10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Toyota 4Runner Gives Ford Mustang a Run for Its Money
Was it John Cougar or John Mellencamp … or John Cougar Mellencamp, who sang, “R-O-C-K in the USA! R-O-C-K in the USA! R-O-C-K in the USA, yeah. Rockin’ in the USA”? Well, at the 2025 Detroit Auto Show last month, it wasn’t a Cougar keeping the heart of rock ’n’ roll beating or the spirit of America alive, but a Mustang. At the first Motor City motor show to take place in its traditional January footprint in six years, Ford showcased a pair of amped-up, themed-out editions of its iconic pony car in the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD Spirit of America and Ford Mustang RTR (Ready to Rock), as reported in one of Cars.com’s most popular news stories of the past month.
Related: 2025 Ford Mustang Gets Minor Tweaks, Starts From $33,515
The Mustang GTD Spirit of America springboards off the “regular” 815-horsepower Mustang GTD, adding special red, white and blue exterior graphics and exposed carbon-fiber flourishes, along with high-performance bits like active aerodynamics, front-bumper dive planes and magnesium wheels — all paying patriotic homage to speed-demon pioneer Craig Breedlove. Presumably tamer by comparison but throwing up its proverbial devil horns as a salute to those about rock, the Mustang RTR riffs on the turbocharged-four-cylinder-powered EcoBoost Mustang with performance upgrades from the high-powered Mustang Dark Horse.
For the full scoop on the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD Spirit of America and Mustang RTR at the 2025 Detroit Auto Show — which welcomed the public Jan. 11-20 — follow the link below to the No. 5 news story on our countdown of most read articles from January.
Also popular last month was Cars.com reviewer Conner Golden’s comprehensive critique of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner — the first full redesign of the cultishly loved off-road SUV since “Tik Tok” by Kesha was the No. 1 song of the year and, for that matter, when TikTok the app was still several years away. 4Runner fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that everything they love about their asphalt-eschewing SUV carries over from the outgoing version … well, almost everything. A new turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission joins a hybrid setup among powertrain options, with no availability of a certain naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V-6 with five-speed automatic transmission — which could result in some butthurtedness among inflexible enthusiasts despite the new vehicle’s superior capability, efficiency, ride and handling.
For our full take on the 2025 Toyota 4Runner — including another potential sticking point for would-be buyers in the next-gen pricing structure — follow the link below to the No. 6 article of the month.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Canyon, Ford Maverick, Hyundai Ioniq 5 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. These Cars Are Discontinued for 2025; Which Ones Can You Still Buy?
2. Which Electric Cars Are Still Eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit?
3. 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Review: The Star-Spangled Swiss Army Knife
4. 2025 GMC Canyon Gets AT4 Nightfall Edition, Priced From $39,995
5. 2025 Detroit Auto Show: Everything You Missed
6. 2025 Toyota 4Runner Review: Time for Some Soul Searching
7. 2025 Ford Maverick: Standard Hybrid Power, Price Leaps Nearly $2,500
8. Should You Warm Up Your Car in Winter?
9. Hyundai Extends Charging Offer to All 2025 Ioniq 5 SUVs
10. 295,000-Plus Ford Super Duty Trucks Recalled for Failing Fuel Pump
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