Driving Worst Picks: 8 Most disappointing automobiles we drove final 12 months

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The employees and contributors at Driving.ca drove lots of unbelievable new automobiles this 12 months, fashions that we’d heard a number of hype for throughout 2021 and completely adored after a flip behind the wheel in 2022. In reality, we rounded up our favourites on this useful record trying again on the highlights of the previous 12 months.

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That mentioned, not each automobile might stay as much as the hype we’d heard, or the hopes we’d had for it. Together with these aforementioned greats have been some automobiles that sadly allow us to down after we gave them a spin. We run down these sad-sigh-inducers beneath.

Brian Harper’s Worst Choose: 2022 Honda Passport Trailsport

OK, there’s nothing inherently unhealthy in regards to the Honda Passport TrailSport. By itself, it’s a good sufficient mid-sized family-oriented sport-ute. What burned my biscuits was Honda’s advertising and marketing spin on the brand new trim degree, to wit: the TrailSport version “additional highlights the off-road functionality, versatility, and sturdiness that has been engineered into the model’s mild vehicles for greater than 20 years.” How? It’s only a beauty improve!

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Orange TrailSport badges on the grille and liftgate “impressed by nature’s magnificence and the spirit of exploration,” different badging painted a gloss black, and distinctive 18-inch wheels. Inside, orange distinction stitching on the steering wheel, door panels, and seats, with the TrailSport brand embroidered on the front-seat headrests and moulded onto the rubber flooring mats.

No lifted suspension, skid plates, harder 4×4 system, or any of the numerous paraphernalia that lets one go bashing about within the boonies, simply entrance and rear observe widths elevated by 10 millimetres to enhance stance and stability. What’s that cowboy expression? Oh yeah, “all hat and no cattle.”

Matthew Man’s Worst Choose: 2022 GMC Terrain

It’s uncommon for a contemporary car, particularly one within the brutally crowded and aggressive compact crossover phase, to completely whiff at bat — particularly recent off a complete redesign. There are many brilliant spots within the GMC line, starting from the brand new Sierra with Tremendous Cruise and a dandy inside; to the upcoming Canyon, by which each trim is provided with the strongest variant of GM’s 2.7L turbo engine.

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However the Terrain, with its sad-sack 1.5L engine making simply 175 horsepower, brings a knife to this gunfight. Acceleration is painful, taking perpetually as if one have been attempting to drink the Atlantic Ocean via a straw, accompanied by a thrashy engine word which seems like roofing nails in a Cuisinart blender. With the remainder of GMC’s lineup pulling its weight, the Terrain desperately wants a greater powertrain.

Renita Naraine’s Worst Choose: 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross

Look, I perceive utilizing previous nameplates, whether or not it’s for nostalgia or gross sales — however automakers have to again it up with one thing superior. What’s extra, in case you’re going to connect a present nameplate to a brand new car, it higher be effectively value it. And in case you assume I’m speaking in regards to the Ford Mustang Mach-e, you’re incorrect — that was my disappointing car for 2021.

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This 12 months, it’s the Toyota Corolla Cross. I genuinely assume there’s no want for it within the lineup, nor did Toyota have to model it as any kind of “Corolla,” nevertheless it did, which routinely provides the automobile massive footwear tires to fill. It doesn’t fill them. Moreover, it doesn’t comfortably match three automobile seats within the again seat; it’s giving me nothing new to work with.

Jil McIntosh’s Worst Choose: 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe

The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has lots going for it. The inside is extraordinarily comfy and splendid, it handles effectively, and it’s a plug-in hybrid — in case you cost it commonly, together with from a family socket or house charger, it’s doable you possibly can do some and even most of your driving on electrical energy alone.

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Alas, whereas it does run easily on its battery, its gas-and-electric hybrid system wants some work. The two.0L four-cylinder turbo engine is harsh and buzzy, and there’s usually a tough bump because it routinely begins up when the system switches from battery to gasoline. It makes use of regenerative braking, and most hybrid automakers have lengthy since discovered the brake-pedal really feel with this, however the 4xe’s brakes are stiff and sensitive, as different hybrids was a really very long time in the past.

Every thing else is nice, however the powertrain is solely far too tough and unrefined for the luxurious sport-ute phase this car is in. My tester and its choices got here to nearly $90,000, and the driving expertise ought to really feel much more premium for that.

