Selecting the cars of the year helps celebrate another year reviewing new cars and trucks, visiting auto shows and talking with vintage car owners, book authors and industry experts about their cars of the year.

There are always great and not-so-great moments driving vehicles. The industry is always abuzz. There are always changes, oddball statistics, recalls and new models and makes.

What has Elon Musk done now? Will autonomous driving and EVs ever make a significant difference? Will low-profile tires stop blowing while negotiating small divots in the road? Will Audi ever change its front-grille design?

As much as the automotive industry changes, sometimes not much happens.

In 2007, the year the iPhone debuted, the starting price of the Toyota Corolla was $14,925; In 2022, the year a robotic toy cat that nibbles for human comfort made its debut, the starting price of a Toyota Corolla was $20,245.

The average price of a new car in 2007 was $27,958. In 2022, the new car price average surpassed $48,000.

Three years after TheWeeklyDriver.com debuted, I began to compile a list of top-10 cars of the year. It was also in 2007. The list is now in its 16th year.

The 2022 Ford Lightning is the first full-size electric pickup truck. It was on the TheWeeklyDriver.com's list of cars of the year. Image © James Raia/2022.

As co-hosts of The Weekly Driver Podcast, Bruce Aldrich and I have expanded my yearly list of cars of the year and detailed the choices during a podcast episode. We're now in our sixth year.

Many automotive publications select their best vehicles of the year at the start of the calendar year. I've always announced the selections at the end of the year. Bruce and I agree it's a better approach while reviewing current model year cars throughout the calendar year.

Sometimes, a new year's model debuts prior to its corresponding calendar year. Sometimes, new models arrive later in the year.

The 2017 Bentley Bentayga is the fastest SUV ever made. It topped TheWeeklyDriver.com's list of cars of the year in 2017. Image © Michael Kahn/Frogstone Media, 2017.

This year, as per usual, I reviewed about 40 cars. Bruce also drove most of them, often to lunch after our podcasts and sometimes for extended review sessions. For several years, we made videos before switching to a podcast format.

During some years, we've picked a car of the year, like the 2020 Corvette Stingray, the debut year of the mid-engine model. In 2017, the Bentley Bentayga was easily our favorite.

In our 250th episode, Bruce and I discuss our respective lists of cars of the year, an exercise we compile individually and then share during the podcast. We mostly make the same selections.

The 2020 Corvette stunned the auto world with its mid-engine design and new interior and exterior styling. It was theweeklydriver.com's top pick for 2020 Cars of the Year. Image © James Raia.

One exception this year: Bruce selected the BMW M3 Competition; it didn't make my list.

We didn't pick a top car of the year in 2022, but we agreed the Ford Lighting was the vehicle we liked the most for its innovation in the expanding electric vehicle segment. The rest of the list doesn't represent the most expensive, most powerful or most of anything else. It's just 10 cars and trucks that stood out for  a reason or two.

My lists dating to 2004 are listed below. Follow the year links for more details on each vehicle.

Bruce discusses his list on the podcast episode. Enjoy.

2022
Ford Lightning, Genesis GV70, Kia EV6, Mercedes-AMG ESQ, Cadillac CT5, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Genesis G70, Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Mercedes-Maybach, Subaru Outback.

2021
Honda Odyssey, Honda Accord Hybrid, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Genesis GV80, Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE, Genesis GV90, Aston Martin Vantage, Mustang Mach-E, Rolls-Royce Ghost

2020
Corvette Stingray, Aston Martin Vantage, Genesis G90, Ford Bullitt Mustang, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Gladiator,