Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're counting the ballots for our top vehicle picks of 2023...

The best cars, trucks, and utilities, it's the MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Awards!

We'll get hands-on with custom graphics on "Your Drive."

Plus, an "FYI" look at the latest car buying trends...

So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: Everyone loves a winner.

But the real triumphs are hard earned.

And that's how we select our annual Drivers' Choice Awards.

All of the winners here are truly deserving as they are the ones that we like driving the most.

So, let's get right to it with the cars that came out on top this year!

♪ ♪ Not everyone has jumped aboard the crossover bandwagon, but America's tastes have certainly broadened from the traditional 4-door sedan.

Which means naming the hatchback Toyota Prius our Best Family Car really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

Coming from a time when you had to explain what a hybrid was, through the debut of this better than ever 5th-generation, the Prius has become the fuel-sipping go-to for many American families.

It's a repeat win for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class as our Best Luxury Sedan.

The reasons are many; its tech like augmented reality navigation; the 77 inches of screen space; but also, its E-Active Body Control that delivers a composed driving experience unlike any other big sedan.

It's a tough package to top and turns out no other luxury car could.

Expectations were certainly high for the reborn Acura Integra, and it fully lived up to them.

That's why it's our best Sport Sedan for 2023.

A totally modern compact sport-luxury car with good power and a genuinely fun to drive nature.

Plus, easy to use tech, and more than acceptable amounts of luxury, all at an entry-level price.

Another vehicle making a return to headlines this year is the Nissan Z, our pick for Best Sport Coupe.

Yes, it's just Z now, and while not as all-new as some would have liked, it fully embodies the "Zethos" of the original, world-class performance for a bargain-class price.

Aided by Infiniti's smooth and powerful 400 horsepower 4.0 liter twin-turbo V6, it looks great, drives great, and is everything a Z should be.

With the emergence of EVs with outrageous performance numbers, it's getting harder to define what a performance car is.

But for our Best Performance Car award winner, it only took us one drive in Audi's spectacular RS3 to know it was the one.

With a unique 401 horsepower 5-cylinder turbo engine, and well-sorted suspension setup; this 4-door performer may be small in stature, but it packs a big performance punch for not a lot of money.

This year saw the arrival of a record number of battery electric vehicles, so we're expanding our EV awards to highlight 4 of the best we drove this year.

When it comes to electrifying the iconic compact German luxury sport sedan, we don't see how BMW could have done a better job than they did with i4; all the fun and feel we were hoping for, with no more stops for gas!

If this all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ utility is indeed a true representation of what's to come from the new Cadillac, we couldn't be happier or more excited to drive what's still to come.

For about half the price of an Escalade, Cadillac has delivered an all-new gorgeous EV with more than 300 miles of range, loaded with tech and luxury.

If buzz and hype were the only criteria for winning an award, the GMC Hummer EV Pickup would have won in a landslide.

Our criteria are much stricter, and the Hummer EV Pickup is still a runaway winner.

It' so much more than just a pickup truck with batteries, it truly is unlike any vehicle we've ever driven.

While, Kia has been an EV builder for quite a few years, the EV6 is their first vehicle on a dedicated battery platform.

Plus, it also significantly raises the bar for the segment, delivering great range, better practicality, and tremendous ease of use; all in a spectacular looking crossover package.

That wraps up our look at the cars and EVs that earned our 2023 MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Awards; but stay tuned for a rundown of our truck and utility winners later in the show.

♪ ♪ A new year brings new challenges for car shoppers and dealers alike.

As many of us know, the auto industry has been turned upside down during the last few years.

And whether you believe these changes are positive or negative, information is power.

"FYI" reporter Stephanie Hart breaks down the latest in car buying trends.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: High interest rates, supply chain problems and fears of a recession were some of the big challenges for the automotive industry in the last few years.

The post pandemic shakedown forced the auto industry and consumers to adapt, sparking new car buying habits.

My research for this FYI report led me to Jones Junction multi-franchise dealership in Bel Air, Maryland.

It's a True Car certified dealer for new and used cars.

