10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Mazda3 Overpowers Ram 2500 Power Wagon
With the average price of a new vehicle in the U.S. having hit the $50,000 mark in 2025 and consumers feeling the weight of what some refer to as an affordability crisis, there is something car shoppers can do to ease the burden: Buy cheaper cars. Speaking generally, SUVs are larger and, as such, more expensive — and while the sustained dominance of SUVs has resulted in automakers discontinuing production of smaller, cheaper body styles, there are still some appealing options out there if you’re willing to sacrifice occupant space and cargo capacity for the sake of saving money. Case in point is the 2026 Mazda3, as we learn in Cars.com reviewer Damon Bell’s comprehensive critique of the sporty, upscale compact sedan — which also happens to be our most popular article of the past week.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Year: Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V Make Space as Hyundai Palisade Gains
The Mazda3 boasts an impressively powerful base engine for the class, while its available turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder’s 250 horsepower — plus available all-wheel drive — puts it in contention with a higher class of car, with the handling athleticism to match. Other enticing attributes include premium cabin appointments, serviceable cargo space, decent visibility and value proposition of its roughly $26,000-$39,000 price range. Weakening its case a little are somewhat cramped conditions for taller drivers and behind-the-curve infotainment features.
For Bell’s full review of the 2026 Mazda3, follow the link below to the No. 1 article on this week’s countdown of most read stories.
But if downsizing your desires in order to downsize your debt is the opposite of what you’re going for, there’s the 2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon — which nearly doubles what the outgoing Ram 2500’s heavy-duty off-roader can hold or haul, and massively extends how far it can carry those loads on a single fuel-up. That’s because the new Power Wagon offers what the pickup truck brand was unwilling or unable to offer on previous iterations: a diesel engine. But by forgoing the model-standard winch — a sometimes snack among off-roading equipment — Ram was, at long last, able to juice it up for strength and endurance. The result is a massive 20,000-pound towing capacity, 3,000-pound payload rating and estimated 600-mile driving range on a full tank.
For full details on the 2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon — including some hints at how it stacks up against its chief rival, the Ford Super Duty F-250’s Tremor variant — follow the link below to the No. 2 news story of the week.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Honda Civic Type R, BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Nissan Versa, as well as the Ford Bronco, Mustang and F-350, 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. The 2026 Mazda3 Is Proof That Compact Sedans Can Be Fun to Drive: Review
2. 2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon: Doing What They Said Couldn’t Be Done
3. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
4. How Much Is the 2026 Honda Civic Type R?
5. The 2027 Ford Bronco RTR Is a Raptor Lite for the Next Generation
6. 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC: I Dream of GTD
7. We Tested the Massive Ford Super Duty F-350 Dually to See How It Performs as an Everyday Truck
8. The 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX Supertruck Looks Like a Supersized Hot Wheels Truck
9. How Do the 2027 BMW iX3 and 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLC With EQ Technology Compare?
10. With the Nissan Versa Gone, What Are Some Affordable Alternatives?
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