB35 4Matic 302-hp 2.0-L I-4, 8-sp auto Mini Countryman John Cooper Works ALL4 301-hp 2.0-L I-4, 8-sp auto Volkswagen Golf GTI Autobahn 241-hp 2.0-L I-4, 7-sp auto

Y WA G GH MP HI G, PH VIN -M RI 75 D

BASE, $ x 1000*

We know one of these is for sure a car, one is for sure an SUV, and two are up for discussion. All are fun.

70–0 mph ............................................. 168 ft 100–0 mph ........................................... 342 ft Fade: none

Fuel Capacity ............................................. 13.2 gal Octane .......................................................... 91

C/D Fuel Economy Observed ........................................... 20 mpg 75-mph Hwy Driving .................... 32 mpg 75-mph Range .................................. 420 mi

EPA Fuel Economy Comb/City/Hwy ................... 23/20/27 mpg

Interior Sound Level Idle ......................................................... 46 dBA Full Throttle ....................................... 79 dBA 70-mph Cruising .............................. 73 dBA

CURB WEIGHT, LB

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JULY/AU GUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DR IV ER

E A STBOU N D AND DOW N Over one very long night, contributor Jonathon Ramsey traveled from Warsaw all around Poland in a borrowed Dacia Jogger minivan to deliver supplies to Ukrainian refugees. Illustrations by Ryan Inzana

THE VIEW OUT MY EIGHTH-FLOOR HOTEL WINDOW in Warsaw hit the Cold War kid in me. Barren trees lining the empty street, yellow sodium lights and LEDs illuminating the early-spring snow—it looked like something out of a spy film. I was there waiting for a phone call that would be my signal to drive boxes of mysterious goods into a country at war. I could almost feel the ghost of Robert Ludlum. I wasn’t supposed to be in Poland; I was supposed to be on vacation in Provincetown, Massachusetts. But en route, I was diverted by a text from my friend Krista Barnes, who asked: “Can you go to Poland for three days to drop donations, all paid?” That unusual message makes a bit more sense if you know that Krista runs a humanitarian nonprofit. The Reel Project’s work typically concentrates on eastern Africa, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine found her partnering with Ukraine United Association, run by Nick Zaiets, a Ukrainian in L.A., and Fly for Good, a group specializing in booking inexpensive airfares for humanitarian missions. Which is how I found myself at the KLM counter at LAX on a Friday in April, checking in for a flight to Warsaw. I’d be playing Krista’s wingman, helping her deliver donations to Ukrainian refugees. I’d intended to look through all the supplies I’d be carrying to ensure that I wouldn’t be starring in an episode of Locked Up Abroad, but the Ukrainian chap standing next to a baggage cart had already shrink-wrapped the numerous boxes and suitcases. He said three things to me: “How many boxes can you take?” Followed by, “Each box

At 2:30 a.m. Sunday, the phone rang. Krista and I were to meet Nick at a service station in Mroków, about an hour southeast, to hand over the goods in the Jogger. We traveled big empty highways and then narrow rural roads for a few miles before the meeting point. The address gave our American Google indigestion, with Google Maps instructing us at one point to make a right turn into a field of undisturbed snow. The cold felt colder. Around 4 a.m., we finally found the service station. Soon Nick and Dmytro arrived in two vans with a new plan. They’d split up, and we’d meet up with them again at another location an hour away and do the handoff. I bought way too many gas-station snacks. Krista and I headed out. Lexico defines “haunting” as “poignant and evocative; difficult to ignore or forget.” Those stressful overnight hours to the next rendezvous were haunting. I was 6000 miles from L.A., taking waypoints from a stranger, and connecting them with a borrowed minivan, its cargo area packed with caboodle. Clouds above, snow below; hazy gray luminescence between shrouding villages and homesteads, churches, skeletal trees, and vacant fields. I convinced myself this was just another road trip. We reached the Orlen service station in Lubycza Królewska in the first hours of an overcast morning. Krista bought a cup of coffee, and Nick called with yet another plan. We’d need to meet him at another station about 90 minutes away. Back in the Jogger. Around 8:30 a.m., we pulled into the Lotos station in Skołoszów, and moments later, Dmytro and Nick materialized. We transferred everything except a box marked “Medicine” from the Jogger to a Škoda and a Ford Transit. We drove the last box 40 minutes to Medyka, where nonprofits from around the world had set up a tent village for refugees, providing hot meals and even SIM cards. We got a tour from Anna, a woman with World Central Kitchen, an organization founded by celebrity chef José Andrés. A steady trickle of Ukrainians entered the encampment, following the stone path to

is about 22 or 23 kilograms.” Then, when it was clear that we could take the whole cart, “I’ll get more boxes.” He did, then disappeared. In total, we checked six large boxes and three suitcases of goods that I was told would be distributed to shelters around the Polish capital. I’d asked Dacia to borrow a suitable vehicle for making our rounds. Renault’s Romanian subbrand came through with a Jogger, a bargain-priced MPV—think minivan with hinged second-row doors—that joined the lineup last year. Late Saturday afternoon, we landed at the Warsaw airport. We met up with Nick and Dmytro Evseenko, a truck driver in L.A. who parked the rig when the war began and traveled to his hometown in western Ukraine to help locals reach safety in Moldova. Nick began a ﬂurry of calls to arrange the evening’s deliveries. Between calls, he asked me, “Can you drive a manual?” I said yes. “Would you drive a car to Ukraine?” I said yes. He made another call. There’d be no casual gift giving around Warsaw. Instead, we were to drive Nick’s loaded Volkswagen van, platooning to Lviv, Ukraine, with Nick and Dmytro in two other vehicles. But loaded with our 500 pounds of goods, the VW wasn’t up for the adventure. An engine I grew up playing hockey with Jeff Hartman. As an adult, mount broke, a condition that he’s been an expat ever since a stint in the Peace Corps made engaging a gear impossible. in Ukraine. When war broke out, he felt compelled to help. Three of us pushed the van out. His friends in Ukraine told him what they needed: gloves, Krista and I Ubered across Warsaw jackets, medical supplies, and diesel pickups. Hartman asked to collect the Jogger and returned friends and family for donations to buy a beater truck in his to the airport to retrieve the cargo adopted home of London. He admits that he knew nothing from the broken VW. Before Krista about buying an old Mitsubishi. “Before I knew it, I was in a truck, driving,” he says. and I departed for our hotel, Nick His plan was to pack it with supplies and deliver it to the Poland-Ukraine border. said, “I’ll call you tonight. Be ready Today that goal has evolved into Ukrainian Action, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that around 11:30.” delivers pickups filled with humanitarian aid to destroyed areas. As of press time, By the time we checked in, Ukrainian Action has delivered 44 trucks. If you want to give money or donate your showered, and ate, it was too late time by making the 20-plus-hour drive, head to ukrainianaction.com. —K.C. Colwell to consider sleeping.

