10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: 2021 Hyundai Venue Outduels Diesels, Keeps Pacifica at Bay

A certain celebrity divorce may have grabbed the headlines this week, but around here, Kim and Kanye got bested by Best of 2021. Having already named Cars.com’s Luxury Car of the Year (the 2021 Cadillac Escalade) and Family Car of the Year (the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas) — respectively Nos. 1 and 2 on this week’s countdown of most popular news articles — we now turn our attention to an even more valuable title.

Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Ford Bronco Sport Laps Luxury, Electric, Elantra

Attention, bargain shoppers: The Hyundai Venue is the Best Value of 2021, per Cars.com editors. If you’re looking for cheap but not chintzy, the Venue is the place you want to be.

“Given the ongoing SUV craze, it’s not surprising that Hyundai would replace the Accent hatchback with a small SUV like the Venue,” judges said. “But what may be surprising is everything you can get with the base Venue SE: an automatic transmission, standard 8-inch touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist and keyless entry — and all that for a starting price of $19,935 including destination fee.”

Follow the link below to our No. 3 article of the week to learn all about the Venue’s other assets — gas mileage, warranty, safety, style — that make it the best value proposition for the current model year.

In other economy-related news this week, this time of the fuel variety, we round up everything new for 2021 in the market for diesel-powered vehicles. The rep for diesels took a beating in recent years due to associated scandals, and the fuel is now only available to U.S. buyers in pickup trucks and SUVs. But diesel remains a substantially more energy-efficient, if slightly pricey, alternative to gasoline. Check out this week’s fourth-place finisher for the rundown on diesel-powered versions of the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe; Ford F-150; GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL; Jeep Gladiator; and Ram lineup.

Meanwhile, on the family-car front, an updated Chrysler Pacifica arrives for the 2021 model year with available all-wheel drive and the latest version of its Uconnect multimedia system to further entice anyone not already convinced that it’s the best minivan on the market. Judging by her comprehensive critique, Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger needs no further persuasion.

“The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica is a lot like my favorite pair of leggings: comfortable, versatile and — with the addition of available all-wheel drive — ready for anything,” she writes in her review, which you can find by following the link below to the No. 5 article on this week’s countdown.

Beyond that, we have headlines on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, Hyundai Elantra and much more, so don’t be like Kimye and call it quits quite so soon. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:

1. 2021 Luxury Car of the Year

2. 2021 Family Car of the Year

3. Best Value of 2021

4. What’s New With Diesel Vehicles for 2021?

5. 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Review: Updated Minivan Is a Mega Win for Families

6. Tesla Drops Base Price for Model 3, Model Y: Here’s What They Now Cost

7. Shopping for a Used Car? Here Are the Most Reliable 2018 Vehicles According to J.D. Power

8. Which Compact Sedan Has the Best Value?

9. What Is That Round Thing On the 2021 Hyundai Elantra’s Dashboard?

10. Global Microchip Shortage Makes Now the Time to Shop for Cars

Related Video:

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.