This Week’s Most Read Stories

Wow, people really like the 2010 Toyota 4Runner, and it’s not even on sale yet. That interest in the fifth-generation 4Runner keeps it atop our most read list, which is rounded out by all-new stories...the way it’s supposed to be.

1.    2010 Toyota 4Runner: First Drive
2.    Ford Introduces Inflatable Seat Belts
3.    2011 Buick Regal Images, Info Released
4.    New York Unveils New Required License Plate
5.    Redesigned Toyota Sienna to Debut at L.A. Auto Show

This Week's Most Read Stories

Not surprisingly, ABC’s investigation into the Toyota floormat issue drew the most eyeballs of any KickingTires' story this week. Interest was also high for Chrysler’s new logo and lineup revelations. However, the post on the future of Jeep got more views than similar posts on Dodge and Chrysler, brands that sell more vehicles overall than Jeep.

1. ABC News Questions Toyota's Floormat Recall
2. Top 10 Best -Selling Cars: October 2009
3. 2010 Toyota 4Runner: First Drive
4. Chrysler Trademarks New Logo
5. The Future Jeep Lineup

Cars.com Ranks the Top 10 Fuel-Efficient Luxury Cars

While luxury cars often have the stigma of being less fuel efficient then their more economic brethren, Cars.com knows that many luxury buyers care about their EPA mileage numbers. Even if they’re not too concerned about their pocketbooks, luxury buyers may want a bit of environmental street cred while remaining posh and comfortable. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our 10 favorite fuel-efficient luxury rides. Check out the full list to see which vehicles may surprise you.

Top 10 Fuel-Efficient Luxury Cars (Cars.com)

This Week's Most Read Stories

The story that dominated Kicking Tires this week is Fiat’s future plans for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. We expect our coverage of the official news next week to be popular, as well. One surprise was how many people checked out Nissan’s Krom edition of the Rogue compact crossover. We have an idea why — see the photo above.
 
1.    Fiat to Gut Chrysler Lineup
2.    Consumer Reports’ Most and Least Reliable Cars
3.    Behold, 2010 Nissan Rogue Krom Edition
4.    2010 Toyota 4Runner: First Drive
5.    2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon on the Way

Keeping Up With Kicking Tires

There’s a lot going on in the Cars.com editorial offices these days. As our readers may have noticed, we redesigned the KickingTires blog a few weeks back. We think it looks great and hope you do too. If there are features you’d like to see added or miss anything please let us know in the comments  below.
 
For those who like Twitter, you can follow me @KickingTires. I generally comment on auto industry news, our own posts and the cars I’m testing at the time. Yep, you’ll get a sneak peek at what I think of the cars before the reviews are published.
 
Regular readers probably know we have a weekly podcast, but if you haven’t subscribed via iTunes you can do it here.
 
And if you’re curious about who runs the show here at Cars.com check out our About Us page and find out what your favorite staffer’s first car was. 

This Week's Most-Read Stories

In case you didn’t have time to read the entire week’s worth of posts, we’ve decided to recap the five that were the most read from Friday, Oct. 16 through Thursday, Oct 22.

1.    2010 Toyota 4Runner: First Drive
2.    Mileage Drive 5.1: Hybrids vs. Diesels
3.    More Details on the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi
4.    Lexus LFA: First Look
5.    Mileage Challenge 5.2: Avenues and Interstates

Cars.com Compares Box-Cars

The Scion xB has recently seen the introduction of competition in a segment that didn’t even exist a few years ago. The 2010 Kia Soul and the 2009 Nissan Cube get stacked against the 2009 Scion, and Cars.com reviewers Bill Jackson, Kelsey Mays and Joe Wiesenfelder have the task of sorting out the winner. From blind spots to seating comfort, the guys go down the list to find the best econobox on the market.

Cars.comparison: The Box-Cars (Cars.com)

Cars.com Compares Back-to-School Minivans

Get excited, kids! It’s that time of the year when the wistful adventures of summer abruptly end, and students find themselves back in the agony of social studies and algebra. What better way to commemorate that transition than to take a look at the vehicles that will potentially transport the country’s pupils to their institutions of learning? Cars.com reviewers Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and Joe Wiesenfelder look at three back-to-school minivans, the Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

Cars.comparison: Back-to-School Minivans (Cars.com)

Cars.com Names the Worst Cars of the 2000s

Here’s a list worth checking out. After a decade on the car-reviewing scene, we’ve been saving up our vitriol for the cars of the decade that failed to impress us. Follow the link to take a look at Cars.com’s list of the worst vehicles of the past decade. To entice you further: Automakers continue to build three of the vehicles.

Worst Cars of the 2000s (Cars.com)

Cars.com Ranks the Most-Improved Cars of the 2000s

Does the term “most improved” come off as a backhanded compliment? We’d like to think not. When Cars.com put together its list of the top 10 most-improved cars of the first decade of the 21st century, we looked at the vehicles that made great leaps, but not just from awful to not-so-awful. We wanted to highlight the cars that moved away from the rest of the herd to the forefront. Check out our winners for the decade’s most-improved vehicles.

Most-Improved Cars of the 2000s (Cars.com)