Is improving upon something people already love a cushy assignment or a fool’s errand? On the one hand, you got good will on your side — but on the other, you run the risk of fixin’ something that ain’t broke (and breakin’ it in the process). But in the case of the perpetually popular Honda CR-V, there actually were some things to fix on the outgoing model that could otherwise cause it to fall out of favor in the hot-and-only-getting-hotter compact SUV class. The redesigned-for-2023 CR-V goes a long way toward addressing the issues of a fan favorite in danger of aging out of favor — but rare is the redesign that remedies all that ails it.
Related: 2023 Honda CR-V Review: Doing Its Civic Duty
In one of Cars.com’s most popular articles of the past month, we give compact SUV shoppers a rapid-fire rundown of what the CR-V overhaul gets right and what it still needs to work on. Working in its favor are a torque boost for the available hybrid powertrain; nimbler handling; a roomier, a better-appointed cabin; that awkward old dash-mounted shifter moving to the center console where it belongs; improved instrument-assisted visibility and availability; and increased cargo space and usability. Working against it are sad-trombone acceleration from the gas-only powertrain; rearward visibility obstructions; numb-feeling regenerative brakes for the hybrid; and the absence of a plug-in hybrid variant to bridge the gap between powertrain options.
For full details on the pros and cons of the 2023 Honda CR-V, follow the link below to the No. 2 news story of the month.
Also rising to the top of the November heap was the culmination of Cars.com’s comprehensive coverage of the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show: our Best in Show award. This year’s honor, bestowed by our panel of editors on the scene in L.A., went to the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6. The all-new, all-electric sedan that follows the formula of its well-received electric SUV predecessor, the Ioniq 5, won our experts’ praises for attributes including its Porsche-like exterior; more projected range from the same electric powertrain as the Ioniq 5; and its sleek, smooth, unapologetic sedan-ness in an SUV-dominated automotive landscape. But much of the Ioniq 6’s accolade-earning charm comes from clever little improvements on the Ioniq 5’s successful formula, as Cars.com Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Newman notes.
“As an Ioniq 5 owner,” she said, “what had me most excited is the button that takes you directly to the controls for heated and ventilated seats rather than forcing the driver to dig through menus to adjust these controls; it’s a small but thoughtful and appreciated update.”
For more on why the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 was L.A.’s Best in Show, follow the link below to November’s No. 3 news story.
Beyond that, we have headlines on the Toyota Crown, Honda Pilot, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi E-Tron, Tesla Model Y, Ford Maverick, Jeep Grand Cherokee and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past month:
1. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
2. Is the 2023 Honda CR-V a Good Compact SUV? 6 Pros and 4 Cons
3. 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show: Best in Show
4. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for Black Friday 2022?
5. Is the 2023 Toyota Crown a Worthy Flagship Sedan? 5 Things We Like, 4 We Don’t
6. 2023 Honda Pilot Up Close: More, More, More
7. 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Review: Aging Not So Gracefully
8. Audi E-Tron Vs. Tesla Model Y: How Do These Luxury Electric SUVs Compare?
9. Is the Ford Maverick’s EcoBoost Engine’s Performance Worth Its MPG Penalty?
10. Jeep Grand Cherokee: Which Should You Buy, 2022 or 2023?
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.