As you may know, TrueCar is an automotive digital marketplace that connects auto buyers and sellers to a nationwide network of preferred dealers.

Recently, TrueCar released its Automotive Shopper Trends Report.

It reveals car shoppers' actions and expectations during 2022.

The findings are pretty interesting.

Brand loyalty has been on a downward trend for the last couple of years mainly due to the supply shortage.

As a result, today's car shoppers are more open-minded than ever before.

After all, they have to be!

They're flexible when it comes to things like budgets, features, and buying a new or used car.

The study shows 20 percent of TrueCar shoppers who originally intended to buy a new vehicle ended up purchasing a used one, but the reasons aren't entirely due to inventory constraints.

TrueCar asked customers to rank, in order of importance, what they're looking for in a used or new car.

Coming in at number one: reliability; number two: fuel efficiency; and number three: engine.

The rating was consistent across all buyer segments-- including luxury and non-luxury vehicles.

EVs like this one continue to shake up the car buying market.

During the first half of 2022 TrueCar reported a 120 percent increase year over year for EV prospects and a 25 percent year over year jump for hybrids.

Record-high gas prices during the Summer of 2022 had a lot to do with it.

The study shows more than half of consumers say they are "somewhat" or "very likely" to consider an EV for their next vehicle.

BRYAN KILBY: It's a big question of the support of it, right, and the infrastructure of electric.

A couple of our brands-- they have electric, hybrid, gas, so it's the little of the best of both worlds and I think that car is in strong demand.

You know, they run 30-to-50 miles on a plug.

Plug in, and then they switch over to gas and hybrid technology, and I think that's the really big deal.

STEPHANIE: Sentiments in sync with statistics, showing car shoppers are more practical nowadays, opting for features related to performance rather than appearance.

Still, they don't always like the process.

BOB FOUNTAIN: Shopping for a car is a real experience, you know.

I hate when the guy goes back and says, "Oh I got to see my sales manager."

A lot of times you know what it's gonna be and that's it.

You know going in.

STEPHANIE: The in-person sale's process, and time, are two of the reasons more people are buying automobiles online.

The study shows 62 percent of buyers want to be able to complete as much of the purchasing process online, which appears to be a win-win for everyone since it saves dealers time and money.

And, saving money remains a big deal for consumers.

BRYAN: I see the manufacturers increasing their incentives.

They're making the financing a little more reasonable with interest rates on new cars.

And then, the certified pre-owned business, you'll see a very competitive interest rate on certified pre-owned.

So, I think the consumer all in all is going to get a good deal on a car now because they-- we need to keep these cars selling, of course the manufacturers-- that's how they keep the doors open so to speak.

STEPHANIE: So, will these post-pandemic car buying trends forever change how we buy and lease a car?

That remains to be seen.

But we do know 2023 will be a year of transition, as car shoppers and the auto industry navigate an evolving landscape with growth on the horizon.

JOHN: While, things always seem to be in flux in the auto industry, there's been one constant for quite a few years now: Trucks and utility vehicles eating up more and more market share.

It's hard to argue with their versatility, and even harder to argue with our 2023 Drivers' Choice Award winners!

♪ ♪ We've been fans of Mazda's approach to building utility vehicles that are not only highly practical, but also incredibly fun to drive.

With the all-new CX-50, our Best Small Utility winner, they kept playful and practical the main things, but increased its off-road capabilities, as well as continued to escalate refinement, as Mazda marches toward becoming more of a premium brand.

Our Best Midsize Utility nod goes to the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

For a company heavy on tradition, you'd think Jeep would be the last to offer a plug-in powertrain, but after debuting it in the Wrangler two years ago, it's now available on the new Grand Cherokee 4xe.

Combine that forward thinking with all-around better off-road performance than ever, and cutting-edge tech for the driver and passengers, plus, 3-row seating in the Grand Cherokee L, and it's a Grand Cherokee lineup that's more desirable than ever.

After flirting with various family size 3-row SUVs for years, Hyundai finally got serious 3-years ago with the Palisade.

