To quote Melville, “truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast.” Similarly, with cars, if ever a model were perfect in every way — thus that we could not muster a list of things we adore and abhor — then by default would that model receive our unqualified recommendation. But in this, a universe of contextualizing contrasts, models appearing on Cars.com’s weekly countdown of most popular news articles, such as the 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and 2022 Volkswagen Golf R, there are things we like and things we don’t like.
Related: 2021-22 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review: A Maestro Shrouded by Tech
In a rapid-fire rundown of the the assets and liabilities of Mercedes’ newly redesigned S-Class, we appreciated the flagship sedan’s easygoing ride and road manners; abundant oomph from its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine; native navigation using augmented reality; phat beats courtesy its trick Burmester audio system; and clever use of camera-based safety and convenience features. We were less enamored of the S-Class’ confusing controls, stubborn commitment to a touch-sensitive future, fussy driver alerts, lack of backseat legroom, and stingy cargo space.
For further details on where the 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class scores points and disappoints, follow the link below to the No. 4 news story on this week’s countdown.
Elsewhere, our roundup of things we like and loathe about the latest VW Golf R further illustrates that nobody’s perfect, close though this hot hatch may come. Our experts lauded its precision; power from the 315-horsepower, turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood; sophisticated suspension; intuitive infotainment system; and good visibility in all directions. The overabundance of touch-sensitive controls on the otherwise excellent 10-inch touchscreen and the nearly $45,000 price of our test car constituted a pair of penalty strokes for this Golf.
For more on our compliments and complaints with the ‘22 Golf R, follow the link below to the No. 8 news story of the week.
Finally, another newcomer to the countdown this week is actually something of an old-timer. The Acura Integra returns to production for the 2023 model year — some 22 years after getting disco’d. Honda’s luxury division announced pricing for the resurrected hatchback, and versus competitors, the all-new Integra — set to arrive in early June — runs on the spendier side. For further details on the forthcoming Integra and its trim-by-trim pricing, follow the link below to the No. 6 news story on this week’s countdown.
Beyond that, we have headlines on the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Chevrolet Corvette, Kia EV6 and Toyota bZ4X — 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. 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Review: The EV We’ve Been Waiting For
2. Stingray Shock: Chevrolet Announces Upcoming Hybrid and All-Electric Corvettes
3. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for April 2022?
4. 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: 6 Things We Like (and 5 Not So Much)
5. 2022 Kia EV6 Review: Doing It Better Than Most
6. 2023 Acura Integra Starts at $31,895, Manual Transmission Adds $5,000
7. When Should the Oxygen Sensor Be Replaced?
8. Is the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R Worth the Price? 4 Pros and 2 Cons
9. Which Cars Have Self-Driving Features for 2022?
10. 2023 Toyota bZ4X Review: Normal Toyota, Natural Step Into EVs
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.