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Stephanie Wallcraft’s Worst Choose: 2022 Mazda MX-30

I so badly wished to love the Mazda MX-30; typically, Mazdas are among the many best autos to love. However releasing an EV with a sub-200-kilometre vary in 2022 was a recipe for catastrophe from the get-go. Mazda’s logic, thoughts you, stays completely sound: few individuals commute greater than 50 kilometres per day, and a few 80 per cent of electrical car charging occurs at house, so the Mazda MX-30’s 161-kilometre vary would work simply positive as a second commuter automobile for a lot of households.

Sadly, two issues occurred. One is the pandemic, which turned the concept of what constitutes a “typical commute” on its head. The opposite is a common, aching want for extra mobility and freedom, and a automobile that doesn’t even allow you to get far sufficient for a weekend away with out having to seek out someplace to cost doesn’t go away a lot room for its house owners to dream. This might have been forgivable for a decrease beginning value, however when the MX-30 has an MSRP of greater than $40,000, not even federal or provincial incentives are sufficient to make it appear fascinating. Right here’s hoping Mazda can capitalize on these classes in its subsequent spherical of EV growth.

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David Sales space’s Worst Choose: Moto Guzzi and Aprilia

My most disappointing expertise this 12 months — and for the previous few — just isn’t truly a automobile however a motorbike. And never solely a motorcycle, however a complete model. Something that falls beneath the Piaggio umbrella appears merely ignored right here in Canada. That features Moto Guzzi and Aprilia.

Their lack of concern for unbiased critiques right here within the Nice White Frozen North is totally beautiful and, since a motojournalist presumably has some mojo — I hesitate to say “energy of the press” — in contrast with mere house owners, I can solely think about that it’s even worse for customers. Truly, I do know it’s, since I hear extra complaints from Aprilia house owners than just about another model. Nice bikes, not such nice follow-up.

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Brendan McAleer’s Worst Choose: 2023 Honda HR-V

Understanding why an organization makes a selected product isn’t the identical as having to love it. Honda’s HR-V makes excellent sense, slotting into the corporate’s vary as a crossover different to the perennially-popular Civic. It’s, nevertheless, a little bit of a letdown.

Actually, there hasn’t been a Honda actually infused with the spirit of the corporate because the first-generation Honda Match. What a intelligent little automobile that was, profiting from its teeny-tiny footprint, sipping gas because of a small-displacement engine, but nonetheless being genuinely enjoyable to drive.

The previous HR-V was based mostly on a later Match, and was nonetheless a bit intelligent. This new one is only a jacked-up Civic, however comes fitted with the Civic’s base 158-hp 2.0L engine. It concurrently will get barely worse gas economic system than the bigger CR-V; and can be much less enjoyable to drive than an equally sensible Civic hatchback could be.

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Nevertheless it’s a crossover with a Honda badge up entrance, and that’ll be adequate for some. The HR-V will promote simply positive – however Honda might have put in somewhat extra effort to make it particular.

Graeme Fletcher’s Worst Choose: 2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS

The frustration of the 12 months was – hands-down, by the best way – the Chevrolet Equinox RS. Heading into 2022, it acquired a stylistic replace and the addition of the sportier-looking RS mannequin. The adjustments introduced refreshed bumpers and LED headlights and daytime operating lights, together with a brand new grille. After the drive, there have been no complaints with the dealing with, inside, or utility, as all proved to be simply positive.

Sadly, nevertheless, at any time when the engine was cranked to life, it missed the mark by a large margin. You see, the lone selection is a 1.5-litre turbo-four that twists out 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. These are respectable numbers for a small car, however within the 1,600-kilogram Equinox the engine felt overwhelmed — the 8.9 seconds wanted to get from relaxation to 100 kilometres an hour and the 6.8 seconds required for an 80-to-120-km/h passing transfer says greater than phrases.

It additionally works with a yester-tech six-speed computerized that makes use of a shifter-mounted toggle swap for the handbook mode. It wants the nine-speed its GMC twin, the Terrain, enjoys. Giving the RS (Rally Sport) designation a stronger engine would actually assist it to stay as much as superior billing. Mockingly, that resolution was proffered, however sadly that 252-hp 2.0L turbo-four was dropped heading into 2021. Go determine.