10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Affordable Kia Seltos Bests Hyundai Santa Fe
Inflation continues to cramp Americans’ style — and U.S. car buyers’ penchant for SUVs isn’t being spared the expense. But just because prices are up doesn’t mean shoppers are out of luck. In one of our most popular articles of the past week, we take the guesswork out of bargain hunting for your next passenger- and possessions-hauling vehicle with our ranking of the best affordable SUVs. The six finalists range in price from less than $27,000 up to just over $33,000 — a relative bargain considering the average cost of a new SUV on Cars.com is pushing a hefty $49,000.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Ford F-150, Jeep Gladiator Get Shown Up by Nissan Rogue
In descending order by ranking, your best options for an “affordable” SUV include specified versions of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross, 2023 Volkswagen Taos, 2023 Honda HR-V, 2024 Chevrolet Trax and 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The winner among these SUVs, however, also happens to be the priciest of the lot: the 2024 Kia Seltos, going for $33,085 as tested and taking the top spot by the second-widest margin of our comparison. The Seltos stood apart from the competition thanks to its refined powertrain; high-grade cabin quality and accompanying quietude; well-executed infotainment displays and controls; and overall value on the features-per-dollar front. Undesirable attributes like a worst-in-pack fuel economy, lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and less-than-ideal child car seat accommodation didn’t stop the Seltos’ ascent.
For details on our affordable SUVs showdown — including specific trim levels, individual pricing, specs and how each fared during testing by Cars.com reviewers — follow the link below to the No. 2 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles. And for more on the 2024 Kia Seltos, be sure to consult our expert review, which you’ll find in the No. 4 position.
If you’re still shopping for an SUV but aren’t as fixated on the raw affordability aspects of the above comparison test, then this week’s fifth-place finisher — a rapid-fire rundown of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe’s pros and cons — might be for you. The Santa Fe scores with its bright, user-friendly multimedia display and much-appreciated physical controls versus touchscreen oblivion; roomy, well-appointed and pleasant-to-the-touch interior; customizable, feature-heavy infotainment; well-powered and paired turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission; cushy and controlled ride that makes up for what the SUV lacks in sportiness; and value, with a price range of roughly $30,000 up to the mid-40s (which is still less than that aforementioned average SUV price).
For further details on what we loved — as well as what we loathed — about the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, follow the link below to the No. 5 news story of the week.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Hyundai Elantra, Lexus TX 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 year:
1. Pickup Truck Buying Guide: How Much Truck Do You Need?
2. What’s the Best Affordable SUV of 2023?
3. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
4. 2024 Kia Seltos Review: Better Than Ever
5. Is the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe a Good SUV? 6 Pros and 4 Cons
6. Updated 2024 Hyundai Elantra Starts at $22,590
7. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
8. Which Electric Cars Are Still Eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit?
9. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy Right Now
10. 2024 Lexus TX Review: Everything’s Bigger in TX … But Not Necessarily Better
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