Best Cars for Tech Lovers for 2022

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Whether or not you are speaking concerning the cabin tech or the stuff that lives beneath the physique, there’s all kinds of latest expertise hiding out in Ford’s first electrical Mustang, which simply so occurs to even be a crossover SUV.

Slide into the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E’s cabin and also you’re instantly greeted with a honkin’ 15.5-inch portrait show. This display covers the standard infotainment duties, nevertheless it additionally hides a wealth of car settings and different associated options that allow you to customise all kinds of car parameters. It is also Ford’s greatest iteration of its Sync software program to this point.

Ford has given the Mach-E’s underlying tech some modularity, too. Need only a single electrical motor on the rear axle? Nice! In order for you all-wheel drive, simply slap one other one within the entrance. Need a larger battery? Don’t be concerned, Ford can slap a type of in, too. And with much more variants on the horizon, there’s sure to be a Mach-E variant that may suit your wants — and your efficiency joneses, too.

-Andrew Krok, critiques editor

Mercedes-Benz

Every time a brand new Mercedes-Benz S-Class hits the scene, it comes with an entire bunch of latest tech. Whether or not it is a novel infotainment characteristic, an vital new security system or simply some gee-whiz characteristic to impress your passengers, the S-Class by no means ceases to impress. That is very true with the brand new 2021 mannequin.

For the driving force, the brand new S-Class presents a 3D gauge cluster and an enormous — and I imply enormous — head-up show. The HUD tasks the equal of a 77-inch diagonal show onto the dashboard, and has augmented actuality overlays to make sure you’ll by no means miss a difficult flip whereas utilizing the navigation system. There’s additionally a brand-new model of Mercedes’ wonderful MBUX infotainment system, with the power to share information between different passengers’ screens, together with the rear occupants. Audio tech extra your jam? There’s an non-obligatory Burmester 4D sound system with 30 audio system. And do not even get me began on the heated, cooling, massaging seats, cabin perfume integration or the door handles that mechanically come out as you method.

Arguably extra vital is the brand new S-Class’ record of security tech, which begins with an trade first: a rear-seat airbag. This bag deploys from the again of the entrance seat and envelops the rear passenger in a wing-shape cushion, stopping damage within the occasion of a crash. As well as, an entire bevy of driver-assistance goodies come commonplace on each S-Class, together with adaptive cruise management, automated emergency braking, cross-traffic help, automated parking help and extra. Whether or not your tech preferences encompass luxurious, leisure or security, the 2021 S-Class has you coated.

– Steven Ewing, managing editor

Tesla

Need the proper intersection of futurism and performance? For me, that is Tesla. And there is no higher possibility today than the 2021 Mannequin Y. The most recent inside refresh of this all-electric crossover SUV does away with most of the nitpicks house owners zeroed in on (say “goodbye” to the shiny black middle console and all of the fingerprints that got here with it). 

Tesla’s all the time updating its software program with new options; way over another producer on the market, I would wager. These over-the-air updates for this EV embrace an excellent stability of efficiency tweaks and enjoyable easter eggs. Regardless that there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the 15-inch infotainment display is loaded with Google Maps and Spotify, so that you most likely will not miss a lot.

The Mannequin Y has additionally picked up a 5-star security ranking in each class from the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration, so not solely are you getting a crossover that may proceed to evolve technologically lengthy after it rolls off the meeting line, you are getting one which guarantees to be extremely protected for you and your loved ones. If you happen to love tech, what higher possibility than a automobile that is tech, from the bottom up? 

-Ashley Esqueda, senior video producer, CNET

Nissan

I like low-cost automobiles, as evidenced by my not shopping for a brand-new one since 1993 — large depreciation is not a characteristic I would like on my spec sheet. But when I had to purchase one thing new, it could be a 2021 Nissan Versa. Beginning at $15,930 together with supply, the Versa is a handsome automobile, inside and outside, which neutralizes the everyday No. 1 turnoff of low-cost automobiles.

