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Building a competitive vehicle nowadays is no small feat. Some manufacturers can absolutely ace the task whether it be through refinement, innovation, or smart pricing. It’s easy to get lost in the hype of all the exciting new offerings not just from brands we know and love, but also from emerging brands. Some of that hype is justified by a vehicle that really stands out while some cars are just hype and nothing more. If you’re in the market for a vehicle or love to be pleasantly surprised, these 10 well-rounded cars should prove to live up to what their manufacturers promised, and then some.
1/10 BMW M240i
Thundernight purple 2022 BMW M240i front 3/4 parked
Call it what you want, but the G42 M240i is a fantastic replacement for the F87 M2. Perhaps closer in spirit in many ways than the upcoming G87 M2, the M240i is a seriously quick car that would otherwise hide under the radar a bit with its more modest, but still sharp styling. With the best iteration of BMW’s classic inline-six engine, and an interior that rivals even other BMWs much higher in the lineup, the M240i is a massively underrated car that deserves all the attention, especially when optioned in the very cool paint named “Thundernight”, a beautiful shade of purple. It doesn’t get much more classic BMW than this.
2/10 Land Rover Range Rover
2022 champagne Land Rover Range Rover front 3/4 view driving
Land Rover has a serious winner on its hands with the new Range Rover. Known as the golden standard of ultra-luxury SUVs, the Range Rover has been heavily upgraded for the 2023 model year. Sporting a new, more minimal design, the big Range Rover is as much of a land yacht as you’d ever need. Generation after generation the Land Rover Range Rover delivers on its promise of providing an excellent high-riding luxury SUV experience. Just as the 911 is the benchmark for sports cars, the Range Rover is the benchmark for SUVs. With new materials, infotainment/tech, and new engines available, the Range Rover really does live up to the hype.
3/10 Nissan Z
2023 Blue Nissan Z front 3/4 view parked
The Nissan Z is back and better than ever. With an all-new body cloaked over a heavily revised 370Z chassis, the new Z is quite impressive aesthetically. Equipped with new versions of both the manual or automatic (now a nine-speed), along with a new variant of Nissan’s 3.0-liter V-6 good for 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, the new Z goes like never before. An upgraded interior with a fresh infotainment system and upgraded materials bring the Z up to date with other competitors. For what is essentiality an extremely heavy refresh of the old chassis 370Z, the new Nissan Z lives on, and we are so glad it’s here. With a starting price of $39,990, it seriously undercuts the competition as well, especially considering the available power and amount of standard equipment.
4/10 Toyota GR Corolla
Red 2023 Toyota GR Corolla front 3/4 view parked at the racetrack
Welcome to the hot hatch! Lightweight, a unique three-cylinder engine, manual, and all-wheel-drive, the GR Corolla is a rally car anybody can own. Hot off the heels of the GR Yaris that everybody in the U.S. wanted but couldn’t have, there is now a rowdy turbo three-cylinder option for U.S. buyers. Although the Corolla is a bit larger than the Yaris, the recipe is much the same, giving you a similar experience. Toyota has delivered!
5/10 Dodge Challenger Super Stock
Shot of an Orange Dodge Challenger Super Stock front 3/4 driving
By now, we all know what to expect from the ultra-powerful Hellcats. The Demon was a wildly excessive version that proved to be one of the most intense straight line performance cars ever with its supercharged 808 horsepower V-8. That car was very limited in production, and was later banned from certain drag strips for its ridiculousness. The Dodge Challenger Super Stock returns the Challenger back to the 800+ horsepower club with an 807 horsepower version of the Challenger, once again giving the public way more power than we deserve.
6/10 Chevrolet C8 Corvette
Rear three-quarters shot of an orange 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
What a home run for Chevrolet the C8 Corvette is. A car more than worthy of being GM’s flagship (yes the entirety of GM), the C8 Stingray, and now the Z06 models are both examples of vehicles that outshine competitors costing more than double the price. Corvette has always been somewhat of a bargain, but where there used to be compromises, the C8 generation eliminates nearly every single drawback of Corvettes of the past. A world-class supercar beating mid-engine monster for sports car prices.
7/10 Lexus IS500 F Performance
Front 3/4 view white Lexus IS 500 F Performance parked
The Lexus IS500 F Performance has to be one of the most humble sports cars available. Lexus could have thrown the 5.0 Liter V-8 under the hood with some styling changes and called it an IS-F, but they didn’t. No, the IS500 doesn’t have quite as many mechanically upgraded goodies as the RC-F, but it does have the essentials; that thunderous V-8, the subtly more slick styling, adaptive suspension tuned by Yamaha, bigger brakes, and a limited-slip differential. These are all the main upgrades an enthusiast is looking for in a more serious performance car. The thing is, this Lexus isn’t trying to go out and stomp on M3s or C63s. What it offers is a different kind of performance, one that offers a segment-exclusive V-8 powertrain with enough cornering capability to be compliant but won’t beat you up every day. Starting at $58,270, Lexus has a niche product, is priced right, and isn’t over-badged while under-delivering.
8/10 Kia Stinger
Front 3/4 view Red Kia Stinger driving
This is the car that changed the brand forever. The Kia Stinger is still a car that punches well above its weight. In every aspect. It brought Kia out of dark times and into a booming present day with massively upgraded materials, styling, performance, features, handling, warranty, and the list goes on, all while still retaining a relatively “Kia” price. The Stinger was the best thing to happen to the brand and remains a very relevant vehicle.
9/10 Ford Maverick
Front 3/4 view blue Ford Maverick towing jet-skis
Ford really committed to good execution of the Maverick. As small as this pickup is, the Maverick is a really big deal since Ford moved the Ranger up to a mid-size truck leaving the compact-truck segment vacant that the old ranger used to occupy. Maverick has proved to be a hit starting a $22,195, equipped with a standard hybrid powertrain, and has a reasonably spacious cabin considering the truck’s overall size. You get Apple CarPlay, customizable bed equipment, available four-wheel drive, and it can tow up to 4,000 pounds with a 1,500-pound payload capacity. It’s fuel efficient too returning 37 MPG on the highway. For all your basic pickup truck needs, the Maverick delivers proving a truck doesn’t need to be big to get it done.
10/10 Chevrolet Spark
Front 3/4 view Red Chevrolet Spark parked
Starting at $13,600, the Chevrolet Spark is the most affordable car currently on the market. If you are looking for a simple, reliable mode of transportation, perhaps in an urban or semi-urban location, the Chevy spark may be all the car you need at an extremely competitive entry-level price. Despite being the “cheapest” option, you still get creature comforts like Apple Car Play, available Wi-Fi Hotspot, and 10 airbags standard all wrapped in a practical little hatchback.
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