SUVs and Trucks That Weren’t Cool in the 2000s but Are Now

It's time to present the finalists for the inaugural MotorTrend Performance Vehicle of the Year. Yes, after running through our contenders—those rides that missed the cut for the final round of voting the PVOTY honors, we're introducing those that did make the finalist cut. One of these vehicles earned our Golden Calipers, having excelled in all six of our criteria (safety, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, and performance of intended function). The weighting of some of those criteria may differ slightly from our Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year competitions—after all, when outright performance is our focus, efficiency is perhaps graded on a curve—but every single one is considered when choosing our winner.Read on to meet the first four members of our finalist field—the rest will be unveiled tomorrow—to represent the cars that made it out of our initial round of voting following evaluations at Hyundai's Proving Ground outside of Los Angeles. The finalists then went on to road drives on Angeles Crest Highway and, later, grueling track tests at Willow Springs Raceway. Come back on Monday, February 14 to see which one emerged with the title!

audi a4 Full OverviewProsFeels powerful and quickFunctional and understated interior designKiller audio system ConsFirm rideGlitchy and inconsistent techLesser mild hybrid setupAn exceptional sport sedan can be your everything. Everyday commuter, long-haul road tripper, airport taxi, canyon carver. The latest-generation Audi A4 was introduced for 2017 and got a midcycle refresh for 2020; as it sits this year, the German automaker's podium-ranked sport sedan is quite good but not exceptional. We tested a 2022 Audi A4 S Line to break it all down.Not Your Average AudiAudis are known as the subtle, under-the-radar choice in the luxury compact segment, compared to more ostentatious options like an extravagantly styled Alfa Romeo Giulia or a tail-happy BMW 3 Series. Our test car was not the dark gray, black interior, fade-to-the-background Audi that usually comes to mind.Instead of a grayscale bankermobile, the 2022 Audi A4 S Line that arrived in our test fleet was ticket-me Tango Red Metallic and featured a Black Optic Plus package. The latter decked out the badging, side mirrors, grille, rocker panel detail, and front and rear bumper trim in high-gloss black. The package also adds red brake calipers, unique interior trim, and a knockout set of 19-inch five-spoke wheels that look straight off a previous-generation Audi S4. If you want a luxury car that blends in, this version of the A4 isn't it.Don't worry about the styling being too over the top; there's enough go to match all the show. Our Audi A4 S Line test example was fitted with the more powerful of the A4's 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 options (badged A4 45 TFSI), producing 261 hp (more on that later) and 273 lb-ft of torque delivered to all four wheels with help from a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and Quattro all-wheel drive.Opting for the more powerful engine buys the Audi S Line package, similar to what BMW would supply with its M Sport offerings. In the A4, it means a 0.9-inch-lower sport suspension, ventilated disc brakes with larger rotors, larger and wider wheels, and illuminated aluminum door sills. Think of the A4 S-Line as a would-be four-cylinder S4.How Quick Is an Audi A4?For a sport sedan lacking M, RS, or AMG badges, the 2022 Audi A4 S Line is legitimately quick. In our testing, the A4 S-Line reached 60 mph in 5.2 seconds on its way to a 14.0-second quarter mile at 98.8 mph.Based on the test figures and our on-road driving impressions, we wager this engine makes more than its claimed 261 hp. Two direct competitors, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti and Cadillac CT4-V, squirted to 60 mph in 5.2 and 5.1 seconds, but those cars produced 280 and 325 hp, respectively. They both weigh within 100 pounds of the A4 S Line.This Audi is a clear outlier, but that said, our test drivers said the A4's engine didn't feel as gutsy as the 300-hp four-cylinder found in the Volkswagen Arteon we tested on the same day.However, the test car did not drive like a standard A4. The S Line's larger ventilated brake rotors and the summer tires that came with the optional 19-inch wheels paid off, too, keeping the chassis stable under hard braking and capable of stopping from 60 mph in 111 feet—surprisingly good for a non-S4.The transmission was reluctant to downshift around our figure-eight course, even using the paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel, which dulled the car's thrust response significantly. Brakes were easy to modulate and turn-in was solid; the steering was notably precise, if slightly numb.As for the numbers, the A4 S Line completed its figure-eight lap in 25.9 seconds at 0.70 average g. Those figures slightly trail the Alfa's 25.7-second lap at 0.71 average g, but the A4 took a narrow victory on the skidpad at 0.92 g compared to the Giulia's 0.91.Living With the Audi A4Treating the 2022 Audi A4 S Line the way an owner might, the car has notable strengths and room for improvements. First, the interior. This cabin is outstanding and full of tech, minimalist but not barren, and a showcase of the build quality Audi is famous for.Among our favorite details is the shifter, a beefy thing that fills your palm just right. We also have praise for the controls' layout. Where higher-end Audis utilize a secondary touchscreen for climate controls, the A4 offers elegant physical buttons and switches that are easy to operate while keeping your eyes on the road. Little details like a frameless rearview mirror elevate the A4 above range-topping trims from sub-luxury brands.A special shout-out to the volume knob just to the right of the shifter; more recently redesigned Audis swapped this setup for a quarter-sized touchpad you must approach like a DJ scratching a tiny record. We'll take a physical rotating knob any day, especially if it controls the A4's outstanding 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio. The system is every bit as rich and powerful as buyers fantasize about when they debate shelling out for an optional premium setup. Lower frequencies at high volumes excited a light rattle from the driver's side door panel, but we chalk that up more to the wattage sent to those speakers than the A4's otherwise seemingly stellar build quality.The back seat isn't so bad, either. Sitting behind my own driving position at 6-foot-1, I still had a couple inches between my knees and the seat back, though my head was firmly against the headliner. There is zero downgrade in material quality, though, which is to say the leather upholstery is fitting of a luxury sedan. The cupholder design in the fold-down center armrest is clever but will struggle to accommodate American-sized soft drinks.The 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system is the same unit you see in a six-figure Audi S8, and although the layout is intuitive and the display quick to respond, this is one area where the A4 could use work. There's no anchor point for your thumb to aid more accurate touch inputs, but that was the least of our issues.Numerous times upon starting, the screen would pop up mostly blank as if it had been tripped up loading an asset. Tapping one of the menu icons to the left returned the system to its normal operations. We also had issues with Bluetooth and wireless Apple CarPlay pairing; each took multiple attempts. Especially compared to the multimedia systems in the Tesla Model 3 and new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the A4 infotainment doesn't look as impressive, either.Driving the 2022 Audi A4 S Line was less frustrating. This powertrain is more than capable of scooting the A4 around with alacrity, and as we mentioned, we wouldn't be surprised to find it makes an extra 50 hp or so. The steering has purposeful weight, if little feel, and though the brakes are a little grabby, after an adjustment period by the driver they're easy to modulate and trustworthy in an emergency.Two other notes. First, this is an older version of Audi's 2.0-liter turbo-four, and although it gained a mild hybrid system for the 2021 model year, it's a 12-volt system rather than the 48-volt setup in newer Audis. (Remember, the most recent A4 redesign occurred for the 2017 model year.) If the new system is jalapeno, the A4's is bell pepper.The most notable consequence here relates to low-speed behavior. Audi's auto stop-start system is imperceptible in the new-for-2022 Audi A3 but sends a rumble reverberating through the A4's body. And the A4's dual-clutch gearbox can fumble while creeping along in traffic, which isn't an issue when a more powerful hybrid system can ease you along.Second, in S Line trim with our test car's sweet-looking 19-inch wheels, the A4 rides firmly and exhibits major road noise over anything but perfect pavement. The suspension pays off in body control—the 0.9-inch drop and wider rolling stock contribute more stability in corners—but detracts from the A4's aspirations as a do-everything sport sedan. Don't expect to experience a cosseting ride home from the airport, in other words.Flawed, Still FantasticThe 2022 Audi A4 S Line can't be your everything. It's too stiff and noisy to pass as a pure luxury car, the transmission can be clumsy for performance driving, and the tech isn't quite there for 2022. Rather, the A4 S Line is for buyers who put style and sportiness first but who will happily trade the extra power of an S4 or M340i for better fuel economy and more feature content at a similar price point.Looks good! More details?2022 Audi A4 Quattro S-Line Specifications BASE PRICE $43,095 PRICE AS TESTED $55,665 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 2.0L turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 POWER (SAE NET) 261 hp @ 5,250 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 273 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,712 lb (56/44%) WHEELBASE 111.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 187.5 x 72.7 x 55.3 in 0-60 MPH 5.2 sec QUARTER MILE 14.0 sec @ 98.8 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 111 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.92 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.9 sec @ 0.70 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 24/31/27 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 408 miles ON SALE Now Show All

