2023 Nissan Murano_front 3-4 profile

Whether it’s a first-drive feature from the sun-soaked California coast, a quick news story about an off-road pickup that may (or may not) be coming to your local dealership or a review of a hot new sports sedan, somewhere Lee Bailie is writing about cars and car culture, something he’s been doing for almost a decade. A car guy to the core, he went on his first automotive plant tour at age seven.

So, what’s new with the 2023 Nissan Murano?

Well, there’s a new Nissan badge, which has been deployed throughout the Murano’s cabin and exterior. That’s it.

I’m not trying to be funny here – I scoured the press kit Nissan Canada issued for the mid-size Murano SUV and the badge is the only new item mentioned for 2023.

Now, to be fair, the current third-gen Nissan Murano has been on the road since 2015, and once a car turns eight years old, its lifecycle is almost done. Nissan has yet to confirm, but the introduction of an all-new Murano happening sometime this year feels like a safe bet.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174668" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-Nissan-Murano_side-profile-scaled.jpg" alt="2023 Nissan Murano" width="2560" height="1920" />

At any rate, the Murano’s last major update, which brought new front and rear fascias, along with new seating and interior trim materials, was rolled out in 2019. Since then, it has received some content updates, such as the addition of more active safety features (emergency front braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, blind spot warning, lane departure warning and more), which are packaged together under Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 banner. This equipment is standard across the Murano range.

So, with its context established, let’s dive into the 2023 Nissan Murano.

Built on Nissan’s D platform, which also underpins the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/vehicle-reviews/2020-nissan-altima-vs-2020-nissan-murano-whats-the-better-road-trip-vehicle">Altima</a> and Maxima sedans, the Murano is a two-row, five-passenger crossover that slots between the Rogue and Pathfinder. All Muranos are powered by a 3.5-litre double overhead cam V6 engine that produces 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft. of torque, which is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive.

Five trims are available for the Canadian market: S, SV, SL, Midnight Edition, and Platinum. Pricing ranges from $37,498 for the base S up to $48,098 for the range-topping Platinum.

For this review, Nissan Canada set me up with a Platinum tester finished in Super Black with a Mocha semi-aniline leather-trimmed interior.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174661" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-Nissan-Murano_dashboard-centre-console-1-scaled.jpg" alt="2023 Nissan Murano" width="2560" height="1920" />

No option boxes are checked for my test vehicle, but the Platinum grade comes with a lengthy list of standard equipment. Key features include 20-inch Dark Hyper Silver wheels, heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, heated rear (outboard) seats, Bose Premium audio with 11 speakers and dual subwoofers, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a lot more.

To these eyes, the Murano has aged gracefully, especially on the outside. While Nissan’s design language has evolved since its arrival, the Murano’s sleek surfaces, which feature running creases, bulging haunches, and a multitude of shapes, looks as unconventional now as they did nearly a decade ago.

Simply put, most mainstream SUVs possess barely an ounce of the Murano’s elegance. Its updated V-motion grille, wedge-shaped LED daytime runners, 20-inch wheels, chrome window trim and door handles give the car a tasteful bejeweled look that makes it appear more premium than its Nissan badge would suggest.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174662" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-Nissan-Murano_multimedia-display-scaled.jpg" alt="2023 Nissan Murano" width="2560" height="1920" />

The march of time is more visible in the Murano’s cabin, however, which lacks Nissan’s current design language and a few missing features. Prominent examples of the latter include Pro Pilot Assist, Nissan’s driver aid feature, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a wireless mobile phone charge pad.

Beyond missing features, the Murano’s cabin, while quite comfortable and well-appointed, looks old, with its chunky steering wheel, spindly gear shift lever, and some cheap-looking plastic trim panels. Its small 8-inch infotainment touchscreen looks especially dated with a graphical interface that appears grainy and low-res.

With that said, the Murano cabin is quite comfortable and user-friendly. The semi-aniline leather seats look and feel great, and the 10-way power driver’s seat offers good support and articulation. The cabin is also replete with physical knobs, buttons and switches that are within easy reach and produce minimal distraction.

Given that, my wish for the cabin of the next Murano is not a total overhaul, but modernization. Redesign the dash and centre console, replace the analogue instrument cluster and small infotainment display, and improve the underlying tech that powers everything, but keep the current design logic. And the physical buttons.

On the utility front, the Murano offers a good amount of passenger space and a maximum cargo rating of 1,841 litres (65 cubic feet) with the second-row seatbacks folded flat. Despite having standard all-wheel drive, the Murano is primarily a pavement vehicle, and its light max tow rating of 1,500 pounds (680 kg) is reflective of that reality.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174666" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-Nissan-Murano_cargo-area-scaled.jpg" alt="2023 Nissan Murano" width="2560" height="1920" />

Despite its utility shortcomings, the Nissan Murano is a pleasant vehicle to drive. Its 3.5-litre V6 offers good, if not neck-snapping performance, both off-the-line and at speed. Peak horsepower (260) arrives relatively late at 6,000 rpm, but its 240 lb-ft. of torque is more easily accessible at 4,400 rpm, which ensures merging and passing maneuvers can be accomplished with relative ease. While I’m generally not a fan of CVTs, the one Nissan has deployed in the Murano is largely free of the noisy, rubber-banding qualities I’ve experienced in other cars, including other Nissans.

In terms of ride quality and road manners, the Murano’s suspension tuning lands in the broad middle between soft and harsh, and it generally does a good job of absorbing all but the worst potholes and most broken and cracked road surfaces. As for general handling, the Murano feels secure and planted with steering that’s responsive and in line with others in its competitive set. The cabin also seems well-insulated with tire and wind noise kept to a low volume.

Overall, the Nissan Murano has aged gracefully, and while it is a bit dated in terms of interior styling, technology, and available features, it still presents a solid value proposition for seeking a mid-size SUV with V6 power and a lot of standard content.

It will be interesting to see how Nissan reinvents this two-decade-old nameplate for a fourth generation because the current model has set a high bar.
<h3>2023 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD</h3>
BODY STYLE: mid-size SUV
DRIVE METHOD: Front-engine, all-wheel drive, CVT
ENGINE: 3.5-litre DOHC V6 (260 hp / 240 lb-ft.)
FUEL ECONOMY: (Regular 87) 12.0 / 8.5 / 10.4 L / 100 km (city / highway / combined)
CARGO VOLUME: 1,841 / 881 litres (65 / 31 cu ft.) (behind first / second row)
MAXIMUM TOWING: 1,500 pounds (680 kg)
PRICE: $50,018, incl. freight, excl. taxes
WEBSITE: <a href="http://www.nissan.ca">www.nissan.ca</a>

2023 Nissan Murano Platinum Review

IMG_E9309

SEDONA, Ariz. – On the surface, the three-row Honda Pilot SUV is one of the most mundane, uninteresting vehicles the brand has ever built.

One of many SUVs that have crept into most, if not all, manufacturer lineups over the past 20 years, the Pilot has been a solid, yet somewhat vanilla, member of the Honda family. Light on sport, but heavy on utility with excellent reliability and an attractive value proposition. That’s Pilot.

And who can blame Honda for rolling a successful formula over for the past two decades? The outgoing Honda Pilot sold 58,640 units in Canada between 2016 and 2022, an impressive tally for a market that doesn’t hoover up big SUVs at the same rate as the U.S.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174273" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Honda-Pilot_side-profile.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="1920" height="1080" />

Like its predecessor, the 2023 Honda Pilot is built on a platform architecture shared with the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/vehicle-reviews/review-2021-honda-odyssey">Odyssey minivan</a>, Passport SUV, and Ridgeline pick-up, and is built in the same Alabama plant.

Powertrains are also shared, but the Pilot marks the debut of an all-new engine, a 3.5-litre double overhead cam (DOHC) V6 that replaces the outgoing 3.5-litre single overhead cam (SOHC) V6. Horsepower is up slightly to 285 (versus 280), but torque remains the same at 262 lb-ft. As for the gearbox, a 10-speed automatic replaces the outgoing 9-speed as the only transmission available. All-wheel drive is standard across the range.

Speaking of range, the Canadian Pilot lineup is as follows: Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring and Black Edition. On that note, during the preview event in Arizona, our group drove U.S.-market models that differ slightly from Canadian offerings. Specifically, the grey Elite model shown here is badged as Touring in Canada, and its brown interior is not available here. Other packaging differences exist, but they’re minor and don’t impact performance.

Dimensionally, the Honda Pilot is longer, wider, and taller than the outgoing model, with a longer wheelbase and wider front and rear track. Like its CR-V sibling, the new Pilot has a longer dash-to-axle ratio (longer hood), with shorter front overhangs and a flatter beltline. It also adopts its smaller sibling’s bigger, upright grille and thin, horizontal LED headlights.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174265" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Honda-Pilot_rear-3-4-profile.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="1920" height="1080" />

At the rear, the wider track is complemented with new LED taillights, new bumper, and tailgate designs and a prominent PILOT word mark positioned at the eyeline.

As for features, the Pilot comes well-equipped. A 7-inch digital instrument cluster is standard on the base Sport trim, but a 10.2-inch display is standard on Touring and Black Edition. It’s a similar story with the multimedia touchscreen, which is only seven inches on the base Sport, but a 9-inch display is standard on EX-L and above.

Other notable tech items include wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on Sport, and wireless on all grades above it. A 225-watt seven-speaker audio system with a subwoofer is standard on Sport, while the same system with nine speakers is standard on trims above, and a Bose Premium Sound System3 with 12 speakers and subwoofer is standard for Touring and Black Edition grades.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174274" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Honda-Pilot_dashboard-centre-console.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="1920" height="1440" />

As for other amenities, the Pilot comes with USB-A / C connector combo up front, along with two USB-As in the second row. Touring and Black Edition models also receive two USB-A ports in the third row. The two top trims are also outfitted with a Wi-Fi hotspot, and all trims above Sport come with a wireless smartphone charge pad. Honda Sensing, the company’s suite of active safety kit, is also standard on all models.

On the seating front, a 10-way power driver’s seat is standard on all trims, with memory mirror and seat function standard on all grades above Sport. Seating materials are as follows: cloth for Sport, leather/leatherette (first row / second row) combo for EX-L, leatherette for TrailSport and perforated leather for Touring and Black Edition.

Heated front seats and a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel are standard on all trims. Second row captain’s chairs on TrailSport are also heated as are the outboard second-row seats on all trims above Sport. Seating capacity is eight for all trims except TrailSport, while a removable second-row middle seat, with a cargo floor storage section, is standard on Touring and Black Edition. Those two grades also come with ventilated front seats.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174283" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_E9461.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Pilot Elite" width="1920" height="1080" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174280" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_E9402.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Pilot Elite" width="1920" height="1080" />

The Pilot has always offered acres of space for both people and cargo, and both have been increased for the fourth-gen model. Cargo capacity is 144 litres greater behind the first row, up 119 behind the second row, and has increased by 110 behind the third row. In terms of passenger space, there’s 61 mm of extra second-row legroom, up to 10 degrees of seatback recline in the second row, and 15 mm more legroom in the third row.

For the drive, Honda split our seat time between on-road driving in Elite (Touring) and off-roading in TrailSport.

First up for my group was an off-road trail that wound up to the stunning Chicken Point Overlook, which is located about two miles east of state route 179 and roughly four miles south of Sedona.

The TrailSport unit I drove is outfitted with Continental all-terrain tires mounted on 18-inch wheels, along with front/gas tank skid plating, an extra 25 mm of ground clearance, and an off-road-tuned suspension all of which is standard kit. The TrailSport comes with two new drive modes (sand and trail), in addition to five others available on all grades: normal, econ, snow, sport and tow. Of note, Touring and Black Edition also come with all seven drive modes.

Mechanically, the new Pilot benefits from the presence of Honda’s second-gen i-VTM4 torque vectoring all-wheel drive system, which has a stronger rear differential that can handle 40 percent more torque and has a 30 percent faster response. It can also deliver 70 percent of the torque to the rear axle and up to 100 percent of that to either rear wheel to help find traction.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174275" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_9230.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="1920" height="1440" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174276" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_9236.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="1920" height="1440" />

I’ll cut to the chase – the TrailSport I drove handled the rocky, muddy, slippery, and steep trail with a surprising amount of ease. I was surprised, pleasantly so, by how confidence-inspiring the exercise was. All it required was toggling the drive mode selector to trail, the occasional use of hill descent control (a first for Pilot), and careful throttle and steering application, as per usual.

Look, the Pilot TrailSport won’t be confused for a Wrangler Rubicon or a TRD 4Runner, but it is more than capable of tackling light to moderate off-roading. It’s not a rock-crawler, as the development team told us, but it is certainly more than just a pavement SUV.

And the Pilot remains as compelling as ever on smooth surfaces too, as I discovered while driving an Elite (Touring) tester on highways and local roads in and around Sedona. With a quiet and comfortable ride, along with a new, more powerful, and fuel-efficient V6, loads of amenities, and lots of room for people and their stuff, I think the Pilot will remain a compelling option for families.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174267" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Honda-Pilot_front-fender-wheel.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="1920" height="1440" />

One might reasonably wonder what the electrification plan is for the Pilot, given that it’s 2023 and there’s nothing on the table yet, but as I was reminded in Arizona, it’s early in the product lifecycle. Read into that what you will.

The Pilot, like many other Hondas is also a bit pricey, but its rivals aren’t exactly cheap either. Besides what is or is not too expensive lies in the eye of the beholder. Given its handsome new looks, loads of features, and improved off-road capability, I think the Pilot will find plenty of takers.

2023 Honda Pilot pricing

Sport – $50,650
EX-L – $54,450
TrailSport – $57,450
Touring – $61,350
Black Edition – $62,850

The 2023 Honda Pilot is on sale now. 
<h3>2023 Honda Pilot </h3>
BODY STYLE: mid-size SUV
DRIVE METHOD: Front-engine, all-wheel drive, 10-speed automatic transmission
ENGINE: 3.5-litre DOHC V6 (285 hp / 262 lb-ft.)
FUEL ECONOMY: (Regular 87) 12.4 / 9.3 / 11.0 L / 100 km (city / highway / combined)
CARGO VOLUME: 3,166 / 1,685 / 635 litres (112 / 60 / 22 cu ft.) (behind first / second / third row)
MAXIMUM TOWING: 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg)
PRICE: $52,600 base, incl. freight, excl. taxes
WEBSITE: <a href="http://www.honda.ca">www.honda.ca</a>

&nbsp;

2023 Honda Pilot First Drive Review

2022 toyota tacoma trd main header

Evan is an East Coast based automotive journalist and a Certified Engineering Technologist. He is an avid autocrosser, hack mechanic, and a member of AJAC. If you don't find him driving or writing about cars, you'll probably find him in the garage breaking one.

Take a look at the Toyota Tacoma and it's pretty easy to think that it hasn't actually changed since 1994. Before you start your angry emails, yes, we know that this is a completely different truck. But park them side by side, and you'd barely know it. That's part of the charm of the pickup. Why it has a reputation for longevity and an ardent fan base.

Toyota knows to make small improvements and not sea changes. For the TRD Pro I'm testing, those small changes make it even more capable off-road. But it's the electric lime paint colour, the annual exclusive Pro paint for 2022, that has this vehicle swarming with attention.

Yes, I mean swarming. This vehicle got a buzz like nothing else that's sat in my driveway over the last decade of vehicle testing. Just minutes after parking, it would be swarmed with frighteningly large flies and hornets. Even on the trail, a photo stop was more than enough time for the crowd to show up. Was it the wax used on the truck, sap from a tree, or just the eye-searing paint? I'd like to think it was the latter because this is a good-looking truck.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171237" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-toyota-tacoma-trd-lime-paint.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD" width="2500" height="1667" />

Starting in 2022, Tacoma TRD Pro models get some serious hardware upgrades in the suspension. Look past the massive Goodyear Territory all-terrain tires and you'll spot the red-anodized Toyota Racing Development upper control arms looking back at you.

Machine forged to make them stronger - just look at how beefy these wishbones are - the new control arms also change the ball joint angle versus the standard truck. That lets the Fox internal bypass shocks use their extra rebound travel, helping suspension articulation. The parts are for more than just show.

Toyota has upped the suspension lift as well. It's 1.5-inches taller in the front and half an inch in the rear, giving the Tacoma TRD Pro more space between that big aluminum skid plate and the trail you're trying to hammer down.

The changes are effective. I've taken TRD Pro tacos down my local logging roads before, and while the truck was absolutely capable it was never comfortable.

For 2022, the softer sidewalls and extra suspension travel make the truck even more comfortable off-road. Forget the bigger rocks and washouts you can now just drive over, or the improved approach, departure, and break-over angles that the suspension allows, being more comfortable off-road makes it more fun.

