Zander Drives Cars

Since starting my automotive journalistic journey six months ago, I have been fortunate enough to have driven some fantastic cars. So, as the year comes to an end, I think it’s good to highlight some of the best cars I have driven this year.

Before we get into the ranking, let’s set some ground rules.

1. Only 1 car per manufacturer
2. No cars that I have reviewed, but haven’t driven. The Sono Sion or Dodge Hornet, while great, will be excluded

Aside from your standard paragraph as to why the car is on this list, I will also be putting in a “wow factor.” Each wow factor is what made this car really reach above the competition in one way or another. Basically, it’s the thing that impressed me the most during my time with it. Along with that, I will also be adding a “what can be improved” line to show the main issues or problems that I came across in said car. Finally, I’ll also be leaving links to each individual article I wrote about these cars at the end of each entry. So, without further ado, here are the 5 best cars I drove in 2022:

5. The Chevy Suburban High Country

The wow factor: The sheer improvement the previous generation

For almost 100 years, the Suburban has been the vehicle of choice for people who need a lot of space for a lot of people or cargo. While never meant to be a premium vehicle, the newest generation Suburban attempts, and succeeds to punch above its own weight, especially in the highest trim, aptly named “High Country.” The Suburban is large without feeling excessive, and for a car about the length of a Cessna Citation, handles like one as well. Couple these driving dynamics with an exterior presence that could scare Liam Neesen, and a spacious cabin with plenty of quality touches and technology, and you have an all-in-one hauler and highway cruiser.

What could be improved: at a price of $80,000, a sunroof would have been nice. Also, prepare to spend a lot on gas.

4. The Ford 5-150 Lightning

The wow factor: it’s an electric truck for everyone

The biggest challenge when turning a high-volume automobile electric is making sure the car feels the same as its gasoline counterpart. And for a car as wrought with symbolism as the F-150, Ford did an excellent job making this car identical to a regular base model F-150. Yes, you won’t be getting all the luxuries as a higher-trim model, but for a work truck, this is exactly what you need. The 230-mile range makes it apt for job site driving while also feeling comfortable on interstates if need be. The interior is very utilitarian without feeling cheap or flimsy and comes with Ford’s great Sync system that houses every function you could ever need while including plenty of physical buttons. Plus, who doesn’t love a truck that’ll do 06- in the 5-second range? It’s a win-win.

What could be improved: The bed and cab feel disconnected and there is often a lot of “bed shake” while driving. Also, markups, but thats not Fords fault.

3. The Mercedes C-Class

Mercedes does this great thing where they produce a segment-leading model, and then leave it for the better part of a decade until that car becomes obselete. This makes the launch of a new Mercedes so exciting, and this was no exception. Every part of the C-Class felt well thought out and put together with quality materials and great technology. Mercedes keeping their sedans rear-wheel-drive also scores major points for the fun factor. The C-Class is also a mild hybrid, with its small battery running parts of the engine, which means you get better fuel economy than its competitors. Like the Suburban, the new C-Class scores so high because of how much better it was than the previous generation in almost every aspect. There’s even decent rear legroom for tall passengers, huzzah!

What could be improved: The $48k starting price is significantly higher than its competitors, and while the C-Class is a very reliable car, ownership costs can be high.

2. The Polestar 2

Last month, I proclaimed that the Polestar 2 was my favorite car I had driven all year. I said that out of mild bias, I’ll admit, but the car from a purely un-baised standpoint was exceedingly impressive. Inside and out, the PS2 is a very pretty car that tries to do things unconventionally, yet be familiar enough to attract people who aren’t on the Tesla train. In comfort mode, the car was smooth and quiet, and in sport mode, the car became fighterjet agile. For a car this heavy, it sticks to the road, very well. Polestar have done their best to distance themselves from Volvo, and while the PS2 is not completely void of its parent identity, to someone who doesn’t know Volvos, they would assume its car had nothing to do with the brand. So, congratulations Polestar, you’ve solved your identity crisis!

What could be improved: The break-pedal was firm and tried to push back at me whenever I used it. Also, rear visibility sucks.

Who almost made it?

This was a tough list to create. Every car I drove this year had some seriously strong positives attached to it. So, before we reach pole position, let me quickly run through who fell short of the top 5.

• The Volvo C40 – great all-around EV, but it was just lacking that “wow!’ factor
• Mercedes AMG-GT 53 – the fastest car I drove this year, but its technology is beginning to become outdated and the car needs a 10-15k price decrease
• Infiniti Q50 Redsport – a severely underrated sports sedan with a great drive and looks to kill, but the car simply isn’t competitive enough in its class due to outdated technology and sub-par materials

Now that we got that out of the way, it’s time to announce that the Zanderdrivescars “Best Car Of The Year” award goes to…

1. The Volkswagen GTI

Yes, the daddy of hot hatchbacks strikes again and claims the number one spot. This car is a jack of all trades, and a master of 98% of them. Its relatively cheap, reliable, practical, has a great interior (contrary to what others say), and is so much damn fun to drive. This was the only car I drove this year that put a smile on my face the entire time I was with it. The DSG is beyond impressive, the acceleration is wonderful, and it handles better than anything I have ever driven. And guess what? I’ll say it: the infotainment is good. I had no issues with it and people should stop complaining about it for 5 minutes. In short: the new GTI looks great, sounds great, drives great, and as a daily driver is unbeatable. It’s an all-in-one city car and race car that’ll do anything in between with ease. I’m still as impressed with it now as I was 6 months ago, and that makes it my winner.

What can be improved: for an almost $40k car, a power-operated passenger seat would have been nice. Also, everyone will want to race you, so get used to that.

To all the dealers I have worked with in 2022: thank you for making the growth of my website possible, without them, I’d be SOL. All their links can be found at the end of each article, which you can find by clicking on the bold heading text before each paragraph.