Automotive Media Loves These Two Boring Cars

Kia and Nissan prove that sometimes, excitement can take a step back, and in turn, practicality, comfort, and, above all, price become important.

Author

Bernardo Montes de Oca
November 11, 2025

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Four Wheel Trends Automotive Newsletter
Issue #166

Two cars are coming up that are exciting, basically, because they’re not. We explain.

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Market News

  • Tesla can’t sell its cars, so it’s now offering a rental program, but there’s little hope for it. 

  • To a normal person, Nissan selling this building is irrelevant. However, it represents closure from one of its darkest eras. 

  • Rolls-Royce is following in Kia’s footsteps and now offers massive lease credits on its EV. Here’s why it might not work. 

  • Jeep’s new low-range gearing could be a game-changer. Here’s how it works. 

  • Hyundai’s data breach could expose 2.7 million Social Security numbers. Read more about the actions you can take. 

Safety and Recalls

This is the first issue since January that Ford hasn’t had a specific recall we haven’t covered in five or more days. 

Good for you, Ford!

Toyota recalls nearly 600,000 vehicles because the display may not provide critical information such as speed or other warnings.

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Car Culture

  • This family shop specializes in repairing rare starters, alternators, and pumps. 

  • Here are 10 surprising cars based on the Chevrolet Corvette. 

  • Trucks have straight windshields while almost every other car has slanted ones. Here’s why.

  • Car makers used to give out strange mix tapes as “thank you” gifts for this. Did you ever get one?

  • The Dodge Durango Hellcat is no longer banned in 10 states. Seven more to go!

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In The Know

Two Boring Cars, Coming Up!

Who would’ve thought we’d be excited for a cheap commuter and a family-hauling SUV? Well,  that’s the present day for you.

With cars becoming extremely expensive (as this article explains) and consumers much more demanding when it comes to quality and versatility, it’s no surprise that the appealing car is average, but with a bit extra.

Automotive journalists across the United States were eager for the release of two cars that should fit right in, with the first being the Nissan Sentra.

Of course, the Sentra’s strongest appeal is its price, but that’s not the only factor. Price has historically been the reason why we bought Sentras, as this article recalls. 

P.S.: It seems every automotive journalist was invited to test-drive it. Surely, we lost the invitation in the mail. 

While cost was the main appeal, in reality, there was hype around the Sentra because, despite its price, it offered a lot. Cost wasn’t a restraint.

Instead, what we got was a surprise. As The Autopian writes, the 2026 Sentra is a surprisingly good value for its price. 

Sure, its CVT is still, well, a CVT, but the car looks great, has plenty of room, and handles well (or better than an SUV, which isn’t saying much). However, even though the car is no slouch, its speed is still uneventful, as Car and Driver (and many others) highlight. 

It shouldn’t be a surprise. The engine is still the same as it has been for years. 

That said, it looks great. More than that, it doesn’t look cheap, and that’s crucial. 

Another vehicle whose looks drew much attention was the Kia Telluride.

The Telluride isn’t only a prime example of how consumers can obsess over details like amber lightning. It also shows that Kia understands the American consumer well. 

Since entering the market, it has consistently sold over 90,000 units per year, except for the first two years. Check out its sales figures here. 

It has cracked the 2025 most popular SUV list that you can see here. 

So, there’s no denying people like the Telluride, and that’s why we paid attention when Kia announced a new version was coming in 2027. The first thing that comes to mind is that it’s a looker. Granted, the previous version isn’t ugly, but the new angular faceless face is a headturner. 

What’s great is that the interior matches the exterior’s hype. This Autopian review uses words such as “Bentley,” “confident,” and “Range Rover-ish.” These aren’t light comparisons. 

All of this comes at a good price. Granted, it’s not as proportionally cheap as the Sentra, but there’s a reason why the Telluride has won Best Buy awards year in and year out, with its starting price being around $38,000. 

So, yes, these are two of the most exciting cars as of late. Automotive journalists were all over them (again, no invitation), and it goes to show that consumers want something that works before something fancy. Perhaps, other automakers should take notice.