Even on the underside S trim degree, Lane Departure Warning and Automated Emergency Braking are commonplace. S can also be the one trim that comes with a handbook transmission, which I’d welcome, to not make some “gasoline in my veins” assertion, however to hold by way of the financial and industrial class of the machine. The Versa will get 32 miles per gallon metropolis and 40 mpg on the freeway.

An S trim Versa has a 7-inch touchscreen central show, nevertheless it would not supply CarPlay or Android Auto. Being an Android person, I will not really thoughts since my telephone OS has a automobile mode that basically turns the telephone into an automotive head unit, a operate that CarPlay would not supply. As soon as I get a high-quality telephone mount for my Versa I am going to have a $16,000 automobile with trendy streaming, navigation, communication, and the most effective voice interface on the earth. (For these of you who need embedded CarPlay or Android Auto, you will must pony up for one of many Versa’s greater trims.)

-Brian Cooley, editor at giant

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

Ford’s F-Sequence pickup is America’s best-selling new automobile of any type, be it truck, automobile or SUV. It won’t appear significantly intuitive {that a} beast-of-burden pickup truck may additionally be certainly one of America’s greatest high-tech fashions, however on this case, it’s — handily so. 

Among the finest issues concerning the redesigned 2021 Ford F-150 is its out there PowerBoost hybrid possibility, which piggybacks atop the engine vary’s top-dog 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6. By including an electrical motor to the prevailing six-cylinder engine, the Blue Oval has created a extra fuel-efficient powertrain whose 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque can tow 12,700 kilos.

Along with nice tech options like Sync 4 infotainment with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android auto, together with bumper-to-bumper OTA updates. Plus, there is a trick energy folding shifter that creates a big, desk-like work floor and first-class lay-flat seats for naps on the job website. That is all properly and good, however the F-150’s Killer App characteristic is its out there Professional Energy Onboard built-in generator. This in-bed energy station generates as much as 7.2kW of energy — sufficient juice to energy many job websites, or probably even your home in a blackout. 

-Chris Paukert, govt editor

Porsche

The trendy Porsche 911 is all the time a captivating mixture of digital and good ol’ long-established mechanical engineering. It is an train in bending physics to your will and it is also a flagship automobile for one of the engineering-focused automobile corporations on the market. In brief, it is a tech-geek’s playground.

The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 is mechanically fascinating in quite a lot of methods, nevertheless it’s exhausting to get round its unbelievable 4.0-liter flat-six engine that revs to 9,000 rpm whereas making properly over 100 horsepower per liter. It does this whereas providing a guaranty and assembly emissions necessities. Additionally superb is the inclusion of tech that only a decade in the past would have appeared virtually like science fiction. This contains stuff like four-wheel steering that operates virtually transparently, insanely quick-shifting PDK dual-clutch gearbox and extra. This Porsche is as rigorously thought-about and finely fettled as a Swiss watch, and there are few automobiles that come near it.

From an electronics standpoint, the 992-generation 911 would not disappoint, both. It presents a stunning inside the place its giant infotainment display is fantastically built-in. The display is sharp, and the system operating on it’s many-layered and granular, but straightforward to make use of and really responsive. Past that, the instrument cluster does an excellent job of taking the 911’s iconic five-dial gauge and bringing it thoughtfully and cleanly into 2021. That is carried out by holding the huge, central analog tachometer — one thing that gives a visceral connection to the automobile’s drivetrain and surrounding it with multi-information shows. I might go on and on about Porsche Energetic Suspension Administration and this automobile’s electronically managed engine mounts and the like, however you get the concept. The 911 GT3 is a real deal with for the technologically inclined.

-Kyle Hyatt, information and options editor

Daniel Golson/Roadshow

I needed to choose an EV for this one, as a result of they’re simply inherently extra interesting to those that wish to be on tech’s leading edge. However which one? There are literally rather a lot to select from proper now, and extra will likely be available on the market by the tip of the 12 months. However, in terms of the options I would like in a automobile, Android Automotive is a giant one, and the 2021 Polestar 2 is without doubt one of the few locations to get it.