Getting bounced around at even low speeds turns the trail into a miserable experience. This isn't quite as soft as the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and its Multimatic DSSV shocks, but it's much closer than it used to be. If Toyota decided to add some electronic sway bar disconnects, then it would be positively cushy. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from doing that yourself in your own truck.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171233" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-toyota-tacoma-trd-suspension.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tacoma" width="2500" height="1667" />

Even moving fast on fire roads, the suspension soaked up almost anything I could throw at it. Remaining stable and composed when tested with some emergency braking exercises on the loose surface.

Toyota's Multi Terrain Monitor cameras let you see the trail directly in front of and beside the truck, helping you make sure you find the right line around boulders, trees, and obstacles. I've never seen the benefit of terrain modes like Toyota's Multi-Terrain Select, but the Crawl Control off-road low-speed cruise control function was able to get me up and over some serious dirt mounds. Even if the ABS computer didn't seem to be enjoying the experience.

Unfortunately, you can't drive off-road all of the time. Or at least most of us can't. With all of that off-road capability, there are some compromises when you have to return to civilization.

Those compromises show up in a suspension that is a little bit too soft for paved roads. The Tacoma feels like an old-school pickup, from the days when trucks were for work and not your family hauler.

It's squishy on the highway, and you can feel the truck's many bushings and suspension links moving around on things like expansion joints. Much of the blame for this, though, can be put on the tires. For the trail, the 265/70R16 rubber's massive (and soft) Kevlar reinforced sidewalls are perfect. On the highway, there's just too much squish.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171234" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-toyota-tacoma-trd-stamp.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD" width="2500" height="1667" />

Too bad. This is the TRD Pro, not the TRD "we can go on the trail, we guess, if we have to." Most buyers looking at this truck will probably look at the old-truck feel as a feature and not a bug. They're right to do so. I would take a trick from the weekend pavement racer crowd and have two sets of tires and wheels. One for the pavement, the stock set for the trail.

Less functional but still part of the package is the TRD exhaust. It's louder than the standard system and gives the 3.5L V6 a more authoritative tone. It doesn't add to the 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, but it does drone at steady throttle inputs. Especially on the highway. In town, it's largely drowned out by the mechanical cooling fan.

Inside, this is the same cabin we've seen in the Tacoma for quite a few years now. A couple of years back Toyota added a power driver's seat, and that little tweak turned it from an ergonomic nightmare for any driver above average height into good enough for the vast majority of drivers.

That's if you can get in, of course. The TRD Pro's lift makes it tall, and running boards or steps cut into off-road capability. They're quick to hang up and get torn off on rocks, so they're not included. Toyota does have a range of accessory boards and steps, so you're likely covered either way.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-171236" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-toyota-tacoma-trd-interior.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD" width="2500" height="1667" />

Time-tested ruggedness is great in the frame and driveline, but it's not ideal in the infotainment system. Tacoma soldiers on with Toyota's system that's slow and out of date versus the competition. It does at least have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay now. Exterior cameras are great, but the low resolution of the cameras and screen make spotting things tougher than they should be. Toyota has a new system that launched in the full-size Tundra and is getting rushed into the rest of the Toyota lineup as quickly as possible. But it's not in Tacoma yet, and it won't be for 2023 either.

Driver aids are up to date, even if they aren't Toyota's best. You get pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, radar cruise, and lane departure warning. But the lane departure feature gives you too much time and flexibility before it alerts, and it doesn't include a steering wheel vibration or a tug back into your lane.

Maybe the hornets were looking for a better way to travel. Maybe they thought the electric yellow paint was their queen. Either way, it's not hard to see what is appealing about Tacoma, especially in TRD Pro trim. It's aggressive without being intimidating, immensely capable on the trail, and will probably sell for every dollar you paid for it 10 years down the road. It's not the most refined choice, but it is an absolutely fine choice. And if you don't like it, there's a massive change coming for 2023. Electric Yellow gets replaced by Solar Octane. You might need to sit down.

2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

BODY STYLE: Four-door short bed midsize pickup

CONFIGURATION: Front-engine, four-wheel drive

ENGINE: 3.5-litre V6; Power: 278 hp @6,000 r.p.m.; 265 lb-ft @ 4,600 r.p.m.

TRANSMISSION: Six-speed automatic

FUEL ECONOMY: (regular Gasoline in L/100 km) 13.8 city; 11.7 highway; 12.9 combined

12.7 L/100 km observed

CARGO CAPACITY: 5.1-foot cargo bed

PRICE: $59,800 (base/as tested)
The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Review

wh-WhyLove-Genesis-Main-July23

Renée S. Suen is a Toronto-based lifestyle writer and photographer. Specializing in restaurants and travel, her works have appeared in a variety of local, national, and international print and digital outlets. Between searching the world for memorable tastes and the stories behind the plate, she’s on the constant lookout for great people who have fascinating stories about why they love their vehicles.

When Peter Brough and Abby Yew moved from downtown Toronto to the Leslieville area, the couple realized they would need a new car.

Although the couple is working a mix between home and office – Brough co-owns Labour, a small creative communications agency in the Junction, while Yew is the head of marketing at Wattpad, a global storytelling platform – they need a vehicle to take their kids, Beckett, 5, and Leonie, 3, to daycare, and to visit their parents, who live in Kitchener-Waterloo and London.

The family of four had relied on a 2018 Audi A4 wagon, but it didn’t have the cargo space they needed when their daughter was born. When that lease came up, they looked at their options and found the 2021 Genesis GV80 – the South Korean automaker’s first SUV. They tell us why they love their vehicle.

“We've always liked the brand and kept up with them,” said Brough. “My first experience with Genesis was on a trip to (South) Korea with Abby and her parents and seeing it there because they weren’t in North America eight years ago. My dad had the sedan for a few years, which we’ve driven and really liked it. But the real selling feature was probably when Tiger Woods got into an accident in the GV80, and he survived. That was the best safety promo you could have.”

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-170154" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/wh-WhyLove-Genesis-Family-July23-scaled.jpg" alt="2021 Genesis GV80" width="2560" height="1706" />

“We reviewed and researched online, and when we reached out to Genesis, a sales rep basically came to our house and took us out for a test drive explaining the features as we went,” said Yew. “We kept it in mind, and it checks all the boxes for me in value. It’s very loaded, and I like the esthetics.

“We started with the esthetic before we discovered the features and function of the car. It's sleek, elegant and has a low profile, but it feels powerful at the same time. We got the Cardiff Green, it’s a subtly shifting dark greenish black colour. It’s a bit of a showstopper,” she said.

“I like the aggressive nature of the front – the lines, the lights and the grill – and the size,” said Brough. “We like having a bit more size and aggressiveness on the wheels as well. It’s different and a bit of a shake up for the category where everything sort of been the same for years. We get a lot of people asking about it, because there's a novelty to the brand, and there’s not many on the road. The first comment is that it’s a great looking car.”
“I do have a lot of pride driving the Genesis because I am Korean,” said Yew. “I feel like I’m witnessing a sort of surge of soft cultural influences from Korea. I think there is a definite shift in cultural mindsets about expanding your acceptance or the perception of luxury.”

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-170155" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/wh-WhyLove-Genesis-Space-July23-scaled.jpg" alt="2021 Genesis GV80" width="2560" height="1707" />

A CLOSER LOOK: 2021 Genesis GV80 3.5T Advanced + AWD

Easy steering

“Abby and I love the drive itself,” said Brough. “It's got a powerful engine, and it drives like a sedan and the feel of the drive has been great.” Yew said the vehicle also strikes a balance between elegance and performance. “It’s very easy steering,” she said.

Perfect size

“We were looking for trunk capacity,” said Yew. “The GV80 has a third row that flips out of the trunk, and that felt handy if we have additional passengers. We were also cognisant of the length of the car. We have a very specific parking space at the back of our house that has probably two to three inches on each side that we can parallel park in. We got this trim level because I really wanted the 360-degree parking camera so I can park this thing.”

Intuitive design

“It’s like the company elevated every feature just a bit more than its competition,” said Yew. “It’s very accommodating and seems to anticipate your next move. I’m delighted by the fact that the seats sort of auto adjusts when you open the door. I think that’s a really smart detail. As I’m approaching the car, it auto unlocks. I can have a million groceries and holding the kids, but I can push a button and the trunk opens.”

THE SPECS
<ul>
 	<li> BODY STYLE: Midsize SUV</li>
 	<li> DRIVE METHOD: All-wheel drive</li>
 	<li> ENGINE: 3.5L Twin Turbo V-6 Gas, 375-hp; 391 lb.-ft. torque</li>
 	<li> FUEL ECONOMY (CITY/HIGHWAY): 12/10 litres per 100 kilometres</li>
 	<li> CARGO VOLUME: 2378.6 litres with rear seats down</li>
 	<li> PRICE: Starting at $64,500</li>
 	<li> WEBSITE: <a href="http://www.genesis.com">genesis.com</a></li>
</ul>
This article was edited for space and clarity. To be featured in Why I Love My Vehicle?, email us at wheels@thestar.ca. Renée S. Suen is a Toronto-based lifestyle writer and photographer. Follow her on Twitter: @rssuen.

