2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat First Test: Now, That's a Fast Truck

acura integra Full OverviewProsVersatile hatchback form factorZippy and fuel-efficient engineUniquely positioned and priced within the segment ConsNot necessarily better with the manualUnimpressive at the test trackCan't escape comparison to the Honda CivicHaving now lived with and tested the new 2023 Acura Integra, we know it isn't a revival of the driver-focused, straightforward hatchback the internet commentariat yearns for. This may dismay Acura acolytes, and indeed we'd celebrate the arrival of such a car in our crossover-saturated market.But don't forsake the 2023 Acura Integra because it doesn't meet your preconceived expectations. Even though it feels similar—perhaps too similar—to the Honda Civic Si, Acura sufficiently elevated the Integra to the luxury realm. It's a genuine rival to its European competitors, with some uniquely distinctive attributes. If you read on and discover it's not the Integra you wish it would be, well, maybe you need to grow up—the Integra certainly has.How Quick? Not ParticularlyOne of those attributes—the one most crucial in this test—is its transmission. Automatics are prevalent among luxury subcompact cars, but choosing the Integra in A-Spec trim and adding the Technology package unlocks a no-cost option to swap the standard CVT for a six-speed manual gearbox. As in every Integra, it's joined to a 1.5-liter turbocharged I-4 that sends 200 hp and 192 lb-ft to the front wheels. In manual Integras, the power is regulated by a limited-slip differential.Pauses introduced by clutch and shifter actuation are factors in the Integra's 7.7-second 0-60-mph time. All of its two-pedal rivals do the sprint in less than 7.0 seconds. Likewise, the Integra crosses the quarter mile in 15.7 seconds at 91.0 mph, trailing many of its adversaries in both metrics. Even so, the engine feels strong for its size, delivering a torquey surge on-boost that's accentuated by little wastegate whistles. What's more, its fuel economy rating of 26/36 mpg city/highway tops many of the 2.0-liter mills common in the set.Manuals typically enhance involvement at the expense of outright acceleration, and the Integra's shifter justifies the trade-off. It moves between gates precisely and is weighted so it requires deliberation but not undue effort. Automatic downshift rev-matching is activated by default—don't worry, you can deactivate it, but don't knock it till you try it. The clutch is less tactile than the shifter; it's light and engages vaguely at the upper end of its stroke. In fact, it caught out a few of our drivers with unexpected wheelspin.Fun-ishThe turbocharged, lightweight, manual 2023 Acura Integra embodies buzzwords that set enthusiast hearts aflutter. In most situations it's entertaining, moving with poise and pep that evinces the great engineering in its architecture. But the Integra is not a particularly sporty car, as proven by its test results and how it feels when driven hard.A 60-0-mph braking distance of 123 feet is on the longer end in this category. Fade was generally a nonissue even under repeated heavy braking, but the pedal, soft at the top and requiring significant depression, doesn't seem tuned for dynamic driving. This setup disposes it to around-town use, as does the brake auto-hold function, which works flawlessly—not always the case in manual cars.The Integra's 0.87-g skidpad average is about what's expected for the class, but the Acura's figure-eight time of 27.2 seconds at 0.63 g average doesn't impress, considering its rivals run the lap in the 26-second range. Our test team was frustrated by meddling traction control, which never seems to truly turn off and prevents full power unless the steering wheel is straight. Such interference negates the differential's benefit in on-limit driving.Out on the road, the Integra is willing to play up to a point. Its tidy size and weight let it flow between corners, but the verve it initially presents evaporates if you ask too much of it. Instead, the Integra becomes overwhelmed by understeer and imprecision. Truly sporty cars come across as a vivid conduit between driver and road—the new Integra doesn't.Our Civic DutyAt this point we'd be remiss to not mention how the 2023 Acura Integra compares to the Honda Civic Si. The chassis, powertrain, and amenities in these vehicles are largely identical, and perhaps unsurprisingly they drive very much alike. The shared shifter and clutch play a part in that. But our tests verify Honda's interpretation is the higher performer: It's quicker, stops better, and is grippier all around. Crucial to that are the optional summer tires equipped on every modern Si we've tested; all-seasons are standard on the Si and the only choice on the Integra.Much more important than the Si's fractional test-figure advantages, though, is the fact the Honda is sharper, louder, and more direct—simply put, more fun to drive. At the point where the Integra falters, the Si stays hungry for the road ahead. It's remarkable how two vehicles so similar in hardware, performance, and general feel end up with such different personalities.All Hail the HatchbackThis is not to suggest the Civic Si is necessarily better than the Integra. Aspects of