Well, here we are, a month into 2024 and already a month late and a dollar short with my 2023 wrapped. I don’t think I ever run on time unless it’s for dinner. And come to think of it, I don’t think I did a 2022 or a 2021 wrap up either. Oh well, I just make up the rules as I go…

In 2023 I tested 52 vehicles totaling $3,160,622 with an average cost of $57,466. Drove 20,514.7 miles averaging 32.8-mpg’s. Spent $1,692.86 on fuel and $165.93 on carwashes, a significant decrease since I relocated jobs and lost my in-house car detailer. It was quite an interesting year 2023, I accidentally drove a Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro through literal turd on a campsite, used a Ford Raptor R to pull three stranded strangers out of a ditch, took a Lexus LX 600 F SPORT to a rustic cabin in Brian Head, Utah, hit a curb in a Lexus IS 500 F SPORT Performance, drove a Kia Telluride SX Prestige X-Pro to Santa Fe, New Mexico and got my first flat tire in my 21 years of driving in a Lexus RX 500h F SPORT Performance.

Every year the crossover market just keeps getting bigger and bigger – looking back, in 2018 I  tested 57 vehicles, 30 of them were sedans/coupes while only 21 of them were crossovers. 2023 however, I tested 30 crossovers and only 18 sedans/coupes. Funny how times are changing. So, without further ado…

Most Enjoyable: 700-Horsepower Ford F-150 Raptor R

What happens when you take a V-8 engine and mount a supercharger to it? You get seven hundred reasons to be a bomb ass bitch… I mean bro. Is it better than the TRX? I will never know; RAM took that opportunity away when they cancelled my loan to transfer it to L.A for some big wig. I’m not bitter at all. So what the RAPTOR R has a couple horsepower less than its rival, it sounds like a hungry lion, it goes like an angry honey badger and climbs terrain like it’s a damn mountain goat. I haven’t smiled that much since learning about Line Lock on the Mustang GT.

Most Luxurious: Genesis G90

Genesis has been turning heads and making a name for themselves over the last several years and with their newest take on luxury refinement, the G90 was sure to make a bold statement. The G90 was not the most expensive in our list of cars throughout 2023, nor the most refined; but what it lacked in performance certainly made up for in ultra luxurious comfort creatures. Having a Chauffeur drive mode really expressed what this sedan was about, being a backseat passenger – it gave the Rolls Royce like treatment with power reclining massaging seats and a center display screen to control every sun screen, temperature setting and music selection in the car at a fraction of the cost. 

Most Impressive: 400 mile range Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+

With electrification on the rise, having all the range really does go the extra mile… pun intended. The entry level MB EQE 350+ is available as a front-wheel drive crossover that requires significant power to recharge, but when fully juiced up, it carries a near 400-miles of range. After a week behind the wheel, it felt like the Toyota Prius of electrification – no range anxiety and didn’t try to kill us when we stomped on the accelerator.

Most Impressive Fuel-Economy, Gas – 46-MPG Toyota Prius

What I really wanted to list in this category was the Toyota Prius Prime XSE; however, since that uses the combination of both plug-in battery electric power and gas, it didn’t seem fair to the gas power vehicles I tested throughout the year. Unfortunately, the best MPG gas powered vehicle I tested happened to be a vehicle that I did not care for, the Volkswagen Jetta that received just short of 36-mpg’s. So, since I make up the rules as I go along, I decided to include the hybrids into the mix which puts the standard non-plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius at the top with its impressive average of 45.6-mpg’s despite being short of its claimed 52-mpg.

Most Impressive Fuel-Economy, Electric – 108-MPGe Kia EV6 GT

Even though the Mercedes EQE took away the most range feeling like a Prius energy sipper, impressively the Kia EV6 GT received an astonishing 108-MPGe or 3.2 miles of kilowatts per hour. The EV6 GT was all-around an impressive lunatic of a vehicle that is sure to give Tesla a run for its ludicrous mode; regrettably, even with its impressive energy sipping methods, its short range of 220-miles was sure to add some anxiety.

Most Disappointing: Ultra Small, Too Expensive Alfa Romeo Tonale

This was one I was really excited about and that was my first problem, I set my expectations too high right out the gate. With Alfa Romeo’s first attempt at electrification, the Tonale Plug-In Hybrid is a brilliant performance compact crossover that drove like a feral cat in heat. But like everything Italian, I didn’t drive more than 100-yards before the check engine light came on, it had a cheap, plasticky interior, the digital instrument cluster kept glitching out and it felt like I was sitting in a crackerjack box.

Most Underwhelming: Dreary Honda Accord Hybrid

There is no doubt that Honda has always played it safe with the Accord’s styling, but it was staying safe the also gave the previous models character. The kind of car you would turn around and look at after parking and walking away. This new generation, however, it is as if they feel asleep at the wheel and got lazy in the design. Its as if someone sketched on a napkin and “here, it’s a car.” And then there’s the driving dynamics – yes the powertrain is impressive with its generator powered hybrid system – yes its 44-mpg’s is quite impressive. But if it comes at the cost of being driven to boredom, I’d rather have a Toyota Camry – at least they don’t mind coloring outside the lines.

Most Disliked: Smaller than a RAV4, Slower than a RAV4, More Expensive than a RAV4, Toyota Venza

Whereas the Alfa Romeo at least had its performance attributes to make up for its short falls, the Toyota Venza did not. Thankfully this is the last year of the Venza because frankly why would anyone buy one over the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is beyond me. It’s more expensive, less fuel efficient smaller, less equipped and overall less satisfying to drive. Save yourself a bucket of money and get a RAV4 XSE Hybrid instead.

Now, if had a flourishing bank account that could allow me to buy any of the 52 cars I tested over the course of 2023, here is what I would buy: Ford Maverick Tremor, Lexus IS 500 F Performance, Acura Integra Type S, GMC Sierra AT4X AEV, Ford F-150 Raptor R, Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Chevrolet Trax, Mercedes-Benz C300, and Mazda CX-90.