10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Toyota RAV4 Rides Again, Kia EV9 Gets Supercharged
The crowd-pleasing Toyota RAV4 consistently ranks in the top five bestselling vehicles in the U.S. But for the 2025 model year, with Toyota opting to drop two rugged, off-road-oriented trim choices from the compact SUV’s lineup, could a smaller menu of options for shoppers tip the scales enough to topple it from its predictable perch? Find out after the break! (Pssst, there’s no break, and there’s nothing to find out; the absence of the Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims will go all but unnoticed, and the RAV4 will continue to top the sales charts.)
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Toyota Sienna Shows Pros, Kia Carnival Fares Well
As per our report on what’s new with the RAV4 for 2025 — Cars.com’s most popular news article of the past week — the short answer is otherwise “not much.” The RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid shall henceforth be known as the (much more on the nose) RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, and prices increase by a nominal $175 across the board … and that’s pretty much it. That tiny bump brings the starting price for the regular gas-only version to $30,245, topping out across four trim levels to $38,550; for the hybrid to $33,295, rising across seven trims to $41,600; and for the plug-in hybrid to $45,260, getting up to $49,130 for its top (and second) trim (all prices include a destination charge).
For a full 2025 Toyota RAV4 model breakdown, powertrain specs, fuel-economy estimates, notable tech features, safety and driver-assist equipment, and a reco on whether you should grab a 2024 model while you can or wait for the 2025s to hit the dealer lots, follow the link below to the No. 1 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles.
Charging into the second-place spot this week is Cars.com reviewer Aaron Bragman’s account of his experience charging a 2024 Kia EV9 all-electric SUV on one of Tesla’s heretofore exclusive-to-Tesla-owners Superchargers. The ability to do so is a recent development as Tesla welcomes more non-Tesla brands’ EVs to its extensive charging network. Doing so necessitates downloading the Tesla app and setting up an account, as well as procuring a compatible adapter to connect the non-Tesla car with a Tesla charging station or by finding a station equipped with a Magic Dock adapter. Takeaway from Bragman’s experience: While you’ll enjoy access to the reliable and widely available Supercharger network, your charge speeds and wait times could leave something to be desired, at least until broader integration with non-Teslas occurs.
For the full story on how it went charging a 2024 Kia EV9 on a Tesla Supercharger, follow the link below to the No. 2 news story of the week.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Cadillac Vistiq, Honda Accord, Lexus TX, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Land Cruiser 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. What’s New for the 2025 Toyota RAV4?
2. We Charged Our 2024 Kia EV9 at a Tesla Supercharger; Here’s How It Went
3. 2026 Cadillac Vistiq Up Close: The Normal Electric Luxury SUV
4. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
5. What’s New for the 2025 Honda Accord?
6. 2025 Lexus TX Adds F Sport Handling Trim, Starts at $56,490
7. 206,500 Dodge Durangos, Jeep Grand Cherokees Recalled for Software Glitch
8. What It’s Like Caring For Our Kia EV9’s Matte Paint
9. Is the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser a Good SUV? 5 Pros, 2 Cons
10. Electric Cars With the Longest Range
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.
