Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

Contrary to popular belief as per Benjamin Franklin, there are actually three certainties now: death, taxes and the RAV4 holding the No. 1 spot on our list of most-read reviews, as it has for all of 2013 so far. Among the less-certain aspects of this week's list, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays' critique of the 2013 Honda Accord suddenly rocketed straight to No. 2 with nearly 81% of the RAV4's traffic. Mays says the Accord gained refinement and convenience features in its ninth generation, but at the expense of fun — something already lacking in the ultracompetitive family-sedan segment. Everyone else on the list was here last week &mdash and about half haven't even moved seats.

Check out what was popular this week:

1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2013 Honda Accord
3. 2014 Subaru Forester
4. 2014 Mazda CX-5
5. 2013 Ford Fusion
6. 2013 Ford Escape
7. 2013 Ford Explorer
8. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
9. 2013 Toyota Avalon
10. 2013 Nissan Pathfinder

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

If the persevering popularity of the 2013 Toyota RAV4 is any indicator, we should've included it on our list of Top 10 Cars for the 2012 Apocalypse. As the scrappy crossover has been the lone occupant of the No. 1 spot on our list of most-read reviews for the entirety of 2013 so far, it seems an extinction-level event would leave behind only the cockroaches and the RAV4. Despite a spirited challenge to the RAV4's stranglehold on the top spot, list newcomer the 2014 Mazda CX-5 managed just better than two-thirds the traffic, good for second place. Otherwise, holdovers from last week did some spot swapping.

Check out what was popular this week:
1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2014 Mazda CX-5
3. 2014 Subaru Forester
4. 2013 Ford Explorer
5. 2013 Ford Fusion
6. 2013 Ford Escape
7. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
8. 2014 Kia Sorento
9. 2013 Toyota Avalon
10. 2013 Nissan Pathfinder

NASCAR's New Look

NASCAR has a decidedly different look for 2013, with all-new racecars debuting at the Daytona 500 on Sunday. It's a big change that should excite casual car fans as well as those hard-core enthusiasts who paint their favorite driver's number on their face. For the first time in decades, the redesigned racecars look like real street-driven production versions.

Since 2007, NASCAR's Sprint Cup series — its most elite racing tier — featured cars from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Toyota with the same basic shape and little to distinguish them other than decals used to imitate headlights, grilles and taillights. Fans began to complain about how similar the racecars looked soon after their introduction.

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

Our review of the 2013 Toyota RAV4 crossover unsurprisingly extended its stay atop the list of most-read reviews this week. Aside from a bit of movement among the ranks and the 2014 Kia Sorento and 2013 Toyota Avalon joining the top 10, much of this week's roster should look familiar.

Check out what was popular this week:

1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2014 Subaru Forester
3. 2014 Kia Sorento
4. 2013 Ford Fusion
5. 2013 Ford Escape
6. 2013 Ford Explorer
7. 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
8. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
9. 2013 Toyota Avalon
10. 2013 Nissan Pathfinder

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

Yet again this week, no competitor coming up the hill was hungry enough to wrestle Toyota's ravenous RAV4 from its perch atop our most-read reviews list. But with four newcomers to this week's list — including a trio of 2014 entries — the 2013 version of the RAV4 may face some formidable competition in coming weeks. The 2014 Mazda6 and 2014 Subaru Forester burst onto the most-read-reviews scene in second and third place, respectively, while the 2014 Kia Forte waded in at No. 10. The remaining newcomer this week, the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid, landed in eighth place.

Check out what was popular this week:

1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2014 Mazda6
3. 2014 Subaru Forester
4. 2013 Ford Fusion
5. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
6. 2013 Ford Explorer
7. 2013 Ford Escape
8. 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
9. 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
10. 2014 Kia Forte

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

Perhaps using its imposing makeover for 2013 to scare off competitors, the Toyota RAV4 continued its reign of terror atop our list of most-read reviews of the week. The compact crossover's nearest opponent, the 2013 Ford Fusion, generated a little more than a third of RAV4's reader interest. Maybe newcomers to the list, including the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid (No. 6) and the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid (No. 10), will gain enough confidence in coming weeks to face down the RAV4.

Until then, check out what was popular this week:

1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2013 Ford Fusion
3. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
4. 2013 Ford Explorer
5. 2013 Ford Escape
6. 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
7. 2013 Toyota Avalon
8. 2013 Nissan Altima
9. 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
10. 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

The 2013 RAV4 held off the competition once again to retain the top spot among our most-read reviews of the week. It was joined by some fresh faces this week: the 2013 models of the Hyundai Sante Fe Sport, Nissan Pathfinder and Ford Fusion Hybrid landed at Nos. 6, 7 and 8, respectively, squeezing the Cadillac ATS, Mazda CX-5 and Acura RDX out of the top 10. Meanwhile, the Toyota Avalon, Ford Fusion and Ford Escape gained some ground, as the Ford Explorer, Nissan Altima and Subaru XV Crosstrek lost their footing.

Check out what was popular this week:

1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2013 Toyota Avalon
3. 2013 Ford Fusion
4. 2013 Ford Escape
5. 2013 Ford Explorer
6. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
7. 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
8. 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
9. 2013 Nissan Altima
10. Subaru XV Crosstrek

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid

The Ford Fusion is a comfortable, quiet and composed sedan, and the hybrid version only builds on those qualities, says Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek. The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is also roomy and refined — two points that not all hybrid sedans boast. However, Bruzek warns that your mileage may vary, as the Fusion Hybrid's 47 mpg rating proved elusive during his test.

2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid Review

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

Despite some midlist musical chairs, this week's most-read reviews played a familiar tune. The 2013 Toyota RAV4 and 2013 Ford Explorer held their ground at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The 2013 models of the Toyota Avalon, Acura RDX, Subaru XV Crosstrek and Ford Escape simply rearranged third through sixth place. Meanwhile, the 2013 Ford Fusion entered at No. 7, bumping the Nissan Altima to No. 8; the 2013 Mazda CX-5 ascended one spot to No. 9, forcing out the Honda Accord to make room for the 2013 Cadillac ATS in 10th.

Check out what was popular this week:

• 1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
• 2. 2013 Ford Explorer
• 3. 2013 Toyota Avalon
• 4. 2013 Acura RDX
• 5. 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
• 6. 2013 Ford Escape
• 7. 2013 Ford Fusion
• 8. 2013 Nissan Altima
• 9. 2013 Mazda CX-5
• 10. 2013 Cadillac ATS

2013 Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Join NHTSA's Five-Star Club

Several new vehicles joined the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's five-star club today, earning the top score of five stars overall in crash tests performed by NHTSA. New inductees are the 2013 Ford Fusion, 2013 Lincoln MKZ and the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Meanwhile, the all-new 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid and redesigned 2013 Nissan Sentra didn't fare as well, with both having to settle for four stars overall.

The Fusion's and MKZ's front-, all-wheel-drive and hybrid models all received five stars in the frontal crash test and four-star ratings in side and rollover crash tests. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class' rear- and all-wheel-drive models scored five stars in the side crash test and four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests.

Both the C-Max Hybrid and Sentra fell short, receiving five-star scores in only the side crash test and four stars in the other two tests.

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