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The Quickest Four-Cylinder Cars You Could Buy for 2022: What the Evidence Shows

A January 2022 discussion names four cars and repeats their 0–60 times, but the original ten-car list and test method remain unverified.
Entry477 Date Time3 min MechanicCarCody Team
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The available record does not establish a verified top ten for the original “10 Quickest Four-Cylinder Cars You Can Buy In 2022” article. A January 2022 discussion associated four models with it—Hyundai Veloster N, Hyundai Elantra N, Kia Stinger and Hyundai Kona N—and repeated 0–60 mph times, but those figures are not a confirmed transcription of the full ranking. This is a historical look at 2022-model-year cars, not a current new-car shortlist.

What the 2022 list can—and cannot—confirm

The surfaced discussion suggests that “quickest” means acceleration from 0 to 60 mph. The original article, its complete ten-car roster and its test methodology have not been established. The four models and times below are figures repeated by commenters in the January 31, 2022 Reddit thread, not independently verified results for a single comparable test.

Model named in the discussion 0–60 mph figure repeated there What the figure does and does not establish
Hyundai Veloster N 4.8 seconds Commenters attributed the figure to Car and Driver and discussed a DCT test and one-foot rollout; those protocol details are not independently verified here.
Hyundai Elantra N 5.0 seconds A later Car and Driver-reproduced table gives a different figure, under a separate source context.
Kia Stinger 5.2 seconds The thread figure does not specify trim or engine, so it cannot safely be treated as a four-cylinder result.
Hyundai Kona N 5.2 seconds The underlying test and protocol for the repeated figure are not established.

Source for the four repeated figures and the commenters’ discussion: January 31, 2022 Reddit discussion.

Why 0–60 times are not automatically comparable

A quoted acceleration time is meaningful only alongside the car and test conditions that produced it. The discussion itself raises possible differences between DCT and manual transmissions and whether a one-foot rollout was used. A rollout means the timer begins after the car has already moved a short distance; a result using one should not be casually compared with a result timed from a stationary start.

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Other distinctions matter as well: exact model year and trim, engine, transmission, driven wheels, launch procedure, and whether a figure comes from an instrumented test or a manufacturer claim. The available figures do not provide one consistent protocol across all the named cars, so they support identification and context—not a defensible order from first to tenth.

Later test figures provide context, not a reconstruction

A Car and Driver magazine excerpt dated November/December 2024 reproduces performance-table figures of 5.1 seconds to 60 mph for a 2022 Hyundai Elantra N and 4.9 seconds for a 2022 Volkswagen Golf R. These are that source’s figures, not confirmation of the original article’s numbers or complete ranking. The excerpt marks some listed speeds as manufacturer claims or estimates; it does not establish a uniform test for every car discussed here.

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Source: Car and Driver, November/December 2024 excerpt.

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The Stinger needs an engine and trim label

“Kia Stinger” is not specific enough for a four-cylinder performance list. The 2022 GT-Line used a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder; 0-60 Specs attributes a 5.7-second 0–60 mph result to a MotorTrend test. The 2022 GT2 instead used a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6, and the same database attributes a 4.6-second result to Car and Driver. The V6 result does not qualify for a four-cylinder ranking, and neither trim-specific result verifies the unqualified 5.2-second figure repeated in the Reddit discussion.

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Source: 0-60 Specs, 2022 Kia Stinger entries, updated July 2026.

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How to read the title today

  • Treat “2022” as the model-year scope, not a claim about cars currently available new.
  • Read “quickest” as a likely reference to 0–60 mph acceleration, while recognizing that the original article’s definition is unverified.
  • Use the four repeated times as leads associated with the article, not as a complete or methodologically consistent top ten.
  • Require a precise trim and engine before counting a Stinger as a four-cylinder car.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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