10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Ford Maverick Higher Than Hyundai Santa Cruz (Except in Price)

As the first major American auto show since COVID-19 lockdowns started in early 2020, the 2021 Chicago Auto Show marked a momentous return to getting up close and personal with prelaunch vehicles like the all-new-for-2022 Ford Maverick. And Cars.com editors gladly seized that opportunity, getting a feel for the forthcoming compact pickup truck inside and out, and reporting straight from the show floor.

Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Tesla Model 3 Most American, But Ford Maverick Most Popular

In one of Cars.com’s most popular articles of the past week, Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder offers a quick and candid assessment of his first meeting with the Maverick. To summarize: The new Ford scores automatic points just by dint of being a compact pickup, while he appreciated the comfortable seating position both front and rear, plus the inclusion of physical controls that make for a welcome departure from the proliferation of touch-sensitive, screen-based switches — though all that hard plastic in the cabin even on higher trims could be improved.

“Compact pickup trucks have been gone from the U.S. market for too long,” Wiesenfelder states. “Hyundai has tempted us with the Santa Cruz, but the simple truckiness of the Maverick is sure to appeal to some shoppers. It did to me.”

For more of Wiesenfelder’s thoughts on the Maverick, follow the link below to the No. 2 news item on this week’s countdown of Cars.com’s most-read stories.

Speaking of the aforementioned Hyundai Santa Cruz — the also-new-for-2022 compact pickup set to take on the Maverick head-to-head on the market — arrives at dealerships later in July at a starting price of $25,175 (with destination). That starting price is nearly $3,700 more than that of the Maverick and increases incrementally up to $40,905 across the Santa Cruz’s five trim levels. The Santa Cruz may be more expensive than the Maverick, but it’s also better equipped, with standard features including 18-inch alloy wheels, wireless integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and hands-on lane-centering steering.

For more on what buyers will get at each price level, follow the link below to our No. 5 news story of the week.

Rounding out the top five are a trio of recos for used rides, sorted by price tier and body style for your cost-conscious convenience: the best used cars for $15,000, at No. 1; best used cars for $10,000, at No. 3; and the best used cars for $20,000, at No. 4.

Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Ford Bronco, the Tesla Model Y and much more where that came from. Here, then, are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:

1 What Are the Best Used Cars for $15,000?

2 Up Close With the 2022 Ford Maverick: Just Being a Compact Pickup Is Enough

3 What Are the Best Used Cars for $10,000?

4 What Are the Best Used Cars for $20,000?

5 Hyundai Santa Cruz Starts $3,685 Over Ford Maverick, But What More Do You Get?

6 2021 Ford Bronco Review: Worth the Bucks

7 2021 Chicago Auto Show: Best in Show

8 2021 Tesla Model Y Review: Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

9 2021 Cars.com American-Made Index: Which Cars Are the Most American?

10 What’s the Best New-Car Deal for July 2021?

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.