It was a huge success by any measure, and they wasted no time making it even better, adding a host of updates that helped it earn our Drivers' Choice Award for Best Large Utility.

The Palisade not only sits atop the lineup when it comes to size but sets a new standard for the brand.

Last year it was that first-ever 3-row Jeep Grand Cherokee L that won our Best Large Utility award, and this year Jeep went even bigger and far better with the Grand Wagoneer L, our winner for Best Luxury Utility.

Yep, Jeep wins a luxury vehicle award.

And while that may shock some, anyone who's spent time inside the new Grand Wagoneer will totally get it.

And this year, it truly grew to new lengths with an extended wheelbase version that provides cavernous storage space behind the 3rd-row, so you can haul plenty of cargo and people.

It's the ultimate go-anywhere family getaway machine that pampers in every way possible.

Best Small Truck honors go to a repeat winner, the Ford Maverick.

Last year saw the reemergence of true compact pickups, and the Ford Maverick easily won an award from us for not only giving buyers a great to drive and capable pickup packed with cool features, but pricing it low enough to be Ford's entry-level model.

And on top of that, they gave it a standard hybrid powertrain making it the least expensive new hybrid you could buy.

No one even attempted to match that this year, so the Maverick is a winner again.

The Ford F-Series remains the best-selling lineup of full-size pickup trucks year after year, so winning our Best Full-size Truck award is probably no big surprise.

The major reason for that is the constant innovation that Ford continues to bring across the F-Series family.

The all-new 14th generation F-150 that arrived for '21 was impressive enough, but since then, they not only went electric with the Lightning, but made it affordable.

Then, they catapulted themselves back to the top of the off-road performance truck heap with the 700 horsepower Raptor R. But what really sealed the deal this year was a new generation of Super Duty trucks that deliver more towing, payload, torque, and horsepower than any heavy duty truck yet, and integrate new technologies that not only pamper, but help you perform your jobs better than ever.

That's a wrap for our 2023 Drivers' Choice truck and utility winners, but we've still got one to deliver, our biggest award of all: The MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Best of the Year!

And it's coming up later in the show.

Some car body customization can be boiled down to temporary fads, but vinyl graphics have become a long-standing trend.

This week, our "Your Drive" expert Dan Maffett shows us how to get the cleanest look from this now time-tested medium.

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: When it comes to graphics for a car, there's one medium that most builders use across the board, and that's vinyl.

Vinyl is very versatile; you can use it for decals down the side or completely encase the car in a different color, like a wrap.

Now, wraps are a little more hard to do.

You want to have a professional shop do it, because they have all kinds of specialty tools and experience, and then takes a whole team of guys to stretch a panel of vinyl across an entire hood, down the side of a car.

They do it in as little sheets as possible so they can wrap the whole vehicle in one big sheet, trim it out, heat it with a blowtorch, so it shrinks to the car and then they finish it out.

Whereas, graphics or decals down the side, are something you can do at your home garage or in your driveway.

When it comes to graphics like this across a windshield, you can use something like this knifeless tape.

And what this does, it has a steel braid in the middle and you can lay it down first to get your shape, put your vinyl over top, and peel it just like this.

The best thing about this tape, is you lay down your line that you want to cut on, then you press it down so it's nice and firm, put your vinyl medium over top, then you take the vinyl, you get this lined up.

You want to pull this green part of the tape really hard, and what does is it breaks the seal against this-- this braid right here.

Then, just wrap a finger around it and you give it a nice tug.

And as you see as I go across, it is actually cutting the vinyl right on my line that I put there.

Go all the way across, nice and slow, you don't want to go too fast, and then just like that you've got a nice clean cut.

Then, you're able to just pull it, just like that, and get-- look how crisp that is.

Nice and clean edge right across it.

Now, where this knifeless tape really shines is when you're trying to contour a body panel.

You can lay this tape out, following the body line you want to contour, put your vinyl out over top of it like this, and then just like you cut the tape earlier, you just pull this out and it automatically just contours right there, the body line that you want to accent, just like that.