Parade of Pickups

a pickup point where a bus would take them on to a processing center. We delivered our final box to Paracrew, a Norwegian nonprofit running meds into Ukraine in a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee. Anna offered us food. Sitting on a curb eating soup made for refugees out of a cardboard cup at 10:30 on a Sunday morning in rural Poland was a wonderful reminder to keep things in perspective. Krista’s work done, we headed to the car. A woman behind me said, “Hola. ¿Qué tal?” Something solicitous in the greeting made me turn around. Standing on the path were two tall Black women. They explained that they’d come from Valencia, Spain, hoping to help Black people fleeing Ukraine. I was the first Black person they’d seen. In the early days of the evacuations, there were stories of African immigrants denied seats on the trains and buses that were leaving the country. I told them I hadn’t seen any other Black people and suggested they speak with Anna. I wish I’d had a more useful answer. Getting back to Warsaw took five hours. Fatigue claimed me on the way, so I handed the wheel to Krista. She’d been awake longer than I had, but she has the endurance of Athena on Adderall. We reached the capital—and showers and food and beds—at 5:30 p.m., 15 hours after departure. The night before I left, I visited a Polish friend, Majka, for a walk with her dog in the forest around Latchorzew. She asked what I thought of what I had seen. I said it appeared to be well organized for a refugee situation. Poland had taken in more than 2 million refugees in four weeks, but I wouldn’t have guessed it. Of course, weeks earlier, it was more chaotic. Housing 2 million

guests—equivalent to 5 percent of Poland’s population—in one month without a mess is an amazing feat of generosity and planning. “The Polish people did this,” Majka said. “The government has done nothing.” She told me that Poles who had room simply began taking in foreigners. “By the time the government started to help, it was already over.” The next morning, on a plane that would take me to Frankfurt, I helped an older woman with her luggage. She was Polish, retired from a career in immigration and now relocated to Santa Barbara, a place where she and her little dog looked like they’d ﬁt right in. She asked why I was in Warsaw. I explained and mentioned my impression of the Polish operation. “This is because of the ordinary Polish person,” she said. I told her my friend had thought the same thing. She added, “The government started a fund that would give Polish people 40 zloty a day for hosting Ukrainian refugees.” At current exchange rates, that’s about $9. “What can you do with 40 zloty for a family? And I haven’t heard of one person being approved for any of the money.” She smiled. “The ordinary Polish person. Make sure you write that.” I wish I could tell her I have. The venture was exhausting, enlightening, tragic, and deeply rewarding. Special mention—after the Polish people, Krista, Nick, and Dmytro—goes to the Jogger. Six hundred miles in 15 hours in an unfamiliar place turns a hot light on weaknesses, personal and vehicular. The Dacia proved reliable, frugal, and comfy to drive and sleep in. A bond formed. If I ever do something like this again, I’ll ask for another one. With a friend like Krista, that’s always a possibility.

MercyMission MVP Our steed for the Ukrainian mission was a Romanian Dacia Jogger. Its marketplace calling cards are seven-passenger seating capacity and bargain pricing, but as a supply hauler, it proved to be a fine ride. Its inline-three throws out 90 horsepower and 118 poundfeet of torque. Low numbers, but enough to get up to speed and stay there, provided you’re patient enough for a roughly 12-second dash to 60 mph. This Dacia is our kind of car: It offers only an easy-shifting six-speed manual. Sitting on the same platform as the Renault Clio 5 and the old Nissan Juke, the Jogger exhibits gratifying poise and encouraging reflexes. Dacia designers included just enough flourishes to bestow presence, especially in our car’s Terracotta Brown Metallic. Inside, nothing looked or felt cheap. The Jogger may have been built for the school run, but it’s proved that it can also handle a more purposeful trip.

Long-Term Test

After tracking every ﬁll-up, service, problem, complaint, dent, and dog hair, car and driver presents the 40,000-mile Evaluation.

— 2021 —

Toyota Sienna Can A hybrid van Really move us? by K.C. Colwell Would you ever believe that this green—literally, not figuratively—hybrid was the most popular car in our long-term fleet during its 12-month tenure? “No way,” you say. Well, despite that we have a parking lot filled with the likes of a BMW M3, a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, a Chevrolet Corvette, and a Ram 1500 TRX, a minivan—the terminally underappreciated automotive breed that new dads fear and cool moms look down on—was in fact the most popular. Our 40,000-mile test took 350 days. Why was that? Simple: This is one highly evolved minivan. This all-wheel-drive Sienna Limited arrived back in May 2021, and it stickered for $51,885. We might have gone for

Arrival May 2021

a lesser trim, but when we saw Cypress green on the options sheet, we knew that was the van for us. Limited is the lowest trim in which the color was available, and while it’s $1960 less than the Platinum, we felt that the Limited had everything we wanted: leather seats, sliding second-row captain’s chairs that shufﬂe rearward far enough to make Yao Ming smile, more USB outlets than a Delta Sky Club lounge, and a 245-hp hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.5-liter inline-four, three electric motors, and a small traction battery. When new, the Sienna hit 60 mph in 7.6 seconds and slinked through a quarter-mile in 15.7 seconds at 89 mph. These aren’t numbers that stir one’s loins, but that is just as quick as a previous-

Departure May 2022

P HOTO GRA PH Y BY MI C H A E L S IM ARI ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

“with the van Packed like a UPS truck in december, it was just one fuel stop from Ann Arbor to Cape Cod.” —David Beard, Technical editor

For one year, we lived mostly with but occasionally in Toyota’s new hybrid van.

2021 Toyota Sienna Limited AWD Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door van Base/As Tested ............... $49,675/$51,885 Powertrain: DOHC 16-valve Atkinsoncycle 2.5-liter inline-4, 189 hp, 176 lb-ft + 3 permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors, front: 180 hp, 199 lb-ft; rear: 54 hp, 89 lb-ft (combined output, 245 hp) Transmissions, F/R: continuously variable automatic/direct-drive Dimensions • Wheelbase ................................................ 120.5 in • L/W/H .................................... 203.7/78.5/68.5 in • Curb Weight ............................................ 4846 lb

Vans get no love, which is sad because they’re so useful. The Sienna is so good: a silent, supple, no-BS van with 30-plus-mpg fuel economy and a great interior. —TONY QUIROGA

The powertrain isn’t bothersome when you’re driving gently on flat Michigan roads. But once you get into the hills of Pennsylvania, the engine groans more than my preteen when asked to do her chores. —DAVE VANDERWERP

Dropping the rear entertainment screen renders the rearview mirror useless. A digital rearview mirror with a camera feed would be nice. —ERIC STAFFORD

It has one, Stafford. —DAVID BEARD

generation 2015 Honda Odyssey, so if you’re so evolved that you go from van to van, with or without the need to chauffeur dependents, it’ll feel normal. Also unremarkable are 0.77 g on the skidpad and 194 feet to stop from 70 mph. Instead, this minivan was at the top of everyone’s list because of sexy attributes like ease of ingress, the ability to carry seven people and nine suitcases at the same time, unencumbered visibility, and more storage cubbies than an IKEA display. We’ll pause while you catch your breath and call your local Toyota dealer. The biggest complaint was powertrain noise. Don’t be misled by the 67-decibel cabin din at 70 mph—on paper that’s quite comfortable and below “average office noise,” according to the Hearing Health Foundation. But that was recorded at a steady 70 mph. Frequent acceleration can be soul-crushing. For example, say you’re cruising at 75 mph (where the Sienna sips fuel at 33 mpg), and there’s an 18-wheeler doing 74 in front of you. Put the accelerator to the floorboard, and the drone that accompanies moderate acceleration could force a Gitmo detainee to break a silence. But keep an active watch on traffic with the cruise control on, and there’s no torture. After 40,000 miles, the Sienna lost a bit of the pep in its step, posting a 7.7-second 60-mph time, but that’s still quicker than minivans were 15 years ago. And no van from then could average 29 mpg over 40,000 miles. Our longterm 2018 Honda Odyssey returned 23 mpg. The Sienna betters that by 25 percent. That fuel economy is incredible considering many of us drive as if Ann Arbor hosts daily sprint races. If we factor out all the miles we accumulated on our “winter” tires, we probably would have averaged 32 mpg. But such is the life of a C/D long-term car. We put winter in quotes above because instead of ordering Blizzaks

Model-Year Changes 2022: A Woodland Edition joins the lineup. It is best described as the Subaru Outback of minivans, with standard all-wheel drive and increased ground clearance, but surprisingly no black plastic cladding. The ottoman seats that used to be reserved for front-drive Limited and Platinum models are now available on the all-wheel-drive versions, and there are some other minor trim and color changes.

test RESULTS New

40,000 miles 60 mph .......................... 7.6 sec .......... 7.7 sec 1/4-Mile ........................ 15.7 sec @ ...... 15.9 sec @ 89 mph ........ 89 mph 100 mph ........................ 21.1 sec ......... 20.9 sec 110 mph ......................... 26.8 sec ....... 27.5 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ..................... 9.0 sec ......... 8.2 sec Braking, 70–0 mph ... 194 ft ............ 182 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ......... 0.77 g ........... 0.80 g Top Speed (gov ltd) ................................ 116 mph C/D Fuel Economy • Observed .................................................. 29 mpg EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ........................ 35/35/36 mpg

