2022 Drivers' Choice Awards

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS WE'RE ROUNDING UP OUR JOIN US FOR THE CARS, TRUCKS THE 2022 MOTORWEEK PAT GOSS WILL BE JOINING US AND THEN, LOOK BACK AT ONE THE LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY * Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, FROM OUR ORIGINAL LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCAS OIL, TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR John: WHEN THE NEW YEAR MOTORWEEK FANS KNOW IT WILL ANNUAL DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARDS AND FOR 2022 THEY ARRIVED DESPITE AN UNENDING PANDEMIC, AND UPENDING INFLATION, WE'VE UTILITIES, AND TRUCKS TO REVIEW.

SO, LET'S GET ROLLING WITH THE * CONSIDERING THERE ARE FEWER AND THE MAJORITY OF FAMILIES AN ACTUAL SEDAN ARE OPTING IT MAKES SENSE THAT OUR BEST GOES TO THE REDESIGN OF A SEDAN THE 11TH GENERATION OF MORE PRACTICAL, MORE STYLISH, AND YES, WE TRY TO BE SENSIBLE WITH OUR KEEPING VALUE IN MIND; IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE.

AND THE ARRIVAL OF AN ALL-NEW IS AN EXPERIENCE WORTH NEW TECH LIKE AUGMENTED REALITY UP TO 77 INCHES OF SCREEN SPACE, YOU'LL FIND IN AN AUTOMOBILE, THAT DELIVERS A COMPOSED DRIVING BIG SEDAN ON THE ROAD.

WHEN IT COMES TO ACKNOWLEDGING OUR BEST SPORT SEDAN AWARD FOR THEIR V-SERIES BLACKWING.

YES, THE BLACKWING BOTH AS A CT4-V PACKING AND THE CT5-V WITH SUPERCHARGED V8.

TOGETHER, THEY GET UPDATED WITH AVAILABLE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, PROOF THAT GM CAN EASILY DO WHENEVER THEY PUT THEIR MINDS FOR TWO-YEARS RUNNING, HAS GONE TO THE TOYOTA SUPRA.

YES, THEY NEEDED AN ASSIST BUT IT WAS TOYOTA'S OWN GAZOO THE SUPRA A WINNER.

WELL, THIS YEAR THEY'VE TURNED AND CREATED ANOTHER DRIVERS' NOW KNOWN AS THE GR86.

OF COURSE, TOYOTA PARTNERED WITH SO THE BRZ GETS OUR AWARD, TOO.

BOTH THESE 2ND.

GEN LIGHTWEIGHT ADD MORE POWER, MORE PROWESS, MORE PERSONALITY.

WITH ALL OF THE PERFORMANCE CARS NONE DELIVERED A PURE DRIVING LAST YEAR'S WINNER CAYMAN COUPE, BOXSTER ROADSTER, AND IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER 300 HORSEPOWER 4-CYLINDER OR STEP UP TO THE TRACK-SLAYING NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 414 THE 718 FAMILY HAS IT ALL, FULLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE NO THEY'RE HERE NOW, OPTION FOR MORE AND MORE PEOPLE.

THIS YEAR WE HAVE AWARDS FOR WERE THE BIGGEST GAME CHANGERS THE LUCID AIR LUXURY SEDAN IS WITH A PERFORMANCE VERSION THAT AND HITS 60 IN JUST 2.4 SECONDS, CLOSE TO 500 MILES OF RANGE.

IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TO DISPEL A RANGE VERSION PUSHES IT TO THOUGH OPERATES WITH "ONLY" ANOTHER NEW CALIFORNIA-BASED RIVIAN, IS DELIVERING A REAL BUILT NOT TO GARNER HEADLINES, ACTUALLY NEED.

THE R1T TOWS 11,000 POUNDS OFF-ROAD TRAILS, AND EVEN ON TWISTY ROADS; 314 MILES OF RANGE.

ONE FULLY-ELECTRIC SUV THAT'S THE ONLY SUV YOU NEED, AS THE FIRST VEHICLE TO COME THE ID.4 COMES IN YOUR CHOICE DELIVERS UP TO 260 MILES AND DRIVES JUST LIKE YOU'RE USED TO.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, TIME TO HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON ON OUR 2022 MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' BUT WE'LL BE BACK SOON WITH AND UTILITIES THAT WE FEEL * IT'S BEEN 50 YEARS SINCE THE NOW ICONIC AT THE GENEVA INTERNATIONAL SO, IN LIGHT OF OF A MODERNIZED COUNTACH MAKING OUR OWN ROGER MECCA SET OUT TO THE ORIGINAL SO REMARKABLE.

* Roger Mecca: IN 1971, AN UPSTART IN THE AUTOMOTIVE THOUGH, THE MIURA HAD MADE ON CAR FANS AROUND THE GLOBE, IT WAS SHOWING ITS AGE AND IN THE SHADOW OF FERRARI.

