The Best Midsize Sedans to Buy in 2022

There's nothing like shifting your own gears in a sports car like the 2022 Toyota GR86. With EVs taking over the market, the manual transmission is once again at risk of peril. Fortunately, a patent filed by Toyota with the US Patent Office was immediately spotted by the forums describing a complex new system to simulate the experience of driving a manual transmission, now without any of the thrilling danger of stalling.What Is It?When it comes to an EV like the upcoming Toyota "Sports EV," there is no gas engine that can stall out. That used to be the whole reason you need the clutch and a gearbox—to keep the engine from stalling, and to transition between gears, obviously. Why would Toyota bother having something like this on a car with no gears and likely near-instant torque on command?The patent filed by the Japanese brand a few months ago, but published this week, describes a system that uses a fake clutch, fake shifter, a three mode selector, and programming at the controller to simulate the experience of driving a manual transmission, just without the stalling.Full Manual ModeSo how does the patent say it works? Essentially, when you shift the "transmission shifter," the prospective EV's motor controller will increase or decrease the voltage—and, thus, the magnetic field controlling the rotor in the motor—and this effect is meant to simulate the torque feeling of each gear. There are three modes described in the patent.Both "clutch" and "clutchless" modes, as we're calling them based on what we see in the patent documents, operate this way. Some EVs do use a clutch to decouple and idle a permanent-magnet motor when it's not needed. However, that is not what is being operated in this mode. A third, automatic mode, lets the driver ignore the clutch pedal and shifter altogether, and operates as a traditional EV.The patent's clutch mode includes the need to operate the clutch pedal—and yes, there would be a third pedal in this car, but again, there is no true clutch being operated here. The voltage is changed to act as if you're not generating enough torque to move the vehicle. The motor won't stall and require you to restart it, it just won't go very fast or just won't move, like tugging on a gear or starting on a hill in a traditional car.No Clutch, No ProblemWhen operating in the other, clutchless mode, it will act similar to a DCT equipped vehicle using a regular stick shifter. You select the gear with the shifter, the controller modifies the voltage to the motor for each gear, and you "shift" through the "gears" to get the torque you want.The driver doesn't have to do anything with the clutch pedal in this mode. It's basically like knocking a normal automatic car into the "S" mode, where you can toggle "+" and "-" to control the gears with no clutch pedal.What Transmission?The automatic mode (again, our description based on what we saw in the patents) will act as a normal, "transmission-less" EV. The Toyota patent details how each mode calculates the torque the motor sends to the wheels, the torque demanded by the driver in relation to the throttle pedal and gear selector, and the amount of torque demanded by the throttle pedal position.There is even talk on how to train each mode to fit a specific driver profile with this type of pseudo-manual. It's unclear if this system would be built on current Toyota EV architecture and powertrains, or require broader vehicle development to be adapted to future cars.Early EV Conversions Did Have TransmissionsWhile early EV enthusiasts did stick a real transmission into their conversion projects, they mostly did it to try and assist the lackluster power and capacity available from lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries of the time, along with rudimentary controls for the motor. Most projects didn't even use the clutch or torque converter, and instead the motor was attached directly to the input shaft of the transmission.Today, thanks to lithium battery technology and controllers that can withstand higher amperes—along with much better cooling technology—you can truly build a car with monster V-8-like torque with battery power. The transmission just isn't needed as the motor actually potentially spins faster than is usable, and a reduction box is usually attached to the motor before heading to the wheels on EVs already. Perhaps plans could have this new EV "manual" replace or assist the current energy-reduction principle.Will It Stick?As a performance driver, you really want to have full control of your vehicle, but it gets tricky to continue to satisfy drivers with the input of a computer and more advanced technology. Not only is it technically obsolete, but it's also that little bit slower to shift, and it does force drivers to take their hands off the wheel. It's why a majority of race cars today utilize paddles behind the steering wheel rather than a stick that you must move around in a gate or even sequentially—speed, and a little intended safety.But we're not all racing drivers, and we have grown to love the manual transmission for the control it hands the driver. Heel-toeing into a corner to get the RPMs right is sublime. Sometimes you get a better lap time, being able to throttle the right amount of power down as you accelerate out of the corner if you know what you're doing. Some worry over major automakers pivoting to electrified technologies that completely render their charming stick and pedal technically obsolete. They want that feeling of rowing your own gears and operating a clutch. There isn't anything saying Toyota will bring this out, but it's exciting to see the brand thinking for enthusiasts, and worrying about making sure the future is still fun.