E XT E R IO R P H OTO G RAP HY BY M A RC UR BAN O

Rants and Raves

Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain 8 years/100,000 miles hybrid system 10 years/150,000 miles hybrid battery 5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection 2 years/25,000 miles scheduled maintenance

Minivan Life, Quantified

OPERATING COSTS FOR 40,000 MILES Maintenance: $500 Normal Wear: $0

Repair: $0 SERVICE — Dealer Visits • Scheduled ............................... 8 • Unscheduled ............................ 1 Days out of Service ................... 0 Unscheduled Oil Additions ............................... 0 qt Damage and Destruction ............................. $0

LIFE EXPECTANCIES — Tires ....................... 55,000 miles Brake Pads • Front ... more than 100,000 miles • Rear ... more than 100,000 miles WHAT BITS AND PIECES COST — Headlamp ........................... $1337 Engine Air Filter .................... $34 Oil Filter .................................. $8 Wheel ................................... $736 Tire ...................................... $263 Wiper Blades, F/R .......... $40/$30 Front Brake Pads ................. $146

June 3, 2021 938 miles Took to dealer because driver’s-side door wouldn’t automatically close. Dealer discovered an unseated weather seal. $0

TOTAL $5176

June 12, 2021 5026 miles Took to dealer for 5000mile service. $0

Carry-on Cases 9

BEHIND 3RD ROW

BEHIND 2ND ROW

July 22, 2021 7700 miles Installed Draw-Tite hitch and four-pin trailer wiring in C/D garage. $307 August 6, 2021 10,514 miles Took to dealer for 10,000mile service. $0

August 31, 2021 15,831 miles Took to dealer for 15,000mile service. $0

BEHIND 1ST ROW

or Hakkapeliittas, we tried a set of Michelin CrossClimate 2s. This isn’t your typical winter tire in that it’s designed to be used year-round, but it still meets the traction requirements for a Three-Peak Mountain Snowﬂake designation. We had them on for about 15,000 miles, keeping them well into spring. We estimate they will last 70,000 miles. We didn’t test the car on them in dry conditions, but drivers commented on how well the Sienna behaved on them. The typical winter tire has lots of squirm that a sensitive driver can detect, but not these. If that’s enough for you to eliminate the biannual chore of swapping tires, these tires are a strong option. The Sienna traveled as far west as Wash-

SERVICE TIMELINE — May 26, 2021 373 miles Long-term test begins.

September 21, 2021 19,911 miles

Took to dealer for 20,000mile service and asked about a malfunctioning rear-entertainment remote. A sensor cover was broken and replaced under warranty. $0 November 2, 2021 25,074 miles Took to dealer for 25,000mile service. $0 November 9, 2021 25,556 miles Michelin CrossClimate2 tires installed for winter. $1004 February 1, 2022 30,136 miles Took to dealer for 30,000mile service. $243 March 18, 2022 35,017 miles Took to dealer for 35,000mile service. $121 May 9, 2022 40,191 miles Took to dealer for 40,000mile service. $136 May 10, 2022 40,201 miles Long-term test ends.

ington State, as far south as Georgia, and as far east as Cape Cod and Maine. Staff editor Austin Irwin put a roof-top tent on it (see “Baubles and Bolt-Ons,” page 62) and used it as his mobile honeymoon suite. It also moved new (re-)hire Greg Fink from Chicago to Ann Arbor on multiple trips. Through all of those miles, there were the typical hybrid quibbles from an atypical hybrid bunch. But everyone agreed that the Sienna was great at moving people and things alike. Big gusts move the sail-sided Sienna The Limited trim’s on the highway, but what minivan wouldn’t second-row thrones be affected similarly? have a “super-long-slide Our ownership experience is the kind feature,” the limits of which are shown at every automaker hopes for when loaning left, not just the “longus a long-termer. There were eight trips slide” of lesser trims. to the dealer for routine maintenance at The interior layout drew no complaints. 5000-mile intervals. The first five were covered under ToyotaCare’s umbrella of no-added-cost service, and the remaining three totaled just $500. The one unscheduled stop turned out to be an issue we could have easily fixed had we noticed it: The seal on the driver’s-side sliding door—which, by the way, opens with a kick of the foot under the rocker panel—wasn’t seated properly and would interfere with the power-close function. Combined with the low fuel cost, this Sienna earned about as close to a perfect score as possible. But despite all of this goodness, we did have some legitimate complaints. Parents

I packed this van to the gills for my final move from Chicago, and the extra mass put some sag in the rear end and made the ride quality a bit rougher. Even so, the hybrid powertrain didn’t really seem to struggle with the extra weight. —GREG FINK

I still can’t believe how quiet this thing is. Add a head-up display and I’m a buyer. —TONY QUIROGA

Should we put Quiroga on the spot and tell him that the Platinum trim comes with a HUD? —K.C. COLWELL

were frustrated by the rear-seat entertainment screen’s lack of iPhone compatibility. We’d probably forgo spending $1415 on the system and just get a tablet to hang on the seatback. When you spec the second-row screen, Toyota also forces the purchase of an AC inverter ($300) and a rear camera mirror ($200), a necessity because the deployed screen completely obscures rear visibility. Everyone loved the balance of frugality and practicality that the Sienna offers. Bottom line: The good greatly outweighs the bad. This is one fantastic van, and it turns out the rest of the car-buying public agrees, because during 2021 the Sienna became the bestselling minivan on the market. Also in 2021, more buyers ﬂocked to minivans, which saw their market share increase to 5 percent from 4 percent in 2020 (not that 2020 is a benchmark for anything). That may seem like peanuts, but maybe society is evolving too. Soon we will no lonBury the accelerager think of the minivan tor and the hybrid as a penalty box, espepowertrain groans, cially minivans that but keep it off the floor and the cabin can save considerable is a serene place to money at the pump over accumulate miles. We other seven-seaters, the averaged 29 mpg. You can likely do better. way our Sienna did.

Baubles and Bolt-Ons

Building a better pop-TOp While Irwin used the Sienna as a tent base on his honeymoon, he found a flaw in the tent-on-top craze: You must fold it every time you need to drive somewhere. Not a big deal if your idea of camping is overlanding from campsite to campsite, but if you want to set up shop and then use a car for exploring, it isn’t as convenient as you’d think. Not that the Roofnest Falcon is difficult to pitch— quite the contrary: You open two latches and lift the lid. Once you muscle the 140-pound aluminumclamshell design onto the roof and bolt it to the roof-rack crossbars, its foam mattress is as comfortable to stargaze from as it is to sleep on, and it keeps you dry and off the ground. The similar Falcon 2 supplanted the Falcon in Roofnest’s lineup, but the pricing ($3595) carries over. That’s expensive, but there’s no fumbling with tent poles, you can pitch the tent in seconds, and finding high ground is never an issue. Still, we wanted a better way to camp, and Space Trailers caught our eye. We had already installed a DrawTite hitch and wiring ($307 for both) to take advantage of the Sienna’s 3500-pound towing capacity, so trying one of these small utility trailers seemed like a great solution. They weigh about 600 pounds empty and can protect your car-camping gear from the elements, assuming your load is under the 1000-pound capacity. They’re bigger in person than images imply: You can get 26 carry-on suitcases under the lid (that’s how many fit in a BMW X5 with all the seats folded), which is removable, leaving the 84.0-by-49.0-inch steel box to haul just about anything you’d put in a pickup bed. Tents, bikes, kayaks, canoes—if it can go on the roof of a car, it can go on top of a Space Trailer. The trailers, which start at $4399, are light enough that most small cars can pull them. So if you think you needed a bigger vehicle to pursue your outdoor adventures, think again. Your day-to-day fuel savings will offset the hefty trailer cost pretty quickly with gas at $5 a gallon.

