2022 MatoCar Performance Vehicle of the Year: The Finalists, Day 1

ford f-150-lightning Full OverviewThere's a learning curve that comes with driving and owning your first electric vehicle, and the slope gets particularly steep when you push an EV's battery to its limits. The first time a new EV owner drives far enough that they need to charge in the middle of a trip, they face two hard truths: EVs almost never achieve their advertised ranges when it really matters, and even the fastest charging stations are slow compared to a gas pump.Based on the more than 200,000 reservations for the Ford F-150 Lightning, a lot of Americans are going to learn those lessons behind the wheel of the blockbuster electric pickup truck. Either that, or they'll read this story and take our findings to heart. MotorTrend's real-world driving range and charging times for the F-150 Lightning are a cheat sheet for planning a long-distance drive with few surprises and headaches.What's the Range of the Ford F-150 Lightning?According to Ford, the Lightning can cover 230 miles with the standard battery and up to 320 miles in XLT or Lariat trim with the optional extended-range battery. The top-trim $92,669 Lightning Platinum, which is only offered with the larger battery pack, is rated for 300 miles of range due to its heavy standard 22-inch wheels and the additional weight of the extra equipment it carries.However, if you plan to use a Lightning for long-distance highway trips, those figures paint an unrealistically optimistic picture. Electric cars and trucks are more efficient in low-speed stop-and-go traffic than at highway speeds, and the official EPA range figure is based on a combination of city and highway driving. If you drive extended distances at more than 55 mph in any EV, you're all but guaranteed to come up short of the range number listed on the window sticker.How short? We developed the MotorTrend Road-Trip Range test to answer that question. This real-world test is run at an average speed of 70 mph to more accurately reflect what kind of range you can expect to cover on your longest drives, such as family road trips, weekend runs to the cabin, or sales calls to the farthest corners of your territory. The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum achieves a MotorTrend Road-Trip Range of 255 miles, or 15 percent less than its EPA-rated 300 miles. Of course, as with gas cars, your mileage may vary. Expect driving range to fall with extreme temperatures, higher speeds, or significant elevation changes. Alternatively, you can extend that range by driving slower, limiting air-conditioning and other accessory usage, and minimizing hard braking.How Fast Does the F-150 Lightning Charge?Ideally, every Lightning owner will have access to 240-volt charging at home or their workplace where they plug in to take care of most of their charging while asleep or at work. But if you don't have easy access to one of these Level 2 charging stations, or if you find yourself needing to recharge on a long road trip, you may find yourself relying on DC fast-charging stations, also called Level 3 stations. It's in these instances when charging time really matters.To measure how long you'll be waiting, we charged a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum from 5 percent to 90 percent using an Electrify America fast-charging station and translated the energy delivered into miles of driving range at highway speeds.The Lightning added 74 miles after 15 minutes of charging and extended that to 133 cumulative miles after 30 minutes. With 45 minutes on the clock, the Lightning had gained 189 miles of range, and after an hour of charging, the electric truck had put on 214 miles of range.That's good but not great. With a maximum rated charging power of 150 kW, the Ford can't suck down electrons as quickly as its main rivals, the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV electric trucks. EV nerds should note, though, that the Lightning momentarily exceeded its stated 150-kW max charging power when it peaked at 160 kW for a couple minutes near the beginning of the test.In all EVs, charging becomes slower as the battery fills up to protect the pack's longevity. The Lightning begins its first step down seven minutes into charging, leveling off around 115 kW for a sustained spell. The power delivery then takes a big step down as the charge nears 80 percent. For many drivers, this would be the point to unplug and carry on. If you're in a region with decent charging options, it's typically quicker to hop from fast-charging station to fast-charging station without ever exceeding an 80 percent charge on the road. That's one more thing you figure out very quickly if you do probe the limits of an F-150 Lightning or another EV.Looks good! More details?

