MotorTrend October 2022

Hey, new car shopper! Welcome back. We understand wanting to stick your head in the sand with today’s chaotic market conditions, but keep your noggin up—there’s a way through this moment. Yes, things are different now, but if you know what’s changed since you last bought or leased a new car, SUV, truck, or van, you’re halfway there. This is the underdog’s moment. We know how tough it is to purchase a car in the best of markets; that’s why it’s so crucial you ask yourself how attached you are to the model or brand you’ve relied on previously. After all, you’re probably not the only one who wants that specific brand, model, and trim. You might need to broaden your horizons, especially with ongoing supply issues. We’ve seen this in action.…

Ask the DeLorean crew about their upcoming Alpha5 sports car, and they’ll tell you it’s the result of 40 years of ongoing evolution. But wait, didn’t DeLorean go bankrupt in the mid-1980s? Of course it did—but the new DeLorean company has created an alternate timeline where it didn’t. Along with the Alpha5, DeLorean imagined a complete history of what might have been, including three seminal DeLorean concept cars. We realize this sounds like an exercise in corporate navel-gazing, but when Troy Beetz, DeLorean’s chief brand officer, explained it to us, the logic made sense. “We knew from the beginning that we couldn’t just redo the DMC-12,” Beetz said, referring to the original DeLorean production car. “The way we could make this brand legitimate was to suggest that the DMC-12 was a derivative…

We liked the old Honda Fit–based HR-V, even if it was poky. More power, a bit more rear space, and a richer-feeling interior were all it needed. On paper, the new Civic-based HR-V resolves those issues. Buyers will appreciate the interior upgrade most of all. An adaptation of the Civic’s, it’s far more upscale than before and brings a great deal more functionality. The hidden vents in the decorative honeycomb trim are classy, and the infotainment system is massively improved. The center console and armrest were one of the old model’s least liked aspects, so Honda moved the cupholders from under your elbow to forward of the shifter, making them simpler to reach and increasing your elbow room. The pass-through shelf that was by your knees is now behind the shifter by…

In chess, the queen is the most powerful piece on the board, the one with all the moves. And since the Bronco’s resuscitation, Ford and Jeep have been engaged in a fierce, chesslike battle for off-road supremacy. With the launch of the Bronco Raptor, FoMoCo has rolled out what might be its queen—certainly its most capable piece to date. Compared to the 2.7-liter version in the regular Bronco, power in the 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 rises from 330 hp to 418, and torque goes from 415 lb-ft to 440 lb-ft. The 10-speed transmission is reprogrammed, and the transfer case is beefier. Like the F-150 Raptor, the SUV is widened significantly—mostly at the tires—to the tune of nearly 10 inches (!) front and rear. Ford installed new shock towers all around, and…

In its first complete makeover since the Great Recession, the Sequoia gets a new powertrain, platform, and design. The three-row body-on-frame SUV is now a hybrid-only model, but it’s also the most powerful Sequoia to date. After some time behind the wheel, we can say right away the changes do much to justify the long wait. The new platform—TNGA-F, same as the Tundra and global Land Cruiser—makes the Sequoia more comfortable while keeping its trucky feeling alive. The outgoing Sequoia suffered from lackluster ride and handling, but the 2023 model vastly improves in those areas. With a new independent front and multilink rear suspension, the Sequoia feels smoother and more planted. Despite its big body, hard cornering doesn’t provoke as much body roll. An optional air suspension makes the ride a…

From the MT Archive … 50 OCTOBER 1972 PRICE: $0.75 Hatchbacks were old hat in Europe but hot stuff in Detroit, and we looked at every one of them on the market, from the AMC Hornet to the Triumph GT6. We drove Chevy’s new squarebody trucks and marveled at how carlike they were compared to their predecessors, going so far as to call the Suburban “the world’s biggest Impala.” Time proved us right. We also took an in-depth look at airbags, a likely solution for a proposed 1976 passive-restraint mandate that was ultimately delayed until 1989. 30 OCTOBER 1992 PRICE: $2.95 We covered every new-for-1993 domestic, including luminaries like the Chrysler LH cars, Lincoln Mark VIII, and Ford F-150 Lightning—y’know, back when it was still gasoline-powered. In our sport sedan comparison, the Nissan Maxima…