OWNER FERRUCCIO LAMBORGHINI THE SPOTLIGHT, MARCELLO GHANDINI OF BERTONE FERRUCCIO'S INSTRUCTIONS THE MIURA'S REPLACEMENT FIERCELY POWERFUL SPORTS CAR, EXCEEDING ANYTHING ELSE ESPECIALLY ANYTHING MADE BUT MOST OF ALL, WITH A DESIGN THAT WAS UNLIKE HAD EVER SEEN.

THE PROTOTYPE WAS THE LP500, THAT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FOUND ON THE MIURA.

WHEN IT DEBUTED AT THE 1971 JAWS HIT THE FLOOR, AND WOULD BE CHANGED FOREVER.

DAVID WALTOS IS 1986 LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH WHICH HE PURCHASED IN 1991.

AND LIKE SO MANY CAR FANS HIS NEED TO GRADUATE FROM TO COUNTACH OWNER, David Waltos: AND REALLY LIKED THE CAR, IT WAS JUST SO DIFFERENT.

IT WAS JUST SO WILD.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN IT JUST WITH ALL THE EXCESS.

I MEAN THE DESIGN, THE ENGINE, I JUST HAD TO HAVE IT.

Roger: THAT WAS THE EXACT FOLLOWING THE DEBUT IN GENEVA.

SO, AFTER ANOTHER THREE YEARS THE COUNTACH FINALLY HIT THE IT FEATURED A 3.9 LITER V12 AND COULD REACH 60 IN AROUND TAKING DRIVERS ALL THE WAY TO AND WHEN YOU COMBINE THOSE INCREDIBLE LOOKS, "COUNTACH" IS ACTUALLY USED TO EXPRESS AMAZEMENT, NOW OVER THE YEARS, THE COUNTACH OF COMPLAINTS THAT THE CLUTCH THE STEERING'S TOO HEAVY, IT'S TOO NOISY AND YOU CAN'T SEE AND, IN FACT, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE IT IS SO MUCH FUN TO DRIVE.

ONCE, YOU GET UP TO SPEED, BEAUTIFULLY, AND THE GRIP FROM REAR TIRES GIVES YOU THE AND HARDER.

SOMETHING THIS CAR IS STEERING FEEDBACK IS EXCELLENT FIGHTER COCKPIT SEATING YOU BEGIN TO SEE FERRUCIO'S THE COUNTACH TO BE: AN UNCOMPROMISED RACE CAR WHICH REMINDS ME, WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA, ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER.

I ACTUALLY HAD TO TAKE SO I COULD DEPRESS THE CLUTCH THE BRAKE PEDAL.

BUT, THAT'S JUST ONE MORE THING IN THIS DRIVER'S SEAT, MAKE NO MISTAKE, EVEN BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, IT IS A FULL SENSORY EXPERIENCE, OR RUNNING WITH THE BULLS AT NO POINT DO YOU FORGET AND START TO RELAXING.

BY THE TIME THIS EXAMPLE WAS THE COUNTACH HAD BECOME MUCH WITH A 5.2 LITER V12 THAT SHOOTING THE CAR TO 60 IN LESS HITTING A TOP SPEED OF 185.

DESIGNERS ADDED EVEN MORE FLAIR SOMEHOW MANAGING TO HEIGHTEN AND KEEP THE COUNTACH RELEVANT FILLED WITH TESTAROSSAS, EVENTUALLY, THE COUNTACH AND I'VE ALSO DRIVEN THAT CAR IT IS MUCH EASIER TO DRIVE BUT AS TO WHICH CAR IS WELL, THE ANSWER TO THAT John: PICKUP TRUCKS AND AND SIZES CONTINUE TO DOMINATE AND FOR GOOD REASON.

THEY'RE JUST SO USEFUL.

SO, LET'S SEE WHICH TRUCKS OUR AWARDS FOR 2022.

* VOLKSWAGEN HAS A GREAT SMALL UTILITY VEHICLES NOT FEEL AND IT'S A FAIRLY SIMPLE ONE; ANYTHING ELSE IN THE SEGMENT.

BUT, IT'S MORE THAN JUST THAT MAKES THE VOLKSWAGEN TAOS ITS CLASSY LOOKING, AND HAS A DRIVING EXPERIENCE EXPECT FROM A SUBCOMPACT IT'S MORE THAN JUST RUGGED THE NISSAN PATHFINDER OUR BEST NISSAN'S PROVEN 284 HORSEPOWER IS NOW MATED TO A NEW 9-SPEED THAT COMBO IS ABLE TO TOW PLUS, THERE'S A WELL-EXECUTED, TECH HEAVY INTERIOR THAT TODAY'S FOR YEARS NOW, GROWING JEEP 3-ROW CAPABILITIES HAD FINALLY, JEEP HAS GIVEN THEM LARGE UTILITY, THIS BEGINS A WHOLE NEW WL NOT TO WORRY, OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY OF BEFORE, OR V8 POWER; AND, 5-PASSENGER VERSION AS WELL.