Out of the 8.9 million barrels of gasoline consumed daily in the U.S. on average, only 1.8 million gallons, or approximately 20 percent, actually propel an internal combustion vehicle forward. The other 80 percent is wasted on heat and parasitic auxiliary components that draw away energy. As the world begins its shift to EV proliferation, the good news is electric vehicles are far more energy efficient on the road.A new set of graphics from Yale Climate Connections makes visualizing the efficiency gains of an EV over an ICE vehicle straightforward. Using data from fueleconomy.gov and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, these graphics break down the energy waste in your typical gas-powered car.The vast majority of energy wasted in an ICE vehicle is through the heat the engine produces, which you can literally feel radiating from under the hood. About 5 percent is lost through parasitic engine components including the cooling system, which draws on the engine's own energy to help cool it down, about 4 percent is lost through the mechanical friction of the drivetrain and transmission components, and another 2 percent could be lost to auxiliary electrics like heated and powered seats, lights, and infotainment systems. In total, approximately 75 to 84 percent of the original gasoline's energy is lost.Compare that to only 31-35 percent energy loss in the average electric vehicle (average EV battery size is about 63 kWh), before factoring in potential recuperation from energy regeneration. Its losses can be broken down into approximately 10 percent of the source energy from the grid lost in the charging process, 18 percent lost to the drivetrain motor components, up to 4 percent lost to auxiliary components, and another 3 percent lost solely from powertrain cooling and other vehicle systems.Comparing the two, "the rough math pencils out to the energy equivalent of around 2 million barrels of gasoline per day, which is a substantial savings over the 8.9 million barrels currently used," according to Yale Climate Connections. But what about the power plants used to "refuel" those electric cars? Are they any more efficient than gas-powered cars? Well, yes. Much more efficient, in most cases."Even if the grid were entirely fueled by coal, 31% less energy would be needed to charge EVs than to fuel gasoline cars. If EVs were charged by natural gas, the total energy demand for highway transportation would fall by nearly half. Add in hydropower or other renewables, and the result gets even better, saving up to three-fourths of the energy currently used by gasoline-powered vehicles," according to Yale Climate Connections. Right now, all of that energy is getting lost mostly to heat. What a waste. For more facts and figures, read the full Yale Climate Connections report here.