the Acura make it more appealing than its platform counterpart, and—critically—cars in the luxury subcompact category.Its hatchback format is high on the list. With a conventional small sedan, there will come a time when you'll size up its trunk opening, contemplating how you'll get some rather large thing inside. There's little such issue with the Integra: Lift the rear enclosure and revel in the big cargo area, made bigger by folding the second row. This setup makes Integra living realistic for anyone who carries bulky items or lifestyle gear. Its tall lift-over height is only a slight hindrance.The luxury quotient is there, too. Adaptive dampers fitted on the Integra A-Spec bring a suitably smooth ride in Normal and Comfort modes and stiffen just so in Sport. Plush centers and firm, supportive bolsters make the front seats quite comfortable. Beyond a standard 10.3-inch digital gauge display, the 16-speaker audio system, wireless charger, and head-up display added by the Technology package qualify the Integra to run in today's luxury league.Likewise, the cabin's layout and quality of materials are suitable for an entry-level luxury car. Yet the interior's similarities to the Civic are obvious. Acura could have done more to avoid such comparisons, particularly by distinguishing touchpoints like the steering wheel, shift knob, or infotainment system layout. But given how nice the Civic's interior is to begin with, how the Integra builds on it is no bad thing.The same notion extends throughout the experience: that the Civic is its starting point bodes well for the Integra. If you recall, the Civic was a finalist in our 2022 MotorTrend Car of the Year contest, and we deemed it "one of the best vehicles on sale" in a comparison-test win. Most of the Civic's great things are present, if not enhanced, in its Integra transformation.The Nicer Version of a Nice CarAcura succeeded in creating a rival to starter cars from other luxury brands and offering a unique, practical vehicle to drivers who want something more upscale than a Honda. The Integra's pricing—slightly more than $30,000 to start and less than $40,000 in our fully loaded test car—undercuts the field by potentially many thousands of dollars to make it an undeniable value. It's luxury on the cheap that feels nowhere near cheap.Yet even with its vaunted manual transmission, the Integra isn't the hot hatchback seemingly everyone across the internet insists it must be. That might be you. If so, accept the fact the Integra of 2023 isn't exactly like the Integras of yore. Time and progress ran their course, and Acura built a car that represents what it is now. If that's not enough, don't despair: This entry in the Integra tale is only at its beginning, paralleled promisingly by the reemergence of the Type S performance badge.Looks good! More details?2023 Acura Integra A-Spec Specifications BASE PRICE $33,895 PRICE AS TESTED $37,395 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback ENGINE 1.5L Turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 POWER (SAE NET) 200 hp @ 6,000 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 192 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,040 lb (60/40%) WHEELBASE 107.7 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 185.8 x 72.0 x 55.5 in 0-60 MPH 7.7 sec QUARTER MILE 15.7 sec @ 91.0 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 123 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.87 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.2 sec @ 0.63 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 26/36/30 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 372 miles ON SALE Now Show All

During Monterey Car Week, billions of dollars of exotic cars, classics, and other rolling reminders that you don't make the big bucks descent on Monterey, California, to slosh around into a dizzying slurry of gross excess. It's an amazing, overwhelming thing to take in, for sure, but luckily there's a blowoff valve of sorts for that suffocating wealth and glamour: Concours d'Lemons.Held in nearby Seaside, California, a nice enough spot that, like most of the rest of America, resembles Oscar the Grouch's dingy trash can by comparison to Monterey, the Concours d'Lemons forces you to physically leave Car Week's fever dream environment.Oh, and it also exclusively hosts shit cars. Just real salt-of-the-rust stuff, like Ford Pintos and homemade Lamborghini replicas. We're not being mean, either—the show, spun off of the 24 Hours of Lemons dirtball, low-buck racing series—is a self-proclaimed celebration of automotive detritus.We last checked in to this steaming pile of a car show in 2019, so we held our noses and decided to go back. This year's show took over the parking lot and nearby lawn of the Seaside City Hall, and featured such bizarro junk such as a malaise-era American luxury sedan bedecked in some kind of craft "hair" and sporting a bug-eyed horse head atop it; a faux Lamborghini Countach; and some '80s Volkswagens.Of course there were tons of eyesores in-between, and the show was packed. Check out what showed up in our extensive gallery:We'd say "at least it was free," but this show should be free, because no one should need to pay to experience this. And that's exactly what makes it so enjoyable.