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THE RUNDOWN An expert look at the newest and most important vehicles this month. Page 73: “The Bolt EUV is totally an SUV. It just looks exactly like a regular Bolt.”

2 02 3 A C U R A I N T E G R A A- S P E C ~ BY J O E Y C A P PA R E L L A

Great Expectations Highs: Eager handling, hatchback practicality, available manual transmission. Lows: No summer-tire option, lacks refinement, price premium over Civic is hard to justify.

Whatever pops into your noggin when someone says

“Acura Integra” will deﬁnitely color your take on the new one. For the nostalgic, this version may seem like a disappointing follow-up to past generations so revered by enthusiasts. As a near member

of the Honda Civic family, the Integra Acura has a name for the is a pricey way to combine the Civic’s Integra’s schnoz: best elements—the engine from the Si, the frameless Diamond the six-speed manual, and the hatchPentagon Grille. back. Measured against German entryluxury models such as the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA, this Acura is a less expensive alternative with a little less prestige. It all sounds rather ambitious for the successor to the unassuming ILX. But Acura raised the stakes and attracted attention when it decided to resurrect the Integra name. The internet has been abuzz about the car for months, and Acura says it received lots of preorders for the Integra, with more than half of early buyers choosing the manual transmission.

CA R AND D RI VE R ~ JU LY/AUG U ST 2022 ~ PHOTO G RA PH Y BY M ICH AE L SI MA RI

A-Spec versions like the Liquid Carbon Metallic example above get dark-gray 18-inch wheels, black accents, and a rear spoiler.

But this isn’t some watershed moment for Acura. More than other current Acuras— MDX, NSX, RDX, TLX—the Integra dresses up familiar but good Honda components. Fortunately, the Integra’s Honda bones are fresh, especially next to the ILX’s generationsold Civic platform and dated powertrain. The Integra is derived from the same platform as the new-for-2022 Civic. Its turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four is from the Civic, too, producing the same 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque as in the Civic Si. Acura says the Integra’s body is slightly stiffer than the Civic’s and claims there is

different tuning for the suspension, engine software, and transmissions, which are a continuously variable automatic and the six-speed manual. Acceleration numbers are similar for the Acura and Honda, with the manual Integra getting to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds, within 0.2 second of the six-speed Civic Si’s time. Acura also offers the adaptive dampers that the latest Civic Si does without, making us wonder whether Honda removed this feature from the Civic just to leave something special for the Integra. Regardless, they’re a welcome addition. When set to Comfort or Normal mode, they allow the Integra to have

3rd gen: 1994–2001

INTEGRITY Icons —

Though Acura has sold six generations of compact cars, the new model is just the fourth to use the Integra name. Acura counts the RSX as a member of the Integra family, but not the ILX. Sorry, ILX.

1st gen: 1986–89

1985

THE RUNDOWN

ILX: 2013–22

1995

2005

2015

2025 5th gen: 2023

2nd gen: 1990–93

4th gen, RSX: 2002–06

ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETE SUCHESKI ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

a cushier ride than the ﬁrm Si; in Sport mode, they serve to make the Integra just about as lively as the Honda. The satisfyingly heavy steering, responsive throttle, and smooth shifter give the Integra an eager, playful feel, although turn-in could be sharper. The stick-shift car weighs just 3062 pounds—hundreds less than a CLA or an A3. Unfortunately, the Integra doesn’t offer the Civic Si’s optional grippier summer tires, instead making do with Continental ProContact all-season rubber. They grip to the tune of 0.88 g, versus the summer-tired Si’s 0.94 g. Acura does include a limited-slip differential with the stick, but you’ll have to pay extra for the privilege of shifting for yourself—the $2000 A-Spec and $3000 Technology packages are required to unlock the manual option. Our manual test car stickered for $36,895. While we appreciate the emphasis on lightness over sound deadening, the Integra could use more isolation, as there’s a fair amount of road noise at highway speeds—we measured 71 decibels at a 70-mph cruise. On a test drive, the extra racket could make it hard for Acura to win over Audi and Mercedes shoppers, even with a lower monthly lease payment. Overall, the interior is pleasant and useful if not exactly richly trimmed. The A-Spec car offers nice red or white leather options, but otherwise the cabin is a lot like the Civic’s. Granted, that’s more of a compliment to the Honda than a

knock against the Acura. The cargo area is generous, with the Integra’s hatch setup unique in its segment. The rear seat is spacious but lacks premium details such as air vents. This kind of interior is acceptable at the Integra’s low starting price of $31,895, but the version you really want—the manual-transmission car that comes only in fully loaded spec—costs thousands more. And so we return to the idea of the Integra in context. It is better equipped than the Civic Si, but given their similarities, we’d find it hard to pay over $8000 more for the Acura. And while the Integra looks like a good deal next to the Audi and Mercedes entries, pseudoluxury models such as the turbocharged Mazda 3 offer significantly more power and an arguably more upscale experience. Viewed on its own, the Integra is fun to drive, fuel efficient, practical, and decent to look at. But despite its higher price, it is not much more compelling than the Si or even the Civic Sport Touring hatchback. And it’s not as luxurious as its German rivals. While we like the Acura, it is probably not the new Integra the faithful were hoping for. To satisfy them, Acura will have to conjure up a Type S version with more power and grippier rubber. Such is the burden of a great name.

the numbers Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheeldrive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback Base/As Tested ...... $33,895/$36,895 Engine: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection Displacement ................... 91 in3, 1498 cm3 Power ......................... 200 hp @ 6000 rpm Torque ....................... 192 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Dimensions • Wheelbase ...................................... 107.7 in • L/W/H .......................... 185.8/72.0/55.5 in • Curb Weight ................................... 3062 lb

test RESULTS 60 mph ................................................. 7.0 sec 1/4-Mile ......................... 15.3 sec @ 93 mph 100 mph .............................................. 17.3 sec 130 mph ............................................ 36.2 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph .............. 7.9 sec Top Speed (C/D est) .................... 135 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ............................ 178 ft Braking, 100–0 mph ......................... 358 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ..... 0.88 g C/D Fuel Economy • Observed ......................................... 31 mpg EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ............. 30/26/36 mpg

The Integra starts at $31,895; manual versions only come fully loaded and cost $36,895. Owners of a 2022 Honda Civic Si will find the interior very familiar.

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2 02 3 G E N E S I S G V6 0 ~ BY T O N Y Q U I R O G A

the numbers Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, allwheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon Base ............................... $59,980–$68,980 Motors: 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC Combined Power ........................... 314 or 483 hp Combined Torque ..................... 446 or 516 lb-ft Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 77.4 kWh Transmissions: direct-drives Dimensions • Wheelbase ................................................. 114.2 in • L/W/H ..................................... 177.8/74.4/62.6 in • Curb Weight ................................ 4700–4900 lb Performance (C/D est) • 60 mph ............................................... 3.4–4.5 sec • 100 mph ........................................... 11.3–12.6 sec • 1/4-Mile ........................................... 12.0–13.3 sec • Top Speed ........................................ 117–149 mph EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ....................... 90–95/97–103/ 82–86 MPGe • Range ................................................. 235–248 mi

Before it lets you in, the Genesis GV60 takes a deep look into your eyes.

