Today in Cars: Xfinity Drama at Phoenix, The 21st Century’s Sales Kings, and a Hard-to-Watch Policing Clip
Three notes from a caffeine-heavy Sunday: a champion crowned on a sunbaked mile in Arizona, a look back at the cars that quietly ruled our streets for the last 25 years, and a sobering reminder that what happens with vehicles isn’t always about commuting or lap times.
NASCAR Xfinity: Jesse Love nails the Phoenix finale, Zilisch stung by the format
On Phoenix Raceway’s one-mile dogleg—a place that baits you into bravery and punishes hubris—Jesse Love did the simple, brutal thing: he won the race and, with it, the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Road & Track’s pair of dispatches tell the tale from both sides of the garage: Love sealed the deal at the finale, while Connor Zilisch, electric all season, watched the title slip away under NASCAR’s elimination playoff structure.
I’ve spent too many November afternoons at Phoenix watching late restarts turn the desert air into confetti and brake dust. The track is a character in the story: short, technical, and unforgiving when you miss your mark by an inch. That dogleg dive? You either make a highlight reel or an expensive paperweight. Love made it a coronation.
- Winner-take-all reality: In the Championship 4 era, the title doesn’t always go to the season-long points crusher; it goes to whoever beats the other three that day. Love did exactly that.
- Zilisch’s heartbreak: Per Road & Track, he didn’t lose on pace over nine months—he lost on the last day’s math. It’s thrilling for fans, merciless for drivers.
- Phoenix factor: Track temp swings, short-run punch vs. long-run poise, and the pit road knife fight make this finale a strategist’s migraine.
What the format rewards (and why that’s divisive)
As a series, Xfinity leans into spectacle. The playoff structure rewards peak execution under the brightest light. Traditionalists will argue a championship should be a marathon, not a sprint. Modern NASCAR says: be great when the cameras are hottest. On Saturday in the desert, Love was incandescent.
The best-selling cars of the 21st century: familiar badges, new shapes
Autocar rounded up the 21st century’s sales champs, a roll call that reads like the world’s rental lot plus your neighbor’s driveway. The headliners won’t shock you—stalwarts like Toyota Corolla and Ford F-Series anchored the early decades—while the back half of the 2010s and early 2020s saw crossovers like Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR‑V muscle into the front row. And then, a plot twist: an EV, the Tesla Model Y, surged to global number one in 2023, signaling the market’s mood swing is no longer hypothetical.
From my notebook—countless airport Corollas and Golf diesels across Europe, plus a sea of F‑Series trucks hauling everything from hay to hopes—here’s what consistently sells cars across continents:
- Ubiquity and trust: Massive dealer networks and parts availability make ownership easy in Omaha or Osaka.
- Predictable cost: Conservative powertrains, long lifecycles, and friendly insurance rates keep TCO in check.
- Packaging that works: Big trunks, usable back seats, and cupholders where your elbow expects them.
- Fleet demand: Taxis, government buyers, and corporate fleets keep the metal moving even when retail wobbles.
- Powertrain pragmatism: Hybrids became the quiet default; full EVs are now cracking the code with range and charging networks.
| Theme | Sedans/Hatches (2000s–early 2010s) | Crossovers/SUVs (mid‑2010s–2020s) |
|---|---|---|
| Why they sold | Affordability, fuel economy, fleet volume | Space, ride height, perceived safety, family appeal |
| Global build footprint | Built everywhere, simplified logistics | Now equally global as platforms converged |
| Tech adoption | Gradual (ABS, basic infotainment) | Rapid (ADAS, connected services, hybrids/EVs) |
| Economy perception | “Cheap to run” was the calling card | Hybrids normalized crossover mpg; penalty mostly gone |
| Design cadence | Long lifecycles, conservative facelifts | Frequent refreshes; trims for every niche |
One note from living with these things: crossovers have gotten better at the boring bits. The latest RAV4 and CR‑V ride with a calm that older sedans struggled to match on broken city streets. And yes, I still miss the steering feel of an old Focus on a damp B‑road—but school runs and ski trips vote with their knees.
A troubling policing video reminds us the stakes are real
Carscoops highlighted a disturbing clip in which a police officer was caught on video attempting to run down a man with a patrol vehicle. It’s the sort of footage you wish didn’t exist, and it lands like a gut punch for anyone who spends time thinking about roads, responsibility, and public trust.
I won’t play armchair investigator. The only responsible takeaway, for now, is the reminder that vehicles are power—both figuratively and literally—and how that power is used matters. For everyday motorists, it’s a nudge to keep dash cams rolling, stay visible during any roadside interaction, and remember that the way we all behave around cars sets the tone of our streets.
Quick hits and takeaways
- NASCAR’s playoff format did exactly what it’s designed to do: funnel a season into one desert showdown. Jesse Love owned the moment; Connor Zilisch suffered the fine print.
- The 21st century’s sales champs prove the market’s bias toward the useful and the easy. EVs are no longer knocking at the door—they’re in the foyer.
- Road culture isn’t just lap times and lease deals. Accountability matters, on track and off.
Conclusion
If Phoenix taught us anything, it’s that endings are rarely fair—but they can be definitive. Meanwhile, the sales charts remind us buyers crave convenience more than charisma, until something flips the script (hello, EVs). And that video? A harsh prompt to treat every vehicle as the responsibility it is. See you on the commute—and maybe at the dogleg, if you brought your courage.
FAQ
- Who won the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship?
- Jesse Love won the Phoenix finale and clinched the championship, per Road & Track.
- Why did Connor Zilisch miss out on the title?
- He was beaten under NASCAR’s playoff format, where the highest finisher among the Championship 4 at the Phoenix finale takes the crown.
- Which nameplates dominate 21st century car sales?
- Longtime heavy hitters include models like Toyota Corolla and Ford F‑Series, with crossovers such as Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR‑V rising sharply in the last decade. An EV, Tesla Model Y, has recently topped global charts.
- Are SUVs replacing sedans for top sales?
- In many markets, yes. Crossovers combine space and efficiency (often with hybrid power) and now match or beat sedans on comfort and tech.
- What’s known about the police incident video?
- Carscoops reported a video showing an officer attempting to strike a man with a patrol vehicle. Details beyond the footage weren’t available in the brief; it’s a serious, concerning incident.
