Man of Many’s list of the best cars for 2022 is made up entirely of cars we’ve spent time driving in this calendar year. With the exception of our ‘unveiling of the year’, our first-hand experience in reviewing more than sixty cars both on the track and on road has resulted in this list of 15. We’ve taken into account everything from utes to supercars in our testing and narrowed the list down to a select few vehicles.

Best Overall Drive

We had a chance to spend a considerable amount of time behind the wheel of the STO this year, both on the track and on public roads, and it surprised us in every facet. Out of all the cars on this list, the 2022 Lamborghini Huracan STO stands out for all the right reasons.

Best Electric Vehicle

If pushing a cutting-edge electric vehicle down a muddy dirt road with traction limited, a quarter-million Porsche under you, and mud flying everywhere isn’t enough to get the blood pumping, what is?!

Best Hatchback

Audi RS3 is the clear winner of our ‘best hatchback’ crown this year. The fact you can still buy a 5-cylinder hatchback with nearly 300kW and one of the most capable chassis and all-wheel-drive systems in the industry is a token to Audi as a brand.

Best SUV

We saved the best SUV for last, and while we only hopped out of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT a few weeks ago, this is far in a way one of the best cars we’ve driven this year. Not only is this the fastest SUV around the Nürburgring, but the way it accelerates in a straight line is addictive, and the sound it makes is just next-level.

Best Value for Money

Speaking of bargains, the 2022 Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ are the definitions of value for money. We spent quality time in both this year, walking away with the opinion that they’re identical in just about every facet.

Best Use of Technology

The 2022 BMW iX gives us the best glimpse at the future yet, because not only does it looks like a concept car in the flesh, but the driving experience, interior, and technology make it one of the best cars we’ve driven this year.

Best Ute

Think back 10 years ago and you’d never consider buying a ute for daily driver duties unless 1. you’re a tradie or 2. you actually need the tray for adventure, camping, surfing, etc. These days utes have become a viable option for families, grey nomads, and weekend warriors while also providing an SUV-like driving experience and an overall ‘nice place to sit’ during your commute. At the top of that food chain sits the Ford Ranger Wildtrak.

Biggest Unveiling of the Year

After years of creating the best hand-built and bespoke vehicles on the planet, Rolls-Royce outlined its first electric vehicle this year when it unveiled the Spectre. The brand says they’ve created an entirely different sub-category of the motor car with the Spectre – something they’re calling the Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé – but we’re not sure a 2975 kg electric vehicle is reinventing the wheel. Nonetheless, the top luxury automaker going electric is enough to rock the industry and we’ll have to reserve judgement until its arrival in 2024.

The most smiles

Okay, we might’ve made up this award so we can give the Ram 1500 TRX some credit because we haven’t smiled as much behind the wheel as during our time on Stockton Beach in the TRX.

Rounding out our top 10 is the Polestar 2, the vehicle on this list that we’d pick to drive every day if we were given $100,000 AUD to spend on a car. And while the BMW 230i would take that crown if we had to purchase something with an internal combustion engine, the Polestar is the best option for those looking to adopt an EV right now (that includes ourselves).

We came back for round two in the Porsche GT3 this year after spending some time on the track with it last year. Of course, it sat at the top of our best drives this time last year, so we decided to put it through its paces on the road with 1000km of daily driving to see if it really is the ‘best daily of all time’.

In the same vein as the Polestar 2, the Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD is the car we’d recommend for families looking to buy an EV around the $100,000 AUD mark. It’s the definition of an all-rounder, with plenty of space, futuristic looks, quality EV power, good infotainment and charging capabilities.

The biggest surprise of the year award could very well go to the BMW M240i. Not only is this one of the quickest ICE-powered vehicles at this price point, but the Grand Touring capabilities of the latest 2-series 6-cylinder beast give its pricier big brothers a run for their money. One could argue this is the best coupe BMW makes at the moment, all things (including price) considered.

We need to give a special shoutout to the Mini Electric this year because it’s right up there for us when you’re talking ‘smiles for miles’. And while you’ll spend just as much time at a charging station in Sydney as you will driving the car around (you’ll need a home charger to make this one work) the fun you can have in the Mini Electric at legal speeds is what makes it so great.

Just like the Mini, we had a lot of fun driving the CUPRA Ateca VZx this year. It’s so over-braked from the factory that you feel like you’re going to lift the rear wheels off the ground when you’re entering a turn and the pitch and rolls you get from the small-SUV body add to the experience. Overall, we like to refer to it as the ‘baby Porsche Macan’ and it would be an easy one to recommend if it wasn’t so closely priced to the CUPRA Formentor VZx that’s simply a better car overall.

While the best cars of the year were detailed in our feature reviews above, we also got behind the wheel of a few gems that didn’t quite make the cut overall. These are our honourable mentions for 2022.