Its stare isn’t romantic—a small camera on the B-pillar checks you out, then the doors unlock. Once inside, you touch a fingerprint sensor on the console to start. This car is electric, though, so you’re really starting a computer. The GV60 is Genesis’s first EV. Without a powerplant that whirs to life, the telltale sign you’ve turned on the GV60 is that the glassy sphere in the center console rotates to reveal a shifter. It’s a novel bit of design, one we expect will spread to the rest of the Genesis range. On the dash, a glass panel as wide as the Mississippi houses two 12.3-inch displays: one with gauges directly ahead of the driver and a center touchscreen. Unfortunately, phone mirroring requires a cord, even as wireless systems are becoming the norm—one of For the ferociously flatulent, the few missteps in the GV60. the GV60 offers Built on the same dedicated EV platform as the a scent diffuser Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the GV60 launches that perfumes cabin air. with two dual-motor, all-wheel-drive models. The 314-hp Advanced and the 429-hp Performance both serve up 446 pound-feet of torque, with the Performance also offering a 10-second “overboost” of 483 horses and 516 pound-feet. We drove the Performance. As the car accelerates from a stop with the overboost activated, the front motor briefly overwhelms the front tires despite the rears also being driven. Judging by the pressure on our spine under full whack, we expect that in Boost mode the GV60 will hit 60 mph in the mid-threes. The GV60 corners securely and has a liveliness born of its quick steering. An electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential helps make the most of available traction, and the front-to-rear torque split lends a rear-drive attitude. The harder you push, though, the more you’re made aware of CA R AND D RI VE R ~ JU LY/AUG U ST 2022

the estimated 4900-pound weight as the Michelin all-seasons begin to protest audibly. The handling is Porsche Macan–like, except the Genesis doesn’t futz with downshifts and upshifts. Driven calmly, the GV60 is a convincing luxury vehicle—reﬁned and supple over bumps. Turn off the childish, headacheinducing Jetsons sound effects and there’s near silence. On the EPA scale, the 77.4-kWh battery provides 248 miles of range in the Advanced or 235 miles in the Performance. A Level 2 connection replenishes the battery from 10 to 100 percent in about seven hours. Hook up to an 800-volt DC fast-charger and go from 10 to 80 percent in a claimed 18 minutes. The Advanced starts at $59,980, roughly $11K more than the Ioniq 5 with this same powertrain (also nearly $4K more than the Ioniq 5 Limited); the Performance is $68,980. This Genesis feels a lot like love at ﬁrst gaze.

THE RUNDOWN

the numbers Vehicle Type: front- and mid-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback Base/As Tested .... $126,895/$141,585 Motors: 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC Combined Power ............................... 516 hp Combined Torque ......................... 631 lb-ft Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 107.8 kWh Transmissions, F/R: direct-drives Dimensions • Wheelbase ...................................... 126.4 in • L/W/H .......................... 207.3/75.8/59.6 in • Curb Weight .................................. 5806 lb

test RESULTS

More IQ Than EQ

travel 350 miles on our 75-mph range test—one of few EVs that beat its Highs: Hyperscreen lives up to the hype, EPA range. The shape also cavernous cargo hold, quiet cabin. helps limit noise inside Lows: Dimwitted brake pedal, limited rear-seat headroom, exceptionally heavy. the cabin to 64 decibels during 70-mph cruising, the same level recorded in the S580. Unfortunately, this Perhaps Mercedes should rename its battery-powered sedan lacks EQ subbrand IQ, because the 2022 the cosseting rear seat of its gasMercedes-Benz EQS580 feels as if powered Benz kin. The plunging it were developed to appeal to indiroofline limits headroom back viduals with the emotional quotient there, a situation exacerbated by of Mark Zuckerberg and the intelthe fixed seatback’s upright angle. The EQS’s hatchback configuration, ligence quotient of Albert Einstein. Although its two electric motors however, provides more cargo space (one at each axle) produce a healthy than even the GLC-class SUV. 516 horsepower, the all-wheel-drive The driver and front passenger EQS580 is an aloof machine that suffer from no such compromises on space or comfort. They also gaze at offers minimal engagement when a massive infotainment system that driven vigorously. All of that grunt pushed the EQS580 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and rocketed it from 30 to 50 mph in 1.5 ticks. But a 489hp Tesla Model S Long Range Plus hit these same marks in 3.5 and 1.4 seconds, respectively. Blame the 982 pounds of extra mass the Mercedes carries for its lesser straight-line performance. At 5806 pounds, the EQS’s near-G-class curb weight is an anchor on efficiency, which surely explains the jelly-bean styling that favors function over form. Though a STreak-free finish aesthetically unfortunate, the ’90sThe EQS hood doesn’t open, era cab-forward look is a wise deciso Mercedes put a washerfluid door on the left front sion. It contributes to a coefficient fender, obviously. of drag of 0.20 and helped the 580, with its 107.8-kWh battery pack,

THE RUNDOWN

60 mph ................................................. 3.7 sec 100 mph ................................................ 9.1 sec 1/4-Mile ......................... 12.1 sec @ 114 mph 130 mph ............................................. 16.6 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ............. 3.8 sec Top Speed (gov ltd) ...................... 131 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ............................ 177 ft Braking, 100–0 mph ......................... 366 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ..... 0.88 g C/D Fuel Economy • Observed ..................................... 84 MPGe • 75-mph Hwy Range ..................... 350 mi EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ........... 95/92/99 MPGe • Range ................................................ 340 mi

houses three separate display screens under a 56.0-inch glass panel. Dubbed the Hyperscreen, the setup smartly incorporates high-resolution graphics and reacts quickly to inputs (by touch or via the car’s capacitive buttons), making it reasonably easy to operate, even if we wish Mercedes included at least a few redundant hard buttons. More irksome, however, is the brake-pedal operation. Applying pressure to the unsettlingly disconnectedfeeling left pedal is akin to pushing Play-Doh through a mold. Switching the regenerative braking system to its strongest setting limits the need to interact with the brakes, as it enables the one-pedal driving mode, which also actively moves the brake pedal as the regen function decelerates the car (mimicking the pedal’s position had you actually stepped on it). Besides the strangeness of all of this, the variability of the pedal’s phantom motions makes it difﬁcult for the driver to quickly apply the brakes when additional stopping power is required. It’s a surprisingly low-IQ feature in a car that otherwise ought to appeal to high-IQ buyers.

P HOTOG RAP H BY AN D I H ED RI CK ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

F E N DE R P HOTO G RA P H BY AU ST IN I RWIN

2 02 2 M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E Q S 5 8 0 4 M AT I C ~ BY G R E G F I N K

2 02 3 M A S E R AT I G R E C A L E ~ BY M I K E D U F F

V-6, detuned to 523 horsepower. The luxury quotient takes a hit from the busy thrum of the four-banger. It sounds better beyond idle but is never Maserati’s compact SUV has its best shot with the truly compelling. Acceleration, though, feels brisk, and range-topping 523-hp Trofeo. the engine delivers strong urge without venturing from its midrange. Maserati claims that the starter-generator masks turbo lag, but there’s a slight delay in response at lower revs. The limited grip of our cars’ winter tires made it easy to A Maserati SUV doesn’t seem so crazy anymore. Following push the front end into understeer, but the handling balance the success of the Levante, Maserati is introducing its is impressively benign, and Maserati says the all-wheel-drive system is rear biased. With the adaptive dampers in their second SUV, the Grecale, a smaller ute whose trident is Comfort setting, there’s noticeable roll and squat; GT and pointed directly at the Porsche Macan. Sport modes improve body control without making the ride Designwise, the Grecale is handsome, if not espeunduly harsh. The steering is less impressive, with a springy cially original, and looks like a tall, elegant hatchback. resistance around the straight-ahead and little feedback, but The interior, which is adult habitable front and back, the e-boosted brake pedal has a good weight and feel. impresses with stitched leather on the dash, metal speaker grilles, and a round digital clock with a reconfigThe Trofeo delivers more thrills. The Nettuno V-6 is the urable face. Dual touchscreens control most functions, star, and despite the Trofeo being down 98 horses on the MC20, its claimed 3.6-second 60-mph time seems entirely feaand the user interface works well. The push-button sible. Its Corsa mode is so stiff that even minor imperfections transmission is just like an early-’60s Chrysler’s, except send a shiver through the Grecale’s Grandpa’s Newport didn’t have structure, but in gentler modes, the the Grecale’s shift paddles. ride is pliant by segment standards. Built on the Giorgio platCompared with the Modena, the form, which also underpins the numbers Trofeo has much better steering, Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio and Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, with firmer, more natural weighting, Giulia, the Grecale offers three 5-passenger, 4-door wagon Base (C/D est) .............. $64,995–$110,000 though, strangely, the brake pedal engines. A turbocharged 2.0Engines: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC was less responsive despite the bigger liter inline-four with 48-volt 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 296 or 325 hp, 332 six-pot calipers up front. hybrid assistance makes 296 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 523 hp, 457 lb-ft The four-cylinder Grecale may horsepower in the Grecale GT Transmission: 8-speed automatic be a tough sell given that its startand 325 horsepower in the Dimensions ing price of $64,995 easily exceeds Modena. The top-dog Trofeo • Wheelbase ................................................. 114.2 in • L/W/H ...... 190.8–191.3/76.7–77.9/65.3–65.6 in that of a base Macan. The Trofeo is gets the mid-engine MC20’s • Curb Weight ................................ 4450–4650 lb considerably more exciting and just Nettuno twin-turbo 3.0-liter Performance (C/D est) might be better resolved. The most • 60 mph ............................................... 3.6–5.3 sec • 100 mph ............................................ 9.2–13.5 sec far-out Grecale variant is the upcom• 1/4-Mile ............................................ 11.6–13.4 sec Maserati calls this color pannello ing Folgore, which will be Maserati’s • Top Speed ....................................... 149–177 mph delle specifiche giallo, which is Italian first EV when it arrives next year. EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est) for “spec-panel yellow.” We had no idea they read Auto e Conducente. • Comb/City/Hwy ....... 19–20/17–18/23–24 mpg That will really be a culture shock.

