The Best Car I Drove in 2022: Chevrolet Corvette

• We here at Edmunds are taking a look back at everything we drove in 2022.
• As part of a series, each of our writers will pick a personal favorite.
• My favorite is an oldie but a goodie: our own long-term 2020 Chevrolet Corvette.

I go into it at length in the above article, but in a nutshell, I love the Corvette because it's just such a perfect all-rounder. Our car has the MagneRide magnetorheological dampers, and in their least aggressive setting, the Corvette is incredibly comfortable. Nobody is going to confuse it with the pillowy ride of an S-Class, but the Corvette's body resists shimmies and shakes even on rougher pavement. It has enough passenger room for a 6-foot-4 giant like me (not an abundance of, but enough) and the cabin has much richer materials than the previous-generation Corvette, which in turn significantly improved upon its predecessor.

All of this speaks to the Corvette's practicality and livability — odd things to lead with when you're talking about a sports car. But there's really no questioning the Corvette's performance credentials. The mid-mounted 6.2-liter V8 rips and roars when you want it to and settles into a soft burble when you don't (though you never quite silence the sound of components ticking away right behind your head, which I find always adds to the experience. You never forget you're behind the wheel of a machine). Acceleration is unsurprisingly phenomenal, as is handling. The engine's new position right behind the driver means the C8 doesn't exhibit the same tendency to oversteer if you jump on the throttle just a bit midcorner. The grip afforded by our car's Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires undoubtedly helps, with a high limit that I could never comfortably approach on public roads. And for the record, the car pulled 1.08 g on the skidpad at our test track.

The only real downside performance-wise is that the steering is a bit too light for my taste in the normal driving mode, but that's easily fixed by setting up a custom drive profile. And even in Track mode, the exhaust doesn't sound incredible at lower revs. I want something berserk and obnoxious, like the Shelby GT500 or Jaguar F-Type.

These are minor complaints, to be sure, and do little to detract from the Corvette's overall excellence. And I can't believe that this is the beginner model; Kurt says the Z06 is even better, and I can't wait to see what comes of the rumored electrification of even higher-end models.

Edmunds says

It might be old news to some, but the C8 Corvette Stingray has seared its way into my memory as a truly admirable all-rounder. Not only is it an excellent weekend warrior, it's also practical enough to drive every day.