This week, Ford dominated the news with the debut of its new electric F-150 pickup. We’ve got all the details about the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, including prices and the release date.
In addition to Ford’s big news, Acura dropped official prices for the racy new TLX Type S, BMW dropped specs for its upcoming redesigned 2022 2 Series Coupe, Kia dropped details about its new EV6 electric crossover, an industry trade journal dropped hints that Toyota is going to launch a new small crossover in the U.S., and Mazda dropped the Mazda CX-3 and Mazda6 from its lineup.
This week we published an explainer defining the different lane departure, keeping, and centering technologies. We’ve also got Five Fun Facts articles about the 2021 Hyundai Elantra and 2021 Hyundai Sonata, a comparison of the Chevrolet Trailblazer vs. Subaru Crosstrek, and reviews of the BMW X5 Plug-in Hybrid and the 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness.
Lastly, if you’re looking for a great used car for a teen driver or a college graduate, we’ve done the research for you.
But that’s not everything that was happening in the automotive space.
With a tease and a wink during a week when Ford’s electric F-150 dominated the conversation, Toyota released a front silhouette of the redesigned 2022 Tundra full-size pickup. Aside from stating the obvious (that it will offer front LED headlights and lighting signatures), there are no exact details to report about the vehicle. Today’s Tundra has a 381-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 under the hood, but rumors abound that a turbocharged V6 will replace it. A hybrid version will also be available.
Chevy also aimed to steal some of the Ford F-150 Lightning’s thunder this week by announcing that the ingenious Multi-Flex Tailgate from the Silverado 1500 would be available for the 2022 Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD models. Multi-Flex offers six functions that make it easier to load and carry cargo, get in and out of the truck’s cargo bed, and plug in a laptop computer to create a job site workstation.
Stick shifters, rejoice! The sport-tuned Honda Civic Si and performance-oriented Honda Civic Type R are returning for 2022 – and only with manual transmissions. While cars equipped with manual gearboxes have been steadily declining – this report says only 2.4% of vehicles sold in the U.S. have sticks – they’re still the choice of driving enthusiasts who are proud of their increasingly esoteric skill and love them for their increased engagement with the car.
Gas Prices Spike to Highest Price in Over Six Years
Gas prices rise, and gas prices fall. Buffeted by seasonal hikes, along with supply disruptions – most recently the Colonial Pipeline quagmire coupled with a tanker-truck driver shortage – fuel prices reached a new recent high this week. According to the Automobile Association of America, nationwide, unleaded cost an average of $3.045 per gallon, the highest since October 2014.
While that seems like a bargain to Californians and Hawaiians, who typically see the highest prices in the nation, everyone else will be feeling the pinch for a while. Experts predict that prices will still fluctuate until Memorial Day – which typically kicks off the summer driving season.
Ford Racks Up Nearly 1,000 RPH (Reservations per Hour) for F-150 Lightning - Find the best Ford deals!
This week, Ford made plenty of headlines between introducing the electric 2022 F-150 Lightning EV and “I’m a car guy” POTUS jumping into one for an impromptu acceleration run at a test track. Now comes news that Ford accepted 44,500 pre-order reservation slots within 48 hours of the F-150 Lightning’s debut.
These are not just hand-raisers, either. Each person making a reservation had to put down a $100 refundable deposit to secure a place in the line to purchase the pickup. The starting price for the stripped-down version is $39,974, while Ford reports that a fully-loaded Platinum model can rise to $90,474. The truck does qualify for the $7,500 federal income tax credit and any state or local incentives.
The automakers and trusted publications are the sources of information for this article. It was accurate on May 21, 2021, but it may have changed since that date.
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