10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Toyota Crown Makes Audi E-Tron, Tesla Model Y Kiss the Ring
Sedans are an endangered species in an automotive landscape where SUVs are the apex predator, so four-door family cars can either go extinct or evolve. Toyota has opted for the latter with the all-new-for-2023 Crown, a new breed of full-size flagship sedan that attempts to combine the best of both body styles in hopes of splitting the difference for both the SUV-obsessed and the sedan-nostalgic. The Crown gets a lot right toward its evolutionary aspirations, but it’s not all jewels in this Crown — there are also some tarnished spots that could use polishing.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Audi Q5, VW Atlas Get Their Bearings Vs. Highlander, CR-V
In Cars.com’s most popular news article of the past week, we offer a rapid-fire rundown of all the things we love and loathe about this SUV-like sedan. In the plus column are the Crown’s bold (even brazen) exterior styling; highly respectable hybrid-boosted gas mileage; upper-trim Hybrid Max powertrain that pumps up performance); a well-appointed and laid-out interior; and a competitive starting price. Points come off the board for cabin-infiltrating transmission drone; chilled-out driving dynamics that clash with its aggressive looks; the headroom penalty for that low-slung roofline; and some digital disappointments on the multimedia front.
For full details on the pros and cons of the 2023 Toyota Crown, follow the link below to our No. 1 news story of the week.
Settling for second place on this week’s countdown is a video comparing a pair of luxury electric SUV rivals in the Audi E-Tron and Tesla Model Y. The Model Y Cars.com purchased for its long-term test fleet currently carries a price tag of around $72,000 and has an EPA-estimated range of 326 miles; the E-Tron, meanwhile, carries a price tag of around $89,000 for what we tested while having just 222 miles of range. The former scored points for being nimble and sporty, with the performance trade-off a stiffer ride; the E-Tron, on the other hand had less sportiness and more quiet cushiness courtesy of its adaptive air suspension versus the Model Y’s fixed setup.
For the full comparison — which also covers cabin quality, onboard tech, outward visibility, energy efficiency, charging speed, charging-convenience considerations and much more — follow the link below to the No. 2 news article of the week.
Beyond all that, we have headlines on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Honda Pilot, Honda CR-V, Kia Telluride, Honda Accord, Ford F-150, Lexus LX 600 and 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. Is the 2023 Toyota Crown a Worthy Flagship Sedan? 5 Things We Like, 4 We Don’t
2. Audi E-Tron Vs. Tesla Model Y: How Do These Luxury Electric SUVs Compare?
3. 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Review: Aging Not So Gracefully
4. 2023 Honda Pilot Up Close: More, More, More
5. Is the 2023 Honda CR-V a Good Compact SUV? 6 Pros and 4 Cons
6. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for November 2022?
7. 2023 Kia Telluride Review: More of a Very Good Thing
8. 2023 Honda Accord Makes Hybrid Gains, Loses Turbo Upgrade
9. 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Review: Ford’s Ram TRX Rebuttal
10. Lexus Reveals 2023 LX 600 Pricing, Starts at $89,610
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