audi s8 Full OverviewOur MotorTrend test team cycles through hundreds of vehicles a year, and an old pro like road test editor Chris Walton has been in and out of thousands of them during his career. So when he starts waxing poetic about a car like the 2022 Audi S8, you better believe we sit up and take notice."Wow. What a sleeper," Walton said of the S8 super sedan we recently had in for testing. "It's way too easy to find yourself driving 90 mph without noticing it. I could live with this car for the remainder of my life." That's a bold statement, Chris, do go on. "The whole thing kind of shrinks around you and makes it feel like an S6. Goodness, what an achievement this thing is."He's right, of course, about all the sleeping and shrinking 2022 S8 does. This particular car looks downright menacing, as well, thanks in large part to its Daytona Gray pearl paint scheme offset by a Black Optic Plus package ($2,100) that adds 21-inch, 10-spoke gloss black rims shod with summer tires, and other blacked-out elements including Audi's famed four-ring badge adorning (what else?) a bold black grille.There's also some menace in its exhaust note, a bombastic baritone that bellows out from its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, which produces 563 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that proved smooth and quick under hard acceleration. It all works in concert to move the S8's significant 5,204-pound mass with authority.Audi S8 0-60 mph Time: Very ImpressiveGiven its prodigious poundage, the 2022 S8's 0-60-mph time of 3.7 seconds is darn impressive. Its Quattro all-wheel-drive system and attendant sport differential certainly don't hurt matters when you're firing it out of the starting block, and the S8 also has a launch control feature that further aids the cause.The test team reported some issues getting the S8 to launch right—but when it does, it launches hard. "Because the window of optimal boost and rpm is brief, and if you miss it you must wait a bit before trying launch control again. But when everything works, you get neck-snapping acceleration. Very harsh shifts from 1-2-3," road test analyst Alan Lau noted.Audi S8 Quarter-Mile Time: Low 12s Will Do After hammering past the 60-mph mark, the 2022 S8 barreled its way to a quarter-mile time of 12.2 seconds at 113.0 mphagain, a heck of a number for a car of its size and class. It's hard to find an apples-to-apples comparison to the 2022 S8 given its curb weight and configuration other than maybe the BMW Alpina B7 xDrive or the last-generation Mercedes S63 AMG, as most of the 2.5-ton machines we've tested in the past few years are either SUVs or EVs.Interestingly, one of the closest EVs we found to compare the S8 against is another Audi, the dual-motor E-Tron GT Prestige sedan, which weighs in at 5,095 pounds. That car hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and on to a quarter mile of 11.9 seconds at 118.8 mph. Of course, the E-Tron doesn't get the S8's twin-turbo terror of a V-8, but you won't have to pay a gas-guzzler tax or live with the S8's officious inefficiency, either (it's EPA rated at 14/23/17 mpg city/highway/combined). Different power strokes for different folks.Audi S8: Getting Its Oversteer OnAs for the rest of the 2022 Audi S8's overall abilities, once again, with the "for its weight" caveat out of the way, its stopping distance of 105 feet from 60 mph is as impressive as its acceleration. Lau reported the following: "The brake pedal feel seems to be tuned with a good balance between comfort and performance. It's not overly touchy and easy to modulate. When it comes to very aggressive braking, they get the job done very well." Walton added that the brakes were "tremendous and easy to modulate to just stay barely out of the ABS" during his testing.But it was out at our figure-eight (24.4 seconds at 0.79 g avg) and skidpad (0.95 g avg) tests where Walton truly fell in love with the S8 and its capabilities. "The way it turns in makes it feel so much smaller and lighter," he wrote in his notes. "The steering is a bit vague in feel but very precise. The car takes a very neutral attitude, just barely dancing on oversteer. The way it drives off the corner with the all-wheel drive (the S8 also comes standard with a four-wheel-steering system) is phenomenal."Comfort, Plus a Whole Lot MoreSo yes, the S8 does things cars of its size, heft, and weight distribution (55/45 percent front/rear) have no business doing from a performance standpoint. But when it comes to its other mission as