The Hyundai Sonata returned for the 2020 model year amid a challenging time for cars, as consumers rush right past sedans, coupes and hatchbacks like a river around a rock, while sales of SUVs and pickup trucks remain rapid like whitewater. But this week, in the competitive waters of the most popular news stories, the Sonata not only kept its head above water, but sailed right past an entire fleet of SUVs and trucks — most notably enthusiast darling the 2020 Jeep Gladiator.
Related: 10 Biggest Pickup Truck Stories of the Year: 2020 Toyota Tundra Freezes Out Chevy, Ford, Ram Trucks
Taking the top spot on our top-stories countdown this week was our rapid-fire roundup of the things our reviewers like about Hyundai’s mid-size sedan, as well as a few things on which the Sonata hits a sour note. Ride and handling, the base engine value proposition, driver assist features and safety tech were some examples of things that fell in the plus column — be sure to check out the Remote Smart Parking Assist now being plugged by Captain America himself, Chris Evans, in Hyundai’s Super Bowl commercial — while legroom and cabin quality were among the things that earned dings. Follow the link below to our No. 1 story of the week for the entire list of cheers and jeers, then if you want the whole story, proceed to the full expert review by ’s Joe Wiesenfelder.
It may be hard to imagine a Gladiator getting taken out by a civilian sedan, but that’s just what happen. While it fought a valiant fight, our Aaron Bragman’s review of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator was cut down in our little content colosseum by the sword of the Sonata. In his expert critique, Bragman lauds the truck-ified Wrangler as a unique combination of vehicular influences that amount to two great tastes that taste great together — but one that the conventional pickup truck shoppers may find hard to swallow.
“If you need a capable mid-size pickup that goes off-road or a four-season convertible with a utility bed, the Gladiator is hard to beat — but unless you want those things, other trucks are more comfortable on-road, handle better, are quieter and are far less expensive,” Bragman writes.
Rounding out the top five are our wish list for the purported relaunch of the late-‘90s-fabulous Hummer brand as a GMC-badged pickup truck, at No. 3; our Brian Normile’s full review of the Hyundai’s pipsqueak SUV-wannabe the 2020 Venue, at No. 4; and a comprehensive coverage roundup of the 2020 Ford Explorer telling shoppers everything they need to know about the redesigned SUV before hitting the dealer lot, at No. 5.
Headlines about the Hyundai Kona, Jaguar F-Pace, Nissan Titan and more lie beyond that, so don’t stop there. Here are the top 10 news stories readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:
1. 2020 Hyundai Sonata: 8 Things We Like (and 3 Not So Much)
2. 2020 Jeep Gladiator Review: Unique, Expensive and Massively Entertaining
3. 7 Things We Want to See in an Electric Hummer
4. 2020 Hyundai Venue: A Pleasant Place to Be
5. 2020 Ford Explorer: Everything You Need to Know
6. 2020 Hyundai Kona: Recall Alert
7. 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Review: Roaring Kitty
8. How to Buy a Beater: 5 Tips for Bargain-Basement Used-Car Shoppers
9. 2020 Nissan Titan: Everything You Need to Know
10. 2.9 Million Toyota Cars and Hybrids: Recall Alert
