10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Subaru Crosstrek, VW Atlas Win as Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf Save
Auto shows are an opportunity for car manufacturers to display their latest wares under ideal conditions — literally and figuratively putting new and forthcoming models in the best possible light. But fancy lighting can’t distract Cars.com reviewers’ expert eyes from glaring flaws as they get up close and personal with new cars at major events like last month’s 2023 Chicago Auto Show. Some win our editors’ approval, while some wind up lookin’ kinda dumb with their finger and their thumb in the shape of an L on their forehead, to paraphrase that Smash Mouth song. In Cars.com’s most popular news article of the past month, we round up the winners and losers of the Chicago Auto Show — and the distinction ain’t always unanimous.
Related: Best of 2023 Awards
Across-the-board winners include a redesign of a popular compact SUV in the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek; an all-new, larger variant of the popular Toyota Highlander three-row mid-size SUV, the 2024 Grand Highlander; and an all-new, all-wheel-drive hybrid variant of the Chevrolet Corvette in the 2024 Corvette E-Ray. More “loser” than liked is the 2023 BMW XM plug-in-hybrid SUV, the first electrified offering from the luxury automaker’s M performance division. And, finally, the controversial 2024 Volkswagen Atlas divided our experts — with its tasteful exterior and interior refreshes scoring brownie points while its maddening touch-sensitive controls turned everyone off.
For judges’ full thoughts on each of the winners and losers from the 2023 Chicago Auto Show, follow the link below to the No. 1 news story on our countdown of most-read articles in February.
Elsewhere on the countdown is another popular roundup, this one identifying the eleven most modestly priced electric vehicles you can buy right now. After all, whether the impetus centers on gasoline, money or … the planet, the objective of nearly all EV purchases is to save something. Models on our roster range in price from $27,495 up to $45,380 and boast driving ranges on a full charge from as little as 100 miles to as much as 358. These EVs include the 2023 versions of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, Mazda MX-30, Mini Cooper SE Hardtop, Nissan Leaf, Toyota bZ4X, Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID.4.
For the full details on these value EVs, follow the link below to the No. 6 article on this month’s countdown.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Kia Niro, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Genesis G90, Ford Maverick, Kia Carnival, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford F-150 and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past month:
1. 2023 Chicago Auto Show: Winners and Losers
6. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
8. Best Electric Vehicle of 2023
9. After 2 Years and 26,000 Miles, It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Our 2021 Ford F-150
10. Driving 3 EVs in Zero-Degree Temps: What Could Go Wrong?
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