Android Automotive takes Android Auto to the subsequent degree by baking Android proper into the automobile. Now, as an alternative of your telephone driving the expertise, every part runs natively, counting on the automobile’s information connection. Google Maps is constructed proper in, as are issues like YouTube Music and a bunch of different apps — not sufficient but, nevertheless it’ll get there. It makes for an intuitive, seamless expertise on this Polestar. That’s, no less than, assuming you are an Android person. Apple CarPlay assist is coming, I have been promised.

But it surely goes past infotainment. The Polestar 2 has the fashionable feel and appear that resonates with me. It drives as sharply as an EV ought to and might even be configured with adjustable Ohlins suspension. Love twiddling with issues? It is excellent.

-Tim Stevens, editor in chief

Jeep

Why the hell is a Jeep Wrangler on this record, with its antediluvian ladder body and a suspension that is anchored by a pair of iron logs? Nicely, the reply is easy: Not all expertise must be digital.

This rough-and-tumble SUV presents an abundance of helpful options that improve its off-road functionality and make it extra gratifying to drive. Among the Wrangler’s admittedly low-tech facilities embrace simply detachable doorways and a folding gentle prime so you possibly can delight in nature’s glory whereas out on the path. This off-roader additionally presents a two-speed switch case for mountain-goat climbing potential, the out there EcoDiesel V6 delivers locomotive ranges of torque for straightforward drivability and Rubicon fashions even characteristic a disconnecting entrance sway bar, which gives better suspension articulation, in addition to locking differentials at each ends for max traction in even essentially the most attempting situations.

Yeah, the Wrangler is completely old-school, and far of its expertise is, properly, fairly historical, however these items is nonetheless tremendous helpful. If, nevertheless, you completely will need to have max circuits and software program, this Jeep would not disappoint. A spread of electrified mild-hybrid powertrains is obtainable, together with a new-for-2021 4xe plug-in hybrid mannequin. Plus, you may get a Uconnect infotainment system with an 8.4-inch display and assist for each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus all types of contemporary digital driving aids can be found, together with blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, trailer-sway management and even adaptive cruise management, to call a number of. Because of options like these and its sledgehammer off-road functionality, the Wrangler is an unexpectedly techy automobile.

-Craig Cole, critiques editor

Steven Ewing/Roadshow

Basic Motors is hell-bent on democratizing electrical automobiles within the US, and whereas the primary Chevrolet Bolt EV felt like a half-step, the new-for-2022 Bolt EUV feels prefer it strikes the goal much better. And tech? The Bolt EUV is chock stuffed with it.

The spotlight of all of it is Tremendous Cruise — the primary time the hands-free freeway driving assistant will likely be supplied in a Chevrolet. To this point, the expertise that really permits you to take your arms off the steering wheel has been a Cadillac-only ordeal. A variety of consideration focuses on Tesla and its Autopilot system, however Tremendous Cruise is actually a hands-free system in the fitting situations, and it is able to roll on over 200,000 miles of US and Canadian roads.

To not point out, the Bolt EUV includes a typical slew of expertise that may fulfill a technophile’s desires. Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are each commonplace, and run on a big 10.2-inch touchscreen. Outdoors of Tremendous Cruise’s smarts, there is a candy of different driver-assist and energetic security features. And an non-obligatory rearview digital camera mirror is a cherry on prime. Significantly, you will not miss an ordinary mirror. With all of the tech talked about right here, you are additionally taking about an EV beneath $40,000. Not solely is it an excellent purchase for tech lovers, it is an inexpensive buy in the event you’re wanting to go completely electrical.

-Sean Szymkowski, information editor

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

If you happen to’re like me, being a fan of tech means having the liberty to improve, build-it-yourself and modify. Shiny new tech and mega screens are good, however every part finally turns into out of date. The 2020 Toyota 86 started its life as a Scion — a model born with customization and personalization at its very core. Now, half a decade after Scion’s demise, the admittedly low-tech-for-starters Toyota 86 — and its doppelganger, Subaru’s BRZ — persists as one of the customizable and simply upgradable new automobiles you should purchase. That makes it best for tech-loving tinkerers and performance-loving modders.

