Super Bowl LVI Car Commercial Live(ish) Blog

Chris Tonn
by Chris Tonn

The day is upon us. Madison Avenue rejoices.

Super Bowl LVI airs tonight, and with it comes the commercials. And, probably, heartburn – though I suppose that depends on what you’re eating.

I’ll be posting YouTube links of every automotive (and auto-adjacent) commercial pretty much as they air. Come join the conversation in the comments.

Regarding the game, I have no real dog in the fight (I’m a Packers fan) but as a lifelong Ohioan my heart leans toward the Bengals.


PREGAME


How long has the Top Gun sequel been in production? Porsche started the film with an air-cooled 911 (check my math on that one) and now they make SUVs.

Next, caveman Jason Bateman drives a Hyundai IONIQ 5.

First Quarter


Toyota shares the story of a Paralympic pair of brothers.

Next, we have the Governator and Salma Hayek selling BMW EVs.

Polestar goes minimal. After all, a 30 second spot is expensive – gotta keep the production cheap.

Carvana talks about great customer service with an annoying voice.

Second Quarter


Chevrolet wins the night with a shot-for-shot remake of the intro to The Sopranos with the Silverado EV.

Weathertech shows everyone that experts flying in from helicopters are needed to install floormats.

HALFTIME


Toyota puts several Joneses (Tommy Lee, Rashida, Tom, and Leslie) behind the wheel of the new Tundra.

And holy crap the Impalas on the halftime show.


Third Quarter


Kia has a dog chasing a car. Of course, the car is electric and the dog is robotic.

Dr. Evil returns for General Motors.

Fourth Quarter


Vroom with some lovely vintage metal.

Eugene Levy drives a Nissan Z and becomes a different person.

FINAL


Heck of a game, honestly. Commercials..meh. Like I said earlier, Chevy wins with the Sopranos. I’m a Z fanatic but I don’t love the Eugene Levy spot. Everything else…kinda meh.

Good night, everyone.

[Main image: Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com]

Chris Tonn
Chris Tonn

Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.

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2 of 32 comments
  • Watersketch Watersketch on Feb 14, 2022

    The most fantasy part of all those EV ads was that you find your parking spot right in front of where you are going and there is a working charger!

  • Jeff S Jeff S on Feb 14, 2022

    I liked the Robo Dog in the Kia ad. Got your attention it was heartwarming even if Robo Dog wasn't real he finally got a charge and a home with an electric Kia.

  • Dwford I don't think price is the real issue. Plenty of people buy $40-50k gas vehicles every year. It's the functionality. People are worried about range and the ability to easily and quickly recharge. Also, if you want to buy an EV these days, you are mostly limited to midsize 5 passenger crossovers. How about some body style variety??
  • SCE to AUX The nose went from terrible to weird.
  • Chris P Bacon I'm not a fan of either, but if I had to choose, it would be the RAV. It's built for the long run with a NA engine and an 8 speed transmission. The Honda with a turbo and CVT might still last as long, but maintenance is going to cost more to get to 200000 miles for sure. The Honda is built for the first owner to lease and give back in 36 months. The Toyota is built to own and pass down.
  • Dwford Ford's management change their plans like they change their underwear. Where were all the prototypes of the larger EVs that were supposed to come out next year? Or for the next gen EV truck? Nowhere to be seen. Now those vaporware models are on the back burner to pursue cheaper models. Yeah, ok.
  • Wjtinfwb My comment about "missing the mark" was directed at, of the mentioned cars, none created huge demand or excitement once they were introduced. All three had some cool aspects; Thunderbird was pretty good exterior, let down by the Lincoln LS dash and the fairly weak 3.9L V8 at launch. The Prowler was super cool and unique, only the little nerf bumpers spoiled the exterior and of course the V6 was a huge letdown. SSR had the beans, but in my opinion was spoiled by the tonneau cover over the bed. Remove the cover, finish the bed with some teak or walnut and I think it could have been more appealing. All three were targeting a very small market (expensive 2-seaters without a prestige badge) which probably contributed. The PT Cruiser succeeded in this space by being both more practical and cheap. Of the three, I'd still like to have a Thunderbird in my garage in a classic color like the silver/green metallic offered in the later years.
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