I will start this by saying I have zero buyer's remorse. Within about a day of driving the Rivian R1T—even in unfinished pre-production form, as was the case on our cross-country, Trans-America Trail journey—I knew I simply had to have one. Moreover, the R1T impressed every single editor on the TAT goat rodeo and we even named it our 2022 MotorTrend Truck of the Year, the highest honor in the biz. And so, on Flag Day, June 14, I took delivery of my "Spinach Omelet" electric pickup truck. Why Spinach Omelet? I went for the unusual but gorgeous color combo of Compass Yellow over Forest Edge. Yes, my 835-hp pickup truck has a vegan "leather" interior the color of day-old guacamole. The R1T is superlative. I love it.But buying it? I'd rather visit my periodontist and get my gums scraped.Jonny Lieberman's Rivian R1T with Compass Yellow exterior paint and Forest Edge interior 5The process began when I put down a $1,000 deposit, and luckily I did so before Rivian jacked the price of the truck by 20 percent. Soon after, a very friendly Rivian Guide—a specific customer service agent who helps each buyer through the process—contacted me to see if I had any questions. As I'd already driven the truck 1,850 miles across six states, I had just one: When will I get mine? The conversation went something like this:Me: Can you tell me when I'll get the truck?Rivian Guide: I'm sorry, I can't answer that.Me: Well, can you tell me if I'll get it near or if I'll get it far?RG: I'm sorry, but I can't answer that.Me: Will I get it in 2022 or 2023?RG: I'm sorry, I can't say.If you can picture my eyes rolling up into my brainpan, that's good because that's exactly what happened. If you don't know, I'm a cast member of the popular automotive podcast "Spike's Car Radio." I used this big megaphone to tell the above anecdote on an episode. A month or so goes by and I get an unexpected phone call from my Rivian Guide. I'm paraphrasing here, but they said, "Hey, what if instead of the truck you ordered, we got you an identically spec'd Launch Edition R1T? It would only cost you $400 more, and you'd get it in July instead of unknown?" I quizzed them pretty hard. For real, it's identically spec'd? With yellow paint, a green interior, underbody armor, the off-road recovery kit, ski racks, all that? Yes, I was assured. My exact spec. For only $400? How could I not?I agreed and was then told to just go and fill out the eight-step buying process on the website. When I heard "eight steps," I got nervous. Sounded like too many. More than an hour later, I was thinking about smashing my laptop against the wall. I'd managed to complete perhaps 5 of the 8 steps and my blood was boiling. The one that killed me—aside from essentially being forced to sign up for Rivian's Nationwide-backed insurance to get to the next step—was the value offered for my trade-in. I had a 2014 Ford Fiesta ST in good, slightly modified condition with 43,000 miles on the clock. Rivian's website offered me $10,400. I not only balked, I called my Rivian Guide and said something like, "ARE YOU KIDDING?" No, I was told, that's what the computer offers and there's nothing they can do about it. Fine, I'd just sell the damn thing privately.Jonny Lieberman's Rivian R1T with Compass Yellow exterior paint and Forest Edge interior 7In May, I received a call from a different, equally friendly Rivian employee at the company's delivery center in El Segundo, California, just 0.5 mile from MotorTrend HQ. "Your truck's here. We're so happy you went with such a bold colorway." Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's here? (Also, I still needed to sell the Ford, which I was able to do rather quickly for nearly 50 percent more than Rivian offered.) Because I was leaving for Pikes Peak practice, we settled on the day after I returned, June 14, for handover. Sunday evening, June 12, I'm told by my friendly Guide to make sure I bring a certified or cashier's check with me on Tuesday. "What?!?" I rudely exclaim. "You're telling me this now? I'm in Colorado, and flying back tomorrow, landing after my bank is closed and I have to work the morning of the 14th? How can I get a cashier's check?"Then I'm told there's another option. I can just simply link my bank account to my Rivian account and pay that way. All I have to do is go to the website and link the two. Thirty minutes and dozens (fine, hundreds) of