10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Ford Maverick, Ranger Take Down Toyota RAV4
When a new member joins the family, the other kids may worry they’ll lose attention. And with the new-for-2022 Maverick compact pickup truck joining the Ford family, it’s only natural that its one-size-bigger brother, the Ranger — reintroduced for 2019 but now relegated to the role of middle child — might seem like yesterday’s news. So what else was Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley to do but instigate a sibling squabble?
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, Hanley compares the interior appointments of the Maverick and the Ranger, with both trucks available for inspection at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show earlier this month. Shoppers seeking a larger truck with more bed space and a higher towing capacity will still favor the Ranger, but the Best in Show award-winning Maverick outshines it on multiple cabin counts.
The smaller pickup offers an entry and seating position more akin to a compact SUV, courtesy of its carlike unibody construction versus the Ranger’s conventional body-on-frame setup. Its rear bench seat boasts greater passenger comfort and visibility, too, while offering legroom comparable to that of the larger Ranger. Finally, the Maverick features stylish, newfangled cabin styling along with a variety of clever, accommodating storage compartments that render the Ranger just regular by comparison.
“The Maverick’s cabin is more comfortable, and it’ll likely offer a more car-like driving experience thanks to its unibody construction,” Hanley concludes. “That might not appeal to some truck buyers, but it could to other shoppers who haven’t considered a truck before.”
You can get Hanley’s full interior monologue by following the link below to Cars.com’s No. 2 news story of the past week.
Also ranking high on this week’s countdown is our survey of Cars.com user reviews for the current generation of the Toyota RAV4 to get a nonprofessional perspective on the perennially popular compact SUV. Examining online critiques on Cars.com to distill common likes and dislikes among owners, we found plenty of raves about the RAV4’s technology, fuel economy, handling, value and family appeal, but rants against the vehicle’s stop-start system, engine noise and transmission behavior. Ride quality, meanwhile, seemed to generate comments in both columns.
For the full details on what Cars.com users love and loathe about the RAV4, follow the link below to the No. 4 article on our weekly countdown.
Rounding out the week’s top five are a compilation of our recommendations for the best used cars you can buy for $10,000, at No. 1; another roundup of our recommendations, this one for the best used cars you can buy for $15,000, at No. 3; and a rapid-fire rundown of six things we like (and three not so much) about the 2021 Ford Bronco, at No. 5.
Beyond that, we have headlines on the Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer, as well as more from the Chicago Auto Show, so be sure to check out the whole list. Here 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 $10,000?
2. 2022 Ford Maverick Vs. 2021 Ford Ranger: How Do Their Interiors Compare?
3. What Are the Best Used Cars for $15,000?
4. Life with the Toyota RAV4: What Do Owners Really Think?
5. Is the 2021 Ford Bronco a Good Car? 6 Pros and 3 Cons
6. Ford Bronco Vs. Jeep Wrangler: A Wrangler Owner Drives the 2021 Ford Bronco
7. Up Close With the 2022 Ford Maverick: Just Being a Compact Pickup Is Enough
8. 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Vs. 2022 Wagoneer: Which Has the Better Row Setup?
9. What Are the Best Used Cars for $20,000?
10. 2021 Chicago Auto Show: Everything You Missed
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.