Why I Love My Vehicle: 2021 Genesis GV80

22 toyota tundra main header

Chris D’Alessandro is a writer living in downtown Toronto. Growing up in a family of used car dealers and mechanics, he’s been immersed in car culture his entire life. A frequent contributor to VICE Canada, Chris’ screenwriting work has also won a Canadian Comedy Award. So, “hipster, wise-ass, gearhead” pretty much covers it. Follow Chris on Twitter @chrisdaless and Instagram @chrdalessandro

Full-size pickup trucks are a little like crossover SUVs in that they all mostly look alike and have almost identical technical specifications. Competition is so stiff between the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado and Ram 1500 that no entry can afford to fall too far behind any of the others — at least, on paper.

The Tundra, however, has always struggled a bit to keep up. <a href="https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/ford-f150-vs-toyota-tundra">In 2021, Toyota only sold about one Tundra for every </a><a href="https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/ford-f150-vs-toyota-tundra">eight</a><a href="https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/ford-f150-vs-toyota-tundra"> F-150s Ford sold in the US</a>. The drivetrain was dated. The driver comforts and interior were dated. The ride quality was simply terrible.

Whereas modern full-size pickups manage to strike a balance between being an actual tank and a leather-clad cigar lounge, the Tundra remained perfectly comfortable to be what pickups were originally designed to be — purely utilitarian.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-side-profile-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169274" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-side-profile-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tundra" width="2560" height="1976" /></a>

And if I’m honest, that’s what I appreciated most about the old Tundra. You got the distinct sense that everything in the old Tundra was designed with muddy work boots in mind. It wasn’t concerned with the transcendentalism of frontiersmen lifestyle, either. There were no big chrome bumpers or styling choices to conjure up images of smokey backwoods cabins.

Put it this way. As a creative class city slicker who holds their breath while parking any vehicle taller than six-foot in their condo building — if you asked, “You have to own a full-size pickup” I would pick a Ram 1500, because I think it’s the most comfortable and its styling goes great with my Red Wing Heritage boots. The Ram suits my lifestyle.

But for anybody who works with their hands for a living, I always recommend the Tundra, because you simply won’t feel bad about scratching it or getting it dirty or spilling your double-double all over the interior. And that’s its own kind of luxury.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-interior-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169275" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-interior-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tundra" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>

Still, it’s clear Toyota wants to do a little better than one-in-eight sales compared to the F-150, and so that inevitably meant making the Tundra more modern, more accessible… and softer for the 2022 model year.

Does that mean it now feels more like a hockey dad’s commuter vehicle than a contractor’s tax deductible? A little bit. But they haven’t completely tossed out the baby with the bath water.

The most immediately noticeable difference for the 2022 Tundra is the improvement to the ride quality. Which is not to say it's now Rolls Royce smooth or even “good”. It is more like “acceptable” compared to the last generation’s “borderline intolerable”. Toyota has introduced a few updates to the Tundra’s suspension to achieve this improvement. Most notably, the Tundra now uses rear coils — the only other two pickups to do this are the Ram 1500 and F-150 Raptor.

Those rear coils go a long way to improving ride quality, and their impact is even more significant when you consider Toyota’s most radical change to the 2022 Tundra — its new boxed frame.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-gauges-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169276" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-gauges-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tundra" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>

The last-gen Tundra used a three-piece frame — a boxed middle attached to more flexible front and rear sections which were an effort to improve ride quality. The new frame is one entire piece and while that strikes against ride quality, it serves to help the Tundra go toe-to-toe with its direct competition and enhance its capabilities (more on that below).

Final on the “significant changes” list is a new powertrain in the form of a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 matted to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Our as-tested model made 389 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque — enough to motivate the Tundra well up to and during highway cruising. Toyota claims an average fuel consumption of about 12.7 L/100km; but if I’m honest, the best I could do was mid-14s… and that was solid highway driving.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-engine-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169277" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-engine-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tundra" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>

However, a hybrid variant is also available which produces 437 hp and 583 lb-ft. And while we haven’t tested that variant, it may also be closer to achieving Toyota’s claimed mileage thanks to the hybrid tech.

The totality of these changes enables the 2022 Tundra to increase its maximum towing capacity from just over 10,000 pounds (in 2021) to 12,000 pounds with the right spec. Max payload has also increased from 1,660 pounds to 1,940 pounds.

On the towing front, opting for the SR5 trim package means the 2022 Tundra comes equipped with an integrated trailer brake which is meant to improve stopping power when towing a heavy load.

Adaptive air suspension is also an available option and is meant to help level the truck when a heavy trailer is attached. Entering tow/haul mode, as well as selecting two-wheel, versus four-wheel high and low, is made simple and accessible through analogue controls located by the gear selector.

Even the bed itself has been improved. Every 2022 Tundra now has a composite bed, as opposed to a traditional steel bed. The composite materials are intended to prevent dents and rust, without the need to add an aftermarket bedliner.

Inside, there’s some expected features such as a 4.1-inch driver information display and centre dash-mounted eight-inch touchscreen which can be upgraded to the simply enormous (borderline comical) 14-inch touchscreen.

The touchscreen itself is responsive and perhaps the simplest I’ve ever navigated (it feels a bit like putting your smartphone on “big text” mode). It’s also noticeably unaffected by glare. A nice touch, that. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and I found the sound system in our “Limited” trim tester to be “perfectly fine.”

While the interior quality is overall much improved, with plushier seats and softer surfaces, everything still feels tough and purposefully un-posh. You’re still not fussed about spilling your coffee in here.

Really, the only thing I disliked about the 2022 Tundra was having to drive it around and park it in Toronto’s downtown core. I maintain that if you don’t really need a pickup, you shouldn’t buy one. They’re actually less practical than you might think, especially in certain situations.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-bedliner-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169278" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-toyota-tundra-bedliner-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Toyota Tundra" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>

I had our tester Tundra over the May long weekend. And honestly? I was grateful for it. It took my partner and I on a little road trip out of the city and out to Stratford for a wedding. Easy highway cruising, good tunes and ample (an understatement) storage space for overnight bags made the four-hour trip (traffic, coffee stop, etc.) a breeze. The following morning, when we got caught in a brutal thunderstorm, the Tundra kept us squarely between the ditches with little effort.

Finally, I used the Tundra to help my mother-in-law take some patio furniture back to Costco. The entirety of which fit easily into the bed. The Tundra felt no different to drive. You wouldn’t even know anything was in the bed.

Driving back to the city I thought, “Man, no wonder they sell so many of these things… they’re SO PRACTICAL.”

I maintained that positive feeling until I had to park the Tundra in a standard Toronto parking garage. At which point I thought, “This is the least practical vehicle on the planet, and I don’t know why anyone would ever burn $70K on one. Don’t they know they could have a BMW 5-series for this kind of money? I mean, I’m sure a 5-Series would have gotten me through that thunderstorm just fine. And Stephanie can take her own furniture back to Costco.”

The point? The 2022 Tundra is a really solid effort on Toyota’s part to update and modernize their full-size truck footprint. But it hasn't changed my mind on anything.

I still think the Tundra should be the pickup of choice for blue collar workers. And I don’t recommend you buy any full-size pickup unless you regularly need to transport a few hundred pounds or more worth of cargo or you live in a “rural” area (which, statistically is about one in five of you reading this, so don’t get all defensive). I promise, if you don’t need a pickup, you’ll be happier without one.

Because every full-size pickup, no matter how dressed up, will always just be a pickup. And that means they’re inefficient. And bloody big. And less comfortable than a sedan or SUV.

It’s worth considering, if you’re considering a pickup, if the practicality you’re receiving will be greater than what you’re giving up.

2022 Toyota Tundra

BODY STYLE: Full-size pickup

DRIVE METHOD: Front engine, 4x4, 10-Speed automatic transmission

ENGINE: 3.5-litre V6 DOHC 24-Valve twin-turbocharged (389 hp, 479 lb-ft torque)

FUEL ECONOMY: (Regular) 13.6/12.7/10.6 L/100 km city/highway/combined

TOW RATING: 12,000 lbs

PRICE: $60,490 (as tested)

WEBSITE: <a href="https://www.toyota.ca/toyota/en/vehicles/tundra/overview">Toyota Tundra</a>
The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

2022 Toyota Tundra Review

2022 Lexus LX600 front

For over half a decade, Dan Heyman has written professionally about cars and car culture, specializing in luxury/performance vehicles, 4 x 4s and pickup trucks, with a micro city car or two thrown in for good measure. If he's not striking a spacebar, he's likely out photographing cars on the twists and turns of the Coast Mountain roads outside his hometown of Vancouver, BC, or cutting a line on a racetrack.

The Lexus LX has been given a thorough redesign for 2022, with the chief change being swapping out the old, die-hard (and less than fuel-efficient) V8 in favour of a twin-turbo V6 shared with the Tundra pickup. While this new truck may be called the LX 600, don’t think those numbers have anything to do with displacement as it is a 3.5-litre V6 we’re talking about here.

With 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, numbers are up on what was made by the old V8-powered LX 570. The biggest jump comes in the torque department, with 479 lb-ft representing a 76 lb-ft hike over the old truck, helping contribute to a zero-100 km/h time of around six seconds.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-lexus-lx600-3q.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-168910" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-lexus-lx600-3q.jpg" alt="2022 Lexus LX 600" width="2000" height="1333" /></a>

Of course, that may be all well and good for the LX’s LC 500 grand tourer sibling, but when it comes to the LX, what most are going to want to hear about are its interior goodies and since it shares a platform with the also all-new Toyota Land Cruiser, what its chassis is all about.

When it comes to the former, it starts with one’s first impression, meaning the styling has to hit home.

Indeed, it doesn’t hit much harder than this big Lexus does when seen from the head-on perspective. Suffice to say that while the song may be called All About That Bass, here, it’s all about that face. A face that’s dominated – fully, completely, utterly and without question – by the grille.

The crossbar count sits at seven, and the chrome found thereon puts pretty much everything else on the market – on the full-size luxury SUV segment or otherwise – to shame, even if only about a third of it is actually used for cooling.

The question is – do we like it? Well, I wouldn’t say that I dislike it, necessarily. This is, after all, the flagship of the Lexus SUV range and that grille makes no bones about it. It sure is battleship-sized, weighing in at over 5,600 pounds, reaching 1,885 millimetres into the air and stretching nearly 2,000 mm across.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-lexus-lx600-engine.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-168911" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-lexus-lx600-engine.jpg" alt="2022 Lexus LX 600" width="2000" height="1333" /></a>

What’s strange, though, is that even with that grille, it doesn’t have quite the presence of a Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator. The new full-length rear taillight is nice as it helps give a lower look to what is a pretty tall truck and the wheels are fine, but there’s a little oomph missing somewhere. Maybe it’s the slabby sides, or the fact that my tester was painted white.

Things change, however, when you step inside.

Finished in something called “Caramel Sunset” leather, the interior drips with opulence. From the huge 12.3-inch widescreen infotainment display with ultra-rich colours, to the printed leather, to the slickly-styled and fabricated knobs and buttons for your climate controls and on to the digital gauge cluster, this is a thickly padded, tightly fastened together and stylish lesson in how to do luxury interiors right.

The infotainment system in the LX600 is the latest version offered by Toyota/Lexus and is a very slick affair with a responsive touchscreen, shortcuts down the side for everything from CarPlay to vehicle settings and finally – finally – the complete deletion of the joystick Lexus models have been using for years. It’s an all-touch or voice-activated affair now, and is all the better for it. That’s assuming you can reach it; it sits quite high up on the dash so those who need to sit a little further back from the wheel will have to stretch. Which is strange, because the driver’s seating position is quite upright and the dash sits pretty close, in a somewhat old school kind of way.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-lexus-lx600-interior.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-168912" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-lexus-lx600-interior.jpg" alt="2022 Lexus LX 600" width="2000" height="1333" /></a>

There’s also a secondary display below that contains various goings-on with the chassis and drivetrain (including a g-meter, which is kind of funny in a luxobarge like this) and after that, a digital rear-view mirror.

My tester had the Executive VIP package that, for a cool $44,750 – yes, you read that correctly – deletes the third row and provides about three cars’ worth of options. Chief among these turns the second-row seat into a business class pod; there’s a fully-reclining right rear passenger seat as well as displays for each passenger and a central-mounted unit for the rear climate controls and relaxation settings such as massaging seats.

What’s strange, however, is how for all the gizmos you have back there, there isn’t a huge amount of headroom and in an effort to lower the centre of gravity, there’s no full-length moonroof option. That’s fine reasoning, but seems like a pretty glaring omission in a $150,000-plus SUV.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_9110.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-168891" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_9110.jpg" alt="2022 Lexus LX 600" width="2000" height="1333" /></a>

It is one capable truck, though, the LX600. Power comes on incredibly smoothly and in linear fashion. There is no peakiness here, just a nice, flat-feeling powerband with a liquid-smooth 10-speed transmission that will never leave you hanging. It does it all so quietly, too, which is a nod to the LX600’s luxury-above-all-else attitude.

And attitude that, it should be said, takes a bit of a hit when it comes to the corners. Put simply, this is not a truck that wants you scything through bends like a sports car, and it has the body roll to prove it. You will likely find yourself – as I did – slowing down a little more through corners than is immediately obvious in an effort to keep things copasetic. Speaking of keeping things copasetic: there is a locking centre diff, driver-adjustable ride height and five off-road drive modes to select from, each playing with the ride height and various chassis systems to help out. Coupled with both a hill descent control and crawl control system, you are in good hands when it comes to venturing off the beaten path in the LX600. This brings us to the issue at hand when it comes to the new LX.

&nbsp;

You see, with the removal of the Toyota Land Cruiser from the US market for 2022 (it’s been gone from Canada for years), the LX can’t just be sharing a platform, but really needs to fill that gap more so than ever before. It wasn’t a huge gap to fill, but the result is a luxury SUV with concessions; the ride, the driving position, the rear seats and so on. It is an ultra-capable truck with incredible interior appointments, but there are caveats.

&nbsp;

2022 Lexus LX600

BODY STYLE: Five-door full-size luxury SUV

DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, four-wheel drive
ENGINE: 3.5-litre V6, turbo, 409 hp, 479 lb-ft of torque

FUEL ECONOMY CITY/HIGHWAY/COMBINED: 14.2/10.8/12.7 L/100 km
TRANSMISSION: 10-speed automatic

CARGO CAPACITY: 1,246 - 1,812 L

TOWING CAPACITY: 3,630 kg

Base MSRP: $106,950

As tested MSRP: $151,700

WEBSITE:  <a href="https://www.lexus.ca/lexus/en/automobiles/lx">Lexus LX</a>
The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

2022 Lexus LX 600 Review

2022 NISSAN PATHFINDER PLATINUM-main

Rob Beintema is an Auto Journalist for Metroland Media

The Nissan Pathfinder is back!

Well, actually, it really only missed the 2021 model year. But it doesn’t take long to pick up on a “return to rugged roots” theme for the all-new-for-’22 Pathfinder. The styling includes throwback cues that pay homage to the ancestral two-door Hardbody pickup truck conversion version that debuted 35 years ago.

There’s the subtle, almost Easter Egg return of the three slots atop the trademark Nissan V-Motion grille, a renewed emphasis on fender blisters, and new character lines that add “U-shaped highlights” to the side profile. Nissan familial traits are there - the boomerang-style “C-shaped” combo of headlights and DRLs, carved out more rectangularly on this SUV. And the “floating roof” theme that repeats throughout Nissan’s lineup, done here with blacked out “A” and “B” pillars and a dark strip across the top of the “C” pillar, which has also been angled forward in tribute to the triangular rear side window of that original Pathfinder.

The front overhang is shorter. The grille is more upright. Even the side glass is more upright for improved interior room. The hood is flatter, straighter, the stance more aggressive on bigger wheels, and the design sweeps to a restyled rear featuring flatter, wider rear glass and new slimmer flush-mounted tail lamps emphasizing width and stability. A wider tailgate broadly emblazoned with the “PATHFINDER” name, follows the lead, I think, of the Hyundai Pallisade and Kia Telluride.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-rear-badging-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165868" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-rear-badging-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Nissan Pathfinder" width="2560" height="1825" /></a>

This has all been done for the sake of more “truckiness”, dialing back some of the car-like softness and rounded aerodynamics that have accumulated over four generations. But this fifth generation 2022 Pathfinder is, of course, a very different beast from the original compact pickup adaptation – two feet longer, about a foot wider, riding on a ten-inch longer wheelbase. And, while it may boast ruggedness, it’s loaded with all the modern techs, tweaks and amenities you would expect.

The Pathfinder shifted back and forth between body-on-frame construction and unibody styles a couple of times in its history but the current unibody layout features front strut and rear independent multi-link suspension with stabilizer bars and dual pinion electric power steering to ensure controlled ride and handling.

Under the hood, a modern iteration of Nissan’s venerable 3.5-litre V6 makes 284 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque. There’s plenty of get-up-and-go on hand and enough oomph for an up to 2,722 kg (6,000 lb) trailer tow rating. Power is translated through an all-new ZF 9-speed automatic with manual mode and and paddle-shifters, a definite upgrade over the previously efficient but deadly dull CVT system. And all Pathfinders in Canada come with the Intelligent 4WD system controlled by a new console-mounted seven-position Drive and Terrain Mode Selector that rotates through Standard, Sport, Eco, Snow, Sand, Mud/Rut and Tow modes.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-egine-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165873" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-egine-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Nissan Pathfinder" width="2560" height="1842" /></a>

Idle stop/start and other engine efficiencies contribute to a fairly decent 11.6L/9.2L/100km (city/hwy) fuel consumption rating. My mixed bag of driving averaged out to 11.5L/100km (comb).

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder comes in 11 different colours including four new two-tone treatments. New head-turning colours include Scarlet Ember and our as-tested Obsidian Pearl/Super Black combo.

Five trim levels are available - S ($44,338), SV ($47,450), SL ($50,898), SL Premium ($52,698) and Platinum ($54,998).

All Pathfinders include a good base level of features that customers are looking for - heated front seats, heated steering, heated mirrors and heated washer nozzles, a 10-way power driver’s seat and Tri-Zone Automatic Temperature Control with second row climate controls for your rear passengers.

Nissan's innovative ProPILOT Assist, controlling acceleration, braking and steering, comes standard even in entry-level models this year, and all Pathfinders come with the Nissan Safety Shield 360, a package of technologies that bundles Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning,  Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Automatic Braking. Other standards include Hill Descent Control, Trailer Sway Control, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Driver Alertness, Blind Spot Intervention, Intelligent Lane Intervention and Rear Door Alert.

Slip into our fully loaded Platinum test vehicle and you are welcomed into a richly detailed Chestnut Brown and Black interior, mixing double-stitched leather details with glossy piano black and bronze metallic style highlights. Perforated heated/ventilated seats with quilted leather inserts are stylish and comfortable. A modern “bridge-style” console with pass-through storage below for your purse or tablet also mounts the new electronic shifter and a wireless cellphone charging pad.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-interior1-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165871" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-interior1-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Nissan Pathfinder" width="2560" height="1920" /></a> <a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-interior2-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165870" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-interior2-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Nissan Pathfinder" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>

Instrumentation is detailed and sensibly laid out and the view includes a 9-inch multi-touch display with all the expected apps, a 12.3-inch Advanced Drive Assist Display inside the dash with a 10.8-inch Head-up Display up top.

The second row features a choice of bench seating or, for the first time, two heated captain’s chairs and a removable rear console. The knees-up third row has been widened and the floor lowered by 25 mm to allow seating for three, so they say. Well, maybe for half-pint kids or hobbits. But, even with the new EZ FLEX one-touch release button system, if you try cramming Aunt Bertha’s bridge team back there you might be calling for the fire department extrication team.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-interior-door-detail-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165872" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-interior-door-detail-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Nissan Pathfinder" width="2560" height="1935" /></a> <a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-second-row-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165867" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NISSAN-PATHFINDER-PLATINUM-second-row-scaled.jpg" alt="2022 Nissan Pathfinder" width="2560" height="1671" /></a>

Behind the 60/40 split folding third row, the liftgate opens to 470 litres of luggage room, enough to accommodate four golf bags with all three-rows up. That space increases to 1,274 litres with the third row down, maxing out to 2,421 litres with both rear rows folded flat. There’s even enough width to accommodate 4X8 sheets of plywood. Cargo conveniences include grocery bag hooks, tie downs, 12V power outlet and an underfloor storage compartment.

Given my druthers, I’d be tempted to opt for the militaristically flavoured Obsidian Pearl/Super Black combo tested here, maybe accessorized with the Thule Canyon XT roof basket mounting a couple of rally lights up top.

But, whew! It’s hard to summarize this 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, especially in Platinum trim with an almost endless list of features and amenities, standards and extras that complement this competent modern performer while hinting at historic styling milestones of its past.

So, to really capture the essence of the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, well, you’ll probably just have to test drive one yourself.

The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

REVIEW: 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD

2022 Infiniti QX60_front 3-4 profile

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The QX60 mid-size SUV has been a sales workhorse for Infiniti in Canada for almost a decade – 35 per cent of sales since 2012 – but signs of its advancing age had been showing in recent years.

I remember thinking it was starting to look a bit dated as far back as 2016 when it received a mid-cycle styling update, so by 2021 the gig really was up. Just look at Infiniti’s sales figures, which show a precipitous decline. In 2021, the QX60 was still the brand’s number two seller in Canada, but its sales had shrunk to barely a quarter of what they were in 2019.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_side-profile.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165843" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_side-profile.jpg" alt="2022 Infiniti QX60" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

Of course, much of the decline is pandemic related. Infiniti’s sales volume in Canada in 2021 was roughly half of what it was in 2019, so big declines throughout the lineup are unavoidable. It is important to note also that 2020 was technically the final model year for the outgoing QX60 which left Infiniti dealers scrambling for the few remaining units available to get them through 2021.

Thankfully for them, and for Infiniti, a new QX60 era has begun. I recently spent a week driving the all-new 2022 second-gen model, which marked my first extended period with it after getting a shorter taste during its media launch last December.

So as not to repeat myself, my focus here will be on the car I drove and my impressions of it. For more context on the second gen QX60 and where it fits within Infiniti writ large, check out my first drive story <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/car-reviews/first-drive-2022-infiniti-qx60/">here</a>.

For this review, Infiniti set me up with a range-topping Autograph press unit which essentially comes with every bell and whistle imaginable. For the media drive back in December, all the units were Sensory ($64,995 base MSRP), which is one notch below Autograph.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_front-fender-wheel.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165847" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_front-fender-wheel.jpg" alt="2022 Infiniti QX60" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

And Sensory doesn’t mean stripped down. Standard kit includes 20-inch wheels, Bose Performance 17-speaker sound system, black open pore wood interior trim, climate-controlled massage front seats, adaptive front LED lighting system, 6,000-pound towing capacity and a lot more.

For an extra $3,000, Autograph comes with all that stuff plus semi-aniline leather seats (first and second row) with quilting, perforation and contrast stitching and piping, second-row captains chairs and removable centre console, Black Obsidian contrast roof and front central seat-mounted air bag. The biggest difference here is the presence of second row Captain’s chairs which reduce seating capacity to six as opposed to seven in the three lower grades.

The only option my tester has is a $1,000 paint charge for its two-tone Deep Bordeaux / Black Obsidian exterior finish.

From an appearance standpoint, I’d say the QX60 is quite handsome. With a longer hood, flattened double-arch grille and new front and rear LED lighting, the new QX60 possesses a look that is bolder and more sophisticated.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_engine-compartment.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165849" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_engine-compartment.jpg" alt="2022 Infiniti QX60" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

My tester on the launch program was a dark shade of blue, but the two-tone red and black colour scheme on this press unit is the more striking of the two. Combined with chrome trim and 20-inch wheels, this scheme is the most attractive available, in my view. The only missteps on the design front are the chrome diffuser inserts in the rear bumper, which don’t house exhaust finishers. They look strange as is but could be remedied with a mild redesign that ports the exhaust outlets through them, which would give the QX60 a more commanding view at the rear.

On the inside, the QX60 impresses. The dashboard and centre console are both logically laid out, with a minimal amount of clutter and every knob and switch located within easy reach. The mix of materials in use here are of high grade, with a premium look and feel. I’m not a big fan of capacitive touch panels for frequently used features such as climate controls, but the one in the QX60 isn’t as distracting as others I have encountered.

While I am impressed with the screens in the QX60 (digital instrument cluster, multimedia touchscreen and head-up display) and they’re all suitably large, customizable, and quite dazzling, what I like most about this cabin is the way it’s finished.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_dashboard-centre-console.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165850" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_dashboard-centre-console.jpg" alt="2022 Infiniti QX60" width="1920" height="1080" /></a> <a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_Apple-CarPlay.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165851" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_Apple-CarPlay.jpg" alt="2022 Infiniti QX60" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

The open pore wood trim in the dash, and the quilting and piping detail on the semi-aniline leather seats and on the leather dash pad insert are simply magnificent. And the curvature of the dash itself, with the 12.3-inch multimedia screen set back at an angle, as if it was placed just so by the driver adds extra dimensionality to the proceedings. These details can be appreciated in black, but if I was building a QX60 for myself, I’d opt for the Saddle Brown / Black option, as the lighter shade makes these fine touches more visible.

As for the drive, the QX60 carries over with the same 3.5-litre V6 used in the previous model and in the current Nissan Pathfinder, which is also all-new for 2022. Output remains unchanged at 295 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, but what’s new is the gearbox. The CVT found in the outgoing car has been replaced with a nine-speed automatic, which makes a huge difference for the QX60’s road manners.

Previously, the V6 offered good, if not neck-snapping, performance off the line and in passing, but its goodness was undone by a groaning, rubber-banding transmission that turned the driving experience into a tedious chore. Thankfully, Infiniti engineers saw the light and made the change and the QX60 is much better for it. The nine-speed is much quieter and easier for the driver to modulate with their right foot, with operation that is more predictable and has better feedback.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_rear-seat.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165844" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_rear-seat.jpg" alt="2022 Infiniti QX60" width="1920" height="1080" /></a> <a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_instrument-cluster.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165846" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_instrument-cluster.jpg" alt="2022 Infiniti QX60" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

In terms of ride and handling, I find the QX60 to be comfortable, quiet, and reasonably responsive for a mid-size SUV. Infiniti engineers have reworked the car’s steering (reduced vibration, better low and high-speed response), all-wheel drive system (new direct coupling) and have beefed up its sound insulation to deliver a more serene driving experience and based on my experience they have largely succeeded. Apart from the bumpiest and most broken roads, the QX60’s ride is quite composed.

Of note, I found the revised AWD system combined with snow mode to be quite effective at reducing wheel-spin and improving handling on snow-covered roads during my test.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_rear-3-4-profile.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165845" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Infiniti-QX60_rear-3-4-profile.jpg" alt="2022 Infiniti QX60" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

In sum, the second gen QX60 is a much better vehicle than the one it replaces, with an attractive design, finely appointed interior, and much improved driving dynamics, especially on the transmission front. It offers plenty of space, technology, versatility, and style. It could be argued that it shares a little too much in common with its Pathfinder cousin, especially on the tech front, but I think the QX60 stands on its own merits.

The past two years have been difficult ones for Infiniti, but the new QX60 should mark the beginning of better days ahead.

The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

REVIEW: 2022 Infiniti QX60 Autograph

2021_Toyota_Camry_XSE front

Mark Toljagic is an accredited automobile journalist with a pro-consumer bent - which also describes the condition of many of his own cars.

Back when full-sized American cars roamed the continent, the Chevrolet Impala was the T-Rex of the leaded-gas era, dominating the market with more than one million units sold in 1965 alone.

It’s a record that still stands today. Surprisingly, an American-branded sedan hasn’t ruled the sales charts since the Ford Taurus relinquished its best-selling crown to the Toyota Camry in 1997.

The Camry has been America’s sweetheart ever since – except in 2001 when the Honda Accord topped the chart for one year. (By comparison, Honda’s Civic has been Canada’s favourite car for the past 24 years.)

Starting with its first boxy, front-wheel-drive Camry in 1982, Toyota proved it could build models for North American tastes, and even have fun with the language: Camry is an anagram of “my car.”

The eighth generation of Toyota’s midsize family sedan rolled out of its Georgetown, Kentucky, plant in June 2017. Unlike the unambitious styling that graced earlier Camrys, the 2018 four-door looked longer, lower and wider, giving it a sleeker profile unlike any Camry that preceded it.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2018_Toyota_Camry_XSE-interior-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165829" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2018_Toyota_Camry_XSE-interior-scaled.jpg" alt="2018 Toyota Camry" width="2560" height="1592" /></a>

Thank company boss Akio Toyoda for his newfound interest in building unboring cars. In the Camry, that meant replacing the previous rear-strut suspension with a double-wishbone setup that, combined with the rigid TNGA platform, was key to making the Camry a better driver’s car. The five-centimetre-longer wheelbase also provided generous rear-seat legroom and knee clearance.

The cabin’s asymmetrical dashboard features a wavelike element and triangular centre stack that angles toward the driver, while the dash curves away from the passenger to create a sense of spaciousness. Higher trims get soft-touch plastics and attractive graining, and designers finally added some colour to the interior palette instead of sticking with industrial black.

Toyota’s Entune 3.0 infotainment system features a standard app-based navigation system, which works through a connected Apple or Android phone with the Scout app to provide turn-by-turn directions just like a factory nav system. The downside is Entune didn’t support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto at the outset. And customers found it buggy

“Their Entune system is almost pre-historic,” wrote one unhappy Camry owner in a post. “It disengages while driving and when it’s parked. I am constantly reloading the apps on my phone and then have to reload the apps to the system. It takes 20-25 minutes each time.”

Powering the Camry are two new, but familiar, engines. The 2.5-litre four-cylinder has a longer stroke and a higher compression ratio than before, and it boasts direct-and-port-injected fuel delivery to combat carbon deposits. There’s 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque on tap, or 206/186 with quad exhaust. A 176 hp version of the same engine pairs with a synchronous AC electric motor/generator, rated at 118 hp and 149 lb-ft of torque, in the Camry Hybrid for a combined output of 208 hp.

Optional is an all-new 3.5-litre V6, this time making 301 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque. Both engines work with a new eight-speed conventional automatic transmission, while the hybrid makes do with a sophisticated continuously variable (CVT) automatic.

Toyota upped its safety content with standard forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection and automated braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning with steering assist and no less than 10 airbags. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking is available. The Camry passes the requisite crash testing with five stars across the board.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2018_Toyota_Camry_XSE-rear-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165828" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2018_Toyota_Camry_XSE-rear-scaled.jpg" alt="2018 Toyota Camry" width="2560" height="1707" /></a>

In terms of updates in subsequent model years, Apple CarPlay was added to Entune in 2019, while Android Auto came on board in 2020 models. Also added that year was optional all-wheel drive, but solely with the four-cylinder engine. Also new was a performance-oriented V6 outfitted by Toyota Racing Development (TRD), complete with retuned dampers supported by stiffer springs that lower the ride height, along with beefier anti-roll bars, chassis bracing, a TRD-specific exhaust system and lightweight wheels. An aerodynamic body kit and cabin dressed in racy red complete the look.

For 2021 the Camry received revised styling up front, along with new paint colours and alloy wheels. Inside, there’s new touchscreens that measure either seven or nine inches, as well as enhanced driver assists, including technology that better recognizes pedestrians and cyclists.

The latest generation Camry actually is a nice driving automobile. Its four-cylinder engine is the most powerful naturally aspirated four in the segment, and its additional output is evident. Zero to 97 km/h comes up in 7.3 seconds – decent performance for a mid-sizer saddled with a four banger. The hybrid model is no less energetic.

The Camry’s V6 – now a rarity in the thinning family sedan segment – beats many competitors’ turbocharged fours. Highway velocity comes up in 5.8 seconds and the acceleration is not marred by torque steer. The velvety eight-speed automatic transmission kicks down willingly most of the time. The drivetrain is so smooth and unruffled that it’s easy to see why the same hardware underpins the Lexus ES sedan.

The TNGA chassis is remarkably solid and resists body roll admirably, providing a newfound poise that was missing in action in previous Camrys. There’s not a hint of harshness in the ride; bumps in the road surface, whether large or small, are damped well overall. The electric steering provides weight that builds nicely as you turn the wheel. Unfortunately, the Camry isn’t a serenely quiet car – the engine is buzzy under acceleration and there’s noticeable wind and road noise on the highway.

Fuel efficiency is a hot topic these days and the Camry’s new engines make strides towards better numbers. In a major magazine road test on a mix of streets and highways, the V6 averaged 9.7 litres/100 km (29 m.p.g.), the four-cylinder returned 7.2 L/100 km (39 m.p.g.) and the gas-electric hybrid exceeded 5.7 L/100 km (50 m.p.g.) in real-world conditions.
<h3>OWNERS TALK RELIABILITY</h3>
One of the primary reasons the Camry sells so well is that this unassuming sedan helped establish Toyota’s reputation for reliability over the past four decades. It’s no wonder that so many of them rack up half a million kilometres or more working as taxicabs. The latest iteration promises more of the same bulletproof reliability, although there are a few reoccurring issues used-car buyers should be aware of.

“Transmission shifts absolutely terrible (and) hunts for gears constantly. The vehicle hesitates for more than a couple seconds sometimes when merging on the freeway, making it dangerous,” one owner posted online, sharing an observation about the eight-speed automatic others have noted, too.

