Winner: 2022 Ford Maverick

• When the Ford Ranger reappeared in the North American market in 2019, it was bigger than the one it replaced.

• You can’t buy a small car at the world’s largest car market. But now Ford’s new 2022 Maverick brings back some of the magic of the old Ranger and offers car buyers an attractive choice.And it’s a truck – no silly “sports travel” moniker, no trying to convince the public that it’s not a pickup.

• Ford was excited about the capabilities of the Maverick truck and designed it from the ground up to fit into its line of vehicles as part of a family.

• The appeal of the Mav begins with its new option for the standard version: a gas-electric hybrid with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 191 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque through an electronic continuously variable automatic transmission.

wheels That’s good for a strong 42 mpg city rating, but our tests always found above 43 mpg.

If you need more power for towing, the 250-hp, 277 lb-ft 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder, and eight-speed automatic will let you tow up to 4,000 lbs in a 4K towing unit, complete. for small cars.

You can carry up to 1,500 pounds of gear in the bed and the powertrain will still pull.

But it’s the new interpretation of Maverick that sells us.

The interior, which is full of cheap plastic, is designed to have a nice industrial feel so you don’t have to worry about it being cheap. Stereo speakers on the pillars instead of the doors help increase space.

The center console is low enough so that your knees don’t touch it, allowing you to extend it further.

It’s true that you can always get basic trim levels and wheels and still feature a more powerful turbo engine.

Or that Ford includes a QR code in all trucks that directs you to a website to help you create a DIY tire distributor or provides a 3D printer data file for creating your kit. pluggable.

And on top of all that, it’s a screaming value to boot, with MSRP starting in the low $20,000s. This is probably the best-looking truck in decades.

2022 Ford Maverick details and reviews

Compare the 2022 Ford Maverick
Hyundai-Santa-Cruz-limited-and-02-front-exterior-corner
Hyundai Santa Cruz 2022 | Photo from Cars.com by Christian Lantry
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Selected
What is this? Likewise this year,

we are blessed with not one or two new mics, each of which takes a different approach to this class.

Hyundai has repeatedly stated that the new Santa Cruz 2022 is not a truck, but a “sports utility vehicle”, whatever that means.

All we know is that it’s a four-door with a bed and a hatch in the back, or a pickup truck big enough for us to put it here.

Just like the Ford Maverick is related to the Bronco Sport, the Santa Cruz is based on the Hyundai Tucson SUV and shares its basic platform, powertrain, and interior.

This means you get a lifter with a standard four-cylinder engine (a powerful turbo engine is optional), front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and a spacious and comfortable interior filled with The latest technology in Hyundai multimedia.

with excellent ride and handling characteristics that put many others to shame. Outside, Santa Cruz is a pure spaceship – a wild gathering of corners and camouflaged running lights hidden in the waffle grille, all painted with a soft choice of colors meant to inspire the exterior.

But like the Maverick, it does truck stuff: it can tow up to 5,000 pounds, it can carry a load of up to 1,753 pounds, and it can go off-road in more than eight inches.

It’s a more expensive option than the Maverick, but once you’ve been there and driven, you won’t wonder why.

2022 Toyota Tundra: Selected

Two revised trucks could take on our third-place nominee for Best Pickup Truck of 2022: the new Toyota Tundra or the new Nissan Frontier.

Our editors chose the Tundra for this honor because it represents a more substantial redesign of the previous model than the Frontier.

The ’22 Tundra gets a new chassis, new body, new power (things V-8s!), and a completely redesigned and improved interior, all combined with a design that is different among full-size trucks.

and still fits well. in Toyota’s modern showroom.

Two twin-turbo V6 engines are available, with the first adding a hybrid drive system for power, efficiency, and increased towing capacity. Both are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, a first for a Toyota-branded vehicle in the United States.

You also have a choice of six trim levels, two cabin configurations, and three-bed lengths. Toyota’s in-house TRD tuner also plays an important role, with two TRD packages (Sport and Off-Road) and one TRD Off-Road (Pro).

The rear suspension has been changed to an air-spring setup like that of the Ram 1500, and an optional air suspension is available for the first time.

It is Toyota’s first complete redesign in 16 years. The package makes the Tundra look better, with faster acceleration, better ride quality, and new features like the aluminum roof rack that keep Toyota owners coming back for more.