Zander Drives Cars

Risking sounding like a company on its last legs begging for investors, zanderdrivescars.com had its best year yet. Granted, I’m only in year two, but if I have anything to show for it, the car selection got much, much better. I drove 20 cars this year and featured two airplanes. Isn’t that neat? Like last year, whittling down this list to only five of the “best” cars was extremely difficult. In reality, these are all “the best” cars I drove this year, and thus I highly recommend all of them. But, you want a list, and the viewer takes priority, so let’s get into the best of 2023.

Big ol’ note: like last year, this excludes cars I reviewed but didn’t drive, so no Hyundai IONIQ 6 or new Chevy Colorado.

5. Honda Accord

The good: If the award was “the most agreeable car of the year,” the Accord would have won it full stop. I know there has been controversy surrounding its almost 30-year appearance on another “best of” list, but this new Accord deserves it. It’s comfortable, good looking, gets great gas mileage due to its hybrid powertrain, and has the mono-vent. What more could you want?

The not-so-good: While the Accord was never a performance car, the significant drop in power compared to previous generations is a little bit disappointing. Also, the new Accord totally should have been a liftback. No, I will not expand on that.

4. Jaguar F-Type R

The good: 2023 marked the end of the Jaguar F-Type. It’s sad, really, because goddamn, is this car fun. I haven’t driven anything that has wanted to kill me this hard in a long time, in the best possible way. Along with being a hoot to drive, the F-Type is by far and away the best-looking car I drove this year, no question. There is not a bad angle on this car. Something something, “Jaaaag,” something something Jeremy Clarkson.

The not-so-good: Even though I defended Jaguar’s reliability in the past, this car will have problems. For one, the automatic rear spoiler had a 50% success rate getting it up, and CarPlay was spotty. Oh, speaking of infotainment, it is simple, but lagging significantly behind the Germans in terms of things it can do.

3. BMW iX

The good: This is the best driving electric SUV you can buy. The iX drives like a car half its size and weight. For some reason, BMW’s EVs have been shockingly good, and the iX is about as good as they get. This is a four-second 0-60 SUV that drives like a 5 series and still gets 320 miles of range, Why is this not yelled about more? That is impressive as hell. Sitting in the iX you’re presented with a swath of flashy materials and surfaces that both look and feel great. I mean, who wouldn’t want crystal seat controls? I now do. I think about them twice a week.

The not-so-good: Holy christ this thing is ugly. Even I, in my “defense of everything,” won’t try to make a case for it. I mean, the proportions are all wrong, the wheels are too small, it’s just… odd.

2. Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

The good: While the iX was the best electric SUV I drove this year, the Taycan Cross Turismo was the best electric anything I drove this year. Anyone who says that this “isn’t a real Porsche” is either lying, or wrong. It hits all the Porsche notes shockingly well: comfortable, quick, sturdy, the whole nine yards. Considering that this is Porsche’s first battery-electric vehicle, this is impressive as hell. Driving feels so much lighter and more composed than this car really is, and even if none of what I said was true, the Cross Turismo would have gotten on this list purely because of the rear end.

The not-so-good: Although I’ve heard that the real-world range is different, top-trim Taycan models struggle to get 230 miles on a single charge. That is rough, especially for a car that can edge $200,000. Also, the Porsche interior rattle strikes again.

Honorable Mentions

Infiniti QX60: The QX60 is good not by Infiniti standards, but good by class standards. I sense this car being a big turning point for the brand.

Chevy Malibu: It’s a $25,000 midsized sedan that is more comfortable than its rivals while having a shockingly large amount of creature comforts. The ultimate rental car.

GMC HUMMER EV: This truck isn’t really good at doing anything, but it is so ridiculous I can’t not give it props.

1. Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon

The good: You knew this would be number one. I mean, it’s a 600hp, 180mph, V8 super-wagon that swaddles you in leather and carbon fiber, all while backfiring every time you take your foot off the accelerator. How can it not be first? No car on the market offers everything that this does, and the only other option that seemingly does, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, just went out of production. If you’re able to, please drive this car and I promise you that you will understand where I’m coming from.

The bad: I mean, not much. Gas mileage is pretty bad, and because it’s a big Mercedes, maintenance costs will be hefty. Just take care of it, it’ll be fine.