That hesitation experienced in some 2018-2019 four-cylinder Camrys, typically while accelerating from a slow roll or rolling stop, may be traced to the Engine Control Module logic that can be modified to reduce the potential for hesitation as described in technical service bulletin <a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10173797-9999.pdf">T-SB-0152-19</a>.

In an important recall involving the brake vacuum pump, 2018-2019 Camrys could lose power braking if certain pump components prematurely wear out (although unassisted braking will still be functional). A cap inside the pump can become stuck between the vane and the pump housing, potentially preventing the vacuum pump from supplying vacuum to the brake booster.

In another recall involving 2018-2020 Camrys, fuel pumps are being replaced because their impellers may crack and absorb fuel. This can deform the impeller and cause the engine to stall. The automaker had received more than 2,500 fuel pump warranty claims.

In addition, a few owners have noted their power steering started working intermittently while driving. Repairs may require replacing the gear assembly and the electric motor and steering shaft assembly – an expensive fix post-warranty.

Owners of 2020-2021 models have experienced a rash of prematurely dead batteries. <a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10181782-9999.pdf">T-SB-0095-20</a> prescribes a DCM reset and firmware update to address a recent software update that may have drained the battery with numerous incomplete ignition starts.

If that’s a lot of problems for a much-hyped dependable Toyota, know that the Camry sells in the hundreds of thousands every year, so any issues are well documented online. The reality is this newest generation Camry took some risks that made for a thoroughly more engaging car. If you’re looking for a more reliable example, the Camry Hybrid comes highly recommended.

The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

Buying Used: 2018-2021 Toyota Camry

2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_Front 3 quarter

Ever since his dad started bringing home a weekly Matchbox or Hot Wheels toy as a toddler, Matthew has had a slightly unhealthy obsession with everything motorized. When an opportunity was presented in 2006 to start writing about his experiences, he jumped at the chance and hasn’t looked back. And while he still relishes every chance he gets behind the wheel of something with a performance bent (and preferably three pedals), his happy place is being somewhere, anywhere on a motorcycle.

Walking up to the Sonic Grey Pearl Honda Pilot TrailSport, two things immediately jump out at me. The first is that the blacked-out accents and matching 18-inch alloys do a convincing job of making this newly released model look a lot like the top-tier Black Edition. In fact, other than the size and style of those rims and the lack of a telltale badge on the grill, the two could be twins.

The second is that this TrailSport – Honda’s “adventure ready” trim line – doesn’t have any recovery hooks. In fact, there aren’t even any removable hatches in the front bumper that could be ejected to accept a towing hook (those disappeared along with said eyelet when the third generation Pilot this is based on debuted in 2016). And unless you add an optional tow package, there’s nothing in the rear either. Digging a bit deeper, I take a peek at the undercarriage. There are no skid plates bolted up either. Hrmm…?

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_rear-3-quarter.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-164084" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_rear-3-quarter.png" alt="2022 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="6000" height="4000" /></a>

Puzzled, I cruise around to the back liftgate to make sure I’ve got the keys to the right vehicle. Sure enough, there’s an orange badge affixed telling me this is indeed the TrailSport edition of the Pilot, but bereft of any visible off-road prerequisites, what does that mean?

Seekers, adventurers, explorers. Regardless of which hashtag you feel fits best, the active lifestyle enthusiast has become one of the hottest commodities in consumer spending. And automakers have been quick to get in on the action: Subaru has recently introduced their Wilderness line, Toyota has extended TRD Pro to other models, Jeep has their Trail Rated Trailhawks and now Honda has TrailSport.

Sadly, unlike examples from the aforementioned competition, Honda’s TrailSport line really only adds a bit of ground clearance and some aesthetic changes to the mix. The Pilot I’m driving does sit 15mm taller than its stablemates, but that lift alone does little to earn it any extra merit badges. Approach and departure angles don’t substantially change (19.6/20.8 vs 19.7/21.8) and the lack of recovery points or underbody protections would cause me to pause before venturing down anything more aggressive than a rutted or washed out cottage or fire road.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_profile.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-164085" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_profile.png" alt="2022 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="6000" height="4000" /></a>

&nbsp;

However, if that’s all you’re looking to do, the Pilot (regardless of trim package) remains a comfortable and cavernous way to accomplish that.

The interior, admittedly a little dated, ticks all of the necessary boxes. The heated and powered captains chairs up front are decently bolstered and supportive. Draped in black leather, the orange TrailSport logo is emblazoned on their headrests and matching orange accent stitching is employed on all three rows. There is an enormous storage cubby between the two front seats and a wireless charging station sits beneath the centre stack.

The 7-inch TFT screen is neatly integrated into the dash and I’m happy to report that media and HVAC controls consist of buttons and knobs. There is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although both are available solely via a wired connection. There are four USB ports in total but surprisingly the TrailSport forgoes a 115-volt outlet, so you may wish to grab an inverter if you’re the type to “plug-in” while “unplugged”: there are three available 12-volt power outlets.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_driver-seat.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-164089" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_driver-seat.png" alt="2022 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="5371" height="3569" /></a> <a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_Drive-Modes.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-164090" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport_Drive-Modes.png" alt="2022 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="5506" height="3489" /></a>

Passengers – even adult sized ones – have enough space to enjoy the ride regardless of which row they end up in, and access/egress to the back of the bus is easy enough. If you don’t need to make use of that third row, the Pilot TrailSport boasts nearly 1,600-litres of cargo capacity (which is the same for all Pilots), which should be more than enough for most campers or glampers.

From behind the wheel visibility is decent, and the TrailSport includes a rearview camera on the passenger side wing-mirror that activates when the right signal starts to click. Surprisingly one isn’t fitted to the driver side and the TrailSport does not include active blindspot monitoring.

Powered by a 280-horsepower, 3.5-litre V6, this Pilot moves with ample hustle. Despite the lack of a turbo, the torque curve starts low and develops linearly. Mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission, power is distributed via Honda’s i-VTM4 (intelligent Variable Torque Management) all-wheel-drive system. There are some switchable drive modes – Normal, Snow, Mud and Sand – that tailor throttle response and power distribution to optimise performance in a given setting, but don’t go looking for locking differentials or disconnecting sway bars. I experimented mostly with Snow mode as that was the extent of challenging terrain I experienced, but the white stuff wasn’t deep enough to warrant the transition.

I did find the transmission to be a bit stodgy in its gear selection process, hunting and pecking for an extra second here and there. Regardless, overall acceleration was confident and cruising at highway speeds spins the motor at a mere 1,500 r.p.m. There is a Sport mode that can be called upon to hold revs a bit longer before shifting but I found just disabling ECO mode made enough difference for day-to-day driving. Ride quality with the longer travel suspension feels about the same as other Pilots, which isn’t a bad thing at all.

What’s less than impressive, at least in my experiences, are some of the decisions made regarding user touch points. The gear selector is a collection of four separate buttons. In my week with the Pilot TrailSport these neither became intuitive nor enjoyable to use. Worse still, swapping between reverse and drive required me to look at the button I wanted to touch, rather than simply moving a physical shifter with eyes kept on the road. A tried and true shifter would eat up as much real estate and deliver a better user experience.

More puzzling, the parking brake continues to be a manually operated pedal assembly. While I’m certainly not opposed to a little old-school flair like this, it comes at the expense of a comfortable dead pedal. I don’t boast an E-width foot, but I still found the perch wasn’t wide enough to allow old lefty to sit straight.

With a newly redesigned fourth generation Honda Pilot rumoured to break cover in time for the 2023 model year, the current ageing edition isn’t without its shortcomings. But that being said, never once did I feel like I was missing out on anything essential. Where I feel Honda missed the mark was in its failure to equip any substantial off-road enhancements to coincide with the TrailSport branding, especially given what the competition has done and the fact that a modified Pilot scored a top-five finish in the <a href="https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/honda-associates-navigate-2019-honda-pilot-and-2018-ridgeline-across-all-women-rebelle-rally-finish-line?query=Women+off+road">Rebelle Rally</a> a few years back. As it sits, this is really just an aesthetics package.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport-24.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-164093" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_Honda_Pilot_TrailSport-24.png" alt="2022 Honda Pilot Trailsport" width="6000" height="4000" /></a>

Whether or not that should sway your buying dollars depends entirely on how far you and your family hope to seek, adventure or explore. Canada Goose has built an empire out of making urbanites look as though they're enroute to clink glasses with Shackleton at the south pole, so I suppose there’s no real harm in simply looking the part, even if you’re just heading to the new, remote office.
The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

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