10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Even Tesla Got Affordable in January
Inflation appears, at last, to be waning in the U.S., but that doesn’t magically undo all the dirt it did to your finances over the past year. For many car shoppers, that means affordability likely moved upward on the non-negotiables list — and judging by the most popular Cars.com news article of the past month, that logic tracks with a full half dealing directly with inexpensive or substantially discounted vehicles. Hell, even Tesla has been slashing prices lately like a fast-talking suburban dealership owner in a poorly produced TV commercial.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Year: Tesla Model Y Leads the Charge in an Electrifying Year in Cars
Due to varied market pressures, Tesla in recent weeks offered big-percentage markdowns on select trims of vehicles across its entire lineup. With reductions up to as much as 20%, would-be buyers got the chance to snap up the loyalty-engendering brand’s luxury electric vehicles for an uncommonly affordable price. “Affordable” may be a relative term here with prices extending into the six-figure range, but if a Tesla was just a few thousand dollars out of range for you before, this was your moment to realize your aspirations (while also potentially helping Elon Musk offset Twitter loan payments). Find the full details on Tesla markdowns by following the link below to the No. 4 news story on this month’s countdown of most read news stories.
Elsewhere in affordability is Cars.com’s 2023 Affordability Report, the first-ever edition of this roundup of cars — as well as small SUVs, small pickup trucks and EVs — that won’t crunch your finances. To be included on what ultimately became a 34-vehicle roster, candidates had to meet specified pricing thresholds while offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a blind spot monitor, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, and lane departure warning. In the SUV category, likely the most popular per sustained sales trends of the past decade, the 15 finalists include specified trims of the Chevrolet Trailblazer (carrying a median price of $23,440), Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taos and Mazda CX-30 ($26,770) on the low end. Considering the median price of a new car in December was nearly $43,000, these SUVs’ appeal should be self-evident.
Want to know more? Get all the details on all the body styles of all the vehicles in Cars.com’s 2023 Affordability Report by following the link below to the No. 1 article from January.
Meanwhile, in other affordability coverage, check out our update on an evident end in sight for the auto industry inventory shortage that has kept prices high since the pandemic started (No. 3 on the countdown); our reporting on the Treasury Department’s decision to make leased and used EVs eligible for the federal EV tax credits (No. 6); and the best deals we could dig up on new cars for the month of January — all of which expired at the end of the past month, though the February discount roundup will be along shortly (No. 8).
Beyond that, we got headlines on the Ford Maverick, Chevrolet Equinox, Honda Accord 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. 2023 Cars.com Affordability Report: Best Value New Cars
2. Which SUVs, Minivans and Sedans Have the Most Cargo Space?
3. Is the Inventory Shortage Coming to an End?
4. Tesla Slashes Prices as Much as 20% Across Lineup
5. Our Time in Eden: 10,000 Miles, Zero Problems With Our 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid
6. Leased and Used Electric Vehicles Now Qualify for Federal Tax Credits
7. 2023 Chevrolet Equinox Review: Likable — in Park
8. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for January 2023?
9. Redesigned 2023 Honda Accord Accordingly Given Price Bump
10. What’s New With Electric Vehicles for 2023?
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