OVER TO THE LUXURY SIDE AND WE SEE AN EMERGING TREND: HYUNDAI'S GENESIS LUXURY BRAND DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC WAS BUT THEIR MIDSIZE GV80 SHINED THE LUXURY SUVs WE DROVE WHICH IS TRULY SAYING A LOT.

ONE YEAR AFTER ADDING A NEW WE'VE SEEN THE EMERGENCE OF THUS, OUR FIRST EVER BEST GOES TO THE FORD MAVERICK.

ITS BIG TRUCK LOOKS SET IT APART INTO THE SEGMENT, BUT IS THE REAL GAME CHANGER HERE.

PLUS, THERE ARE LOTS AND IT'S PRICED BELOW 20-GRAND NOT ONLY MAKING A PICKUP TRUCK OF PEOPLE, BUT POSITIONING IT FOR THE ENTIRE FORD BRAND.

CONTINUING NISSAN'S RETURN IS THE NISSAN FRONTIER, THE FRONTIER GOT A LONG OVERDUE GOING FROM THE MOST OUTDATED IN YET, THIS IS TRUTHFULLY ONE FOR REAL TRUCK PEOPLE; WITH YOUR CHOICE OF TWO ESTABLISHED 4X4 SYSTEM, IN THE CLASS FROM ITS UNLESS, YOU'VE BEEN TAKING COVID YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT FORD F-150 COMING, AND THAT'S JUST PART OF THE ENTIRE F-SERIES NOW REIGNS YOU NEED TO GO WAY OFF OF COURSE, THERE'S THE F-150 OTHER BRANDS TO UP THEIR NEED OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY WITHOUT OR TOWING ABILITY?

THERE'S THE TREMOR PACKAGE WHICH THE SUPER DUTY THAT CONTINUES TO IN TOWING AT 37,000 POUNDS, CLEARLY, FORD REMAINS TO FULLSIZE PICKUPS.

AND THAT WRAPS UP OUR WITH ONE EXCEPTION; OUR MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE AND IT'S COMING UP LATER WITH THE INCREASING FLURRY IT'S EASY TO GET THE IMPRESSION AUTOMOTIVE CONCEPT; ACTUALLY GOES WAY BACK.

PAT GOSS HAS IT ALL * Pat Goss: ONE OF THE HOT TOPICS THESE DAYS IS THE NOW, YOU MAY THINK THAT THAT'S BUT IN REALITY, WE CAN GO BACK AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES WERE MORE AND ONE OF THE REASONS FOR IS THAT BECAUSE THE GASOLINE YOU HAD TO CRANK THEM AND THE ELECTRICS YOU JUST ANYWAY, WHEN ELECTRIC STARTERS THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT WAS IN THE TWENTIES, WELL, LET'S MOVE FORWARD.

THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS ATTEMPTS LIKE THIS '74 ELECTRIC HERE.

IT USES LEAD-ACID TECHNOLOGY.

AND THEN, THERE WERE OTHERS WHICH AGAIN USED LEAD ACID SO IT DIDN'T HAVE THE RANGE, BUT THEN, ALONG COMES THESE WELL, THIS ION-- LITHIUM ION AND THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS "GEE, WE CAN EXPAND ON THAT.

WE CAN MAKE THESE BATTERIES WE CAN USE LITHIUM FOR THESE WE CAN MAKE CARS THAT GO FARTHER SO THEN, WE SAW THE FIRST WHICH WAS REALLY THE FIRST THAT WE'VE SEEN.

AND SINCE THAT TIME, THE AND EVERY YEAR, IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, SO, WILL WE SEE OF THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY WELL, ONLY TIME WILL TELL, OF THE ADVANCEMENTS IN BATTERY THE FUTURE IS CERTAINLY BRIGHT.

THERE MAY ACTUALLY BE AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK !

John: THERE ARE JUST SO MANY NEW SO, LET'S HIT THE ROAD FOR * Kyle Scanlon: TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO HYUNDAI N HIGH PERFORMANCE THE ELANTRA N AND THE KONA N. BOTH ARE POWERED BY 2.0 LITER TURBO-4 THAT WE WE SPENT OUR TIME AT THE TO PUT THE ELANTRA N AND BOTH THE KONA AND THE ELANTRA'S COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZED, FOR EVERYTHING FROM SUSPENSION, AND MANY MORE.