A Little Italy

2 02 2 P O R S C H E 9 1 1 C A R R E R A G T S ~ BY DAV I D B E A R D

Seventh Heaven Highs: Nearly as quick as the automatic, fantastic to drive. Lows: Brutally stiff ride, the quickest has yet to arrive.

Tucked away in a lab are Porsche scien-

tists capable of splitting hairs beyond a nanometer. Or so we think. How else could a team develop so many variants of a single car? If the 911 Carrera S isn’t enough but the GT3 is out of reach, split the difference with the new 911 Carrera GTS. The $138,050 Carrera GTS follows the usual formula: Standard equipment includes the sporty options on the Carrera S, such as a 0.4-inch-lower sport suspension, a louder exhaust, and the Sport Chrono package’s dynamic engine mounts, Sport Plus mode, and launch control. To separate itself from the lesser model, the GTS also receives helper springs on the rear axle, the Turbo’s brake system, and the Turbo S’s center-lock wheels. The twin-turbo 3.0-liter ﬂat-six is tuned up with more boost to produce 473 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, 30 more of each than the Carrera S offers. Though an eightspeed dual-clutch automatic is standard, a seven-speed manual is a no-cost option. Here in the GTS it’s treated to a shift lever that’s 0.4 inch shorter than the one in the Carrera S.

THE RUNDOWN

The automatic’s brilliant launch programming is entertaining yet so easy, even Ralph Nader could rip consistent sub-three-second 60-mph sprints. But there’s a certain gratification in executing the perfect hole shot with a DIY gearbox. Perform a flawless slip of the clutch in the stick-shift GTS and it rockets off the line with the same ferocity as the dual-clutch version. In both cars, 30 mph arrives in 1.2 seconds. Nail the one-two shift and 60 mph takes 3.2 seconds, 0.4 second behind the autobox, just a bit longer than the time it takes to shift. That puts this Porsche in a tie with the fire-breathing 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the 2017 Dodge Viper ACR for the quickest manualequipped cars we’ve tested (both of those get to 60 mph without a shift to second). The GTS manual demolishes the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds at 126 mph, narrowly trailing the automatic. As with all 992s, the GTS is stupid easy to drive fast. Those not versed in the art of heel-and-toe shifting will benefit from rev matching, which can be disabled through the infotainment system. We defy you to find a better electronically assisted steering system. There’s uncanny feedback at the limit, and with optional rear-axle steering increasing stability, the 3401-pound GTS pulls 1.06 g’s around the skidpad. Ride quality will depend on location. In Michigan, with the dampers in their softest setting, the stiffer springs were judged brutal. The GTS is a sports car first, but it’s also a marvel of efficiency. It returned 32 mpg in our 75-mph

the numbers Vehicle Type: rear-engine, rear-wheeldrive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe Base/As Tested ... $138,050/$152,700 Engine: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection Displacement ................ 182 in3, 2981 cm3 Power .......................... 473 hp @ 6500 rpm Torque ..................... 420 lb-ft @ 2300 rpm Transmission: 7-speed manual Dimensions • Wheelbase ....................................... 96.5 in • L/W/H .......................... 178.5/72.9/50.8 in • Curb Weight ................................... 3401 lb

test RESULTS 60 mph ................................................. 3.2 sec 100 mph ............................................... 7.3 sec 1/4-Mile ........................ 11.3 sec @ 126 mph 130 mph .............................................. 12.1 sec 150 mph ............................................. 17.0 sec 170 mph ............................................. 24.1 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ............. 4.5 sec Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ............ 193 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ............................ 143 ft Braking, 100–0 mph ......................... 286 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ...... 1.06 g C/D Fuel Economy • Observed ........................................ 20 mpg • 75-mph Hwy Driving .................. 32 mpg • 75-mph Hwy Range ..................... 750 mi EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ............... 20/17/24 mpg

highway fuel-economy test. With the optional 23.7-gallon fuel tank, 750 miles on a ﬁll-up is possible. The GTS can be ordered with a Lightweight package (carbon-ﬁber seats, lightweight glass, less sound deadening, rear-seat delete) to shave a claimed 55 pounds; spec the carbon-ceramic brakes and a seven-speed manual, keep the standard fuel tank, and the GTS could be 100 pounds lighter. Or just wait for the 2023 911 Sport Classic, with its 543 horsepower, to arrive as the king of the manuals. We’ll test both. For science.

P HOTO GRA PH Y BY MI C H A E L S IM ARI ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

2022 CHEVROLET BOLT EUV ~ BY CALEB MILLER

Day Tripper Highs: Spacious interior, adept around town, strong passing performance. Lows: High as-tested price, competitors recharge faster, a $40,000 car with a $20,000 car’s interior.