a cosseting luxury limo, all play and no relaxation can make for a bone-jarring bad time. That's where the S8's Comfort+ setting and its optional predictive active suspension ($6,000) come in to help smooth the road ahead. As with other systems of its type, the predictive suspension uses a camera to read the oncoming surface, sense jarring impacts or other undulations, and react accordingly to soften the S8's ride.In addition to the fancy active footwork, the 2022 S8 has all manner of standard and optional luxury trappings (this particular S8's black interior, trimmed with carbon accents, looked stealthy chic), as well as safety systems and other craftsmanship befitting a car that starts at $118,995 and rang up at $135,595 as tested.It's a car you won't see many of to begin with and one that you can be assured won't be around for much longer in its present configuration. It's a special sport sedan for a chosen few. So if you happen to be in the Los Angeles area and see one blow past you, it could very well be a certain MT staffer at the wheel (if he robbed a bank or raided his 401(k) to get one, that is). Be sure to say hi—if you can catch him.Looks good! More details?2022 Audi S8 Specifications BASE PRICE $118,995 PRICE AS TESTED $135,595 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 4.0L Twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 32-valve 90-degree V-8 POWER (SAE NET) 563 hp @ 6,000 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 590 lb-ft @ 2,050 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,204 lb (55/45%) WHEELBASE 123.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 209.5 x 76.6 x 58.5 in 0-60 MPH 3.7 sec QUARTER MILE 12.2 sec @ 113.0 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 105 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.95 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.4 sec @ 0.79 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 14/23/17 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 369 miles ON SALE Now Show All

If you've ever been to San Francisco, you know one of two things: the pain of getting a parking ticket or the nightmare of trying to find a curbside parking spot. Street parking in other major metropolises such as New York City and Los Angeles isn't much better, but surely those cities can't match this: A couple in San Francisco had parked their car in their normal spot at the corner of Union and Larkin Streets, something they had been doing for years, only to find a parking ticket—and a freshly red-painted curb. Whoever painted the fresh no-parking zone for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) even had to paint around the tire of their car, leaving an amusing (or infuriating) unpainted triangle on the curb.The story comes from an ABC7 sister station in San Francisco and it paints (no pun intended) a picture of a couple that has been wronged. It's rather understandable, too. From the images provided in the ABC7 report, the curb in question was so faded that one couldn't see that it was ever painted at all. Even worse, this curb has been this way for a very long time, with an image as far back as 2016 showing that the paint was just as faded as the image from 2020, and the day the couple parked in this spot.They say they never received a parking ticket until the day the SFMTA finally decided it was time to paint it. In fact, the painter had to paint around the tire that was turned into the curb, and there's now a blank spot in the paint where the tire was clearly sitting on the curb.One of the pair—who's dealing with chemotherapy on top of everything else—saw the ticket and the poor paint job and immediately contested it and contacted the news station. ABC7 then contacted the SFMTA and a representative said the ticket was issued before the spot was painted, according to their records. They even provided an image of the spot to show just how faded it was. With that evidence, you'd think the SFMTA wouldn't have issued the ticket because it was as faded as it was for over seven years, and they have evidence that the spot wasn't clearly marked until after it was painted.For now, the couple will have to wait up to 60 days to see if their ticket will be dismissed by the citations clerk or if it will be enforced. In the meantime, the couple have stated that this isn't the only challenge they've had with living in San Francisco—the husband had his catalytic converter stolen on another vehicle. They told the reporter that they're planning on relocating in the near future.