swear words later, I determine that, nope, there's no freaking way to link my bank account to my Rivian account via the blasted website. I call my Rivian Guide back to explain this and ask for assistance. I mentioned that when I picked up my Alfa Romeo Giulia that I also custom ordered, I was in and out of the dealership in 26 minutes, and that it would have taken less time but they forced me to drive the car around the block. I'd just wasted more time than that on the farshtinkener Rivian website, and I'm furious. My Guide had no answer, so I needed to delay delivery until I had a chance to get a certified check.The next day I'm told, you know what, Rivian will accept a personal check from me after all. I'm not optimistic an anonymous buyer would get the same pass, but at least we're back on. I'm leaving out details of the seemingly never-ending series of documents to sign (it was like buying real estate), but mercifully they're all electronic-signature-type things. The next day I get to the MotorTrend office at 10:15 a.m. and the thing I'm supposed to be doing gets canceled. I call my Rivian Guide and arrange to grab the truck then, not at 2:30 p.m. as scheduled. Thirty minutes later, I arrive at the delivery center but am informed my early arrival will mean things will take a while. Now, I know they're not putting gas in the thing, so I have no idea what the holdup is, but my gorgeous new truck was parked right out front by about noon.I guess the delay wasn't because they were checking the paint, because a brief once-over revealed the paint-protection film on one of the gear-tunnel doors was defective, and my truck went away. It's fixed and 90 minutes later, I'm driving home. Hurray! Although, it must be said three hours to turn over my truck that I'd learned had been sitting there for days if not weeks is crazy. But hey, the Rivian R1T is fantastic and worth the wait.An electrician came over just before I sat down to write this, to install the Rivian charger that the company had shipped to my house. After about 90 minutes it was ready and we tried to pair the unit to the Rivian app. No luck. We pored over the instruction manual, and tried to pair it three more times. Still no luck. A solid red light then illuminated, which is a signal you need to contact Rivian. After 20 minutes of being on hold, my electrician left for other jobs. Eventually, I spoke with someone who told me I needed my electrician to proceed. Long story short—and many more privately spoken foul words later—my electrician agreed to come back.Rivian wanted him to confirm the charger was getting power from the breaker (it was, to the tune of 240 volts) and confirm that everything was hooked up and set correctly. It was, as verified by sending photos to Rivian for analysis. Bum charger, it turned out, and Rivian is shipping a new one. Meaning that as of this writing, I cannot charge my brand-new electric truck at my house. This is awful because I have to deal with the often unreliable Electrify America charging network. I know this will all get resolved and I'll soon be blissfully motoring along in my Spinach Omelet R1T, but man, I didn't know I had so much swearing in me. You learn something new every day.Postscript: I wrote this screed after burning an entire day's worth of time dealing with a defective Rivian charger and a new company's processes. My R1T's VIN ends in 05020. I don't know the actual production numbers, but seeing as my truck was built in May, I'd guess the 7,000th R1T hasn't rolled off the line yet. Lamborghini builds more cars in a year than that. True to its word, Rivian shipped out a new charger, got a third party to come remove the busted one and install the good one, and all that only took a few days. Since then, the Lieberman household has been experiencing trouble- and gasoline-free charging and driving, and my Alfa Romeo wound up in the shop. So, why write this? Rivian needs to get its buying experience in order. True believers like me who know how good the truck is will put up with this sort of nonsense. But with electric Ford trucks coming on strong, the buying experience needs to be as simple as possible. Tesla, despite numerous other faults, has mastered this process. The cars just show up at your house. Easy as that. Rivian can get there. When it comes to cars, like so many things, it's the little things that count.