10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Toyota RAV4 Rises, Hyundai Sonata Sings
The Toyota RAV4’s status as America’s favorite compact SUV is undisputed if annual sales figures are the measure. But just because something’s your favorite doesn’t mean it’s perfect, and the updated-for-2023 RAV4 is no exception. In Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger’s comprehensive critique of the new RAV4 — one of Cars.com’s most popular articles of the past week, focusing on the hybrid version over the gas-only and Prime plug-in hybrid models — she says the quiet part out loud about exactly where SUV shoppers’ darling is deficient.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Toyota RAV4 Can’t Bypass Land Rover Defender’s Defenses
To ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive, the RAV4 Hybrid gets a distinctive front-end glow-up; the newly available Woodland Edition offering off-road-infused attributes previously available only on gas-only versions; an upgraded standard 8-inch multimedia system or optional 10.5-inch unit; a new standard 7-inch digital gauge cluster or optional 12.3-inch display; the high-res rearview camera; excellent physical knobs and controls in place of touch-sensitive ones; robust acceleration and confident handling; a rival-besting EPA-estimated fuel economy; and a decently roomy and and well-appointed cabin. But, since we can’t e-lim-i-nate the negative (and we dare not mess with the in-between), we must also note what made us feel downright Grinchy, starting with “all the noise, noise, noise, NOISE!” from the unrefined powertrain, as well as the stiff, harsh, unforgivingly bumpy ride.
“Popularity doesn’t necessarily mean something is a good idea, but in the case of the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, people are on to something,” Geiger concludes in her net-positive review. “If fuel efficiency is a priority, and you’re OK with sometimes-rowdy road manners, the RAV4 Hybrid makes sense.”
For our complete take on the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, follow the link below to the No. 2 finisher on this week’s countdown of most read articles.
For those still interested in mid-size sedans over small SUVs, the Hyundai Sonata returns for the 2024 model year with a sexy redesign that puts the “angle” in “newfangled.” The front end is sci-fi-fabulous, with a narrow LED bar spanning the width of the hood, wide- and deep-set headlights hiding under the bodywork and a robot-like wide-mouth grille that sorta resembles a Cylon from “Battlestar Galactica” (the ’70s one, not the aughts one). Out back, a rear-end-spanning light bar echoes the one up front, while the angled-up bumper kicks it to the curve — as do those cool, new twin 12.3-inch screens housed in a curved display inside the cockpit.
The 2024 Hyundai Sonata was fully unveiled on March 30 at the Seoul Mobility Show in the automaker’s native South Korea ahead of its expected U.S. launch later this year, which you can read more about here — but for our introduction to the all-new sedan, follow the link below to this week’s No. 7 news article.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Acura Integra, electric vehicles, used cars 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 to Know Before Purchasing an Electric Vehicle: A Buying Guide
2. 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Review: Good on Gas, Bad on Noise
3. Which Electric Cars Are Still Eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit?
4. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
5. Auto Loan Rates Are Surging: What’s a Good Rate Right Now?
6. Electric Cars With the Longest Range
7. Redesigned 2024 Hyundai Sonata Embraces Curves Inside and Out
8. What Are the Best Used Cars for $10,000?
9. Is the 2023 Acura Integra a Good Car? 4 Pros and 3 Cons
10. What Are the Best Used Cars for $15,000?
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.