And then, when you peel this back (sound of tape ripping) you're left with that nice, clean edge.

If you have a question or comment, hit us up here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: No time to waste.

Let's drop in for another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: The Porsche 911 needs no introduction thanks to decades of heritage backing it up.

But where many people see the 911 nameplate as an asphalt-ready sports car, which it is- Porsche is eager to remind us of the model's rally pedigree with this: the 2023 911 Dakar.

It's named after the world-renowned Paris-Dakar Rally, specifically paying homage to Porsche's legendary victory in 1984.

And it does so in more ways than fancy graphics.

Standard is Porsche's Traction Management All-Wheel-Drive system, driven by a 3.0 liter twin-turbo boxer engine.

It produces 473 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, channeled to the wheels through an 8-speed PDK.

But raw power is only part of what's needed to relive the 911's golden-age of rally racing.

The Dakar is also lifted for 6.2 inches of ground clearance, about 2.0 inches higher than a Carrera GTS.

The auto-adjusting suspension can raise the vehicle up to 7.5 inches in "high mode," a drive setting available up to 105 miles per hour.

That's great for clearing obstacles, as are the knobby all-terrain tires wrapping bespoke wheels.

We could've tested the Dakar anywhere, but Porsche flew us out to the deserts of Morocco for a true Dakar Rally experience.

DAVE SCRIVENER: In 35 years of doing this business, I never thought I'd see myself off-roading a 911, yet, here I am, traversing the sandy paths and dunes of Morocco in a 911 Dakar.

This is not just a trim package.

This car actually has some off-road chops for, you know, soft roads, sand dunes, things like that.

This thing is very-well-equipped to handle this kind of terrain.

GREG: Other trim-exclusive add-ons include a CRFP rear spoiler and hood, model-specific fascias and rocker panels, and wheel arch extensions.

And if you want to go all-out with the nostalgia, you can opt for the "Rallye Design Package" for the two-tone paint and scripting.

The 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar starts just a tad over $220,000, limited to just 2,500 units.

And We'll have more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: So far, you've seen our Drivers' Choice Award winners for cars, trucks, and utilities, but we still have time for one more award.

It's our overall top pick, the 2023 MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Best of the Year!

♪ ♪ The Kia EV6; an EV game changer for so many reasons.

When it comes to transitioning to our all-electric future, meeting people where they are is the key.

That means less 6-figure show pieces, and more tidy crossovers like this spectacular battery electric EV6.

Kia actually has years of experience integrating batteries and electric motors into vehicles, but the EV6 was their first on a dedicated EV platform that it shares with Hyundai.

Available in rear or all-wheel-drive, with as much as 310 miles of range, or as many as 576 horsepower in the GT, means lots of options whether your priorities are getting the kids to school, or getting to 60 in only 3.5 seconds.

And with 800 volt charging capability, it charges almost as quickly, adding more than 200 miles of range in less than 18 minutes.

No matter how it's spec'd out, the EV6 is quick, comfortable, and a more than capable handler.

It also doesn't feel overly heavy like many EVs, with a toss-able nature to go with that near instantaneous power that we've come to love from EVs.

It looks cool too, and certainly trendy, with a 5-door coupe-like profile, flush door handles, and long wheelbase; but its face is aggressive and more traditional in nature.

And, inside the cabin, there's an Audi-like vibe that feels equal parts sporty, comfortable, and techy, as well as way above its price point; with great seats and a clean and functional layout that's different enough from traditional cars, but still easily to get accustomed to.

The Kia EV6 is a total EV package that delivers style, performance, and tech better than just about anything else on the road and does it for less.

It's the exact kind of vehicle that will take EVs out of the early adopter stage, and provide a big push towards making them mainstream.

That's why the Kia EV6 is our 2023 MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Best of the Year!

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time...

When we attack the high speed turns of Savannah's Roebling Road Raceway in a Porsche 911 GT3RS.

Then, defend ourselves at the pump in the all-new Toyota Prius.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek , television's original automotive magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.