Jeep is in the middle of one of its greatest product expansions, adding larger three-row models to the lineup, and there are more electrified vehicles to come. So, we sat down with Jeep brand chief Jim Morrison to see how the brand is doing.The rollout of the fifth-generation of the venerable Jeep Grand Cherokee started last year with the unusual step of launching with the new three-row 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. It marks the first time a product with the venerable Jeep Cherokee name comes with seven-passenger seating. The larger L is in full sales swing and doing what it was intended to do: keep loyal buyers from leaving the brand when they need a third row, while attracting new customers who could not find a Jeep that met their needs before, Morrison says.Jeep is in its second month of sales of the fifth-gen of the traditional five-passenger, two-row 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the SUV is turning quickly, within days on the lot.It is still early, but Morrison thinks the mix of two-row and three-row Grand Cherokees could end up being about half and half. The segment skews 70 percent three-row, but the smaller Grand Cherokee has a loyal following with more than 7 million on the road. It comes down to the customer's stage of life; how much do they need tow and how much room do they need. "I like the fact we have an option for them," Morrison says. The SUV is attracting buyers new to the Jeep brand, customers the automaker hopes to keep in subsequent purchases.2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Close to LaunchJeep is preparing to launch another new variant, the 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid, which will reach dealerships this spring. It follows the formula Jeep used for the Wrangler 4xe that has been well received. The Grand Cherokee 4xe, which gets 25 miles of all-electric range and 56 MPGe, has an even more sophisticated 4WD system than the Wrangler,  with faster torque transfer.With its capability, Morrison thinks the take rate of the 4xe could be 30 percent or more of total Grand Cherokee sales. Press reports have highlighting the high price tag—it costs about $10,000 more for the 4xe than an equivalent model with the entry-level V-6. But Morrison says the figures need some context. Not only does the 4xe provide greater performance and tech, but the high residuals and government rebates for electrified vehicles could result in monthly leases or payments being less for the 4xe than the gas-powered model. Orders are strong so far, but the brand chief will not say how many there are.Is there more to come? Morrison won't say if there is a Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in the works. He points out that the 4xe provides superior performance to a V-8. And then there is the timing: performance versions traditionally come online a few model years after launch to keep the lineup fresh.What Gets 4xe Treatment Next?With plans to electrify all Jeeps by 2025, we want to know which model gets 4xe treatment next and when we will see it. "The engineers are working on a lot of Jeeps," is all the tight-lipped Morrison will say.It is not necessarily easier to add a plug-in hybrid to a new model like the Wagoneer family as opposed to an older model like the Jeep Gladiator pickup truck, he says. Jeep is working on dedicated platforms which will make the rollout the smoothest.Once again the automaker will use the annual Easter Jeep Safari event to showcase electrified Jeep concepts and gather customer feedback.Response to New Wagoneer FamilyMeanwhile, the new 2022 Jeep Wagoneer three-row SUV  and the more upscale 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer play in white space for Jeep as full-size premium SUVs. The automaker is happy to have the storied nameplate back in the lineup. "We just like saying Grand Wagoneer again," Morrison says.When the Grand Wagoneer left the marketplace it had a reputation as the most luxurious and technically advanced and capable vehicle, Morrison says. "It's getting that reputation again with the best 4WD system and advanced safety and tech and capability. People buying them love them."The fullsize SUV segment runs about two-thirds mainstream models, one-third premium. So far, the Grand Wagoneer is selling above expectations, Morrison said. Some of it is early adopters but some of it is the strength of the nameplate.There is a bit of cross-shopping between the Grand Cherokee L and the Wagoneer but when customers see them in the showroom and see the difference in size and towing capacity, they are able to easily make the choice right for them.  

