Top 5 Reviews and Videos of the Week: One-Upping Outback So Not a Problem for Sonata
It’s ironically fitting that the 2020 Subaru Outback — the proverbial popular kid in school that continues to evolve from an unpopular body style (wagon) toward the design du jour (SUV) — was knocked from its No. 1 perch this week by perhaps the most embattled body style of the moment: the mid-size family sedan. Our expert review of the redesigned-for-2020 Hyundai Sonata by Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder handily took the top spot among our most read reviews this week despite stiff competition from a gaggle of SUVs (and SUV-wannabes like the Outback).
Related: Just How Good Is the 2020 Hyundai Sonata’s Redesign?
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Shop the 2020 Hyundai Sonata near you
In his review of the Sonata, Wiesenfelder marvels at the near-audacity of Hyundai to “double down on its ‘carness’” even as rival automakers abandon the format entirely, or blur the line between “car” and “SUV” to the point that it dilutes the respective advantages of both.
“The most impressive thing about the Sonata is the switch back to the approach that’s unapologetically a car,” Wiesenfelder states. “There’s probably some pressure in the industry to make cars more like SUVs — not just to make vehicles like the Hyundai Kona, which arguably are cars, but to make even the car models a little taller and roomier and add all-wheel drive. That sounds like a good way to make a car that appeals to no one. Though some mid-size sedans offer AWD, making it an option adds weight and cost even to front-drive versions, and Hyundai chose not to do it. If you want an SUV, they have a full slate for you.”
Get Wiesenfelder’s full critique of the new Sonata — including his thoughts on power, ride, handling, technology, comfort and essential carness — via the link below. New to the list this week are our takes on a couple of luxury SUVs you’ll want to check out while presumably ignoring Wiesenfelder’s defense of the family sedan: Aaron Bragman’s review of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 along with its track-tuned variant in the AMG GLC63, and Brian Wong’s review of the all-new-for-2020 Lincoln Corsair, the latest entry in the Ford luxury brand’s lineup (and image) overhaul.
On the video front, a pair of pickup trucks joins the top performers this week. At No. 1 is our first look at the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Midnight and Rally Editions, which we got up close and personal with recently at the 2019 State Fair of Texas in Dallas. And at No. 2 is our video review of the 2020 version of the best-selling mid-size truck on the market, the Toyota Tacoma, in which we get down ’n’ dirty down South and off-road in North Texas.
Shopping for a car, or maybe just looking for a way to while away the hours until you are looking for a new ride? Here are the top five reviews and videos Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:
Top 5 Reviews
1. 2020 Hyundai Sonata Review: Not Out of the Game
2. 2020 Subaru Outback Review: Punching Above Its Weight Class
3. 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Review: More Efficient, Less Useful
4. 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC300, AMG GLC63 Review: Fast and Fancy Family Haulers
5. 2020 Lincoln Corsair Review: A Pirate’s Life for Me
Top 5 Videos
1. 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Midnight, Rally Editions: First Look
2. 2020 Hyundai Palisade Review
3. 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye: Drag-Strip Tested
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.
