As 2018 draws to a close, we’re taking a look back at our most popular Test Drive Reviews, blog articles, and site searches. Did your favorites top any of our lists?
Most Popular…
Test Drive Reviews
When it comes to popular Test Drive Reviews in 2018, the 2019 Subaru Ascent topped the list for most popular. In the year of the crossover, we’re not surprised that this 3-row crossover rose to the top. The 2018 Mazda6 was another top performer—showing that interest in sedans still lingers.
Articles
We published more than 70 posts on our blog this year, covering weekly car news as well as trends in car buying. We found that our article on the new Nissan Kicks sans all-wheel drive (AWD) was the top piece of car news for 2018. While it may not have AWD, it does offer a low entry price, ranging from $17,000 to $19,000 on CarGurus. Since that car’s debut, we’ve seen more crossovers come to market, like the Hyundai Kona, that start at a higher price but also include AWD.
Coming in a close second was our used car buyer’s guide for family-friendly vehicles. Crossovers like the 2015 Honda CR-V, which was one of our top 3 SUVs/small crossovers for the 2017 Used Car Awards, made the list as well as the Ram 1500—because who says a truck can’t be a family vehicle? Just behind that was our article on the rise of the electric car. The headlines for electric vehicles continue with the debut of the Audi e-tron at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the upcoming Porsche Taycan, suggesting that the EV1 was ahead of its time.
Searches
You can search by body style on our site—so we looked at the top searches by popular body styles like sedan, SUV, and pickup truck. The Dodge Charger takes the top spot for most-searched-for sedan in 2018, with 4.9 percent of all sedan searches. The Honda Accord came in second with 4.6 percent of all searches. You can compare them to see if you prefer the full-size Charger or the midsize Accord. Jeep snagged three of the four top spots for the most-searched-for SUV in 2018. The Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee tied for first, with 4.7 percent of search results—but our users thought the Grand Cherokee was the better of the two. The Ford F-150 took first place for most-searched pickup truck, with 14.5 percent. The Chevy Silverado 1500 came in second, with 10.5 percent. Check out our comparator page to see what our users think.
2018 Highlights
We saw several vehicles rise from the dead this year—and some are already available, including the Ford Ranger. Alas, we’ll have to wait until next year to see the Jeep Gladiator, the Toyota Supra, and the Chevy Blazer on dealer lots. We also saw bigger infotainment screens from cars in 2018—and not just for luxury brands. The Land Rover Range Rover Velar, which debuted for 2018, features two 10-inch stacked screens. Tesla’s Model 3 and the Ram 1500 both have large portrait-style infotainment screens, stretching 15 inches and 12 inches across, respectively. And we saw a version of the future from Rivian, a brand new U.S. automaker, with a 15.6-in infotainment screen.
What was your favorite car of 2018?
Revisit 2018 with these articles:
