10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Jeep Wrangler Gets the ‘Best’ of Chevrolet Trax
The undeniable appeal of an SUV is that it can pack in the people, load up on cargo, pull something substantial on its trailer hitch and look decent enough doing so that you can be passable to impressive in the school drop-off line each morning. Throw in near-unparalleled off-roading ability and, honey, you’ve got yourself the best SUV out there. “Moi … ?” says the 2024 Jeep Wrangler, feigning humbleness. “Yes … vous,” Cars.com affirms in one of our most popular news articles of the past week.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Chevrolet Trailblazer Jumps GMC Canyon
The expert editors and reviewers at Cars.com announced Feb. 7 their official pick for the Best SUV of 2024, and the Wrangler wrangled that honor away from nine other 2024 contenders for the title, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Bronco, Honda Pilot, Kia Sorento and Telluride, Land Rover Defender, Subaru Crosstrek and Toyota Grand Highlander. Selling points for the Wrangler include the Rubicon trim’s new full-floating Dana 44 rear axle, upping the off-road ante; standard 12.3-inch touchscreen display with UConnect 5; luxury-leaning Rubicon X trim; available power-adjustable front seats; the much-needed addition of side curtain airbags; robust 470-horsepower V-8 on the Rubicon 392; the 4xe plug-in hybrid variant’s 22 miles of all-electric driving, whisper-quiet off-roading and external-device-recharging Power Box adapter; and the Rubicon’s 43% boost in towing capacity to 5,000 pounds. That’s not to mention the fact that the Wrangler’s sub-$34,000 starting price (including destination) is lower than all but two of the nominees for this year’s award.
For the full rundown on how the 2024 Jeep Wrangler bested the best of the best to become the Best SUV of 2024, follow the link below to the No. 2 news story of the week.
Elsewhere on the superlative scale is Cars.com’s Best Car of 2024, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The Trax earned our overall honor thanks to its expanded cabin space; great-looking, user-friendly 11-inch touchscreen and 8-inch digital instrument panel on LT trims and above, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; available wireless charging; accommodating backseat; ample nooks and crannies for stashing personal items; appropriately powered turbocharged three-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission; 34.1 mpg in real-world fuel-economy testing; Blazer-like exterior styling that upstages the outgoing model; and a starting price of $21,495 that undercuts all nine other contenders for the Best of the Year distinction.
For full details on how the 2024 Chevrolet Trax took the title of Best Car of 2024 — as well as the complete list of nominees and finalists for the prize — follow the link below to the No. 3 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles.
Beyond our award winners, we have headlines on the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Sienna, Kia Telluride, Genesis Electrified GV70 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 week:
1. 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Up Close: An Off-Road Hero Gets Modernized
4. I Drove the 2024 Toyota Sienna Hybrid to See What I’m Missing in My 3-Row SUV
5. Best Electric Vehicle of 2024
6. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
9. Electric Cars With the Longest Range
10. 2024 Chrysler Pacifica Gets New Colors, Trims Lineup, Priced From $40,685
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.