BOTH VEHICLES OFFER AN AUTOMATIC BUT WHAT REALLY GOT ME EXCITED OFFERED IN THE ELANTRA N. WHILE WAITING MY TURN, I GOT TO JUMP INTO ONE OF AND TAKE IT FOR A SPIN AROUND WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!

WITH PURE RACING INSPIRATION THIS CAR TRULY IMPRESSED I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THIS CAR AND WAS NEVER ONCE WORRIED THAT THE TEAM AT HYUNDAI HAS DONE AN PUTTING TOGETHER THIS ELANTRA N. IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU WANT BUT HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLE.

THE 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION BUT YOU WANT TO MAKE IT FIND YOURSELF A WINDY ROAD REV MATCHING FEATURE.

NOW...WHILE, AND ALL, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHILE, HAVING ALL THE DRIVE IT MAY BE A BIT OF A BUMPY RIDE, ONCE EVERYTHING IS DIALED DOWN BOTH OF THESE VEHICLES BECOME WITH WELL-TRIMMED INTERIORS, INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM, COMFORTABLE FOR LONG ROAD TRIPS, FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM.

HYUNDAI HAS TRULY UPPED ITS GAME TWO NEW CARS, A SMALL FAMILY-HAULER LIKE OR OPTING FOR THE MORE IT COULD BE A TOUGH DECISION THE ELANTRA N WITH A MANUAL AND WITH AN AUTOMATIC THE KONA N STARTS AT $35,425.

John: WITH ALL THE HYPE GRAND CHEROKEE L, THE ALL-NEW TRADITIONAL BUT JEEP BROUGHT US OUT TO FOR A FORMAL INTRODUCTION.

THIS TWO-ROW SUV HAS RETURNED BUILT ON A NEW UNIBODY PLATFORM.

DESPITE BEING 3.4 INCHES LONGER, Jessica Ray: SO, THAT THE ALL-NEW GRAND CHEROKEE COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS BECAUSE USUALLY WHEN WE TALK USUALLY THAT MEANS AND I WOULDN'T CALL THIS NIMBLE BUT THAT LIGHTER WEIGHT AIR SUSPENSION GIVES THIS ON THE HIGHWAY.

John: EVEN STILL, IT'S PLENTY AS WE FOUND OUT IN EQUIPPED WITH AN EXCELLENT NEW SWAY BAR DISCONNECT FEATURE, FOR BETTER GROUND CLEARANCE.

STANDARD IS A 3.6 LITER V6, A FUTURE 4XE PLUG-IN HYBRID A 2.0 LITER TURBO-4.

A REAR-WHEEL DRIVE LAREDO STARTS THE GRAND CHEROKEE TRAILHAWK AND WE'LL HAVE MORE John: WE ALWAYS SAVE SO LET'S WRAP UP WITH THE ONE WITH OUR HIGHEST HONOR: THE 2022 MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' * THIS WILL LIKELY COME AS BUT THE FORD MAVERICK IS OUR BEST OF THE YEAR!

THAT'S BECAUSE THE MAVERICK ANOTHER TRUCK FROM FORD, FOR BOTH THE PICKUP TRUCK TRANSPORTATION.

AND IT STARTS WITH THE STANDARD THE 191 HORSEPOWER 2.5 LITER MAKES IT THE MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT BUT WITH A CITY RATING OF PUTS THE MAVERICK IN THE SAME OF THE SMALLEST CARS.

AND, IT STILL DOES TRUCK-LIKE WITH A HIGHLY-FUNCTIONAL COMFORTABLE ROOM FOR AND EVEN TOWS UP TO PLUS, THE HYBRID'S REGEN BRAKING MUCH MORE PLEASANT, A CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE NEED MORE CAPABILITY?

THERE'S AN AVAILABLE 2.0 LITER ECOBOOST ENGINE WITH THAT ALLOWS FOR UP TO FOR OFF-PAVEMENT PAVEMENT USE, ADDS MONOTUBE DAMPERS, SKID PLATES, AND ALL-TERRAIN THE FLEXBED FEATURES MULTIPLE NUMEROUS POCKETS FOR DIVIDERS, POWER OUTLETS, STORAGE CUBBY, INSIDE THIS CREW CAB, ARE UNIQUE PLENTY OF TECH INCLUDING PLUS STORAGE SPACE AND, DID WE MENTION IS THAT MAKES PICKUP TRUCKS DELIVERING A TRUE PICKUP FOR EASY TO DRIVE, EASY TO PARK, AND EASY TO LOVE IS WHY MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; PODCASTS, CRUISE ON OVER TO AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US WHEN WE'LL HAVE A NEW THE LAMBORGHINI HURACAN STO.

THEN, WE'LL TRADE SUPER-FAST IN THE GENESIS GV70.

TIL' THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, FROM OUR ORIGINAL LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCAS OIL, TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR * Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *