MotorTrend's Car of the Year award has been awarded annually since 1949—a long streak of naming the very best all-new or significantly revised vehicle available in a given year, and we're beginning our reveal of the contenders, finalists, and, ultimately, the winner for the 2022 edition. While trucks and SUVs now rule the American vehicle market roost, we nevertheless had a field of more than 15 nameplates vying for the coveted COTY Golden Calipers this time around. We judge each competitor not against each other but rather —safety, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, and performance of intended function—and it takes a special car to excel enough in these areas to secure the bid. In this rundown, we present the new car contenders that didn't quite make it to the finalist group, with a new batch added every day through Wednesday of this week. The finalists will be announced on Thursday and Friday, November 11 and 12, and be sure to come back on Monday, November 15 to learn which model was named 2022 MotorTrend Car of the Year!
