2022 Texas Auto Roundup Winners: Family Car of Texas Plus My Personal Favorites
Erica Mueller
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The annual Texas Auto Roundup is where the Texas Auto Writers’ Association decides their favorite cars.
Each year members of the Texas Auto Writers Association gather to drive and rate new vehicles. Here are the 2022 Texas Auto Roundup Winners including, but not limited to, the family car of Texas, CUV of Texas, and Performance Vehicle of Texas. And this year we had a brand new category: Electric Vehicle of Texas. The full list is below, but I want to start with the winners and then talk about a few of my personal favorites.
How We Choose the Winners
Did you know it takes two full days and around 30 automotive journalists to drive over 30 vehicles back to back, taking notes, pictures, and videos to come up with these awards? The chance to drive competing vehicles back to back doesn’t come very often so this yearly event offers a unique opportunity to compare similar vehicles from different brands and find the best of the best for our readers. At the end of the event each vehicle is ranked in six different categories and all of the votes are tallied up to name the winners.
Related: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: 8 Reasons to Love It
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Photo: Peter Yu (Used with Permission)
Award Winners in the Overall Categories
Family Vehicle of Texas: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (Pictured is the S model)
We have written about the Chrysler Pacifica numerous times here on a Girls Guide to Cars. It is an excellent choice for families who need more than two rows of seating. And, if you’re looking for luxury the Pinnacle appearance package will pamper you in every way. The Pacifica offers many different appearance packages including the S (sport) model pictured above. You can also get it as a plug-in hybrid.
Related: Toyota Sienna vs. Chrysler Pacifica vs. Honda Odyssey: How Do These Minivans Stack Up in the Ultimate Showdown?
Photo: Peter Yu (Used with Permission)
Performance Vehicle of Texas: 2022 Lexus LC 500
Hands down my favorite performance car to drive is the Lexus LC 500. Available with a hard top or a soft-top convertible, this Luxury Coupe (LC) is a thrill to drive. It sounds good, is one of the most comfortable cars I’ve ever sat in, and it is so eye-catching. I wasn’t the least bit surprised to see it win this award.
Related: 2019 Lexus LC 500h: The Luxury Car that Made Me Feel Like a Movie Star
Photo: Peter Yu (Used with Permission)
CUV of Texas And EV of Texas: Hyundai IONIQ 5
And finally, the vehicle that took home both the CUV of Texas and the EV of Texas awards! At the Roundup, we lovingly referred to this one as “the car of the future” because it looks like a prototype you’d see at a car show, or something you’d see in the movies. To get to drive it and to know it’s available to buy and will be seen on roads in our neighborhood soon seemed a little unreal. But it’s here and the IONIQ 5 is beautifully different which is probably why it earned its third and final award for Personal Appeal.
Related: Hyundai Ioniq: 1 Car, 3 Fuel Efficient Options, Endless Happiness
2022 Texas Auto Roundup Winners
Category Awards
- Luxury Car ($40,000 – $65,000): Genesis G70
- Luxury Car ($65,000 – $100,000): Lexus LC 500
- Performance Coupe: Toyota GR Supra
- Performance Sedan: Hyundai Elantra
- CUV: Mazda CX-50
- Luxury CUV: Lexus NX-450h+
- Minivan: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
- Green Vehicle: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
- Electric Vehicle: Hyundai IONIQ5
Calculated Awards
- Best Interior: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
- Best Exterior: Lexus LC 500
- Best Value: Hyundai Elantra
- Best Personal Appeal: Hyundai IONIQ 5
Feature Awards
- Best New Feature: Hyundai Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) Function
- Best New Interior: Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Interior
Photo: Peter Yu (Used with permission)
A Few Personal Favorites
I was really impressed with a few vehicles that I got to drive and wanted them to have their own little section in this post. So here goes!
The Nissan Leaf+ surprised me the most with its range, interior and starting price just under $20k. For an all-electric vehicle, this is amazing. Its range is totally comparable to others in its class, but its price is less than half! And it does not feel or drive like a cheap car. Nissan has really outdone themselves and I am looking forward to getting to drive this one again.
Next up is the Honda Passport. I had the chance to drive a Passport a few years ago and was so impressed with the spacious interior and the fact that the second row can easily hold 3 car seats. But this year what impressed me was the comfortable and quiet ride. I felt like I had entered an oasis when I got into the Passport and I imagined how welcoming that would be after a long day.
If I could choose a car to spend a week having fun in, I’d have a hard time choosing between the Toyota Supra and it’s little brother, the GR 86. These were both so thrilling to drive on and off-track. Their sporty appearance is a perfect match for their pep and I could not get enough of either of them. While the Supra is a little more powerful, the GR 86 is a solid choice for someone who wants to live their kart dreams on a daily basis.
So there you have it! The official winners and a few honorable mentions from yours truly. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun to pick our top choices of Texas!
