The 10 Biggest rRrR Stories of 2018 | rR

Looking back on the year in automotive news that was 2018, car sales stayed surprisingly robust, gas prices remained reasonable, nostalgic nameplates like the Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Ranger returned, and Tesla stretched itself to keep up with Model 3 deliveries. But perhaps the most resonant theme that emerged came in the form of a eulogy for the good ol’ family sedan.

Related: Sans Sedans: R.I.P. Fiesta, Fusion, Taurus As Ford Kills Off Cars

As Americans’ interest has decidedly fixated on SUVs like it was the mid-’90s all over again, automakers have begun killing off sedans like Thanos killing off Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While sales stalwarts, such as the Honda Civic and Accord and Toyota Corolla and Camry, continue to be a popular choice among consumers, no one can deny the seismic shift toward high-riding, people-hauling, cargo-accommodating crossovers and SUVs.

That trend is eminently evident in the news stories Cars.com readers flocked to last year. A full eight of our top 10 most popular articles of 2018 dealt directly with SUVs, while another pertains to the sorta-suvie-wagon Subaru Outback. Even the lone non-SUV story of the whole lot is about the resurrected-for-2019 Ranger pickup truck — an exception that does little to disprove the rule.

The favorite was one of our head-to-head comparisons pitting the all-new-for-2019 Subaru Ascent three-row SUV against Cars.com’s outgoing long-term test car, the Best of 2018 award-winning Volkswagen Atlas, to find out which was fittest for family duty. If you’re, like, the last person on the planet not to have read our No. 1 story of the year, you can find out which vehicle won by following the link below.

Subaru indeed proved popular in 2018, with Subies front and center in some 40 percent of the top 10 biggest news stories. Meanwhile, Cars.com’s exhaustive efforts in testing entire automotive segments at once to determine the best of the bunch also paid off in terms of audience interest, with our 2018 Luxury Compact SUV Challenge checking in at No. 2 and the 2018 Full-Size SUV Challenge at No. 4.

We hope you enjoyed our reporting and reviewing last year — and that you continue coming along for the ride in 2019. Without further ado, here are the top 10 stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of last year:

1. Subaru Ascent Vs. Volkswagen Atlas: The Family (SUV) Feud Begins

2. What’s the Best Luxury Compact SUV for 2018?

3. Fix Coming for Honda CR-V Oil-Fuel Problem; Details Still Unclear

4. What’s the Best Full-Size SUV for 2018?

5. 2019 Subaru Outback Costs More Up Front, But You Get More All Around

6. Subaru Announces Price, Gas Mileage for 2019 Ascent

7. Subaru Gives 2019 Crosstrek a Few Tweaks and a Price Bump

8. 6 Ways the Refreshed 2019 Mazda CX-3 Is Better

9. 2018 Infiniti QX80 Vs. 2018 Nissan Armada: Is the Luxury Badge Worth It?

10. We Now Have Full Pricing Details for the 2019 Ford Ranger

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.

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