A Definitive End to the Malaise Era Inside the 1986 Acura Integra: Like, Totally Tubular! The Engine of Tomorrow, TodayBack in the '80s, the Integra's 16-valve 1.6-liter engine really turned our heads. It's easy to chuckle at the oversized DOHC PROGRAMMED FUEL INJECTION decal on the Integra's flanks, but in 1986 this was exotic stuff. Detroit's four-cylinder engines were awful eight-valve lumps that were only just beginning to be tamed with throttle-body fuel injection, a cheap single-injector assembly bolted into the same spot as a carburetor. Even Honda, already known for the best four-bangers in the biz, still offered only single-cam 12-valve engines, all with carburetors (with fuel injection as a new-for-1986 option).Of course, MotorTrend was no stranger to two-cam multi-valve heads; we tested plenty of European supercars, but to see such exotica on a reasonably priced car was a novelty. Same for multi-port fuel injection, which in 1986 was only just making its first appearance on Chevrolet's Corvette and IROC-Z. To see such hardware put together with Japanese precision and refinement, though, was something new, even for us."The Integra's four-valve-per-cylinder 1.6-liter engine proved much more than anticipated," we wrote, "with a blend of flat-torque-curve power-on-demand, quick throttle response, and effective NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) damping unsurpassed in engines of its kind on the market today."In the muscle-car '60s—not too distant in 1985's rearview mirror—1-horsepower per cubic inch was the Holy Grail. The Integra drew a righteous 113 horsepower from a mere 97 cubic inches, this at a time when GM's 231-cid (3.8-liter) V-6 only delivered 110. We clocked the then-new 1986 Acura Integra to 60 in 8.9 seconds, just 1.8 seconds behind a 1985 Ford Mustang GT.The Engine of Yesterday, TodayToday we're driving this classic Integra amid fast-moving Los Angeles traffic, and it's a struggle. We're trying to keep up with KJ Jones from MT's Truck and Off-Road Group in his Banks-enhanced Chevy Colorado, and we need every last bit of the Integra's 99 lb-ft of torque. This example has 168,000 miles on the clock and feels appropriate for her age. But Jones knows where we're going and we don't, so museum piece or not, we've no choice but to flirt with the Integra's near-7,000-rpm redline. At least that's our excuse because we like pushing the Integra—and the Integra likes being pushed.With any luck, you are too young and/or fortunate to have driven a four-cylinder car in the early '80s. Trust us, they weren't great, with low and feeble torque peaks concentrated at low or mid revs. Few Americans had experienced anything like the Integra's engine, it's thin low-end torque gradually building and building before surging at 4,000 rpm into a crescendo of power delivered all the way to its exotically-high 6,700-rpm redline—and all the while accompanied by a wonderful sonorous snarl. Today's drivers might say, "So what? That's how every engine drives!" Sure, today they do—and we have the Integra's influence to thank for it.The Correct Tire Transforms the 1986 Acura IntegraBelieve it or not, in our original 1986 test report we complained about the Acura Integra's handling, fixing blame on its Michelin MXV tires which put low limits on the Integra's grip for both turning and braking. (Back in those days we had to modulate brake lock-up in panic stops; there was no ABS to do it for us.) "It was as if the chassis dynamics were tuned to a much more high-performance set of tires," we wrote, "only to be replaced at the last minute." We surmised that better rubber would make the Integra a handling gem.Thirty-five years later, our supposition is confirmed. Our classic Integra's 14-inch aluminum wheels are fitted with a modern set of Falken Azenis RT660s, and the car is masterful. Out on one of our favorite curvy roads, it simply refuses to relinquish its grip on the pavement. The suspension—struts and torsion bars up front, twist-beam in the back—keeps body motions under control, and despite a complete lack of electronic stability control, the Integra never does anything sudden or scary. The steering reminds us why people miss hydraulic assist; it feels alive and chatty with feedback. The effort to turn the tiller is light, and yet the power assist is dialed back enough that you almost forget it's there at all. If a brand-new car drove like this 35-year-old Acura, we'd have nothing to complain about.Lost in TimeAnd that, right there, is the conundrum we face in writing about this classic 1986 Acura Integra in modern times. Not long ago we drove another classic Honda, the foundational first-generation Accord, and there was no mistaking it was a disco-era relic. The timeline is a mind-bender: Only eight years separate that Accord from this Integra. Meanwhile, the time gap between the Integra and modern cars is more than four times as long. And yet it feels like 35 years separate the original Accord and this original Integra, which surely can't be more than a decade older than modern day cars, tape deck and gnarly upholstery notwithstanding.We understand why. In the wake of the Acura Integra's introduction, the 16-valve, dual-overhead-camshaft, multi-port-injected engine would become the industry standard, reigning right up until the recent adaptation of turbochargers, direct injection, and electrification. Detroit would give up its ribbon-style speedometers and one-finger-light power steering to better emulate the Integra. Thanks to Acura, upscale cars would soon be judged not by their size but by their performance, agility, and build quality.Indeed, Honda, Toyota, and the other Japanese automakers fundamentally changed what American automobile buyers wanted, and the 1986 Acura Integra was the car that pointed the way. And so, we can forgive this three-and-a-half-decade-old classic for feeling ordinary. After all, it defined what ordinary would become.