Toyota joined Ford and Holden in announcing its exit from local manufacturing, Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) was killed off as a brand, Holden declared its intention to become Australia’s No.1 brand by 2020, V8 Supercars announced major changes to the series for 2017… These were just some of the big stories of 2014, though they weren’t the most read on CarAdvice.
You clearly can’t get enough of our famously thorough comparison tests, though some individual makes/models also proved to be of huge interest â€" including some that haven’t even been released yet (hello next-gen HiLux).
So just in case you missed any of them, here’s a handy rundown of CarAdvice’s 20 most popular articles of 2014…
1. Medium SUV ComparisonÂ
One of the biggest segments of the new car market in Australia is mid-sized SUVs, and this category of vehicle formed the basis for our biggest group test of the year, with 10 vehicles vying for the crown.
We put some of the most popular models on the market up against one another, with the Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai ix35 tackling the likes of the Jeep Cherokee, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4 among many more.
2. Premium Hatchback ComparisonÂ
This test aimed to find out which is the best sub-$40K hatchback that offers some level of prestige.
We put four Germans â€" the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf up against the Italian-made Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Swedish-honed Volvo V40.
Find out which car came out on top here:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/265228/premium-hatchback-comparison/
3. Family SUV ComparisonÂ
The humble family station wagon appears to be done and dusted. But in its place are large SUVs, and in this test we put a pair of newcomers for 2014 â€" the Toyota Kluger and Nissan Pathfinder â€" up against a bunch of fellow high-riding wagons.
All of them were petrol-powered (though some come with the option of diesel) and all but one had seven seats.
Find out which was ruled to be the best buy here:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/281247/family-suv-comparison/
4. Luxury SUV ComparisonÂ
Continuing on the SUV comparison test theme, our fourth highest-rating article for 2014 had a luxury bent.
Parking a BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz ML, Porsche Cayenne or Range Rover Sport in the driveway may not be something all of us will be able to do in our lifetimes, but if you’re in the market for the most luxurious yet practical off-roader money can buy, this comparison test has all the answers.
5. Toyota HiLux sneak peekÂ
![2015-2016-Toyota-Hilux-Carscoops[4]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t3jxJwBfKAdhuKkoFxeeAOLeIKkyMyttJBkRxSoeG93JxLzmnyLAuBxIfTQ95Rmq4rdlu2_2vdh6sAVYun6YMZdss_Z_XbG_dGn_q3NXRFJcz1ylr_7ofhHNsj5n93-IwTCE_TrEKUuv4RQNEkjr_c3AsxdE4TE90rHQzGpC85-d6gybWOjeWc02aTnFlvB9tVTLD5DPNX50LupcedR1aHC3oWyVOVRnv16J-Pf-Ct4kZz_KhfPy-SxJKjTiSaULbgXcKRkzqlVQhXMxa_yoRJPRqFZre_K1sCj0j7ej22P-3B3ekhA0mY5uTdgsE=s0-d)
A new-generation Toyota HiLux is obviously something that buyers are keen for (we are, too!), and this story â€" our highest-rating news piece of 2014 â€" proved that.
Will the new-generation ‘Lux look like this computer-generated image (loaned to us from our friends at Carscoops.com)? Or will the Japanese company shock us with something unexpected? All is expected to be revealed later in 2015.
But for now, see what we know about the eighth-generation ute:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/287674/toyota-hilux-sneak-peek-at-the-new-generation-ute/
6. Headlights explainedÂ
Our resident technology expert Derek Fung knows stuff about stuff. In this story, Derek offers up an explanation of the different types of headlight technologies.
Halogen, HID, LED and laser â€" this article will illuminate the differences:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/278125/headlights-explained-halogen-v-hid-v-led-v-laser/
7. Nissan X-Trail pricing and specificationsÂ
A bit of a surprise story at position number seven on the most-read ranks for 2014 â€" the pricing and specifications of the third-generation Nissan X-Trail.
Read all about the X-Trail here:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/271624/2014-nissan-x-trail-pricing-and-specifications/
8. Small Car ComparisonÂ
The two cars that fight for the title of ‘best-seller’ in Australia featured in this small car comparison test.
We decided to focus on the sedan versions of the Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla, and we put those two vehicles up against revamped examples of the Aussie-made Holden Cruze and tuned-for-Australia Hyundai Elantra.
Find out the winner here:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/277666/small-car-comparison-toyota-corolla-v-mazda-3-v-holden-cruze-v-hyundai-elantra/
 9. 2014 Mazda 3 ReviewÂ
Plenty of people buy the Mazda 3, and the 2014 model brought with it plenty of changes.
So it was no surprise that this review by boss-man Jez Spinks garnered a lot of attention from eager readers aiming to find out whether the new model lived up to expectation.
Find out here:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/267734/2014-mazda-3-review-2/
10. 2014 Jeep Cherokee Review
Another standalone review rounds out the top 10 articles for 2014, with the polarising Jeep Cherokee clearly intriguing plenty of potential buyers.
One of CarAdvice’s founders, Anthony Crawford, came away suitably impressed by the mid-sized Jeep.
Read his review here:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/289577/2014-jeep-cherokee-review/
And here’s what ranked from number 11-20:
12. Opinion: “I drove 312km/h on a public road and didn’t dieâ€
13. 2014 Mazda 3 pricing and specifications
15. 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Review (local launch review)
19. Ford Falcon XR8 and XR6 revealed
20. 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Review (international launch)
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