Most new automobiles characteristic deeply built-in dashboard tech that’s usually troublesome to improve. Pop the radio out (in the event you even can) and, who is aware of, possibly the flip indicators cease working? Possibly you lose all entry to local weather controls? The 86 is certainly one of a handful of latest automobiles that also options an sincere to goodness, easy and standard-sized double-DIN dashboard receiver. That signifies that when its tech will get outdated otherwise you simply need one thing new, upgrading is as straightforward as swapping in an aftermarket unit. No different very important parts will cease working; no costly adapters or dashboard rebuild kits are required. Feeling bizarre and need to construct your individual tech powered by an previous Android pill or a Raspberry Pi? No downside, simply punch out the Toyota unit, seize your soldering iron and get to modding. Satirically, being comparatively low tech makes the 86 and automobiles prefer it excellent for many who desire a hands-on method to tech.

The upgrades do not must cease within the dashboard, and the 86 can also be a super candidate for modders who like to show wrenches. This rear-driver’s well-sorted chassis and off-the-lot efficiency will get the driving force’s automobile fundamentals proper whereas leaving simply sufficient on the desk so that you can uncover and personalize with suspension, traction and power-adding mods of your individual. Whether or not seeking to construct a monitor toy or simply hone the efficiency and elegance for the streets, if “constructed, not purchased” is your lifestyle, you will discover rather a lot to like within the 86’s distinctive method. (Observe: Whereas the 86 is a 2020 mannequin 12 months holdover, a lot stay at sellers.)

– Antuan Goodwin, critiques editor

Hyundai

If you happen to’re on the lookout for an inexpensive compact sedan chock stuffed with expertise goodies, look no additional than the 2021 Hyundai Elantra. New-for-2021, this wildly styled four-door sports activities a wholesome record of infotainment and security gear that make it a tech standout within the aggressive phase. Obtainable in commonplace, Hybrid and higher-performance N-Line guise, the Elantra checks lots of containers for lots of consumers.

Within the cabin, a ten.2-inch customizable LCD gauge cluster is obtainable on mid-grade SEL variations and comes commonplace on the range-topping Restricted trims. Dealing with infotainment on most Elantras is an 8-inch touchscreen with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, Bluetooth and an out there Bose audio setup. Hyundai’s Digital Key system is obtainable enabling house owners to unlock and begin their Elantra by way of a telephone app with out the important thing.

A powerful record of normal security tech comes on the Elantra together with ahead collision warning with automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross site visitors alert, lane-keep help, lane-following help and Protected Exit Alert. Adaptive cruise management and pedestrian detection are choices.

-Jon Wong, critiques editor

Steven Ewing/Roadshow

If you happen to’re a fan of screens and superior driver’s aids, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade SUV must be on the prime of your record. The cabin is dominated by three curved particular person OLED panels measuring greater than 38 inches throughout. The colours and graphics on these screens are sensible and the system is lightning fast, with no lag even when utilizing pinch-to-zoom. Navigation will get a bump with out there augmented actuality, overlaying directional arrows on a video feed displayed within the gauge cluster, so you will by no means miss a flip once more.

Along with screens galore, this full-size and super-lux Cadillac SUV could be had with Tremendous Cruise, a hands-free driving expertise that makes use of cameras and GPS information to maintain the Escalade rolling down the highway beneath sure situations. This technique solely works on highways which were 3D mapped, however the North American community is in depth and it is possible your commute is roofed. The system can change lanes by itself as properly. In fact, you will must hold your eyes up and listen (a driver-facing digital camera ensures you do), however Tremendous Cruise is without doubt one of the solely hands-off driving applied sciences at present out there available on the market. We desire it to Tesla’s Autopilot, and so does Client Reviews.

The Escalade’s OLED screens are commonplace on all trims, however in order for you Tremendous Cruise you will have to begin with the Premium Luxurious trim after which add virtually $9,000 in choices, placing the value at $93,140 together with $1,295 for vacation spot. Look, no person mentioned expertise was low-cost.

-Emme Corridor, critiques editor