Payne: 2022 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year, Ford Maverick Tremor

Posted by Talbot Payne on December 16, 2022

This has been an unusual year at the auto box office.

There were a record number of premieres as the industry celebrated multiple trends: SUVs, EVs and OMG electronics. Consumers demand sport utes and automakers rolled out big-volume blockbusters to audiences, including all-new Honda CR-V, Honda HR-V, Kia Sportage, Jeep Wagoneer, Toyota Sequoia and Lexus RX models.

Electric vehicles are the new-new thing as legacy automakers test fresh recipes and a basket of startups hope to replicate Tesla’s success. But even as governments force EV production, electrics’ cost and charging limitations limit their appeal to a niche market. If I were a movie critic, EVs would be eclectic films debuting at, say, the Sundance Film Festival, where their qualities would appeal to elite audiences who live in single-family homes with multi-car garages.

There are some delicious autos here — Cadillac Lyriq, Ford F-150 Lightning, Mercedes EQE, Kia EV6, BMW iX, Genesis GV60 — but they are aimed at the 17% of Americans who buy luxury vehicles. Indeed, the average price of the new vehicles eligible for this year’s North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year award (I’m a juror) was a whopping $65,000. Of those entries, 24 cost more than $50K. Only nine cost less than $40,000, and only three were under $30,000.

Value was hard to find. Among them were a couple of delicious, gas-fired remakes — the $37K Acura Integra and $40K Nissan Z, sequels that, like “Top Gun: Maverick,” updated beloved names for the modern world.

But three vehicles stood out for their affordability, all-around performance, and integration of the latest tech. Befitting the offbeat list of new models, we have an unusual winner. For the second year running, I picked a Maverick as the 2023 model year offered a very different riff on the wee pickup.

The Toyota GR Corolla is an AWD, 3-cylinder hellion.

Third place: Toyota GR Corolla

The year’s biggest surprise was Toyota’s Corolla pocket rocket. I never thought I’d use those words in the same sentence. The Corolla, of course, is America’s perennially best-selling compact car with an obsession for reliability and the sex appeal of vanilla.

The GR (short for GRIN) rips the shirt off the unremarkable Corolla and reveals a tattooed Dwayne Johnson torso underneath. With hatchback utility, all-wheel-drive, and a sub-$40K sticker, the wicked-looking GR adds to my favorite car class: the multi-talented hot hatch. Sporting an innovative, King Kong-in-a-box, three-cylinder engine blown out of its mind with 300 horsepower, Corolla can pick up groceries in downtown Ann Arbor in the morning, then shred Hell’s twisties with a six-speed manual in the afternoon. #SaveTheManual.

At a time when bureaucrats want everyone to drive the same electric drivetrain, the turbo-3 Corolla is a glorious rebel’s yell.

The 2023 Mazda CX-50 splits the compact segment with the CX-5. The CX-50 brings a more rugged off-road look with cladding and squared-off fenders.

Runner-up: Mazda CX-50

I have a short list of cars that are industry benchmarks. The Porsche 911 is the world’s sports car standard. The Tesla Model Y is the EV gold standard. The VW Golf R the best compact. Mazda’s CX-5 is my benchmark for best compact SUV, and with its Made-in-Alabama CX-50 stablemate, the brand has raised the bar even higher.

With fashionably rugged cladding (if the CX-50 were male, it would wear chin stubble) and more rear-seat room, CX-50 does everything well. It’s easy on the eyes, and when you slip inside, it fits like a glove. Though nearly 9 inches off the ground, the SUV has the DNA of brand halo Miata and is more fun to drive than any ute short of an Alfa Stelvio. Stuff it with the optional 256-horse turbo-4 engine, and it’s Stelvio’s match for power too — for 15 grand less.

The car’s real value is in the stylish cabin, where Mazda loads up standard features like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, automatic headlights, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and more. This is a premium car with a mainstream price.

2023 Ford Maverick Tremor gets dirty

Winner: Ford Maverick Tremor

Maverick is the entry-level pickup that just keeps on giving.

Last year, I named the $23K Maverick hybrid The Detroit News 2021 Vehicle of the Year in appreciation for its 42-mpg city efficiency, stylish interior, steely wheels and pickup bed utility. For 2023, Maverick is back with a completely different model — the 2.0-liter turbo-4 powered, all-wheel-drive, all-terrain-tire Tremor that is just as enticing for off-road adventure-seekers.

I admit I began the year certain that Maverick’s big brother, the F-150 Lighting, was a shoo-in as Vehicle of the Year. And if I were judging EV of the Year, Ford’s first electric truck would win, taking its place alongside the Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y/3 as one of the segment’s best. It’s frunky, powerful and a hoot to drive.

But a $54,000 pickup truck must be a Swiss Army knife and the Lightning is lacking in the towing department. TFLTruck.com found its tow range to be less than 100 miles, which isn’t enough to get it between fast chargers on I-75.

Orange trim helps the Maverick Tremor stand out.

Little brother Maverick Tremor can tow up to 4,000 pounds all day long and has Swiss Army knife features no other $32,000 truck has. Indeed, Tremor has no real peer outside the more citified Hyundai Santa Cruz Night model. Riding on the same smooth unibody chassis as the Bronco Sport and Escape, Tremor is an easy daily driver. But if you’re looking for adventure, it is more than willing to take a detour off road.

Detour to, say, Holly Oaks ORV park up I-75 and the trucklet will show off its sophisticated twin-clutch rear differential, 31-inch approach angle, four-wheel-drive toolbox (locker, Trail Assist and more), all while offering a 4.5-foot bed that can do the dirty work around the yard. This utility is dressed in an orange-lined wardrobe that will turn the heads of even the hardcore off-road Bronco and Wrangler guys. Think tow hooks, 29-inch all-terrain tires and a Tremor tattoo — just below the Maverick tattoo on the tailgate, dudes.

It makes for an outgoing personality that complements the more metropolitan, front-wheel-drive, fuel-sipping base Maverick. In a year when inflation is hitting everything from groceries to autos, the Maverick Tremor is just the ticket.

Next week’s review: Off roadin’ in the 2023 Ford Maverick Tremor

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.

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