10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Ford Maverick, Kia Carnival Are Best of the Best


OK, last Ford Maverick/“Top Gun: Maverick” crossreference, we promise (fingers crossed behind our backs): It should come as little a surprise that the 2023 Ford Maverick claimed Cars.com’s prime pickup truck prize for the new model year as the Tom Cruise tour de force film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar at the upcoming Academy Awards. Keep in mind we bought one after naming the pipsqueak pickup our overall Best of the Year 2022 vehicle as well as Best Pickup Truck of 2022, and owning one for the ensuing year did as little to diminish our enthusiasm for being behind the wheel of the Maverick as having to wait out a pandemic did to diminish our excitement to see the character Maverick back in the cockpit.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Even Tesla Got Affordable in January
From all-around utility exceeding its diminutive stature to interior and exterior style exceeding expectations, and from hybrid-powertrain-boosted fuel economy to just plain economy given its starting price just over 24 grand, the Maverick continues to run afoul of expectations for anyone who denies good things come in small packages. In one of Cars.com’s most popular news articles of the past week, we reveal the latest version of the Maverick as the winner of our Best Pickup Truck of 2023 award as well as how the compact Ford pickup bears the weight of the title — with the latter measure resting largely on its versatility and adaptability.
As Cars.com judges concluded of the 2023 truck, “it remains the Maverick’s interior and bed utility that make it our favorite pickup. You can go for cheap and cheerful or leather-lined and luxurious, depending on how much you want to spend, but either way, you get a stylish cabin with the ability to create your own accessories if you have access to a 3D printer.”
For full details on the new Ford Maverick’s Best Pickup Truck of 2023 win over contenders that include the Ford F-150 Lightning and Ram 1500, follow the link below to the No. 2 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles.
Family matters come into play further down this week’s roster, with the announcement that the latest model of the Kia Carnival minivan had earned Cars.com’s Best Family Car of 2023 honor. Boasting a robust V-6 engine, conveniently configurable seating, impressive entertainment offerings, strong crash-test scores, ample cargo space, generous standard safety tech and a starting price under $35,000, the Carnival isn’t all bark when it comes to accommodating families. For more on how its blend of utility, features and value earned the Carnival the Best Family Car of 2023 award in the face of competitors like the Kia Telluride and Subaru Outback, follow the link below to the No. 4 news story of the week.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Toyota Grand Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas 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 week:
1. 2023 Chicago Auto Show: Winners and Losers
3. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
5. Best Electric Vehicle of 2023
8. 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 Review: Losing Its Way
10. Auto Show Faceoff: 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Vs. 2024 Volkswagen Atlas
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.

Former Assistant Managing Editor-News Matt Schmitz is a veteran Chicago journalist indulging his curiosity for all things auto while helping to inform car shoppers.
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