The Chevy Bolt EUV is running late. Battery

fires and a subsequent recall halted production and stopped sales, but now the slightly larger version of the Bolt EV is hitting dealer lots again. With 6.3 inches more length and 2.9 inches more wheel- paddle behind the steering wheel adjusts regen on demand; base than the regular Bolt, the EUV offers surprising rear grab and hold it to bring the Bolt to a complete stop. legroom. Aft of the rear seats, the EUV takes six carry-on The higher-level regen extends real-world range in bags, one more than the regular Bolt. Width is barely town. Conversely, the Bolt EUV burns through its battery changed, so the cabin seems narrow, and the flat seats’ lack rapidly at highway speeds. The EPA rates the EUV’s range of cushioning had the plastic seat base poking our thighs. at 247 miles, but in our steady 75-mph highway test, we Despite its larger size, the EUV is nimble around town. managed only 190 miles. The steering lacks feel but is accurate, and the turning Chevrolet says the Bolt’s DC fast-charging rate maxes radius is tight. Acceleration feels brisk in everyday driving, out at 50 kilowatts, though we saw an indicated 53. Going and the front-mounted motor’s instant 266 pound-feet of from 10 to 90 percent took 84 minutes, slower than the torque makes passing easy. We recorded a 60-mph sprint Nissan Leaf SL Plus (61 minutes) and the Volkswagen of 6.8 seconds, 0.1 second behind ID.4 1st Edition (45 minutes). The the last Bolt we tested. The EUV Bolt can use just one-seventh of the also squirts quickly from 30 to 50 most powerful DC fast-charger’s the numbers output, and given the relatively long mph, in just 2.5 seconds. Vehicle Type: front-motor, front-wheelcharging times, consumers looking On the skidpad, the Bolt EUV drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon for a road-trip-friendly EV may be clawed its way to 0.79 g, hampered Base/As Tested ...... $34,495/$43,995 wise to look elsewhere. (We have yet by its narrow Michelin Energy Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC to test the charging of the Hyundai Saver tires. However, the car hanPower .......................... 200 hp @ 5500 rpm Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, but expect dled Michigan’s pockmarked roads Torque ............................. 266 lb-ft @ 0 rpm them to set a new bar.) well, riding smoothly over small Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 65.0 kWh Our $43,995 Premier Launch imperfections and commendably Transmission: direct-drive Edition test car came loaded with managing larger bumps. Brake Dimensions features including heated and venregen is minimal in normal mode, • Wheelbase ..................................... 105.3 in • L/W/H ........................... 169.5/69.7/63.6 in but there’s also a one-pedal mode. A tilated seats, wireless phone mirror• Curb Weight ................................... 3779 lb ing, and Super Cruise. Although useful on divided highways, Super test RESULTS Cruise seems superfluous for a car 60 mph ................................................ 6.8 sec happiest on short commutes. That 1/4-Mile ......................... 15.3 sec @ 92 mph over-$40,000 price point also Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. pushes the EUV into a more preRolling Start, 5–60 mph ...............6.9 sec Top Speed (gov ltd) ....................... 93 mph mium segment where its economyBraking, 70–0 mph ........................... 186 ft car interior and size can’t quite Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ..... 0.79 g compete. While the Bolt EUV packs C/D Fuel Economy • Observed ..................................... 99 MPGe a lot of equipment into an agile • 75-mph Hwy Driving ............... 95 MPGe daily driver, spending a little more • 75-mph Hwy Range ...................... 190 mi nets more refined and exciting EVs. EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ....... 115/125/104 MPGe Come 2023, though, a $6300 price • Range ................................................ 247 mi cut will put the Bolt’s cost more in line with its capabilities. CA R AND D RI VE R ~ JU LY/AUG U ST 2022 ~ PHOTO G RA PH Y BY M ARC U RBA N O

THE RUNDOWN

2 02 2 M E R C E D E S - B E N Z C 3 0 0 4 M AT I C ~ BY J O E L O R I O

C Classic Highs: S-luxe cabin, traditional style, athletic responses. Lows: Firm ride, touchy-feely controls, mute steering.

Mercedes-Benz’s new EVs might be

stealing the spotlight, but the brand hasn’t forgotten its long-standing models like the C-class sedan. New from grille to trunklid, the latest C presents as a junior S-class. Unlike the brand’s arc-shaped, cab-forward EVs and the transverseengine A- and CLA-class four-doors, the C-class, like the big S-class, plays up its long hood and extended rear overhang to a traditionally elegant cab-rearward effect. Under the hood of the C300 is a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 48-volt hybrid assist. The hybrid system can’t propel the car on its own, but it will supply 20 ponies

THE RUNDOWN

and 148 pound-feet in short bursts, helping mask turbo lag. Paired with a nine-speed automatic, the inlinefour makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Rearwheel drive is standard, though our test car had all-wheel drive. When passing or merging, the C-class zips ahead—60 mph arrives in 5.3 seconds. Although the engine clatters like a diesel at idle, it is subdued in normal driving and snarls angrily as revs rise. An AMG Line package lowers the ride height by 0.6 inch. Body motions are well controlled, but a fair degree of harshness is transmitted to the cabin whether the car is riding on 18- or 19-inch wheels. Both use staggered-fitment, low-profile tires, which helped the C-class hang tough on empty winding back roads and delivered 0.91 g of stick. Turn-in is responsive with barely any push, nor is there much body roll, although on the skidpad the C300 was eager to rotate with a lift of the throttle. The car would be more engaging, though, if the steering weren’t so inert. There’s also more brake-pedal travel than we’d like, although stops from 70 took a tidy 154 feet. The cabin exudes S-class vibes. The seats feel much like those in the big Benz, with deep but not confining lateral bolsters and generous thigh support. The 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and the new 11.9-inch central touchscreen are freestanding, and the nav system adds augmented video. The rotary controller is

banished, as are all knobs and physical buttons. Touch-sensitive buttons, including a slider for volume, line the base of the screen, and a ﬁngerprintrecognition pad accesses driver preferences. The steering-wheel controls include touch sliders and four-way swipe touchpads, none of which work well. Enough with the touch madness already. That aside, with a starting ﬁgure in the $40s, the C-class will appeal to those seeking an S-class-style Benz in a smaller size at a more attainable price.

the numbers Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheeldrive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan Base/As Tested ...... $46,600/$63,940 Engine: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection Displacement .................. 121 in3, 1991 cm3 Power .......................... 255 hp @ 5800 rpm Torque ..................... 295 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm Transmission: 9-speed automatic Dimensions • Wheelbase ....................................... 112.8 in • L/W/H ........................... 187.0/71.6/56.6 in • Curb Weight .................................. 4044 lb

test RESULTS 60 mph ................................................ 5.3 sec 1/4-Mile ........................ 14.0 sec @ 98 mph 100 mph ............................................. 14.7 sec 120 mph ............................................ 23.0 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ............. 6.4 sec Top Speed (gov ltd) ..................... 129 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ........................... 154 ft Braking, 100–0 mph .......................... 314 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ...... 0.91 g C/D Fuel Economy • Observed ........................................ 25 mpg • 75-mph Hwy Driving .................. 35 mpg • 75-mph Hwy Range ..................... 600 mi EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy .............. 27/23/33 mpg

P HOTOG RAP HY BY AN D I H ED RI CK ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

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T OYO TA G R 8 6 V S . M A Z DA M X- 5 M I ATA ~ BY R I C H C E P P O S

Rooted in Fun Which descendant of postwar two-seaters is today’s best budget-friendly sports car?

If the Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Toyota GR86 were

on the show Finding Your Roots, both would trace their ancestry back to wispy midcentury European roadsters. Over the decades, many of those Old World sports cars died out or evolved into bigger and more complex things, leaving only Mazda and Toyota (and Subaru, maker of the GR86’s twin, the BRZ) building basic, pareddown, inexpensive sports cars that deliver oldschool fun. If that’s what you’re after, your search starts and ends here. The GR86—substitute the BRZ if you prefer Subarus—and the Miata are the only remaining descendants on the affordable branch of the rear-wheel-drive sports-car family tree. Each is a hoot to drive, but which one is the better starter sports car? To ﬁnd out, we corralled the most aggressive and exciting versions of those two models: the GR86 Premium and an MX-5 Miata Club convertible. Their standard equipment is similar— small, high-revving naturally aspirated fourcylinder engine; six-speed manual transmission;

2nd Place: Mazda Miata Plus Eager engine, playful chassis, often requires SPF 30. Minus Wobbly in hard cornering, pricey BBS Recaro package, who hid the glovebox? 1st Place: Toyota GR86 Plus Easily exploitable handling, plenty of zip, surprising practicality. Minus That grinding sound is the engine, clunky-looking dash, the only thing noisier is a Miata.

summer tires. Both are rear-wheel drive, like the sports cars of old. In search of purity, for this comparison test, we selected the Miata softtop over the retractable-hardtop RF model. These sportsters’ base prices are about as close as their spec sheets: $31,325 for the GR86 Premium and $32,165 for the Miata Club. Our Mazda’s price ballooned to $37,260 thanks to Machine Gray paint and the $4500 BBS Recaro package, which includes Brembo front brakes, Recaro buckets, and BBS forged wheels. The GR86 had special Track bRed paint ($425) and a few accessories that brought it to $32,432, a signiﬁcant $4828 less than the Mazda. Traditionally, starter sports cars have been more about playfulness than all-out performance. This pair updates that notion with solid test numbers. Both reached 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. The Miata completed the quarter-mile sprint in 14.2 seconds at 97 mph; the GR86 did it in 14.0 seconds at 101 mph. Their cornering grip is close, too, with the Miata circulating the skidpad at 0.95 g and the GR86 sticking to it at 0.97 g. Their 70-mph stopping distances are within ﬁve feet of each other. Beyond our instrumented tests, we put these two agile runabouts on an autocross course since we expect some owners will too. The course, on the beautiful M1 Concourse campus in Pontiac, Michigan, was soaked with rain, enabling our rear-drive charges to slide their tails like they were powered by NASCAR V-8s. The GR86 was easier and more fun to slip-slide

