10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: EV Debuts Electrify, But Defender and Black Friday Are No Turkeys
Heading into Thanksgiving week, Cars.com readers plugged into a pair of electric-car debuts in Los Angeles: one with a familiar look and name that’s on the way, and the other with an otherworldly shape coming on Tesla time — which is to say it’ll get here when it gets here.
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Shop the 2020 Land Rover Defender near you
The Teslarati continue to flock to all things Tesla, and the unveiling of the California automaker’s Cybertruck pickup truck was the most-read story of the week on Cars.com. The debut amounted to a staged event in which CEO Elon Musk ticked off amazing claimed specs for the truck along with an amazing sub-$40,000 starting price — though such money might not get you a truck that’s quite as amazing (and might, as with Tesla’s base Model 3 sedan, be hard to get at all). But what generated the most buzz was the truck’s B-movie looks, which Musk likened earlier to an “armored personnel carrier of the future,” and an epic fail of the “armor glass” that was shattered onstage — twice — by metal balls Tesla’s chief designer threw at it.
Hot on the tailgate of the Cybertruck was our story and video offering first impressions of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, unveiled at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. If the interest readers showed is any indication, it appears that Ford’s decision to attach the Mustang name and pony-car styling cues to the new all-electric SUV was a smart move. But despite the interest, they’ll have to wait if they want one. The Mach-E is due to hit dealerships by New Year’s Eve — in 2020.
Back in the land of today rather than tomorrow, readers want to know about Land Rover’s back-to-the-future reinvention of its iconic Defender off-road SUV that’s coming back to the U.S. — another new vehicle on display at the L.A. show and one that might at least hit the streets by spring break. Our coverage on how the new, more civilized Defender matches up with Jeep’s rival Wrangler was the No. 3 story of the week.
Fourth for Cars.com readers was our rundown of Black Friday car deals on closeout 2019s. Apparently some lucky folks will be waking up on Christmas to find a new ride in the driveway with a big red bow on top. That beats an ugly sweater, and December is a big shopping month for cars, too. We ticked 16 good deals on ’19s for holiday bargain hunters.
Rounding out the top five was a Cars.com news-you-can-use article on how to escape a car lease that no longer works for you. We’re offering more coverage of leasing, which has become increasingly attractive to shoppers looking for a lower monthly payment, as it requires extra care to ensure you’re really getting a good deal.
Whether a new vehicle is on your list for Santa or you’re just trying to keep up with the biggest car news, the rest of Cars.com’s most-read stories also have a lot of news you don’t want to miss. Here are the top 10 news stories of the past week for Cars.com readers:
1. Tesla Cybertruck: Impressive Specs, Killer Price, Polarizing Looks
2. 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Video: Electric SUV With Pony Car Spirit
3. 2020 Land Rover Defender: Has the Jeep Wrangler Met Its Match?
4. Black Friday New-Car Deals: 16 Cars With ’19 Discounts
5. How to Get Out of a Car Lease
6. 2019 Toyota Camry: 8 Things We Like (and 4 Not So Much)
7. 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime: Plug Into Performance With 302-HP Plug-In Hybrid
8. 2020 Buick Encore GX: Big Surprise in a Small Package
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.