PHOTO GRAPHY BY MI CH A EL SI MA RI

2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Base/As Tested $32,165/$37,260 Dimensions Wheelbase Length/Width/Height Track, F/R Passenger Volume, F/R Trunk Volume

90.9 in 154.1/68.3/48.8 in 58.9/59.2 in 49/— ft 3 5 ft 3

Powertrain Engine DOHC 16-valve inline-4 122 in3 (1998 cm3) Power, hp @ rpm 181 @ 7000 Torque, lb-ft @ rpm 151 @ 4000 Redline/Fuel Cutoff 7200/7500 rpm lb per hp 13.0 TEST RESULTS Acceleration 0–30 mph 0–60 mph 0–100 mph 0–120 mph 1/4-Mile @ mph

through the cones, though its best run of 26.7 seconds was only a little quicker than the Miata’s 27.1-second time. In everyday use, both cars live up to their mission of joyful driver involvement. They’re especially nimble, with crisp, well-weighted steering that cuts precisely and offers reassuring effort buildup. Swapping gears takes only fingertip flicks of their shifters. Their engines are eager to rev. Their clutches are light, and their brakes bite with authority. Both ride firmly, tautly damping out pavement heaves and clip-clopping over seams. If only they sounded sexier—the Miata emits an undistinguished hum; the GR86 howls at high rpm like a blender set on puree. Press them hard, though, as we did on our squirrelly 10Best evaluation loop, and the GR86 shines while the Miata fades. With stellar chassis tuning, the Toyota feels planted and secure, like it will never get away from you. In hard corners the Mazda lists like a drunk with an elbow on the bar and leans on its rear tires in an antsy two-step, threatening to snap sideways. Rough pavement sends shivers through the open structure. Push vigorously and the GR86 proves it’s the more gifted athlete. Neither car is a great long-distance companion due to wind roar at highway speeds. Going 70 mph, the GR86 whooshes along with a noisy 74 decibels inside, and the Mazda’s top-up 79-decibel cacophony sounds like you’re parked next to an idling 737. At 80 mph, turning on either car’s audio system isn’t worth it. Of course, comfort has never been a priority for starter sports cars. And yet, these vehicles are far from bare-bones, with standard heated seats and These interiors won’t grab Jonathan Adler’s attention, but that’s fine because each puts its driver’s needs above design.

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph Top Gear, 30–50 mph Top Gear, 50–70 mph Top Speed

1.8 sec 5.4 sec 15.2 sec 26.1 sec 14.2 sec @ 97 Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. 6.3 sec 8.9 sec 9.2 sec 140 mph (C/D est)

Chassis Braking, 70–0 mph 159 ft Braking, 100–0 mph 332 ft Roadholding, 300–ft Skidpad 0.95 g

$31,325/$32,432 101.4 in 167.9/69.9/51.6 in 59.8/61.0 in 48/30 ft3 6 ft3 DOHC 16-valve flat-4 146 in3 (2387 cm3) 228 @ 7000 184 @ 3700 7500/7300 rpm 12.5

1.9 sec 5.4 sec 13.7 sec 21.1 sec 14.0 sec @ 101 Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec. 6.3 sec 9.0 sec 8.1 sec 140 mph (mfr’s claim) 154 ft 319 ft 0.97 g

Weight Curb 2346 lb Distribution, F/R 52.2/47.8% Fuel Capacity/Octane EPA Comb/City/Hwy C/D 250-mi Trip 75-mph Hwy Driving 75-mph Hwy Range

2022 Toyota GR86 Premium

11.9 gal/91 29/26/34 mpg 24 mpg 34 mpg 400 mi

Sound Level Idle/Full Throttle 47/88 dBA 70–mph Cruise 79 dBA

2848 lb 55.4/44.6% 13.2 gal/93 22/20/27 mpg 20 mpg 31 mpg 400 mi 41/90 dBA 74 dBA

decent infotainment. But their daily usability and convenience diverged enough to inﬂuence the outcome of this comparison. The Miata’s cabin has so little space that stowing a pair of sunglasses is a hassle; the only available spot is a shoulder-height storage box between the seats that requires contortionist skills to access while driving. Its cupholders are all but useless. There are no map pockets. The GR86, meanwhile, offers a glovebox, multiple storage cubbies, and that vestigial rear seat, a convenient landing zone for gym bags or groceries. The Toyota feels like a real car rather than a limited-use weekend toy. Both cars carry on the fun-to-drive tradition of their ancestors. But one offers better performance, more poise under pressure, a more accessible price, and far superior practicality. While the GR86 means you give up open-air driving, it delivers more and asks you to sacriﬁce less. It is the starter sports car to have.

CAR AND DRIVER ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ TESTED BY DAV ID BE ARD I N C H ELSE A , M I

THE RUNDOWN

DESIGN REJECTS

used the trick seats from the 8-series coupe. These chairs featured a three-point seatbelt integrated into the seatback, necessary because that car, like this M5 convertible, lacked a B-pillar. With its gray leather interior, seatback M stripes, and dark-blue exterior (with matching top), the M5 convertible was a looker. BMW reportedly booked space for it at the Geneva Motor Show and discussed pricing of £50,000 (about $142,000 today). However, the M5 convertible never came to fruition. BMW apparently feared that its release would create demand for a droptop version of the “regular” 5-series and that this lower-end iteration would cannibalize sales of higher-end versions of the 3-series cabriolet. More damning was that the ragtop Fünfer flexed like a latex scimitar. “The body had such poor torsional rigidity that square metal tubing was bolted to the rocker panels to avoid damage,” Rahn says. “Series production would have required extensive body work that was disproportionate to the expected sales figures.” BMW eventually entered this market with the revived 6-series and in 2006 introduced the M6 convertible. As for the E34 M5 convertible, after years of rumors, BMW unveiled it to the public at a 2009 event celebrating 25 years of M cars. BMW still owns the car, and when it isn’t in storage, you can find it at the BMW Museum in Munich. Time to get it out and flex that muscle. —Brett Berk

BMW E34 M5 Convertible In 1988, BMW debuted the second generation of its M5 sports

sedan. This wondrous four-door and its sublime S38 3.5-liter inline-six set the category benchmark. The period also saw the first expansion of the M5 model line, with the inclusion of an M5 Touring (sadly, that wagon wasn’t offered in the States). Lesser known is the fact that BMW soon began working on a third variant: a two-door M5 convertible. This one-off prototype, which features a canvas roof that retracts under a power-operated tonneau, was apparently part of a larger Bavarian droptop push. “The E34 M5 convertible concept was created at a time when attempts were also being made to bring a convertible version of the E31, the first-generation 8-series, to production,” says Hans Rahn, the current head of vehicle prototyping at BMW M. “Both vehicle concepts pursued the goal of becoming the first contemporary BMW convertible with true four-passenger seating, finally providing Mercedes with a real competitor in that market.” While two longer doors took the place of four shorter ones, the M5 convertible maintained most of its rear-seat space. To meet safety standards for front occupants, BMW

SEXY, FLEXY — BMW wanted a four-seat convertible larger than the 3-series, and the M5, despite being a four-door sedan, seemed like a viable path. The M5 proved a not-so-solid structure for a droptop, however, as chassis flex was a problem.

“The E31 [8-series] convertible was canceled due to poor body rigidity, which unfortunately was also the fate of the E34 M5 convertible.” — H A N S R A H N , H E A D O F VEHICL E P ROTOT Y PIN G AT B M W M

PH OTO GRA PH BY TOM SA LT ~ JULY/AUGUST 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIV ER

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